The best place to watch the FIFA World Cup has probably been your favourite Irish pub or Italian espresso bar. But the most convenient place 鈥� at least for people shopping in downtown 91原创 鈥� has been .

鈥淭he whole reason we bought a TV for our waiting room was so that people could pop in while doing errands and catch up on games! We put it up just before hockey playoffs in 2020, but then the pandemic hit and our plan was on halt for a while,鈥� says owner Kim Galick.

A few years later the TV is finally seeing regular use, and Kim invites anyone in the area to pop in for a cup of tea or coffee and a few minutes of sports action. Men鈥檚 soccer has been featured during the World Cup, but at Ears Hearing Clinic, women鈥檚 soccer, and women鈥檚 hockey, usually get top billing.

鈥淯ntil both of my own daughters joined hockey I did not realize how unsupported women鈥檚 hockey was. So any time a Women鈥檚 Team Canada game is on, we have it on our TV for anyone to join us in cheering on these amazing women!鈥�

Sports and hearing

Kim comes from a big hockey family: her dad was a goalie, her brothers both played, and one of her nephews, Luke Zazula, played in the WHL for the Kamloops Blazers and Tri-City Americans. Her daughters both play competitively 鈥� her oldest started playing for the Fraser Valley Rush U18 AAA as an underage call-up at 14, and her youngest is playing mixed gender hockey on an A1 U15 team.

鈥淲hen I go to my kids鈥� hockey games, I see so many grandparents supporting their grandkids,鈥� Kim smiles. 鈥淏ut many of these grandparents have a hard time with conversations in the stands. It鈥檚 heartbreaking because I know there is something that could help them participate more effectively in those conversations.鈥�

Hearing loss is a common problem in older adults, and the noisy environment at a hockey game makes it challenging for anyone to carry on a conversation. There are some free strategies you can use to improve communication, such as getting someone鈥檚 attention before you start speaking, speaking slowly and clearly, or moving to a quieter room. Hearing aids can also bring you back into the conversation.

鈥淧eople may hesitate to get hearing aids for many reasons: they find them uncomfortable, they find them hard to use, or they don鈥檛 want to admit they have hearing loss. But a good hearing aid specialist can help with many of those challenges 鈥� and help you rejoin the conversations you鈥檝e been missing,鈥� Kim says.

Find Ears Hearing at in 91原创, online at and on . For a free hearing consultation and more hearing advice, call Kim Galick at , 604-427-2828 or email info@earslangley.com.