ANTIGONISH, N.S. - The red ribbon has been cut officially opening the doors to The Maples; the all-inclusive retirement and supportive living option for seniors.
“The hotel-like residence offers seniors an ‘all-inclusive’ lifestyle that will provide meals in a restaurant-style setting, laundry services, cleaning, recreation and fitness, social activities, and even health care monitoring and transportation within the area,” a press release to accompany the Nov. 7 grand opening event reads.
“With 24/seven, year-round staffing, this all-inclusive approach ensures a worry-free and safe environment for all of our community’s residents.”
The release notes The Maples has 100 unit residences and features many common areas and amenities.
“Including a classic dining room, fully-stocked library/computer lounge, a fitness centre, a chapel, a theatre, pub/games room, a golf simulator, outdoor patios, and many walking paths,” the release noted.
“The Maples is located in the established Mount Cameron neighbourhood of Antigonish, known for ocean vistas and easy access to the nearby network of nature trails.”
Owner Steve Smith said it’s very gratifying to come to the grand opening day.
“It has been a lot of planning, almost five years,” he said, following a tour of the building and just prior to the ribbon being cut.
“It’s a business that is a business of its own; we have a lot of staff and the responsibility to all our residents to make their lives safe and very enjoyable.
“Any large construction project has its issues, but our building is completely finished and, I think, one of the most beautiful buildings in Atlantic Canada.”
Noting the building is more than 97,000 square feet, Smith said a third of that is for common areas.
“That’s a focus of the building, to get people to mingle and socialize,” he said. “We have many, many areas which work well to get together; not just the dining room, but before dinner, after dinner, during the afternoon, the evening.
“And we have a full-time social director to make sure there are things going on all of the time. You don’t have to participate if you don’t want to, but the opportunities are there, all of the time.”
And opportunities for when family members and friends come to visit The Maples residents; they can stay on-site for a fun and relaxing visit.
“You don’t have to come and pick up mom and dad to go somewhere else,” Smith said.
“We have a lot of areas here you can come and enjoy your family; even have a meal with your family right here, it’s welcomed all of the time. The building is not only for our residents but for their families to visit them.”
There are different monthly price points for the units and Smith said different financial options was a goal.
“We did everything we could to build a beautiful building but keep it as affordable as we could for people,” he said.
Asked about stand-out features, he noted the individual climate control for every room.
“So every room has heating and air conditioning which is completely independent of every other room,” he said. “So in your bedroom, if you like to sleep at 18 degrees, you set it at 18. And your living room, maybe you want that at 21, you set that and it maintains it; so it’s the same as all the areas of the building.
“That’s not usual in buildings like this; it’s air conditioned in the summer, heated in the winter, but it’s what they call individual climate control in every room. That’s one of the big features.”
When talking about the location, Smith said the building is unique for a small town in Nova Scotia.
“We certainly cater to anywhere but our main focus is Antigonish, Guysborough, Inverness, Richmond and Pictou counties, we’re kind of in the middle of that,” he said, referring to the home areas of people he anticipates would be attracted to the location.
“We have a wonderful regional hospital next to us, less than two minutes away. Antigonish is a central point for all of those counties; we feel this is a good place to live, very close to a lot of amenities … close to where you lived before.
“Everybody comes here for one reason or another, from time-to-time, so that’s why we decided we would put our flagship building here.”
The Maples is hosting open house events this Thursday (Nov. 15) and Friday (Nov. 16) and to view more online, visit MaplesRetirement.ca.
Information can also be obtained by calling 902-735-2220 or by email at [email protected].
“We have a wonderful website which explains the whole thing and we would love to take anyone on a tour, at any time,” Smith said.