How these P.E.I. sisters have been making seniors smile for nearly 2 decades

Molly White and her sister Ann Campbell spend a lot of time singing, dancing and playing musical instruments together — for a very specific kind of audience.

For the last 18 years, the sisters have been volunteering to entertain at senior care facilities all over Prince Edward Island.

They say they continue to perform after all these years because of the joy it brings to the residents.

"We try to sing songs that they can relate to and that brings back memories for them," Campbell said. "It's not about us, it's about them." 

"One big plus or positive that I truly look forward to is seeing the smiles on their faces," said White.

The sisters both have backgrounds in nursing — specifically working with seniors.

A few years before Campbell retired in 2008, she was working as a program co-ordinator at a Charlottetown nursing home. That's where and when she and White began performing together.

They call their musical duo "Just Wee Two" because it's always been just the two of them. White said the "wee" part is because they're both quite short.

"We [performed] a few years before, but we were just called Ann and Molly then," White said. "But now we have our own name and matching, different-coloured shirts." 

Campbell and White said some of their favourite songs to perform for the seniors are Enjoy Yourself, Show Me the Way to Go Home and The Tennessee Waltz. 

Campbell often plays the guitar and fiddle, while White plays the piano and banjo. They both play the ukulele and step dance as well.

"Oh my, the joy and enjoyment of seeing those smiles and wanting to get up and dance," said Campbell.

In March 2020, the Chief Public Health Office announced restrictions for long-term care facilities and nursing homes on P.E.I., in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following these guidelines, entertainers were no longer allowed to perform inside the care facilities.