Our Community Living Support Service (CLSS) Group Home received a much-needed renovation thanks to our community partner ‘Versatile Developments’, who spearheaded this renovation. CLSS provides residential and community support to 14 individuals living in the community, five living in support homes and four living in our group home.

Our 1400sq ft bungalow was established in 1980 and is fully staffed 24/7 to support the needs of our residents. Our Group home has been well loved and lived in; one of our local residents has lived there for 42 years!

“This home has been well lived in, but now our residents are aging in place and require more supports within the home to ensure their comfort and safety.” Say Kelly Ilkiw, Program Manager. She continues, “One of our residents has a walker and cannot do the stairs; the floors were all uneven due to floor patchwork, dim lighting, and banged up walls made this home hard to navigate for residents”. But one particular part of the home caught the eyes of Versatile, the double detached garage. “When we walked into the garage, we were absolutely blown away!” Said Blake and Christopher, owners of Versatile. One of our residents has been collecting mosaic tiles for over 30 years and has been quietly creating hundreds of art masterpieces in this old and cold garage. Immediately, Versatile knew they wanted to do something special in this space.  And created a workshop for our local resident and even installed a garage heater so he can work on his art year-round!

When word got out about this renovation, local businesses stepped up to help! ‘Mogo Electrical’ provided brand new lights throughout the whole house, creating a bright and welcoming environment.  ‘After Eight Flooring’ donated all the luxury vinyl that Versatile installed along with a new subfloor and wall guards for walker and wheelchair dents and dings, as well as a brand-new wheelchair ramp along the side of the house and a new heater for the garage! ‘Proco Painters’ donated their time to freshen up the walls. We are so grateful to our many local friends and volunteers who came out to help with this 4-day reno and the surprise reveal for our residents!

The group home feels like a fresh new space that is safe and welcoming for our ageing-in-place residents. A big thank you to all of our community partners who made this space feel more like home!