The last time Victoria-Swan Lake MLA Rob Fleming stood on the property at 3200 Linwood Avenue, he was looking at a demolition.
"It was a glorious sunny day just like this," he told a roomful of seniors gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the new Linwood Court seniors home. "Lots of equipment, lots of noise."
Fleming was on hand on Wednesday (July 31) to celebrate the grand opening of the new build that was put up after that demolition, which now has 97 one-bedroom rental units for people 55 and older. The old Linwood Court that was torn down had 29 units. The facility continues to be operated by Baptist Housing Seniors Living.
"We've got an aging society," said Fleming, who is also the minister of transportation and infrastructure. "We've talked about it for decades and it's now upon us and we've got to do even more."
The redevelopment took roughly three years to complete, with the old facility closing in 2021, but Fleming said the project had been in the works for over a decade. The provincial government put up $11 million, the feds pitched in $6 million and the Baptist Society provided the land, valued at $8.8 million.
Though Wednesday was chosen to celebrate the opening, the building is already three-quarters full and is expected to be 100 per cent occupied by next month. Residents from the previous building were offered spots in the new development with no change to their rent.
Anke Anderson lived at Linwood's previous incarnation on the property, and is now one of the new occupants. She was very enthusiastic about the upgrade.
"The elevators! The old Linwood didn't have any, remember? We love our elevators," she told the audience of fellow residents. "The air conditioning! Thank you BC Housing!"
As a returning resident who watched her former home be demolished to build the new facility, Anderson was given ribbon cutting honours, flanked by Fleming her husband Dave Anderson.
Neighbourhood resident and local Saanich district councillor Teale Phelps Bondaroff, a passionate affordable housing advocate, was especially ebullient after the ribbon cutting, highlighting how well he thought the new building blended in.
"I live around the corner and I'm just happy to welcome our new neighbours," he said. "I'm also really excited how the building fits in the neighbourhood."
