不良研究所

For my PURE Award, I studied older adults in the 不良研究所 community of Saddle Ridge, a diverse neighbourhood where I grew up. Over 70% of residents here are visible minorities, and inter-generational households are common. The neighbourhood bridges established and new immigrants, forming a unique sense of community. Halfway through the project, I realized that I had known or had connection to almost all my participants in some way or another 鈥� I鈥檇 gone to school with their relatives, been their neighbors, or even worked with them when I was younger. This project wasn鈥檛 just research; it was community building.  

My research evolved beyond its original scope on technology adoption into something richer: narratives of lived experiences witnessing community change. One participant, Greg, moved here in 1976 when Saddle Ridge was 鈥渏ust a collection of acreages鈥�. He watched it transform and chose to stay, eventually co-founding the Genesis Centre with his wife. Others, like Harneet & Baljeet were in the process of immigrating and provided a unique lens on why they chose Saddle Ridge as their new home. These older adults actively defy age-related stereotypes: many work well past the age of retirement; they engage deeply in community life, and embrace technology despite significant barriers. But a stark contradiction emerged. For seniors still actively in the workforce, technology adoption felt compulsory rather than chosen. For Myla and Angie, who are older and working they feel they 鈥渉ave to鈥� adopt technology or be 鈥渓eft behind鈥�, both within the workforce and socially.  

My interview participants became life-long connections. At the centre of my research and my life is community.  I learned that community is found often where you least expect, and that amplifying the voices of older adults can ensure that conversations about our future are inclusive and adaptive to everyone鈥檚 needs.