Originally published: The Record, October 2, 2026
Authored by: Prabnoor Kaur
When Myra Blakey left England for Canada as a young woman, she knew her parents would eventually grow old without her nearby.
She was 20 and married for just four weeks when she came to Canada in 1959. Her parents remained in the northeast of England, where they would eventually develop age-related illnesses.
“I felt, ‘Oh, I can’t look after them because I’m here in Canada and they are in England,’ but my brother and sister were doing that,” Blakey said.
So she found another way to give her time to older people.
“I thought maybe I can bring some joy to older citizens by volunteering at the nursing home.”
The decision was the beginning of a lifetime of volunteering, spanning more than five decades. It has taken Blakey through nursing homes, Girl Guides, heritage organizations, city committees and, for the past 28 years, the Cambridge Memorial Hospital Volunteer Association’s (CMHVA) thrift store in downtown Galt.
Now 88, Blakey still volunteers at the store, which was recently renamed from the Recovery Room Thrift Shop to Upcycle Thrift.
“It has enriched my life,” she said.
Blakey moved to Cambridge 35 years ago after spending several years in Toronto. She was a stay-at-home mother when her children were young, but said she always felt she needed something to do.
She became a Girl Guide leader and district commissioner, volunteered at a nursing home for two years and later spent eight years helping run the Heritage House Tour in Cambridge.
She also served for three years on the city’s Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee, now called the Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee, and spent time on Cambridge Council on Aging.
Blakey also taught men how to cook in night school for 26 years.
Her interests reflected her own passions, particularly history, heritage and keeping useful things out of the garbage.
She was drawn to downtown Galt because it reminded her of Britain.
“I said this is the nearest atmosphere we’re going to get to Britain, with the old churches and the bridges and the river and the historic buildings,” Blakey said.
Her interest in preserving the past led her to heritage work, and made the thrift shop a natural fit.
“I’ve always been interested and happy to talk about history and old things,” she said.
“If someone wants to volunteer, they should start by volunteering in a specific area that might be of interest to them. Because it’s very rewarding. You feel that you’re giving back to the community in one way or the other, and that’s a good thing.”
Blakey likes meeting the people who come through the door at Upcycle Thrift, hearing their stories and helping them find something they might otherwise not be able to afford.
She recalled one woman who came into the store and bought two scarves for $8 each. “She told me it made her feel glamorous again,” Blakey said.
The woman explained she had grown up in a wealthy family in Montreal, where she could afford whatever she wanted, but circumstances had changed.
Blakey said moments like that are part of what makes the store meaningful.
The thrift store is part of the CMHVA, which has a history dating back more than a century. The association began in 1891 as the Galt Hospital Auxiliary, while the hospital’s communications director Stephan Beckhoff said the women’s auxiliary had advocated for and fundraised for the hospital even before it was incorporated in 1888. The volunteer organization has contributed $1.25 million to the hospital over the course of its history, the anniversary booklet says.
“Cambridge Memorial Hospital is truly built on a foundation of volunteerism and community,” Beckhoff wrote.
Blakey said she understands why younger people may have less time to volunteer, pointing to work, school and family responsibilities. But she also believes volunteering has to begin with a personal desire to contribute.
“I think it’s got to be in you, you know, in the person themselves to say, ‘Oh, I think I’ll do that.’ And then it makes you feel better about yourself.”
And after more than 50 years, Blakey has no plans to stop.
“It’s just been a very enjoyable time and I’ll keep going.”