Almost three years ago, seniors and resident families gathered on the front lawn of Canterbury Foundation in Laurier Heights to break ground on a $42 million dollar renovation and expansion project. This week, the first phase of the project, Canterbury Heights, opened: a new 50-suite, five storey building decorated with an intergenerational community garden mural by local artist Jill Thomson.
Over Canterbury’s 45 years, hundreds of Laurier Heights residents and families have been able to stay in their community as they age thanks to Canterbury’s care model. Thomson's mural features themes generated from Canterbury residents via virtual art workshops, and reflects the rich history and future of the Laurier Heights community.
“This mural is for everyone to enjoy, and serves as a legacy of Laurier’s past, present and future generations," said artist Thomson. "This project is meant to connect Canterbury to its community, where many of its residents have spent years of their lives. It was a privilege to be part of it."
The new tower adds more studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom suites to the non-profit facility, which is also seeing the start of renovations of the current 45-year-old facility. Changes will expand Canterbury's current dementia care program from 20 to 53 much-needed spaces, and will add an eventual residential skilled nursing and end of life care wing.
Further expansion plans include a service outreach program, which will redevelop common area spaces to enable seniors living in their own homes in west Edmonton to participate in the programs offered to Canterbury residents.
“We are so excited to see these renovations and our expansion come to fruition. It has been a lot of work and proved even more challenging thanks to COVID," said Wendy King, Canterbury CEO. "People are staying in their own homes longer which means they need different kinds of care when they finally make Canterbury home. These renovations were necessary to offer the kind of dementia and more supportive care that seniors in our city need."
For more information about Canterbury Foundation go to www.canterburyfoundation.com
