Eriksdale’s Phyllis Penny brings caregivers together for one big bash
After four decades of service in Interlake health care, Phyllis Penny knows a thing or two about hard work—and how to throw a party.
Penny, who retired last year after 40 years with the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority (IERHA), hosted more than 50 of her fellow long-serving caregivers on Sunday, July 13, for a lively backyard celebration filled with barbecue, games and live music.
The event brought together former colleagues from Eriksdale, Lundar and Ashern—many of whom had worked more than 20 years in the region’s hospitals, care homes and clinics.
“I just want everyone to have a good time,” said Penny, who spent her career as a head cook, housekeeper and health care aide. “It’s like growing up in a clique. You become friends from working together, and it doesn’t matter how old you are.”
Penny’s home has long been a hub for gatherings, with her garage and gazebo often used for community parties. But this event held special meaning—an opportunity to reconnect with colleagues who shared the ups and downs of health care work across decades of change.
She first entered the field at 17, when her husband Cameron encouraged her to apply for a housekeeping job at the Lundar Care Home. A neighbour, Gwen Sigurdson, had mentioned the opening, and though Penny was reluctant to leave her social job at Chicken Chef, she gave it a try.
“I just went with it,” she said. “I learned new things and did new things and saw new things. You just adapt.”
That ability to adapt served her well both professionally and personally. Penny supported her husband through Parkinson’s and relied on home care herself in his final years—a service she once helped others access.
“I loved working. I helped people when they were in their worst states of sickness,” she said. “It was rewarding. I’m glad I worked in health care because I could help people stay home longer—and I ended up needing it for my husband and my mom.”
Throughout her career, she rarely took time off. Most of her vacation days were spent helping with calving on the farm. But now, retired and eager to travel, she’s making up for lost time—often with the friends she made along the way.
“It’s so much nicer to have positivity instead of negativity,” Penny said. “You’ve got to have a happy place and do things.”
The July 13 event featured speeches from several longtime caregivers, including 85-year-old Donna Steinthorson, former lab tech Gail Holm, and LPN Linda Fortin.
Steinthorson recalled the deep camaraderie shared by all staff—nurses, aides, cooks, lab techs and maintenance workers alike.
“Everyone had each other’s backs throughout the day,” she said, reflecting on everything from births to emergency traumas that marked their shared experiences.
Though the health care system has changed—more regulations, continued staffing shortages—some things, like dedication and teamwork, remain constant.
Penny recalled one extraordinary shift in Ashern when she was the only health care aide available.
“Everyone had phoned in sick. I worked 42 hours straight,” she said. “I slept one hour a lot of times.”
Even now, she continues to advocate for improved local care. One of her future goals is to help fundraise for a second EMS station in the area.
“People are only trying to make their way through life as happy as you can be,” she said. “I hang out with my positive friends. I just motivate myself to enjoy life and be happy and have fun. I’ve always been hyper—just ask my mother.”
Her retirement hasn’t been without difficulty—she recently lost her husband and is undergoing treatment for skin cancer—but her passion for connecting with people and celebrating life is stronger than ever.
At the party, guests were invited to give their own speeches, sign a banner, and enjoy a musical performance by Penny’s brother and sister-in-law, who even wrote a song just for her.
“I find the goodness in everybody,” Penny said. “And I just want to celebrate that.”
