It's the second time youth members from the local Air Cadet Squadron have paid a visit to a retirement home to share and hear stories, make new friends, and have a few giggles. 

Athena Cutts is the Lieutenant Training Officer for the #40 Snowbird Royal Canadian Air Cadets Squadron. She said the visits don't just brighten the days of residents. The cadets also get a lot out of the experience. 

"They're all excited to go," said Cutts. "Some of them don't have grandparents, so this is a really good opportunity for them to receive knowledge from the elderly people in our community. They love hearing the stories of long-time past."

Fifteen-year-old Flight Sgt. Connor Johnson says he's a "history buff" and loves having the chance to give back to his community. 

"In the way that we get to come here and sort of learn from the wisdom of older generations, we get to learn how they react to our involvement in the community, I think that's great. For me, a lot of it is just coming and seeing history in action. Last time we were here I talked to a woman who worked through World War Two. That was fascinating."

For a few hours in the afternoon on Saturday at Mulberry Estates, the Cadets hang out, chatting with residents, and later on participated in bean-bag baseball, which the residents of Mulberry say they're quite competitive with. 

 "We lost our trophy," said resident and creative expression ambassador, Dee Wilby, with a laugh. "We want to get it back."

Wilby and her friend and fellow resident, Verna Tardif, had been visiting with a few of the cadets. Both women said despite the age difference, they all get along well.  

"The Cadets, they're very vocal, they're not afraid to speak, to converse with you," said Wilby. "It's great. There's decades between our lives, and yet they just fit right in. They have a sense of humour, it's just fantastic."

Sgt. Emma Cherney is also 15, and has been a Cadet for the past four years. She's participated in Operation Good Samaritan twice now and says for her, there are both professional and personal benefits to the program. 

"This looks amazing on any resume, and it's just amazing for shaping your personality in general I think. It's a great way to get out into the community and learn from their wisdom of course and hear their stories, and really just interact with people from different generations. Maybe learn some different things about the past to benefit the future even. It's just a really great opportunity."

Fellow Cadet, 15-year-old Sgt. Zark Sand agrees. 

"I feel good afterwards. I learn a lot, it's happy. It does look good on a resume, and it helps give back to the community."

For information about how you could get your kids involved with the Air Cadets, click here.