LIVE Evacuation order issued for some Fort McMurray neighbourhoods as wildfire nears
Four Fort McMurray neighbourhoods were ordered to evacuate as a wildfire gets closer to the city.
A Canadian man with early stage Alzheimer’s Disease has battled through the brain disorder to graduate with a bachelor’s degree at the age of 84.
Ron Robert, who has spent the past four years taking 35 courses on history, political science and cross disciplinary studies, graduated from King's University College in London, Ont. on Wednesday.
Robert was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2015 and struggled with depression after receiving the news. He described his decision to enrol in university “a personal experiment that has succeeded by setting an example.”
“It’s such a wonderful feeling,” Robert told CTVNews.ca as he prepared to receive his diploma at Convocation Hall. “It gives a lot of people hope that they can live they can still live a good life with Alzheimer's. There will come a time when I won't be able to, and I fully expect that. But in the meantime, I'm living a full life.”
Robert is not alone either. According to the Alzheimer Society of Canada, more than 569,000 people were living with dementia in Canada in 2020. In a report released by the group in September this year, they predicted nearly one million people in the country will be living with dementia by the end of the decade.
Over the four years at university, Robert said that despite his Alzheimer’s worsening, he believes the regular mental challenges may have helped slow the deterioration.
“My short term memory is terrible…but my long term memory is not bad. It's actually improved,” he said.
His wife Catherine Cornelius told CTVNews.ca that her husband persevered through the course despite his condition. “He worked hard,” she said. “I definitely believe that his focus on his studies stopped his Alzheimer’s from progressing.”
While on campus, Robert also spoke to medical students, explaining what it’s like to live with memory loss and how patience and kindness from medical professionals is appreciated by those who suffer with dementia.
Robert also credits teachers on his courses for adapting their classes to help him remember information, by recording the lectures he attended so he could listen to them multiple times.
One of his professors, Jeff Preston says he is “thrilled” by Ron’s achievement.
“I think Ron is the living embodiment of the phrase ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’, or perhaps, don’t assume someone cannot [do something] simply because of a diagnosis.” Preston told CTVNews.ca.
“We have this perception that people with disabilities like Alzheimer’s are wholly incapable. I think what Ron has shown is that all sorts of people can succeed in a university classroom when provided with the right environment and supports to nurture success,” he added.
The walk across the stage to collect his degree culminates in a 60-year wish for Robert. He said he had always wanted to attend university and instead had a 20-year career as a radio and television journalist in Saskatchewan and Alberta and worked as a political aide to former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
In early November, he turns 85 years old. With one diploma to hang on his wall, he has plans to begin studies for a Master’s degree, and hopes to research ways of living better with Alzheimer’s disease, with his own experience as a model for others.
Four Fort McMurray neighbourhoods were ordered to evacuate as a wildfire gets closer to the city.
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
The doctor who led Toronto through the COVID-19 pandemic as the city’s top public health official is stepping down.
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Saskatchewan RCMP have revealed that a historic sexual assault investigation has led to the discovery of alleged crimes against children dating back to 2005.
An American accused of sexually assaulting a Pennsylvania college student in 2013 and later sending her a Facebook message that said, 'So I raped you,' has been detained in France after a three-year search.
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Ontario Provincial Police are responding to a fatal collision involving two vehicles on Highway 417 in Ottawa's west end on Tuesday morning.
A team is ready to help an entangled North Atlantic right whale in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
A $200 reward is being offered by a North Vancouver family for the safe return of their beloved chicken, Snowflake.
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
Mother's Day can be a difficult occasion for those who have lost or are estranged from their mom.
YES Theatre Young Company opened its acclaimed kids’ show, One Small Step, at Sudbury Theatre Centre on Saturday.
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.