With 60 per cent of Canadian seniors considered inactive by Health Canada in 1999, developers are making it easier, even more fun, to enjoy an active lifestyle.

Medican Group, a developer with its roots in Medicine Hat, caught on to an already popular American trend of building amenities like woodworking studios into mature living condominiums.

“It gives people something to do,” said John Ewart, 72, who has lived in a Calgary Medican condo with his wife Marlyne for two and a half years. “Some seniors think that they're not good for anything anymore, but that's not true. The woodworking is just good for your health.”

Although the name alludes to a medical emphasis, the developer settled on the name 30 years ago when it started in Medican Hat, Canada; Medican, and has no on site medical facilities. Marketing manager Bob Carmichael said that with the Hat having a strong farming community nearby,  the developer noticed how anxious the people were to put into practice their refined trade skills even in advanced years. Carmichael said he saw one resident of a Medican condo in Medicine Hat with both welding and woodworking skills who was building model trains for his grandchildren.

It was shortly after touring the Medicine Hat condos 14 years ago that Carmichael realized woodcrafting studios were a crucial bargaining chip in the retired condos market.

“Medicine Hat is the retirement capital of Alberta and a lot of people were more workshop oriented,” said Carmichael. “Those people are truly gifted people because they've been on a farm their whole lives or in the trades.

“Through the hard times they always had their skills but today we're very high tech, not very hands on.”

Even though city dwellers might not have the experience that rural retirees have, Carmichael saw the potential in offering a creative outlet to them anyways. So far, the response has been overwhelming.

“As people retire, they become very interested in doing something like that,” said Carmichael. “It's unbelievable the amount of calls we get on a weekly basis from people who say they will only buy a Medican building for that reason.”

And Carmichael isn't making that up. When asked why Ewart and his wife chose Medican condos, his response was the same.

“One of the reasons we bought here was because of the wood shop,” said Ewart, who plans to make little trinkets and toys for his  grandchildren and three grreaat grand-children. “My wife's excited because it will keep me out of her hair.

“It's nice to work with different people, putter around and pass the time away. It's better than watching TV all day and it's good for your self esteem.”

Each Medican condo is set up with different floor plans offering a range of sizes for the woodworking room, but each one is furnished with industrial table saws, chop saws, drill presses and a shop vacuum remaining from the condominium construction.

“It's a gift from us to them,” said Carmichael, noting there are lockers for each user to store their own tools in. “We leave it up to whatever group wants to run it and we let them design their own place.”

Medican has found these wood shops to be just one of the amenities highly cherished by mature buyers. Country Estates on the Cove, the 252-unit complex in the northeast with less than 20 units available priced just under $200,000, where Ewart lives is fully loaded with a wood shop, bowling alley, tropical pool and salt water spa with waterfall and fireplace, theatre, multi-purpose room, games room, exercise room, reading room, library, craft room and steam room.

With all these amenities to choose from, it's no surprise that each one attracts a limited percentage of people, wood shops included. Carmichael estimates that in a building of about 200 people,  10 per cent or less might use the shop and Ewart estimates about five of six people would use the wood shop at one time.

On a tour of the building, Ewart and his friend Garry Doyle, who sits on the board of directors overseeing the wood shop, showed off the 71 foot long hobby and wood shop already stocked with numerous industrial calibre tools.

"It really is a fantastic place," said Doyle, after exiting the wood shop on the parking lot level. "We looked all over the northwest and no one offered what this place offers."

Doyle doesn't drive anymore and having so many facilities to keep him busy is perfect, not to mention a Superstore within two blocks of the building.

“It can be helpful throughout the building to fix small repairs,” said Carmichael. “People love to help out or make gifts to sell at craft sales to raise money for their social clubs.”

For residents leaving behind a garage full of tools, the wood shop provides a chance for them to share with each other, doubling, even tripling the handcrafting options.

“A lot of people could never afford to do this, but the shop gives them the opportunity,” said Ewart, who worked in the automotive industry in Victoria, until he retired and moved to Calgary 11 years ago. “It's a really good initiative and it's a very friendly atmosphere.”