Day: Second Saturday of the month
Time: 1:30 to 3:30
Location: Yakamovich Centre on Hillside

The Monthly Meet-ups and Welleness Sessions invite speakers from different practices provided us with information on therapies that others are using to manage the disease. We also used this time to learn about other topics of interest such as Reconciliation or even astronomy. We were blessed to have Karun Thanjavur from Victoria’s Astronomy Research Centre kindly donated his time and experience sharing the wonders of space.

Members have the opportunity to ask questions and to engage with practitioners throughout the sessions. As part of the session, members meet after to share their thoughts and experiences and provide one another with further support.

If you have an idea for a wellness session, please let us know.

Accessible Washrooms on site. Easy access for Handi-dart.

The program is available to people on Vancouver Island living with MS at no cost.

Day: Every Tuesday
Time: 1:15 to 2:00
Location: Esquimalt Pool

The Aqua Therapy Program provides accessible aqua therapy to people living with Multiple Sclerosis.

The program is delivered in partnership with the Esquimalt Recreation Aquatics Centre. A staff member from the pool, who is trained in aqua therapy and the special needs of our community, provides instruction and support for this program. Care support can also participate in the class.

There are no other programs on Vancouver Island that address the physical needs of people living with MS. Research has shown that exercise helps improve quality of life as it improves symptom management mitigates disease progression, and group exercise helps extend members social networks giving them an overall sense of well-being.

Members who will use this program are typically on disability support and have the challenge of living on low-income; therefore the program offered at no cost to the participant. We hope you will join us for this program.

Accessible washrooms, locker room, and a lift for entering the water (staff help), walkers for the water.

Day: Friday, August 16
Time: 11:30 to 3:00
Location: Hamsterley Beach

Each summer the MS Wellness Centre hosts an afternoon at the beach where people living with MS can meet in a social setting.

There is also an opportunity to participate in swimming in the lake. An accessible water chair is on hand.
Lunch and is provided.

Accessible Washrooms on site.

Day: Every Monday
Time: 10:00 to 11:00
Location: Virtual

Delivered virtually, Yoga Therapy provides people with MS with an opportunity to participate in a guided yoga session without having to leave their home. For some members being able to participate from home has made it possible for them to attend sessions, particularly those with limited mobility.

The Yoga Therapy Program has been designed specifically for people with MS and has provided both physical and mental benefits. Sessions have been delivered weekly for just over four years with up to 15 participants in each session. All participants have Multiple Sclerosis, at various stages. The MS Wellness Centre has been fortunate to contract the services of Janice Arnot, a professional Yoga Therapist.

Current empirical research has provided a large body of evidence illustrating the benefits and positive outcomes associated with the practice of yoga among individuals with MS, including reduced depression, decreased pain, reduced fatigue, increased lung capacity, improved bladder function, improved strength and flexibility, lower levels of stress, improved quality of life and muscle relaxation, and lower blood pressure. The program is helps improve the quality of life for people living with the disease. There is no other yoga program available to people with MS on Vancouver Island.

Anyone with MS is encouraged to participate in this highly accessible program, which is offered at no cost. The instructor carefully considers the different physical accessibility challenges each of the participants and provides modified exercises and movements, so all participants are included and able to receive the benefits of the practice.

Day: Every other Tuesday
Time: 10:30 to 12:00
Location: Zoom

The MS Wellness Centre Art Therapy provides people living with MS with an opportunity to connect as a community and a creative way while exchanging strategies on how to cope with the disease. The program has been designed to bring people together so they can support one another.

The Art Therapy Program is delivered every two weeks for one hour through Zoom. The program provided a vital lifeline as people were able to connect and continue to meet virtually. The program is available to anyone with Multiple Sclerosis on Vancouver Island. There are up to 15 seats available each session.

The program is delivered by Lucille Shires, a professional art instructor. Lucille prepares the weekly program including an art materials welcome kit and monthly supply kits, which are delivered to participants homes, so they can fully participate in the program equipped with all the required resources and supplies necessary.

People living with Multiple Sclerosis often find themselves living alone and may have difficulty getting out because of physical limitations. This can lead to isolation and depression. The program addresses this through a welcoming environment and active participation. Further, art therapy has been known to improve cognitive and sensorimotor functions, foster self-esteem and self-awareness, cultivate emotional resilience, promote insight, and enhance social skills.

Day: Ongoing
Time: Flexible
Location: Phone or in person

The MS Advocacy Program provides people with MS personalized supports. Services include escorts to Doctor’s appointments, assistance in filling in government documents, in-home visits when unable to leave home, grocery delivery when ill, hospital visits, assistance finding mobility devices and more.

The MS Advocate is a vital part of the community. MS often leads to cognitive and physical disabilities. For people living with MS, particularly those who live alone, there is no other person available to help them navigate the world and provide emotional support when vulnerable.

This is a rare one-to-one service where the recipient receives personal support in situations where no other support is available. Without it, MS community members may have no other way to get to a doctor, find a mobility device, fill in a form needed for services or have support in place when ill.

The program advocate is currently a volunteer however the demand of the program is great enough that it should be a paid position at least 5 hours a week to start.

Anyone with MS on Vancouver Island can request the support of the Advocate at no cost.