Abbotsford – As the decades roll by, the community of retirees from the University of the Fraser Valley continues to grow.
Many keep in touch with old colleagues informally, but now there’s an organization that will help keep retirees connected with each other and with the university.
The UFV Retirees’ Association was launched in April 2025. And it’s planning a fun public event on Wednesday, Feb. 18 in the lecture theatre (B101) on the Abbotsford campus: an afternoon of comedy with UFV English professor and comedian Rajnish Dhawan. The University of the Fraser Valley will introduce the UFV Retirees’ Association at this inaugural event.
What’s so funny about retirement? That’s one question that Dhawan will be asking at the afternoon of comedy. What, in fact, is so funny about anything, given everything we see around us right now? Never was a dose of comedy more needed than at this moment, say the event organizers.
This comedy event is open to the public, but registration is required. It will also be available for viewing online.
To register for What’s So Funny About Retirement, click on this link: UFVRA: Feb 18 | Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams.
Retirees Adrienne Chan and Ian McAskill, who each held a variety of faculty and administrative roles in their time at the university, came to UFV with the idea for an association prior to the 50th anniversary year. They worked with UFV’s Community Engagement team to bring the idea to fruition.
Chan says one of the primary reasons for launching the association is to continue to foster the bonds that many retirees felt with their colleagues when they were working. Almost all universities and colleges in B.C. have a retiree association, which is a point of engagement, and a way of acknowledging and valuing the contributions faculty and staff have made over the years.
“When I began work at UFV (then UCFV), I saw that there was a ‘family’ quality about the institution. We liked each other; we shared stories together; we spent time together,” Chan notes. “That is not always the case in your workplace. What makes a workplace special? The people in it, and the people who share with you. That does not have to end when you retire from UFV.
“Our purpose is for connection — to maintain engagement with each other through social events, learning events, perhaps recreational events and tours. The association will also engage in discussions about how to connect and engage in meaningful ways at the university. This might be in a mentoring role and supporting students, staff, or faculty, by assisting where we can, and where we would be valued. There are many possibilities for us. When we say, ‘don’t be a stranger,’ we mean it.”
Plans include hosting one or two special events per year, informal social gatherings, and participating in the annual barbecue in August and the retirement celebration in November.
The association will also facilitate mentoring opportunities by matching retirees with current employees or students. And there’s an annual UFV Retiree bursary that retirees are invited to support through donations.
Current members of the UFVRA Board are Adrienne Chan, Randy Kelley, Maureen Wideman, Ian McAskill, Deb Greenfield, Eric Davis, Virginia Cooke, and Betty Poettcker.
Are you retired from UFV? Join UFVRA. Membership is free, but the organization accepts donations.
View the webpage, and join through the membership link.
If you register to attend online, you will be sent a link to use for that day.
The UFVRA appreciates the ongoing support from the Office of Community Engagement and the Relationship and Fund Development team.
