BUILDING FOR BOOMERS BRIDGE ROAD OFFERS RURAL RETIREMENT OPTIONS By Wendy King
I magine if, upon retirement, you were told that you not only had to leave your home, but you might have to move many miles away from your loved ones to find the kind of accommodation that’s flexible enough to meet your changing needs? It happens more often than you might think. Rather than staying in and around the communities in which they were born, raised and lived their entire lives, Canadians who live in small towns are often displaced from those communities in retirement age. Construction could offer a solution, but most investors would not look twice at a smaller community as a place for potential investment and growth. Luckily, Winkler’s Bridge Road Developments saw just such a need and came up with a sound plan for rural development that works in communities with populations of 1,000 - 5,000. "We seek to allow those folks to stay and live with relatives and friends, while at the same time freeing up homes and allowing for regeneration of rural populations and economies,” says vice-president Sjoerd Huese. “We refer to that as the significance of our company, not revenue or number of employees." Success is predicated on the close relationships the company establishes within a prospective community. Team members create dialogue with leaders and residents to determine demand and interest. Then, Bridge Road develops a financing plan which includes both local ownership and local financing. "It works well and it gets things done," Huese says. “Our company builds time, sells time and manages time by building active-adult rental housing and hotels in our target market in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. We have companies that develop land, construct, invest and property manage.” Bridge Road has developments in seven towns in Manitoba. The latest, in Carman, is expected to be completed in April 2015, says Ken Thomas, manager of special projects. "We are currently building Phase III, which includes 16 apartment homes along with a modern, spacious, elegant common room that features kitchen facilities
that can accommodate 120 people," Thomas says. "Upon completion, the complex will have 48 apartment homes, a games room, library and two common rooms." Thomas describes the suites as high end, with contemporary open-space concept, in-suite laundry, appliances and accessibility features to accommodate various stages of aging. Other features include special touches like crown moulding, heated indoor garage, maintenance-free living and on-site management. Thomas says the project is being well-received in the community, based on attendance at the sod-turning ceremony, visits to the show suite and positive comments he’s heard personally. "This project is special for us because it was our first project in the Pembina Valley when the company began, and it is the first development that has three phases," he says. "Our belief that you can be a company of significance that makes a difference in the lives of individual people and communities has been reinforced." Thomas says the road ahead looks good, with planned expansion of the hotel division, four projects currently underway, the further development of assisted-living homes, and a plan to continue building with the current model in rural communities. Since Bridge Road Developments was established in 2007, the company has completed 350 apartment homes in 22 communities throughout rural Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Vice-president Travis Penner says it’s always been a company priority to work with an eye to quality. It is a point of pride that Bridge Road strives to hire top-notch staff and cream-of-the-crop tradespeople. This fall, the icing on the cake was a nomination for the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Penner and Huese were named as nominees, but Huese says it was an honour for the entire team and the company’s founders. "The idea for the company follows the career path of our three principal owners Ken Penner, Wayne Peters and Harry Funk, all of whom owned lumberyards, mechanical contracting and who created an investment model for rural communities with aging populations.” ■
24 MBiz | November 2014
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