NEW Aquatic Centre for Springfield Connected to Planned Dugald Assisted Living Residence
For Immediate Release (September 28, 2021)
A new community Aquatic & Wellness Centre is in the planning stages for the RM of Springfield and will connect the existing 55+ Dugald Estates housing coop with the planned Dugald Place Assisted Living Residence. The project is the first for Springfield Heritage Housing Inc. (SHHI) which was created earlier this year in collaboration with the RM, the Dugald Place Housing Cooperative and the Springfield Seniors Non-Profit Housing Co-op (SSNHC).
At today’s announcement the SHHI Board revealed the new Dugald Place plans which feature 54 spacious/wheelchair accessible 1- and 2-bedroom suites, a commercial kitchen and full-service dining room, a large common area overlooking the pool, wellness and fitness centre, guest suites, hair salon, and library. Residents will have meals provided for them, and will enjoy housekeeping and recreational services; staff will be on-site 24/7. Residents of the existing Dugald Estates Coop will have access to the dining and other services by an indoor link.
The innovative 10,000 sq ft Aquatic & Wellness Centre includes a full length 6-lane pool which is a first for the RM of Springfield. It will accommodate community use for all ages from beginners to seniors, as well as water aerobics and other therapeutics which are known to be especially beneficial for seniors. Public access to the Aquatic & Wellness Centre will provide opportunity for year-round swimming lessons, general swim hours and special events for Springfield residents and their neighbours. Seniors will be afforded reserved swim times.
Municipality recreation staff will manage and operate the Aquatic & Wellness Centre which will also include a small café.
“An aquatic facility is the most requested recreational amenity for our municipality,” said Springfield Mayor and SHHI Board Member, Tiffany Fell. “Our Council is committed to initiatives and projects that help create an inclusive and diverse municipality where residents can live, work, play and stay,” she added. “This innovative approach will create
intergenerational opportunities in our community.” The project is expected to create a destination point for Springfield, creating economic opportunities and local jobs.
Studies have shown there is a significant need for seniors housing in Springfield. SHHI Volunteer Chair Lesley Thomson said there are already 50 seniors on the wait list for the project which is projected to break ground next spring. While the demand is strong, there is currently no assisted living residence in Springfield. “We are confident that with the support of the community we can reach our fundraising goals and build a community based inclusive campus that will not only serve the needs of both older adults and younger families, but will also set the stage for other projects throughout the municipality for years to come.”
“There is a real need for this project in Springfield as well as the many benefits it will
bring to Springfield residents,” said MLA Ron Schuler. “Much credit is due to the perseverance of the volunteers who built the successful Dugald Estates project and have now joined with the RM of Springfield to bring additional seniors housing to the community. The addition of an
Aquatic & Wellness Centre will create a sustainable seniors’ community model that will guide other Manitoba communities.”
The total budget for the project is estimated at $24M with the assisted living residence designed to meet “net-zero energy ready” building performance standards.
SHHI has been working with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities for a grant application under the Green Municipal Fund, to cover the costs associated with meeting a higher level of energy performance standards, which in the long term will result in lower utility costs for the life of the building.
In order to make costs more affordable for the assisted living residents, Dugald Place is also aligned with the CMHC National Housing Co-Investment Fund which provides mortgage financing. The project aims to have all 36 of its one-bedroom suites available at CMHC affordable rates.
The RM of Springfield and Springfield Seniors Non-Profit Housing Coop have collaborated to make the land available at no cost.
The RM of Springfield Recreation Staff will operate and manage the Aquatic & Wellness Centre.
SHHI is collaborating with the Interlake Eastern Regional Health Authority (IERHA) to ensure a full range of home care services are available to residents
SHHI is working with Manitoba Housing to have all suites eligible for Manitoba’s Rent Assist program.
A fundraising campaign is currently in the quiet phase. A professional analysis conducted earlier this spring indicated the Springfield community has the capacity to raise $3.5M. Significant donations and pledges have already been made; a formal launch of the campaign will be held at a later date. All donations will receive a charitable tax receipt from the RM of Springfield.
For further information contact:
Tiffany Fell, Mayor, RM of Springfield, SHHI Board Member, 204-793-4349 Lesley Thomson, Chair, Springfield Heritage Housing Inc., 204-223-2095
To support the fundraising goals of Dugald Place and Springfield Aquatic & Wellness Centre, please contact Shandy Walls at 204-451-4440.
Background Information:
SHHI was created in December, 2020. This not-for-profit entity allows for the municipality, which is the sole member, to support community members involved in creating seniors housing and to help realize the shared vision of assisted living opportunities throughout the municipality. Further, the establishment of SHHI ensures long term sustainability and accountability to the community.
The board is comprised of Chair Lesley Thomson, RM of Springfield Mayor Tiffany Fell, Councillor Peter Williams, Councillor Glen Fuhl, Beverly Zarazun (Co-Chair of the previous Dugald Place Housing Co-op), and Randy Williams (Current Chair, Springfield Seniors Housing Co-op).
Affordability for Springfield residents is a key component of the model. Estimated monthly costs for residents (including meals, housekeeping, laundry and recreation services) will be approximately $2627 for 1-bedroom units, and $3450 for 2-bedroom units.
MMP Architects and Bird Construction have been engaged to design and construct the project.
The RM of Springfield has engaged Gordon Daman of Red River Group. Gordon has been assisting communities and municipalities throughout the province with senior housing development over the past two decades. He has assisted communities like Niverville, Carman, Arborg, Boissevain and Dominion City with various not-for-profit based seniors housing projects – with a deep commitment to aging-in-place outcomes.