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| President: Linda SandersonI’m delighted to be part of the leadership team for the PNC, an organization that truly reflects the best of community connection and shared experience. What drew me to become more involved is the welcoming spirit of the club - there’s something special about a group that so naturally brings people together, fosters friendships, and creates opportunities to try new things. It’s a place where newcomers quickly feel at home, and long-time members continue to build meaningful connections. My husband Ron and I made the move to Sidney three years ago, drawn by its coastal charm, slower pace, and strong sense of community. We were looking for a place where we could enjoy the outdoors, stay active and feel connected - and Sidney has delivered on all of that and more. Having grown up in Vancouver, I’ve always had a deep appreciation for life on the West Coast. The ocean has been a constant throughout my life, and boating in particular has been a passion we continue to enjoy today. Being near the water, whether on it or simply walking along the shoreline, is something that continues to bring us joy and a sense of home. I’m excited to contribute to a club that helps others build those connections and discover all that this wonderful area has to offer. |
| Vice President: Cynthia Funnell“Welcome to the island life on the West Coast. I’m a dog mom, step mom, grand mom, aunt, sister, niece & cousin. I find volunteering is the most joyful and gratifying way to give back. Continuing as a volunteer Peninsula Newcomers special event convenor, I am also a volunteer marketing coordinator for the Sidney North Saanich Yacht Club. Previously, a volunteer communications officer for Canadian Power & Sail Squadrons & a fundraiser for the Terry Fox Foundation. Our PNC club is enormously rewarding and I know you will experience this too. Personal interests as a young women included acting, modelling, tap & jazz dancing and wildlife sketching. A novice piano player now retired, I enjoy tennis, travel, art, social media, photography, flower-arranging, euchre, walking/hiking with my dog group & boating. Currently struggling with learning to play bridge. :-) Hope to realize my future goal of learning mahjong. I once read, “Your second life begins when you realize you only have one.” I’ve been busy ever since! Cynthia Funnell cnt’d I invested a lot of love and energy into my career as a working executive in corporate communications and marketing in high tech, entertainment & publishing industries in Toronto, Ontario, Silicon Valley, California, and most recently Victoria, BC. (Proud recipient of 2 mentorship awards and 3 leadership development awards.) A strong advocate for advancing women in the workforce, I spent many years mentoring young women into management roles. As an Internet pioneer working with Apple Computer, I was also a media coach recognized for scholastic achievement in broadcast journalism. While raised in Toronto, I’m from a family of high-achievers, my Bachelor of Science degree as a dean’s scholar in public relations/communications/business is from San Jose State University. Earned a prestigious invitation to the Golden Key International Honour Society. Bringing women together in companionship, with a variety of interests, is at the heart of why I volunteer. I’m so proud to be your Vice-President of our extraordinary women’s club. Here’s to an enjoyable experience for you with the PNC!” |
| Secretary Co Chair: Mara DurighelloAfter spending half of my life in the USA (San Francisco, CA and Moorestown, NJ) and half in Italy (Treviso, Vicenza, Rivoli), I moved to Sidney with my husband, Steven, in November 2019 and became a Canadian citizen in October 2024. I worked as a high-school English teacher in Italy for 14 years while also taking on translation jobs on the side. Since my return to North America in 2001, I have been working exclusively as a translator. I like travelling, walking/hiking, reading, watching movies, and listening to music. Steven and I have two daughters – Céline (in Ottawa) and Anaïs (in Victoria) – and a granddog, Dizzy. I signed up with the PNC as soon as I arrived and the timing was perfect because I got to meet so many wonderful women and participate in activities in person just before the Covid shutdown. The Zoom meetings during Covid were very helpful and made me feel less isolated. Over time I have formed wonderful friendships and I am very happy to have the opportunity to actively contribute to this great club that has given me so much. |
| Treasurer: Jennifer FeddersenI immigrated to Canada in 2004, first to Terrace, BC for twelve years, then Victoria for ten before my husband and I downsized to Sidney. We’ve been delighted with this latest move and all that our new town has to offer. Joining the Newcomers Club last spring helped make the transition much easier and all the activities and events have been a very welcome addition to my life. I’ve been an entrepreneur since my twenties, in the fields of retail, childcare, editing and audiobook production, but when I turned to writing and became a romance author in 2013, I found my calling. Forty-three novels later, I decided it was time to slow down. Now I spend my time gardening, walking, knitting, and visiting with my grown children and friends. I hope being Treasurer allows me to give back to the Newcomers, where I’ve met so many wonderful, interesting women who have welcomed me to my new hometown. |
