Village Voice Stories

February 4, 2025 / Village VoicePosted by: Kristian PartingtonFor nearly a decade, Marilyn Wax has been an active resident at The Village of Arbour Trails, always eager to help in any way she can to create a stronger community. As she reflects on her experience living in the Village, she speaks of the importance of developing relationships and meaningful connections among residents and team members to help combat the risk of loneliness that can affect many people in the later stages of life.Read this story and more at ⁠https://schlegelvillages.com/village-voice-stories

February 1, 2025 / Village Voice Posted by: Kristian Partington In the retirement neighbourhoods of the Village of Taunton Mills, an exploration of friendship is underway. In a Village such as this, home to nearly more than 400 people in 388 suites, an entirely self-contained community of people converge, and while pragmatic thoughts of future needs often encourage prospective residents to consider a move, new relationships are often the greatest discovery once they settle in. Read this story and more at ⁠https://schlegelvillages.com/village-voice-stories

Jan 30, 2025 / Village VoicePosted by: Kristian Partington During Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, we pay special homage to the team members across all of our Villages who help bring joy, comfort and meaning into the lives of those who are living with the ever- changing perceptions that dementia in its many forms can present. When it comes to our long-term care neighbourhoods, the reality is a majority of residents live with some level of changing brain health and in some, like the Elliott neighbourhood in the Village of Sandalwood Park, the changes can be quite advanced among almost all residents. Read this story and more at ⁠https://schlegelvillages.com/village-voice-stories

Jan 24, 2025 / Village Voice Posted by: Kristian Partington The Emma’s neighbourhood at The Village of Riverside Glen is a buzzing hub of activity on a Wednesday morning in mid-January, Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. One might assume that visiting in that period between breakfast and lunch would be a little quiet, for Emma’s is home to people who are require a lot of support and many will rest often, but things are hopping today. Subscribe to hear the latest stories as they are available. Read this story and more at ⁠https://schlegelvillages.com/village-voice-stories

Jan 23, 2025 / Village Voice Posted by: Kristian Partington Shortening days at the dawn of the winter and the dropping of temperature marks the beginning of curling season for countless Canadians, and fans from across Schlegel Villages had the opportunity to celebrate their love of the sport at the 2025 Grand Slam of Curling Masters bonspiel in Guelph in mid-January. Subscribe to hear the latest stories as they are available. Read this story and more at ⁠https://schlegelvillages.com/village-voice-stories

Dec 23, 2024 / Village Voice Posted by: Kristian Partington A set of five core values are at the root of the Schlegel Villages family, and they come to life in every neighbourhood in countless interactions, often without intention or forethought. At other times, they are on full display as Village teams, residents, families and partners come together with shared purpose. The first value is Genuine and Humble; the second is Hardworking and Hands-on; Caring Relationships is the third; the fourth is Persistence and Passion; the fifth is Positive Can-do Attitude; and the final value is Creative and Innovative. In a family business such as Schlegel Villages, these values come from within; they have been passed down through generations to become an intrinsic part of the culture of the organization, and they are something the Schlegel family is proud of. Subscribe to hear the latest stories as they are available. Read this story and more at ⁠https://schlegelvillages.com/village-voice-stories

Dec 13, 2024 / Village Voice Posted by: Kristian Partington Kimberley Mullan’s second career as a secondary school teacher offers her a unique chance to share experience from her nursing career with potential future caregivers as one of the leads in the Health and Wellness Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) program at Burlington’s Nelson High School. Subscribe to hear the latest stories as they are available. Read this story and more at ⁠https://schlegelvillages.com/village-voice-stories

Nov 18, 2024 / Village Voice Posted by: Kristian Partington Sheridan College’s new Living Classroom at Erin Meadows training the new generation of PSWs   The full spectrum of student experience was on display when Ontario’s Minister of Long-Term Care, The Honourable Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, stopped by the Village of Erin Meadows in Mississauga. She’d come to meet Sheridan College’s first Personal Support Worker students to train in the Village’s recently minted Living Classroom, and she also connected with leadership team members from the Village who graduated from Sheridan more than 20 years before. Subscribe to hear the latest stories as they are available. Read this story and more at ⁠https://schlegelvillages.com/village-voice-stories

