The Thompson View Manor Society (TVMS) in Ashcroft was established in 1975, but society chairperson Deb Tedford says that as they get ready to start work on a new 29-unit residence there is still a good deal of confusion about what they already operate.
“We’re trying to do some education to help people understand that Thompson View Manor is independent, affordable seniors’ housing,” she explains. The society manages that 15-unit facility, assesses the applications, and makes decisions about tenants.
Next door to the Manor is Thompson View Lodge, which has assisted living units for people who can no longer live independently. “We operate it on behalf of Interior Health, but we have no say about who goes into the Lodge. That’s Interior Health’s decision.
“Many people don’t know that we only operate the independent living facility. And people think that tenants there automatically go down the hall to assisted living when they need it, and that’s not how it works. We want people to be more aware of what we do provide.”
Approval for the new 29-unit building was received earlier this year, but Tedford says she can’t give a time frame for when it will be built.
“We’re progressing with the government and BC Housing, and the provincial election has interrupted the process, but the plan is for construction to begin in 2025. We have a very healthy and wonderful working relationship with Interior Health. The two people we’re working with are fantastic, and working very hard to make this work for us.”
There will be three types of units available, with rent on a sliding scale: some for those on low income, some with an income-based rent, and some at market value. There will be units with both one and two bedrooms, but Tedford stresses that they will all be essentially the same, no matter what rental band they fall in.
The building — which will be directly beside the RCMP detachment on Elm Street, and separated from the current building by the existing parking lot — will also have a storage area for each unit, laundry facilities, an EV charging room for mobility scooters, and a common room with a kitchenette attached that can be used for social gatherings. The parking lot will be enhanced with several spaces that have EV chargers in place.
The society is also hoping to raise its profile in order to appeal to the community so that it can expand membership and create opportunities for new board members. TVMS currently has a 10-member board, and anyone interested in joining the society can contact Tedford at (250) 453-9223 for more information.
A recent quarterly report from TVMS outlined some of the many activities the society has been involved with over the past year, including participating in two “Get Your Ducks in a Row” advance care planning fairs, carrying out a number of repairs and improvements at the site, enhancing security measures, installing a recycle shed for residents, and negotiating a new and extended Property Lease Agreement with Interior Health. The society has agreed to provide IH with two one-bedroom units at the Manor, to accommodate IH employees working at the Ashcroft Health Site. The lease is proposed to be extended until 2084.
There have already been questions about when people can apply for one of the units in the new building, and Tedford says they’re waiting until there are shovels in the ground.
“When we break ground is when the application process opens up. We’ll have a very public announcement, and that will be a very exciting day.”
