24 - Wednesday, March 13, 1996 - North Shore News

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Kiwanis Village - Wartime Housing

4 eniors’ housing has become a popular project for service clubs in British
Columbia and elsewhere. It's a good thing, too because as our life expectancy
increases there are mere and more seniors who need an affordable place to live.

In concert with government programs which subsidize rents for those on minimum
pensions, these projects offer comfortable accommodation to individuals who would
have difficulty coping with the cost of living in the open marketplace. Kiwanis clubs,
including the Kiwanis Club of North Vancouver were among the first to involve
themselves in this important public service.

The North Vancouver Club's decision
to enter the field of seniors’ housing was
taken in the late 1940's when a group of
farsighted meinbers recognized the need
and a unique opportunity presented by
the availability of 40 cottages built to
accommodate residents during World
War Il but by that time vacant and
surplus. Through Club fundraisers and
public subscription, enough money was
raised for a down payment and the
administrators of war surplus property
wete persuaded to sell. So was bom

“Kiwanis Village” in the Pemberton area
of North Vancouver. Kiwanis Senior
Citizens Homes Ltd. was incorporated in
1951 and the cottages occupied by
seniors shortly thereafter. They
continued to serve their purpose for
nearly 20 years.

Meanwhile, the need for seniors’
hcusing continued to grow, prompting a
decision by the Club to undertake
another project, namely, the Kiwanis
First Street Apartments. Property in the
300 block of East First Street was

Art Weseen, Chairman of
Senior Citizens Homes
Ltd./Kiwanis Care Homes ltd.

purchased and construction of the first
building, with 28 suites begun. {t was
completed and occupied in 1959. The
other two buildings, each with 30 suites
were completed in 1964 and 1966
respectively.

By the time the First Street apartments
were completed and occupied, another
opportunity was recognized because of
the increasing cost of maintaining the
Kiwanis Village cottages coupled with
the greatly appreciated value of the
property in the area. The result was the
purchase of property on the comer of
Second Street and Chesterfield Avenue
and, subsequently the design and
construction of Kiwanis Towers,
completed in 1970. At that time, Kiwanis
Village was phased out. Most of its
residents relocated to the Towers, which
has 100 suites and the Village property

was sold.

Proceeds from the sale enabled the
“Company” (Kiwanis Senior Citizens
Homes Ltd.) to provide the funds to
undertake yet ancther project, Kiwanis
Lymn Manor ard = following its
completion, to provide the funds to
create the North Vancouver Kiwanis
Foundation.

During the planning phase of Kiwanis
Lynn Manor, the British Columbia
Ministry of Health approached the Club
with a request to incorporate a Personal
Care facility into the building. It was

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agreed to and the result was a stu
containing 144 independent hously
units and 125 Personal Care suite
Kiwanis Lynn Manor was completed ai
occupied in 1975 and, at that ti
Kiwanis Care Homes Ltd. wi
incorporated as a wholiy-own
subsidiary of Kiwanis Senior Cltizess
Homes Ltd. to comply with provincs
Long Term Care legislation. Kiwanis Ca
Homes Ltd. has been a significat
employer on the North Shore with m
than 100 employees.

The two companies, along with ¢
new North Vancouver Kiwanis Ca
Homes Society, formed to establig
Kiwanis Parkway Place, share a coramd
Board of Directors. Nine of the direct
are appointed by the Kiwanis Club a
the other cwo by the City and District ¢
North Vancouver, respectively.

Future plans for seniors’ housi
projects include the conversion of
Kiwanis Lynn Manor care units
housing once Parkway Place conmenic
operation and the residents have be
telocaied and the eventual replacemes
of the First Street apartments.