Sal Magro and his wife have a relationship with their extended family that many grandparents can only dream of.
The Kanata, Ont. couple lives just two blocks from their grandchildren, aged one and five, and thanks to their close proximity, often see the children up to six times a week.
Kornel and Jayne Wolters of Orleans, Ont. have similar close ties. They recently bought a home in the Chaperal subdivision near Tenth Line and Innes Road, and are just 20 minutes from three of their grandchildren who live in the community of Russell.
Previously, the Wolters had lived north of Montreal, a two-hour drive from the kids.
The Magros and the Wolters, whose homes are both in suburban Ottawa, give much of the credit for the close relationships with their grandchildren to their purchase of adult lifestyle homes being offered by many builders. In both cases, the grandparents purchased in communities that suit their lifestyles and that are close to where their children and grandchildren had already set up house.
For about two years the Magros have lived in a semi-detached bungalow in Kanata’s Bridlewood neighbourhood, among about 50 adult lifestyle bungalows. In July, the Wolters moved into a new single-family bungalow on a street of adult lifestyle homes.
Both couples are pleased to be living amongst people of similar ages and interests with the added bonus of being within easy reach of grandchildren they adore.
“We bought into the area because we wanted to be close to the kids and see an awful lot of them,” says Magro, who works as a salesperson for Ottawa builder Tamarack Homes.
“We wanted our own little community where we could make friends with people in the same age group and who have the same mindset,” he says. “We did not want a lot of noise, we wanted to get along with each other and know that neighbours would look after each other, and that is what we have.
“In addition, we see the kids five or six times a week – we babysit, or we go to their house, or out for a walk with them, and we have the kids over for sleepovers.
“We are very lucky without a doubt. We really get to know the kids and they know us and look forward to seeing us. We have become part of their day-to-day family and we both have our own families and we don’t have to drive 10 kilometres to see them, something my wife appreciates,” adds Magro.
The close proximity also benefits their daughter, who runs a home-based business and occasionally needs help with the kids when clients arrive. The Magros are more than happy to help out.
The Wolters, who also have grandchildren in British Columbia and Toronto, enjoy the “village” concept in Chaperal, which next year will add a community centre and swimming pool. Before buying their Oriole model they had looked at other bungalows but didn’t like the idea of being squeezed between two large two-storey homes on streets that were more family oriented than they cared for.
“We found the type of house wanted, a bungalow with everything on one floor, with an extended sunroom … we can live here in a wheelchair at age 80,’’ says Kornel Wolters, who is retired.
“The benefit of being close is that we can help out the family a bit more, financially and with babysitting,’’ he says, noting that when they lived near Montreal, they saw the kids every three or four months at best. “Now get to know them better, we participate in things they do and we attend school events, things we missed before.’’
He concedes some grandparents don’t want to live too close to their grandchildren but in their case “20 minutes away is just about right … it means we don’t have to run over for every emergency.”
Doug Robertson, a salesperson for Ottawa builder Claridge Homes, has helped sell nine adult lifestyle homes in the builder’s Westpointe Village project in the Ottawa suburb of Barrhaven, where the homes are mixed in with about 150 others in the development. Several buyers, he says, moved into the neighborhood specifically to be near their children and grandchildren, as well as to live in homes that are low maintenance and have most amenities, including laundry rooms, on one floor.
“The adult lifestyle homes are close enough to enable easy visits or to allow the kids to walk or bike over to the grandparents’ house,” he says. “In many cases the grandparents help out with babysitting and there are parks in the neighbourhood where they can get together. Some have finished basements and added family rooms to accommodate visits by family members living nearby.”
All adult lifestyle homes in Claridge’s Westpointe Village are sold but more are to be built nearby in the spring or summer of 2010. Adult lifestyle homes are also available in other Claridge projects, said Robertson.
Another housing development that offers seniors close proximity to their children and grandchildren is Loyalist Country Club Community in Bath, 20 minutes east of Kingston, Ont. New-home sales manager Ted Custance says half the people who consider moving to the development say being close to family living nearby is a significant factor in their decision.
The 15-year-old community, which backs onto a golf course, consists of 350 occupied homes with room for another 300. Buyers have their choice of a wide variety of housing designs, including 12 different models aimed at seniors, says Custance, who recently moved from British Columbia to Loyalist Country Club Community to be closer to his children and grandchildren who live in Kingston and Oakville.
“It is an absolute delight to be able to see my grandson in Kingston less than 20 minutes away. It is really something to part of his life as he grows up.’’
Custance knows several residents of Loyalist Country Club who are even luckier: their sons and daughters and grandchildren live right in the subdivision, a few minutes walk away.
Forty-four additional lots will be for sale this fall, he says, with occupancy in the spring of 2010.
