BY KAREN BLISS
Tracy Pepe is the youngest board director of CARP’s Brampton, ON Chapter, she says, but the 57-year-old has volunteered with the senior population for half of her life, including 27 years with Meals on Wheels and, in her career as a perfumer, focusing on smell therapy and how it affects memory and well-being.
“I went to CARP because I wanted to learn from seniors. It was just a natural fit for me because of my journey in the work that I do,” says Pepe.
Her business, Smelling Pink, offers training services and supplies to long-term care homes and her not-for-profit, ‘My Nose Initiative’, educates individuals on the science of scent and its impact on mental health.
Pepe keeps her work and her role on CARP’s board separate to avoid any perceived conflict of interest, but her research in AgeTech — technology, products and services designed to improve the quality of life for older adults — and the constant interaction she has with seniors bring many benefits to CARP members in her community.
Born in Hamilton, Ontario, but residing in Brampton for the past 35 years, Pepe is also a mom of two, a 27-year-old daughter and a 33-year-old son with autism spectrum disorder, who, she says, “lives with a partner and has a fantastic job.” On the flip side, she saw her older sister, eight years her senior, “fall through the cracks,” receiving a diagnosis of schizophrenia later in life.
“My sister eventually ended up in long-term care and she lives in a home. My son is a success story because he was diagnosed early and got the treatment he needed. Different outcomes from these two family members because of how the mental health component was treated,” she says.
Pepe first became involved with CARP after she met Peter Howarth, one of the founders of the Brampton Chapter. She says he became a mentor to her and, after she attended a few meetings, nominated her to sit on the board. She joined in November 2022, then became Chair a year later. She currently is serving on the board as Member-at-Large.
“Our board meets once a month. We have about 3000 members in our region,” she says. “Our board is really, really good at motivating people to come out. We have anywhere from 80 to 150 people at any given time.”
She adds that former CARP president, Rudy Buttignol C.M., “was very encouraging that you don’t have to be old to be involved.”
“I was bringing in something new,” Pepe says, who wanted to see better use of social media and technology platforms that emerged during the isolation of COVID. But she also worked towards expanding the visibility of the chapter and boosting member engagement.
“I opened the door a little bit,” Pepe says. “We started to have exposure at the Brampton Farmer’s Market; I started to do one or two social events; we incorporated more sponsors and allowed the sponsors to communicate more directly to the group; we did a Christmas luncheon, as a thank you to the volunteers. And so, we’ve grown.”
Their Community & Social Engagement pillar is “to strengthen connection and reduce isolation,” and has included a guided art gallery tour at Peel Art Gallery Museum and Archives (PAMA), and an open mic at a local art gallery. The Speaker & Education Series has included Brampton Animal Services. One of her ‘pet’ advocacy interests is to educate Brampton seniors not just on the benefits of a fluffy companion, but also on city council cuts to funding for the expansion of animal shelters.
Over her five years with CARP, Pepe has stepped away from the board twice, the first time in 2022 when she made an unsuccessful bid for city council; the second, in May 2024, when she sought a local nomination for the federal election. “It was an education thing. I wanted to really understand some politics and get a sense of what was happening,” she says, adding that she withdrew that November “because of Trump.”
She remains engaged with local politicians through the Chapter’s ongoing advocacy efforts.
Pepe says there have been election candidates’ meetings for all three levels of government, municipal, provincial and federal, as well as with hospital leadership, providing updates on the new hospital and broader health care issues affecting Brampton and Caledon. Next is City of Brampton Parks, discussing how seniors can access the $300 snow removal subsidy.
The Brampton chapter has been highly successful over the 15 years of its existence. The board of directors has attracted former politicians, public servants and community leaders, who have a life-long commitment to advocacy. Tracy sees herself continuing on that path.
From fitness to public transportation, programs and affordability are a big part of CARP Brampton’s advocacy, as well as seniors’ rights. The chapter also supports CARP National’s advocacy around protecting seniors from banking practices that aren’t in their interests.
“If our board goes in front of the regional council to talk about an issue, the region listens, the counselors listen, the MPPs listen,” says Pepe. “They pay attention because we’re bringing the CARP national weight behind some serious voter seats, and because 905 Brampton is liberal and conservative, it flip-flops. There’s no defining component within this community. Politically, they pay attention.”
