Inglewood project given go-ahead, much more needs to be done
It took a long time (five years and two proposals, in fact), but mayor and council at last approved a revised Inglewood seniors housing project this week.
West Vancouver is well behind in addressing the needs of the community, and this administration hasn’t been creative in closing the gap. It is leaving a major challenge for the next council and the community.
West Vancouver has important senior-serving institutions and substantial need, but it has fallen behind in replacing lost care capacity and creating enough affordable, accessible places for people to age in their own community.
The revised proposal from the not-for-profit Baptist Housing would replace the aging 230-bed care centre with a two-phase seniors campus: first, a new 364-bed publicly funded long-term-care facility would be built so existing residents can move before the old building is demolished; second, the site would add 161 seniors’ rental homes and 200 independent-living homes, for 725 beds and homes in total.
The plan is intended to create a continuum of care that lets West Vancouver seniors remain in the community as their needs change, with a more open four-building layout, expanded green space and a central accessible courtyard. It will be completed by 2034.
The presentation at the public hearing was professional and reassuring, and the stories from residents at Inglewood’s existing building and in the community were poignant and memorable. There remain some legitimate questions about the project, and it was apparent that mayor and council wanted to push ahead before an election with something to show on the file. On balance, it is a good step forward, but much more has to happen.
When I spoke in favour of the project at council, here is in part what I said:
“When we talk about seniors’ housing in West Vancouver, we are really talking about something much deeper than buildings, beds or care facilities.
We are talking about belonging—about people who spent decades building lives here, raising families, volunteering, coaching, serving, and helping create the community we cherish today. These are neighbours who planted the gardens, built the businesses, supported the schools and strengthened the civic life that defines West Vancouver, and who want to remain part of it.
One of the greatest measures of a community is not how it welcomes people when they arrive, but whether it allows them to remain as they grow older.
West Vancouver has long been a place where people come to build a life. My wife and I certainly did. Our challenge now is to ensure it remains a place where people can complete that journey with dignity, security and connection.
Nearly one-third of our residents are over the age of 65. That is not a statistic to fear, but a testament to a community people love so much they never want to leave.
Yet longevity brings responsibility. As needs change, homes may become harder to maintain, driving less feasible, and health challenges more common. The desire for independence often comes with a need for greater support.
The question before us is simple: will we be ready—not just with housing or care beds, but with a vision?
A vision of a community where aging is not a problem to solve, not an inconvenience, but a strength and a stage of life to honour; where seniors have choices to downsize, access care, and stay close to the people and places that give meaning to their lives; where housing, health care, transportation, recreation and social connection are integrated to support not just longer lives, but better ones.
This is one of the defining challenges of our generation.
Communities that flourish will not simply react to demographic change. They will anticipate it, recognizing that planning for seniors is planning for everyone.
That is why the discussion around Inglewood matters. Regardless of views on the proposal, it has highlighted a broader question: how we care for an aging population and ensure residents can remain in the community throughout their lives.
Inglewood is not the beginning of that conversation, nor should it be the end.
The larger question is whether we are prepared to build a comprehensive, long-term strategy for seniors, one that integrates housing, health care, mobility, accessibility and community connection, and gives families confidence that support will be available close to home.
Because everyone ultimately hopes for the same thing: to remain connected to the people and places they love.
I believe West Vancouver can become a model for an age-friendly community, not because we have all the answers today, but because we have the wisdom, compassion and resources to ask the right questions and plan for the future.
The mountains remind us that the best things are built over time. The forests remind us that strength comes from deep roots. And our seniors remind us that communities are measured not only by what they build, but by how they care for one another.
Our task is not simply to respond to a proposal, but to create a future in which those who helped build West Vancouver can continue to call it home, a future defined by security, connection and belonging. The best place for seniors to live in all of Canada.
That is the opportunity before us, and it is imperative that you not be an impediment.”