A new housing development for senior citizens is now officially open in Vankleek Hill, and it has also received funding from the provincial and federal governments.
On Friday, November 24, Ontario Associate Minister of Housing Rob Flack joined Glengarry-Prescott-Russell Member of Provincial Parliament Stéphane Sarrazin, Champlain Township Mayor Normand Riopel, and the Vankleek Senior Citizens Manor Corporation to officially open the manor’s new 30-unit apartment complex at 71 Derby Avenue in Vankleek Hill. The building is located near the site of the former daycare centre.
Flack announced the Ontario government is providing about $1.5 million towards the cost of the project.
Although construction of the building in Vankleek Hill began in 2022, Flack said the provincial contribution to the project is an indication of the government’s efforts to address the shortage of housing across Ontario.
“We have a housing crisis folks,” Flack said.
The minister acknowledged the shortage of affordable homes is not limited to urban areas either.
“The need in the big cities is huge, but it doesn’t mean it usurps the need in rural communities,” Flack said.
The federal government is also providing $1,081,901 for the Vankleek Manor project.
The new three-storey building has been designed to emphasize energy efficiency to meet VisitAbility standards with accessibility features such as wide doors. It also includes a common room, equipped with a kitchen for larger gatherings of residents. Out of the 30 units in the building, 10 have been designated as affordable, and 10 have been designed as accessible. On November 24, the building’s new elevator was not yet in service, but Manor Committee President Gary Barton said it will be operational soon. Barton said the provincial funding will cover about 20 per cent of the project’s $10 million mortgage with the federal Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. The new building is already at half of its occupancy and Barton said at one point, there were 120 people on the waiting list.
St-Albert project
Earlier in the day on November 24, Flack was in St-Albert to announce $1.5 million in funding for a new, 26-unit apartment building for senior citizens at La Résidence Lajoie. All of those units will be designed to be fully accessible with access to fitness equipment, shared recreational space, a meeting room, and an outdoor shuffleboard.
The federal government has also announced it is providing $2,606,233 for the Résidence Lajoie project.
Official opening of Vankleek Senior Citizens Manor
Photos: James Morgan
