Shepherd Village is passing a significant milestone as it celebrates fifty years of caring for seniors through one of its known facilities- Shepherd Lodge. It began back in 1959 when District Superintendents Wilbur (W.B.) Greenwood and Walter E. McAlister spearheaded the drive to bring GTA PAOC churches together to consider the establishment of a “Home for Aged’ for retiring PAOC membership. Today, Shepherd Village is now one of the premier retirement facilities in Canada.
On April 7th 1961, Shepherd Lodge opened its doors to 107 seniors desiring a Christian living environment in their remaining years. Evolving to Shepherd Village, today it is comprised of a 252-bed nursing home (Shepherd Lodge); a 145-suite retirement / assisted living facility (Shepherd Terrace): a 263-apartment facility (Shepherd Manor); and a 112 life-lease facility (Shepherd Gardens). Four PAOC credentialed pastoral staff in our own Church In The Village –a multi-denominational church serving a congregation of 429 individuals, serve Shepherd Village.
Shepherd Lodge’s founding fathers (H.G. Bundock, Harry McClay, Charles N. Wortman, Charles M. Wortman, Stanley Judge and Fred Underhill) have all since passed and many others who were a part of our rich heritage are declining health. With that knowledge, we began gathering information of our beginnings and subsequent years and commissioned Kathy Bousquet to write a book on the history of Shepherd Lodge as part of our 50th anniversary celebrations.
Shepherd Lodge, Treasuring the Past, Embracing the Future highlights the people and events of those that rose to the challenge of providing a place to care for our seniors and identifies significant milestones, memories and leadership roles in Shepherd Lodge’s development. (For a copy of this book, please contact our office.)
In 1961, we were a 107-bed facility that cost $700 thousand to build. Today we accommodate nearly 900 seniors in facilities that cost $85 million to build with revenues in excess of $27 million.
God has truly blessed the work of our forefathers as the seeds that they planted produced abundantly. To Him we give the honour and praise for all that He has done.
David S Hillier
President & CEO