The Kootenay Columbia Seniors Housing Cooperative is on the leading edge of innovative seniors housing developments. —Tanya Laing Gahr

by Tanya Laing Gahr

It is said that the mother of invention is necessity. Certainly, with the rising cost of housing in British Columbia, an aging baby boomer population and a growing demand for elder care, there is a necessity. And an innovative new development in Castlegar is striving to meet those challenges with a unique and socially responsible approach. Grandview Heights is a homegrown solution to a growing challenge. It is the brainchild of several retirement-aged citizens of Castlegar who wanted to ensure that affordable housing in a supportive co-operative community was available to seniors looking to maintain an independent lifestyle. Together, the group formed the Kootenay Columbia Seniors Housing Co-operative (KCSHC) and envisioned the Grandview Heights development that may in turn be a blueprint for other seniors organizations. In the September/October 2007 issue of Kootenay Business, West Kootenay-Boundary MLA Katrine Conroy spoke about the upcoming development. Mayor Chernoff describes the current atmosphere in Castlegar as “progressive.” “From a social-economic point of view, I think one of the biggest (developments) in our immediate area is the building of the Grandview Heights Seniors Housing Co-op in Castlegar,” said Conroy. “They’re building stand-alone townhouses with the hope that they can build a facility that will be able to house assisted living. It’s quite unique in the province . . . It’s a great concept.” Harry Jukes, the promotions manager for Grandview Heights, explained the genesis of the project. “It was a development that was started a few years ago, in 2005,” said Jukes. “At that time, there were some 15 members, and since that time our numbers have grown to 194 members. “We were concerned about the health care for seniors. In many cases, seniors had to go to a home that was distant from where they had been living, and consequently they were not in touch with their friends and family.” h3. A lifelong community The goal was to create a senior-friendly community that incorporated a care facility. The campus-style facility is unique and essentially means that as the needs of the residents change, they can move to facilities giving them a greater level of care. “We go right from independent living to the care facility,” said Jukes. “The idea that it’s a co-op is also different from most facilities of this kind. The units that we have will be held on the life-lease basis, which (means) we’ll lease them for the period of (their lives here), then when it comes time to move on to the next level of care . . . the money can be redeemed.” Jukes said that if the current housing market means a significant appreciation in the value of the unit, two-thirds of the appreciation would go to the estate of the lease holder and the remaining third would go to the co-operative to maintain and upgrade any existing facilities. “I think putting the whole thing together this way is new,” said Jukes. “They’ve had life-lease facilities in different parts of the prairies, but putting the whole thing together with units for independent living and then having the care facility incorporated into the business is innovative.” The fact that the project has been financed thus far entirely by the members themselves without relying on bank loans or outside funding speaks of the ingenuity of the membership. Construction on the initial ground-floor units has begun and the co-op members are already preparing for occupancy in the autumn of 2008. Elmer Verigin is the project manager for the development and he spoke with warmth about keeping the homes affordable for local seniors.“I’m a lifelong capitalist,” he said, “but what we’re doing is taking capitalist ideas and combining them with good socialist concepts about community . . . We’re taking our future into our own hands.” For Verigin and the other members of KCSHC, this development is an opportunity to have a say in their own destiny. With growing concern about how the government is handling housing for seniors, the co-operative is determined to have a say in how they spend the rest of their lives. But more than that, they are building a community that will support them as well. The Grandview Housing development encompasses three aspects. Grandview Heights consists of single-dwelling homes. Grandview Estates contains lots available to the general public, and these will fund the infrastructure for the final stage, Grandview Manor. This will be a full-care seniors facility. The co-operative recently put out a tender for architects for the 160-unit extended-care centre, which will include 40 penthouse apartment suites on the top floor. Jukes echoed Conroy’s comments about the importance of the development to the region and the people in it. “I think this is a new idea in care for seniors,” said Jukes. “It’s a development that has been designed by seniors and funded by seniors and where seniors will get to live . . . We envision this area as becoming a mecca for seniors.” There has been some interest from beyond Castlegar and the Kootenays, but Jukes said the focus of the project has always been as a Kootenay development—local seniors and local contractors and designers using local infrastructure. Without incurring debt and with tremendous local support, the project is set to be a successful endeavour. “We’re very excited about it,” said Jukes. “We had a big bash to celebrate the beginning of construction of the units themselves. The weather co-operated: it snowed all around, but the sun shone on us.” h3. Meeting needs Grandview Heights will offer one solution to a growing problem facing B.C.’s seniors. h3. Assessing the needs The number of seniors in the West Kootenay has increased substantially in the last number of years—from 12 per cent of the population to 25 per cent—and is still growing. This has placed an increased burden on long-term seniors care facilities, most of which are facing long waiting lists for space. At the same time, there have been several funding cuts from the provincial government for seniors housing and health care. In many instances, available spaces are located far from the resident’s family. h3. Location, location, location Grandview Heights is 20 minutes from the regional hospital in Trail, 45 minutes from Nelson and 15 minutes from the airport. Medical, dental, audiology and optometry clinics are near by in Castlegar, and there are many alternative health practitioners in the region. Indoor and outdoor recreational opportunities are abundant. h3. Room for growth Independent living facilities on the 40-acre parcel of land will include bungalows, duplexes and one-storey townhouses. The seniors complex and care wing will also have penthouse-style apartments. A common area consisting of games rooms, meeting areas and doctors’ offices will be included in the design.

Vital Statistics

• Population :: 7,259
• Number of businesses :: 679
• Supporting industries :: Mining, manufacturing (wood products), education

Vital Contacts

• City of Castlegar :: www.castlegar.ca
• Mayor :: Lawrence Chernoff
• Castlegar Chamber of Commerce :: www.castlegar.com
• Manager :: Matthew King
• Phone :: 250-365-6513

Biz Blog :: Keith Powell

A regular report on newsworthy business developments in the Kootenays.

Kootenay Insights :: Tanya Laing Gahr

An inside look at the initiatives and developments that help shape Kootenay communities.

At Work :: Sandra Albers

One-on-one with some of the Kootenay’s business leaders.

Biz Edge :: Danielle Cameron

The faces behind Kootenay businesses.

Kootenay Business quick links

• Save power, reap rewards.

  www.fortisbc.com
  

• Columbia Basin Trust: A legacy for the people

  www.cbt.org/mybasin
  

• ConCreate USL Ltd.: Doing it better

  www.usl-1983.com
  

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