January 5, 2009
As an elected representative I have the pleasure of meeting many local volunteers driven to community involvement by foresight, perseverance and commitment to cooperation.
When people come up with a good idea, they usually don't wait 40 years to see it come to fruition, but in 1968 a group of local residents bought some land in the heart of Sooke with a plan to build supportive housing for seniors as the community aged and money became available.
This past September, 40 years after the land was purchased, the doors at the sparkling Ayre Manor were opened to allow Sooke seniors to age in their community. Ayre Manor is a campus-of-care model that offers independent housing, assisted living and complex care all in one location. The site provides 25 assisted living apartments and 32 residential care beds.
Of course with an $18 million capital project, there's no shortage of agencies and individuals to acknowledge for the concept and eventual completion of this building. Provincial government agencies like the Vancouver Island Health Authority, Independent Living BC, the Capital Regional District, the District of Sooke and many, many other organizations and individuals made this campus of care possible.
But the most important players in the long process have been the compassionate and committed volunteers of the Sooke Elderly Citizens Housing Society, who over the course of four decades never lost sight of the importance of having a place where seniors in Sooke could spend their golden years at home, in the community that they built, surrounded by familiar landscapes and friendly neighbours.
The volunteers behind Sooke Elderly Citizens Housing Society have been active for many years - tireless in their efforts to develop affordable housing and supportive living options for seniors in Sooke. As the population in Sooke grows and ages, those needing facility care have greater options available to them.
The completion of Ayre Manor is cause for local celebration, but it also serves as a symbol to other communities of the power of collective effort to achieve common objectives. The citizens of Sooke, past and present, are to be commended for their initiative and effort to expand health care services on the west coast of Vancouver Island.
As Sooke continues to grow and be a destination for families and seniors alike, further health care service improvements will be required. The Community Health Initiative (CHI) is another example of local volunteers and community leaders coming up with a plan to meet the health and social needs of the Sooke area. Food production, innovative transportation alternatives, mental health and other social services are all on the table at the Community Health Initiative.
Like the original volunteers behind Ayre Manor, the CHI is taking a long term view to manage today's social and health challenges. The historic commitment to community was the foundation for seniors care and it will serve us all again as we work together to tackle the growing needs of those on the wild West Coast.
John Horgan, MLA
Malahat-Juan de Fuca
