Bayside Plumbing & Gas Fitting
Lake Country
Calendar
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Winfield, Oyama, Okanagan Centre and Carrs Landing since 1951
Qualified, reliable, bonded. Over 30 years exp. res./comm. service renovations, new installations, h/water tanks, dishwashers, washers, dryers.
250-317-2279
September 5, 2012
A new lifestyle to explore
Inside
KEVIN PARNELL
Marty Schmidt had a tough go of it at Ironman, but made it to the finish line with a heart-warming remedy. ...............................
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Julie Elliot’s art work is a great example of this year’s Lake Country ArtWalk theme: Art for Change. ...............................
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Flyers ■ Budget Blinds ■ Home Depot ■ JYSK ■ Rona ■ Staples ■ Summit Tools
KEVIN PARNELL/LAKE COUTNRY CALENDAR
LAKE COUNTRY senior Zelda Stensrud at the front door of her new affordable housing unit, unveiled in Lake Country last week.
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In the past, Lake Country senior citizen Zelda Stensrud tried a few different options of where to live out her golden years. The 62-year-old widow moved to the United States but came back to Lake Country because of that country’s health system. She moved in with her son but found she wasn’t meeting people her own age. Last year Stensrud was accepted into Pinewood Villas, a 10-unit affordable housing complex for seniors and people with disabilities in Lake Country. And she doesn’t plan to move out any time soon. “I lived for many years with my family because I could not afford housing,” said Stenstrud. “But these units make quality living possible. This is a wonderful place and I can’t thank everyone enough for what these have done for seniors.” The 10-units of affordable housing came about through a partnership between the governments of Canada and B.C. as well as community partners like the Society of HOPE,which manages and operates the building. The two levels of government helped to build the units at a price tag of $1.4 million, through the Canada-British Columbia Affordable Housing Agreement. For Stenstrud, it has
given her her independence back and she’s more active in the community. “I’ve made some great friendships since I moved in here,” she said. “I didn’t have that living with younger people. It gives you your independence and the opportunity to explore friendships with people your own age.” Lake Country councilor Owen Dickie was on hand at the ribboncutting ceremony to open the Pinewood Villas. He said it was great news for senior citizens in Lake Country but said there is more work to be done in the community which has a higher than average number of seniors as compared to the national average. “We’re starting to make a difference but it’s
going to be a slow process (finding enough housing for seniors),” he said. “There are groups still untouched in the community like handicapped people and low income earners that require housing. It’s not perfect but we are working as hard as we can to make a difference.” The opening of the Pinewood Villas certainly made a difference for Zelda Stensrud. She joked that she isn’t moving until she has to go into a nursing home and was happy to have a quality place to live and make friends. “It’s so wonderful,” she said. “I’ve been able to open up and find out what people my own age are doing and talk to people about what it’s like to live as a senior.”
Accessible housing Pinewood Villas, located at 10274 Bottom Wood Lake Road in Lake Country, is a seniors rental housing development that provides 10 units of affordable modular housing for seniors and people with disabilities in need. Modular housing has been used extensively for seniors’ rental housing developments as it allows construction to take place in a factory with less dependence on weather conditions.The modular units meet EnerGuide 80 standards and are designed to be easily accessible for seniors and people with disabilities.This includes room sizes that allow for wheelchair access and manoeuvring, shelves and light switches at an accessible height and bathroom grab bars orstep-in showers. Partners and Funding: The total capital cost of this project is approximately $1.7 million. • The Government of Canada provided $742,500 under Canada’s Economic Action Plan—Housing for low-income seniors and housing for persons with disabilities. • The B.C. government invested approximately $718,500 toward this project and provided the land.
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