Nov 07, 2024 / Village Voice Posted by: Kristian Partington Pat Jared and her husband, John, both have a background in education and they’ve always valued the ongoing quest for knowledge and understanding in life. That hasn’t changed with the passing of time and while they’re now counted among the oldest of generations of Canadians, they’re still eager to learn and grow. Subscribe to hear the latest stories as they are available. Read this story and more at ⁠https://schlegelvillages.com/village-voice-stories

Nov 05, 2024 / Village Voice Posted by: Kristian Partington When Pat Kindree was able to move from St. Joseph’s Hospital in Hamilton into Long-Term Care at The Village of Wentworth Heights, her husband Frank says it was a “godsend”. That he was able to quickly follow and move into a beautiful suite just down Main Street in the Becker neighbourhood of the retirement side of the Village was almost too good to be true. Subscribe to hear the latest stories as they are available. Read this story and more at ⁠https://schlegelvillages.com/village-voice-stories

Oct 18, 2024 / Village Voice Posted by: Kristian Partington The Village of Winston Park was humming with activity on Oct. 16 as residents, team members, loved ones and a wide range of guests officially celebrated the grand opening of the fully-expanded Long-Term Care neighbourhoods. Subscribe to hear the latest stories as they are available. Read this story and more at ⁠https://schlegelvillages.com/village-voice-stories

Sep 27, 2024 / Village Voice Posted by: Kristian Partington Mary Jane Empson sits in her cozy Williamsburg suite in the Village of Taunton Mills, talking about a recent donation she and her family made in support of The Wilfred Schlegel Hope Fund. Before she gets to that, however, a bit of background is in order. Subscribe to hear the latest stories as they are available. Read this story and more at ⁠https://schlegelvillages.com/village-voice-stories

Oct 22, 2024 / Village Voice Posted by: Kristian Partington When more than 500 people connected to Schlegel Villages gather for the annual operational planning retreat, some of the most important contributions come from each of the Villages’ Success Award Winners. Subscribe to hear the latest stories as they are available. Read this story and more at ⁠https://schlegelvillages.com/village-voice-stories

Oct 10, 2024 / Village Voice Posted by: Kristian Partington The annual Schlegel Villages Operational Planning retreat is an opportunity for leaders, team members, residents and trusted partners to come together and reaffirm their commitment to the organization’s mission to push past the institutional model of care for the elders of our communities. Subscribe to hear the latest stories as they are available. Read this story and more at ⁠https://schlegelvillages.com/village-voice-stories

Dec 06, 2024 / Village Voice Posted by: Kristian Partington For Don Steinman, a fine meal prepared with love was always a gift he was proud to offer his family and friends, especially during the holidays. On Thanksgiving Day, for example, his wife would venture out with their children to line the streets of Kitchener for the Oktoberfest parade, and he’d be in the kitchen preparing the annual feast. Subscribe to hear the latest stories as they are available. Read this story and more at ⁠https://schlegelvillages.com/village-voice-stories⁠

Sep 24, 2024 / Village Voice Posted by: Kristian Partington To walk into Mirella and Armando Mio’s suite at The Village of Erin Meadows is to have one’s senses awakened. Mirella has just taken a pie out of the oven and it cools enticingly upon a counter covered with the tools of a busy kitchen. A glance left from where the pie sits, the eyes are now trained upon a large metal bowl filled with olives marinating in a mix of garlic and herbs, and Armando grabs a clean spoon to plunge into the mix. Subscribe to hear the latest stories as they are available. Read this story and more at ⁠https://schlegelvillages.com/village-voice-stories

Sep 10, 2024 / Village Voice Posted by: Kristian Partington For nearly a decade, Marwa Amra had been trying to make her way to Canada where she always believed some of her best hopes for the future could be realized. Subscribe to hear the latest stories as they are available. Read this story and more at ⁠https://schlegelvillages.com/village-voice-stories

Aug 15, 2024 / Village Voice Posted by: Kristian Partington For the first 25 years of their lives, Nene Lott and her sister Nan were practically inseparable. They were born mere moments apart and from that point on, they were at each other’s side, a mutual complement in all they did. They grew up playing baseball together in rural Norwich south of Woodstock, Ontario, for example, and Nan was the catcher while Nene was her trusty pitcher. Subscribe to hear the latest stories as they are available. Read this story and more at ⁠https://schlegelvillages.com/village-voice-stories⁠

