Retire In Your Just Right Place
We toured the Kerrisdale Senior Centre which is attached to the Kerrisdale Community Centre. We had a very nice and inexpensive lunch. We also got to chat with and hear stories from some members. The Senior Centre has a daily lunch as well as some special event lunches. We were given a brochure of current activities being offered. Activities were similar to other Senior Centre’s – a variety of exercise classes, games, craft activities and chat groups. The seniors can also access offerings in the Community Centre such as pickleball courts, games, gym equipment, pool and public library. It makes sense for seniors to combine facilities instead of having standalone buildings for things like pools, libraries, and senior centres. The Kerrisdale Centre, while dated, felt very vibrant. There were lots of people around and it is obviously a well-loved facility.
Next, we had a visit at the Vera Cooperative. The Co-Op has been in existence for about 35 years and has federal backing. The city owns the property. The Co-Op operates under a bit of threat that the city might not choose to renew the lease in its movement toward densification. Hopefully, the residents won’t be ‘demovicted’. The cooperative consists of about 70 units. There are 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom units with private and shared outdoor space. Residents are required to do four hours of work per month to help maintain the outdoor space. My cousin’s one bedroom unit is about 600 sq.ft. She pays about $1000 per month. Rental rates are based on income with rates determined at approximately 30% of income. There is no age or income cut offs for residents and there is a waitlist to get in. There is little turnover, and residents seem to know each other. Prospective residents are interviewed to see if they are a fit. Each unit has one parking spot. There is a Co-Op committee which oversees maintenance and organizes the occasional social event. The location has become very convenient as it is close to the Marine Drive Sky Train station. Services have built up around this. While not strictly a senior facility, a cooperative could be a good fit for some seniors because of the rent control and social aspect.
By Debra Page, Membership Well-Being Committee
