Gill McKee and Frances Waller are from the small town of Peterborough, United Kingdom. They both fell in love with Canada and moved here permanently in the late 1960’s. Despite growing up only two miles from one another, they didn’t meet until they became neighbours at Parkland at the Lakes in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

Frances smiles recalling meeting Gill for the first time. “I came up to her in the common area, where she was doing a jigsaw puzzle,” she says, laughing. “I said something about the puzzle and when she replied, I asked where she was from. She said 80 miles north of London, and I asked where that was exactly. She said Peterborough, and I said that’s where I’m from!”

Today, Frances and Gill are great friends and get together every evening to do puzzles – an activity they have both enjoyed since childhood. Gill jokes, “Sometimes we get really into it. Yesterday we spent three hours putting a puzzle together. We usually do 1,000-piece ones, and not to brag, but we’re very good at it. There’s none we can’t do,” she chuckles.

Frances and Gill are grateful for a close bond built on a shared love of puzzles and a special connection to their hometown.

If you or a loved one is considering a retirement community where you can experience exceptional service and choose your level of carefree lifestyle, now is a great time to visit and plan your next step. Book a tour.