Aug 12, 2024 / Village Voice Posted by: Kristian Partington Art Pyke started from humble beginnings, a 17-year-old kid from Moncton New Brunswick who ventured to Boston with $30 US in his pocket and plans to make something of himself. He worked, he slept, he studied, and came away with a degree in clinical psychology from Temple University; this knowledge would serve him well as his later careers shifted from accounting for a large construction company to sales, where he excelled in everything from selling cars to pharmaceuticals with one of the world’s largest companies in the field. Subscribe to hear the latest stories as they are available. Read this story and more at ⁠https://schlegelvillages.com/village-voice-stories⁠

Jul 29, 2024 / Village Voice Posted by: Kristian Partington Throughout 18 Schlegel Villages spread across Ontario, more than 6,000 team members from all corners of the globe care for and support our residents. Their stories are as vast, varied and unique as the individual residents they proudly serve, and in them we often find inspiration and the best in the spirit of generosity. Subscribe to hear the latest stories as they are available. Read this story and more at ⁠https://schlegelvillages.com/village-voice-stories⁠

Jul 19, 2024 / Village Voice Posted by: Kristian Partington Growing up, Shawn Tokawa was especially close with his cousins and his aunt Betty. There was a sense of stability in their home that he didn’t always feel in his own, and he recalls fondly the festive events where the extended family got together. Subscribe to hear the latest stories as they are available. Read this story and more at ⁠https://schlegelvillages.com/village-voice-stories⁠

Jul 16, 2024 / Village Voice Posted by: Kristian Partington Evelyn and David Ball met at a ski club in Hamilton, and ever since, spending time together sliding through a snowy winter day, two best friends and, eventually, husband and wife, was always something they were passionate about. Subscribe to hear the latest stories as they are available. Read this story and more at ⁠https://schlegelvillages.com/village-voice-stories⁠

Jun 21, 2024 / Village Voice Posted by: Kristian Partington “I love meeting people and hearing their stories,” says Manuela Denes, Manager of Community Relations with Essex County Library, so when the idea of hosting two #ElderWisdom events in partnership with the Village at St. Clair and the Village of Aspen Lake in Windsor arose, she leapt at the chance. Subscribe to hear the latest stories as they are available. Read this story and more at ⁠https://schlegelvillages.com/village-voice-stories⁠

Jun 07, 2024 / Village Voice Posted by: Kristian Partington The last time Marianne Meed Ward visited The Village of Tansley Woods in Burlington, she spent the bulk of her time chatting with residents in the pub and social club, just off Main Street. On a bright and beautiful morning in late May of 2024, she returned to learn more about what the Village has to offer the community she serves as Mayor, specifically how a partnership launched in 2023 between the Village and Mohawk College is helping develop the caring professionals of the future. Subscribe to hear the latest stories as they are available. Read this story and more at ⁠https://schlegelvillages.com/village-voice-stories⁠

A supportive and connected community at Glendale Crossing Jun 07, 2024 / Village Voice Posted by: Kristian Partington In the fall of 2023, John and Doris Kingdom are sitting in their comfortable new suite in The Village of Glendale Crossing. They’re discussing how they felt part of the community even before they moved in, and Doris describes how she and her daughter took part in a panel discussion during the orientation of new team members prior to the new retirement neighbourhood opening. Subscribe to hear the latest stories as they are available. Read this story and more at https://schlegelvillages.com/village-voice-stories

Dreaming big through the concept of Limitless Leadership May 30, 2024 / Village Voice Posted by: Kristian Partington The annual Schlegel Villages Leadership is a grounding force in the organization’s quest to continually improve upon its service to residents, team members and loved ones. This year, however, more than 400 leadership team members were challenged to aspire far beyond the ground and think of what possibilities could emerge for the future of elder care if there were no limits to aspiration. Be sure to subscribe to hear the latest stories as they are available. Read this story and more at https://schlegelvillages.com/village-voice-stories

A dose of Donna’s spirit to brighten any given day May 17, 2024 / Village Voice Posted by: Kristian Partington It’s a lovely spring afternoon as I walk through the Johnston neighbourhood at The Village of Sandalwood Park on my way to meet with a resident. I’m with Jen Gould, the Village’s recreation director, and as we walk by another resident’s room, a cheery voice calls out to Jen to say hello. Be sure to subscribe to hear the latest stories as they are available. Read this story and more at https://schlegelvillages.com/village-voice-stories