DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY (Hansard), Wednesday, November 26, 2008 - Two Minute Statement 

J. Horgan:  All of us in this chamber have stories of local volunteers driven to community involvement and cooperation, and I submit to members today a story from Sooke, in my constituency, that speaks to foresight, perseverance and commitment. 

When people come up with a good idea, they usually don't wait 40 years to see it come to fruition, but in 1968 - when the member for Vancouver-Burrard was just not even a twinkle, I'm certain - a group of local residents bought some land in the heart of Sooke with the view of building supportive housing for seniors as the plan progressed and as money became available. 

This past September, 40 years after the land was purchased, Ayre Manor was opened in the district of Sooke. Ayre Manor provides 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, there's no shortage of agencies and individuals to acknowledge for the concept and eventual completion of this project. Government agencies like the Vancouver Island Health Authority, Independent Living B.C., 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 site 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 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. I salute the citizens of Sooke, past and present, for their initiative and effort to expand health care services on the west coast of Vancouver Island. 

As I look over at the Minister of Health, I say: next stop, a primary care facility to complement Ayre Manor.