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TORONTO (Oct. 6, 2008) – Harmony Village is unveiling Canada’s first “resort-style” condominium community for seniors that delivers an unprecedented array of services, activities, independence and convenience.

Harmony Village has joined forces with St. Paul's L'Amoreaux Centre to create what developer Jack Pong calls an entirely new standard of living for seniors – particularly aging boomers - who want much more than what the traditional retirement or nursing home model offers today in Canada.

The award-winning development team includes City Core Developments Inc. and Invar Building Corporation. The architect firm is Page & Steele Architects.

“Harmony Village is the first community of its kind in Canada to truly realize the aging in place concept. We are creating a retirement community of the future – this is something that is totally new in the marketplace,” said Pong, president of City Core Developments and the visionary behind Harmony Village-Sheppard.

“With Harmony Village, we’ve created a condo residence integrated with a not-for-profit services community that will cater to the diverse needs and demands of seniors at various stages of their lives,” Pong added. “Our goal is to let people live life to the fullest, regardless of their age or needs. We are set to eliminate what has traditionally been an impersonal, institutional environment for seniors.”

Pong says his vision is to “put the care and compassion back into retirement residences” by creating a community that offers an array of complimentary or affordable services and programs, thanks to the experts and volunteers at St. Paul’s. Pong is committed to developing a new 55,000-square-foot Harmony Village-St. Paul's Centre, which will complement the lifestyles of seniors who want to live independently in the condo environment that Harmony Village offers.

The community centre will offer seniors in the neighbourhood programs and services from specialized health care and daily meal service to health and wellness programs such as yoga, cooking classes, computer courses and beyond. St. Paul’s trained volunteers and staff will offer support services such as 24-hour emergency response and housekeeping. On-site health professionals are also available on demand.

“St. Paul’s has more than three decades of experience serving seniors with multi-cultural backgrounds,” said Larry Burke, executive director of St. Paul’s L’Amoreaux Centre. “We have witnessed the benefits of community living for seniors. Like-minded retirees in our community form their own social networks to stay active and keep each other company. Help is available when required, giving them and their family additional peace of mind.”

Aside from St. Paul’s community programs, Harmony Village also offers residents exclusive, luxurious amenities to maintain an active lifestyle. Sports enthusiasts can enjoy their workout at the state-of-the-art health club. Arts lovers can take advantage of the exhibition space and the auditorium for their artistic endeavours. Gourmands will enjoy the extensive selection at the restaurant on site.

Harmony Village is also poised to be Canada’s first green retirement condominium that utilizes geothermal energy, thanks to the technology supplied by SelectEnergy, and environmental friendly materials to ensure clean, green and healthy living. The building is targeting LEED Gold Standard certification.

The Harmony Village-Sheppard sales centre at 3260 Sheppard Ave. E. in Toronto has just opened its doors to the public and the media to provide a firsthand look at what the future of retirement living looks like.

“We are saying that the old model for long-term care and nursing homes is obsolete – they are built for easy maintenance and profit, while we have created a non-profit services model that puts residents’ comfort and lifestyle first,” Pong said. “And the response has been quite remarkable - people are really seeing the value in what we have done, particularly retirement age boomers who are not about to settle for the traditional setting.”