Golden Voices of Seba Seniors – Diane Coulthard
As part of our 50th anniversary celebrations, Trish and Tracey sat down with long‑time member Diane Coulthard to learn how her life has been woven into the history of Seba Beach and Seba Seniors. Diane’s story is one of deep roots, family legacy, and stepping forward during a time when the organization needed new energy.
Growing Up in Seba Beach
Diane didn’t “end up” in Seba Beach—she started here. “I was born and raised here,” she said. She attended Seba School, grew up on what locals call the low road, and lived on her family’s farm right at the corner near the highway. For her, Seba Beach isn’t a place she discovered later in life; it’s the landscape of her childhood.
She moved away at 19, but her parents stayed. That meant Seba Beach was never far from her life. She returned often with her children, visiting her mom and stepfather and stopping by the thrift shop are some of her fondest memories of Seba Seniors.
A Family Legacy in Seba Seniors
Diane’s connection to Seba Seniors runs deeper than membership. Her mother, Burl, and her stepfather, Wilfred Quigg, were founding members of the organization. Wilfred didn’t just attend meetings—he helped build the place. “He actually hammered nails,” Diane said. “He varnished. He built.”
Their names appear on the original charter board, and they were part of the very first conversations about forming a seniors’ group in Seba Beach. Diane didn’t sit in on those meetings, but she grew up hearing about the people, the plans, and the pride behind the new centre.
Earliest Memories of Seba Seniors
When Diane’s children were young, she’d bring them to the thrift shop. She remembers Ivy May greeting them with a smile—and sometimes a bag already set aside with treasures she thought they’d like. It was a small, friendly place, full of personality and community characters.
Joining During a Difficult Time
When Diane eventually became a member herself, Seba Seniors was struggling. “The seniors was really in a low,” she said. “There were hardly any members—maybe thirty‑four.” The thrift shop was being held together by a handful of dedicated volunteers, and the building was overflowing with donated items. One room was so packed with thrift shop overflow that it couldn’t even be used.
That’s when Diane and her friend Jean Hutchinson stepped in. Jean—whose maiden name was Milner—was also the daughter of founding members. The two women joined the board in 2008, hoping simply to help get things going again.
Finding Her Place on the Board
Diane joined as a member at large, but it didn’t take long for her to notice a major gap: communication. “There was no communication,” she said. “Nobody knew anything other than this little group.” She felt strongly that if Seba Seniors wanted more members—and wanted current members to feel connected—people needed to know what was happening. Events, potlucks, lunches, volunteer needs, thrift shop updates… none of it was reaching the wider membership. So she took it on.
The Birth of Seba Seniors’ First Newsletter
At first, everything was done by phone. Diane coordinated a phoning committee of about four volunteers. Each caller had a list of roughly ten members. Diane would phone the phoners, give them the message, and they would fan it out. It was a monthly cycle—essentially a newsletter delivered one phone call at a time.
“We used to call them ‘fan‑outs,’” she said. But Diane knew people had email. She just couldn’t understand why they weren’t using it. “Dot said, ‘Nobody’s got email.’ That was it,” she laughed. So she proved otherwise. She phoned every member herself and collected email addresses one by one. It took time—she doesn’t remember how long—but she kept at it. By 2013, only 14 households still didn’t have email. And with that, Diane became the creator of the first Seba Seniors email newsletter.
She didn’t have templates, platforms, or digital tools. She had a basic computer, a list of email addresses she built herself, and a determination to keep people informed. She continued sending newsletters and coordinating communication until she left the board in August 2021—14 years of keeping Seba Seniors connected.
The Thrift Shop Clean‑Out
When Diane joined in 2007, she also began helping in the thrift shop—and quickly realized just how overwhelming the situation was. “It was totally overwhelming,” she said. “There were great big TVs that didn’t work, boxes everywhere, bags of unusable stuff.” Truckloads had to be hauled to the dump. Volunteers sorted through mountains of donations, deciding what could be sold and what needed to go. The garage was still being used to store the seniors’ van at that time, and other buildings—like the old fire hall—were packed full of overflow. It took weeks, likely months, to get things under control. Diane was part of a large crew that included Dot and Bob Worson, Lindbergh, Margie LaGro, and many others. In the end, even the long‑time volunteers who were nervous about change could see the results. The thrift shop became organized, functional, and sustainable again.
Starting the Jam Sessions – A Favourite Memory
One of Diane’s favourite memories is helping start the jam sessions, which have become one of Seba Seniors’ most beloved traditions. It began when Peter Dykes approached Jean Hutchinson and asked whether a group could use the seniors’ centre to get together and play music. Diane believes they were seniors at the time—just newly eligible, around age 50—and simply looking for a space to gather.
From that simple request, the jam sessions grew. “We had a wonderful group at the beginning,” Diane said. “A consistent group of about eight to ten who came every single week.”
There’s a photo on the wall of that very first session. Diane took the picture herself. Her husband Gene is in it, along with Jean’s husband and the original musicians:
- Peter DeVos
- Peter Dykes
- Lynn McIntyre
- Matt (a fantastic guitar player)
- Phil Walton
- Steve M.
Diane didn’t play an instrument—“Are you kidding?” she laughed—but she loved the music. She helped open the building, organize lunches, split food, clean up, and keep things running smoothly alongside Gene and Don Hall. People came to play, to sing, and simply to enjoy being together. It became a weekly highlight for many, and Diane is proud to have been part of its beginning.
Honouring the Founders
Diane has deep respect for the early volunteers who kept Seba Seniors alive through its toughest years. She speaks especially of Dot and Love, and Ivy and Claude May, who were fiercely dedicated to the thrift shop and the seniors’ centre. “They wanted to make sure this place survived,” she said. “They even missed their grandson’s wedding because they had to work in the thrift shop.” Their commitment shaped the organization’s early identity, and Diane carries that memory with her.
A Moment That Stands Out – The 40th Anniversary
When asked about her most meaningful experience at Seba Seniors, Diane didn’t hesitate. “The 40th anniversary,” she said. “I was just thrilled.” She was on the planning committee and suggested creating a commemorative bench. The idea was simple: reach out to the children of the founding members and see if they wanted to contribute. She expected one bench. They ended up with six. “I was floored,” she said. “It went over so well.”
Each bench cost $1,400, and families contributed in different ways—some purchasing a bench outright, others sharing the cost. Diane’s own family shared a bench with the Milners. Some people donated small amounts, like $25, just wanting to be part of honouring the founders. There was also talk of commemorative trees, though the group ultimately decided not to fill the grounds with too many. The benches became the signature project of the 40th anniversary.
Looking Ahead to the 50th
As Diane reflected on the 40th, she wondered what the 50th anniversary might bring. A new book is already underway—one that will pick up where the 40th anniversary book left off and capture the last decade of growth, change, and community stories. And just like the benches, she hopes the 50th will include something meaningful and lasting.
A Lifelong Connection
For Diane, Seba Beach is home in the truest sense. Her family helped build the seniors’ centre, she watched it through its ups and downs, and she stepped forward when the organization needed new energy. Her story is part of the living history of Seba Seniors—one more thread in the tapestry of people who shaped the past 50 years.