| Publicity/Website Coordinator: Ande AxelrodFor decades, I would blow out my birthday candles every year with "I wish I could put my kayak in the water without putting it on the car first." Last summer we found our home to make that wish come true. My path here started in Chicago, then to San Francisco, Vancouver and now on Roberts Bay in Sidney. Larry and I moved here at the end of 2023, and it has quickly become our home and very happy place, in great part to the fun and friendships I found with you in the Newcomers Club. You can find me paddling as much as possible, but also hiking on Mondays, walking on Lochside on Wednesdays, discussing books and movies, biking, knitting, and more... and of course indulging in wine and appies each month! I am very happy to be a part of the team of wonderful women in leadership for the Club and help keep this a thriving organization into the future. |
| Monthly Events Coordinator: Sherry DudinskyI moved to the beautiful city of Sidney in August of 2023 from another lovely place, Canmore, AB. I traded my life in the Rockies for a warmer one, where I now live much closer to my two children and their families in Victoria. Joining the Peninsula Newcomers Club has been a lifeline for me and I am very grateful for all the advice that has helped me settle in and make the most of this incredible region. After two years as Vice President I am looking forward to my new role as Events Coordinator. It's going to be a fun year... stay tuned! |
Hospitality: Laurie LeachWelcome to Sidney! My name is Laurie Leach, since moving here from Langley BC, with my spouse and dog I have discovered many new friendships through PNC. There is so much to try. I am loving the outdoor walks and many parks. Once an avid hiker and backpacker/canoeist seeing so much of Canada after day-long hikes, I am happy to be settling into this new stage of life. I have always been involved in Volunteering, things like “wiener Wednesday” at kids schools (someone had to do it) Girl Guides and Scouting movement, library helpers, to more recently sitting on boards and working with Ishtar Society, helping women to move on from difficult situations. Yes, I did work too, but somehow my volunteering has always brought me joy, and I look forward to welcoming more newbies to Sidney. |
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Activity Chair: Lynne JordanAs an Ontario transplant (via Kingston, Orillia, London), I lived in Sannich for over 20 years raising my child Addie, and continuing my career as a librarian/ library administrator. In 2021, motivated by retirement, my child launched (now residing in Germany), COVID and a big garden and house to maintain, I moved to a townhouse on Tsehum Harbour in Sidney. Although I'd visited the Peninsula, I didn't know all its wonders, its easy access to the sea, and the amazing PNC! Currently, I coordinate entertainment events at the Sidney North Saanich Yacht Club. In the past, I have volunteered with diverse groups including literacy, women's shelters, and ballroom dance. I am looking forward to assisting Linda Sanderson with PNC Activities coordination. |
| Membership Coordinator: Helen SimpsonI had always dreamt of living by the ocean, and when it came time for us to plan for retirement, the opportunity to move to Vancouver Island became a reality. Having immigrated to Canada from England in 1984, we raised our two daughters in Ontario. We moved into our new home in Sidney in February 2022, and since then we have enjoyed exploring our new community and making many new connections to some wonderful people via my membership in the Peninsula Newcomers Club. Over the years I have volunteered in various capacities, including being the membership coordinator of a group that set up a children’s theatre subscription series in a local theatre; co-chair of a parent teacher council; and being involved in many fundraising activities at my children’s schools, including organizing hot lunches, and meet the teacher night BBQ’s. For 16 years, I worked as a medical office administrator.For the past nine months I have been mentored by the current Membership Coordinator, and have been responsible for producing name tags for the new members that have joined. PNC has been invaluable in our transition to Sidney, and I look forward to being able to help out on the executive. |
| New Member Liaison: Jaki Fram Originally from Ottawa, then Toronto, Mississauga and Oakville Ontario. Attached to me is my husband, David, our 2 daughters, 1 son-in-law, our grand dog and a darn cat. North Saanich became home in June of 2020, Covid arrivals we were for sure. Thank goodness for the PNC. My day job, was and still is to a lesser degree, office manager and bookkeeper for my husband’s law practice and firm for the last 35 years. He is now semi-retired, not me...at least it seems that way most days. My background also includes a great deal of volunteering, A Girl Guide leader and Commissioner for over 20 years. I received an award from the Province of Ontario for my service. I also gave a large amount of time to the Parent’s Association of the school my daughter’s attended in Oakville, Ontario. I headed many committees and chaired a Gala and major Christmas event which raised a great deal of funds for the expansion of this Independent school. I am very proud of the volunteer services I have done over the years and I’ve learned a life lesson or two along the way. |
