How a strategic investment and partnership created a network of seniors communities
In the 1990’s, Cranbrook resident Endre Lillejord was struggling to find a home for his mother, Ivy. He was disappointed to discover that housing options were limited for seniors who, like Ivy, needed some support but were still largely independent. He quickly realized that his family was not alone: across the Basin, seniors and their families were looking for alternatives to institutional care. So, he decided to take matters into his own hands.
Lillejord founded Golden Life Management to design, build and operate seniors’ housing. The company envisioned a supportive, affordable housing model grounded in the idea that “it takes a village to care.” Its facilities, called “villages”, were designed to reflect that philosophy. The first, Joseph Creek Village, opened in Cranbrook in 1998, with Ivy Lillejord as one of the first residents.
“When you walk through the halls of the village, you’re surrounded by friends and families, and everyone has a goal of ensuring that you have the supports and services in place to live your best quality of life,” said Celeste Mullin, Lillejord’s daughter and Golden Life’s Vice-President of Corporate Business. To maintain and strengthen these supports, Golden Life sought “a strategic partner that we could align with; someone who brought credibility to our seniors’ development, enhanced our brand, was financially strong, and well-integrated within the communities.”
That partner was Columbia Basin Trust. Recognizing their shared commitment to improving quality of life in the region, Lillejord approached the Trust to discuss a potential collaboration. The Trust agreed. In 2001, it committed $1.3 million to support Castle Wood Village, Golden Life’s second seniors housing project. Located in Castlegar, Castle Wood was the first facility of its kind in the West Kootenay, offering 77 suites and a range of amenities including a games room, exercise room, library, beauty salon/barbershop, and craft and hobby areas.
“Castle Wood was a pioneering project in the region, and it made sense from both a community and investment perspective,” said Johnny Strilaeff, President and CEO at Columbia Basin Trust. “It demonstrated that we could invest in projects that deliver strong financial returns while also meeting real community needs.”
Residents themselves have felt the difference. “After moving in, I knew this was my home—a place with independence, support and community,” says Kay Abbott, resident and head of the Castle Wood residents’ council.
Mullin credits the success of the partnership to mutual respect, open communication and a willingness to learn and evolve. In 2006, for example, Golden Life approached the Trust about enhancing affordability for low-income seniors. Together, they developed an innovative grant program, enabling eligible residents to pay 70 per cent of their income for rent, meals and housekeeping.
Mullin calls the program “a great example of how we’ve met our collective goal of ensuring that people in the Basin have great quality of life, regardless of their financial resources.”
Golden Life and the Trust have continued to collaborate over the years. Eight of Golden Life’s 17 villages were developed with support from the Trust, in the communities of Cranbrook, Castlegar, Creston, Fernie, Fruitvale, Invermere, Kimberley and Nelson. The facilities continue to provide seniors with more independent, community-based living options—an enduring legacy of a strategic partnership rooted in shared values.
As the partnership evolves, the Trust’s role may shift, but its legacy remains clear. The investment in Golden Life’s villages not only strengthened the Trust’s portfolio but also helped create lasting
infrastructure that supports seniors to age with dignity, independence and connection. For the Trust, this is the kind of impact that defines success: enabling community well-being today, while reinvesting in the Basin’s future.
