SENIOR LIVING AND LISTENING TO OUR SENIORS

Kyle Centre - Community Facility in Port Moody

When I ran for Council in 2022, one of my promises was to prioritize homes in our community for downsizing seniors. While door knocking, I heard over and over from seniors in Port Moody that we need more seniors housing of all types, sizes and price points. During this term, we only had one application come forward for a Seniors housing development. 

Kyle Park Senior Living was a proposal by Avenir Senior Living and the Dulex Laidler Group to be located at 2505-2517 St. George Street and 123-129 Mary Street. Further details on the development, amenities, location, etc. are here.

The timeline of the proposal was as follows:

April 21, 2023 - OCP/Rezoning Application Received

May 6, 2023 - Community Information Meeting

May-June 2023 - Feedback sought from the public on our online portal, Engage Port Moody

June 5, 2023 - the proposal came to the Land Use Committee, of which I was Chair. The Committee is lukewarm about the proposal, other than the two seniors on the Committee who say there is a lot to like, and urge the Committee to advance the project for discussion to Council. Feedback is given and the Committee agrees that the opinions of actual seniors matter, and that the application should move forward to the next step.  Meeting materials here (endorsed).

In the interests of transparency, I mentioned during this and subsequent meetings that I am personally familiar with Avenir, the seniors housing operator. My grandmother lived for years in the Pacifica, one of Avenir's Seniors housing developments in White Rock, right up until she died.  It was a wonderful place and always fully subscribed. They still have the piano my family donated with her name on it for all residents to enjoy!

June 22, 2023 - the proposal goes to the Advisory Design Panel, meeting materials here (not endorsed by the ADP, changes requested).

May 6, 2023 - Kyle Park Senior Living open house/info meeting

July 18, 2023 - Council early input, meeting materials and video of the discussion here (no decisions made).

October 10, 2023 - First and Second Reading (not granted). Council reviews the 14-storey proposal and sends it back to staff with a recommendation that the building be scaled down or relocated to another part of the city closer to amenities.  Materials and video here.

December 2023 - I attend the Kyle Centre Seniors Luncheon with Callan Morrison - Port Moody City Councillor and am seated at a table with several senior women who tell me they are very angry that the proposal was sent back because they were looking forward to "moving in".  I spend much of the next hour talking to them about the lack of local senior housing options.

July 23, 2024 - First Reading, OCP Amendment and Rezoning (supported by staff and granted).  Based on previous Council and Committee feedback, the proposal now includes a 12-storey residential tower and 133 independent living and assisted living suites. Previously they were pitched as condos, these are now proposed as rental apartments. As well, the complex will includes 48 memory care and 48 community care units to provide a full spectrum of care as seniors age.

Meeting materials and video here.

October 14, 2025 - Second Reading (not granted). 

The project will not proceed to Public Hearing and is now essentially dead in the water by a vote of 4-1.  (In favour of proceeding to Public Hearing: Cllr. Knowles  // Opposed to moving to Public Hearing: Mayor Lahti and Cllrs. Lurbiecki, Lubik, and Agtarap //

Recused due to conflict: Cllr. Morrison // Not present: Cllr. Dilworth)

Meeting materials and video here.

What Does This Mean For Port Moody Seniors?

As the only Council vote in favour of sending this to Public Hearing, I am 

disappointed that the Seniors in our community who spoke so passionately to me 

about this project (and indeed all of the seniors in our community!) will not have 

the opportunity to weigh in.

I realize there are/were other objections to this development ranging from location to height, etc.  I do not seek to diminish those concerns in any way; the purpose of this post is simply to express my disappointment that seniors housing projects like this don't come around very often, and my personal feeling is that we have missed a great opportunity here to HEAR FROM OUR SENIORS DIRECTLY regarding a housing type that we know is sorely needed. The Tri-Cities Dispatch also published an article on this 

decision here.

I want to assure all our seniors that I will continue to advocate for ALL TYPES of 

seniors housing in Port Moody because we need it ALL, and this has been been 

recognized through the City’s Housing Needs Report and the Age-Friendly Plan. 

People sometimes forget that yes, while there are seniors who are struggling, 

there is also a LARGE swath of seniors and baby boomers with unprecedented 

wealth and savings who are living in larger homes but wishing to downsize. 

I disagree that allowing market housing for seniors is somehow unfair to those with 

less. Allowing seniors the option to live in market housing in fact eases the 

pressure on lower-cost senior facilities because the competition for housing is 

decreased!

For now, we will continue to work with our MP on a potential low-cost seniors 

housing facility in the old Post Office building on Mary, and Council is also 

considering co-locating affordable seniors housing at other locations. I really 

hope we see other seniors housing applications come forward. We desperately 

need this type of housing at all levels of income.