When it opens in early 2006, Riverside Manor will be the first development of its kind in the fast-growing town just south of Calgary, offering 135 suites and a range of basic and fee-based care services for seniors.
“The location is everything,” says Riverside Manor president Bert Huisman. “We are surrounded by environmental reserve, so it is not unusual to see deer and other wildlife walking right through here. It’s wonderful.”
Located in the heart of Okotoks, Riverside Manor will be adjacent to the town’s Sheep River pathway system, and is only a block away from downtown shopping. The recently completed Deerfoot Trail extension allows quick access to many parts of Calgary.

“A lot of our residents will be snowbirds, and those who are tired of maintaining a home or an acreage,” says Huisman. “This will become a home base for them, and if they go away, they will know that everything is being kept secure.”

Riverside Manor has allied itself with the Foothills Foundation, which looks after many seniors’ residences in southern Alberta.

“They gave us a lot of insight into how to build a proper facility,” says Huisman, adding that he has learned what concerns seniors the most.

“Besides security, the biggest thing seniors look for is the quality of food,” he says, so Riverside Manor will feature restaurant-style dining (a monthly food allowance is included in the rent), as well as kitchenettes in each suite.

“Seniors also need to be respected and treated with dignity, and a place such as Riverside Manor needs to be run with that sort of caring,” says Huisman.

A recreation director will help arrange outings and in-house activities for residents, and Huisman hopes to have both a chiropractor and a medical doctor making regular visits. “The doctor will be able to do check-ups and offer feel-good medicine,” says Huisman. Weekly health assessments and wellness information sessions are part of Riverside’s basic care package. A nursing service will be on call 24 hours a day.

Light housekeeping, as well as daily walk-in visits to each suite will also be part of the service. “We will do that to make sure the seniors are okay,” says Huisman. “And this is also part of the security service for those who go away.”

Other planned amenities at Riverside Manor include a library with fireplace and pool table, as well as a wine and cheese bar which Huisman says will be used for regular get-togethers.

Suite sizes range from 413 square-foot studio units, to 770 square-foot two bedroom suites.

Huisman, who says his own parents plan to take up residence in Riverside Manor, used to own a trucking firm in Manitoba and is also experienced in land development. He says Okotoks is becoming a prime destination for seniors who want “country living in the city.”

“Okotoks is growing very fast, and one of our goals is to promote the Okotoks lifestyle,” says Huisman. “If I was to retire, this would probably be the area I would want to retire to. There is a lot happening here.”

Construction of the 103,000 square-foot Riverside Manor, more than a year in the planning, is expected to begin in March, with first occupancies expected in January 2006.

For more information, visit http://www.riversidemanor.ca, or drop by the sales office on Riverside Gate, just east of Northridge Drive (Highway 2A) in Okotoks.