April 22, 2026, 12:00 to 1:00 EDT
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Another ‘Village’ Initiative
The Village Langley, B.C.
‘Agrace’s Dementia Village will be the first of its kind in the United States. It is being modelled after the internationally recognized Hogeweyk Dementia Village in the Netherlands’. It is being built in Madison, Wisconsin.
The first Village of this model in Canada was established in Langley, B.C. a few years ago. Subsequently, also in B.C., Providence Living established its first Village and is now in the process of implementing the Village model for all its long-term care home beds. Where there’s a will, there’s a way- in both the for profit and not-for-profit long-term care home sectors.
Please encourage your MPP to advocate for a provincial strategic plan in Ontario to bring innovative models of care to its long-term care homes. This change can’t come soon enough.
Providence Living in B.C. and the Right Model
Providence Living is fulfilling its plan to embrace the implementation of the innovative long-term care village model into its long-term care facilities.
Providence Living at the Views in Comox, B.C. opened its doors in 2024 to the first of its non-profit long-term care homes to benefit from the innovative village model.
Now their second village home is in the making: Providence Living at The Rivers set to open in early 2028. “This project represents a complete reimagining of what long-term care can and should be,” said Mark Blandford, president and CEO, Providence Living. “We’re creating a community where northern B.C. seniors can live with dignity, joy and purpose through our innovative long-term care village and Home for Us care model.”
Two more homes are planned for the future, one in Quesnel expected to start later this year, and the other in Smithers, expected to start in 2028.
Testing the ‘Village’ model: the right way to go!
Residents and day-program participants at Langley Village (Dillon Hodgin/CBC)
It is worth taking note of a CBC News article by reporters Shaurya Kshatri and Yasmine Ghania, December 26th, 2025: “Inside a B.C. ‘dementia village’ that researchers hope could reshape long-term care”.
Langley Village opened in 2019 and about 75 residents live full time at The Village Langley in its six cottage-style homes.
“The Village is now part of a new research project led by Simon Fraser University (SFU) in B.C. and McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., which aims to understand what this kind of setting actually does for people with dementia and find ways to replicate some of its elements across the country.”
“The research team’s goal is to provide evidence that can inform future policy to promote and implement innovative approaches in long-term care that will create a normalized and naturally rich, supportive care community,” says SFU Professor Chaudhury.
We look forward to learning from the findings of their research.
Click here to read the full article –
Recording: Re-Designing Long-Term Care for a day well lived
Providence Living at the Views opened their doors in July 2024 in Comox, B.C. Since then, they have welcomed 156 residents who live in 13 households. Providence Living is a public, non-profit LTC based on the Hogeweyk villages model of care. It sits on 13 acres and includes supportive housing, assisted living, primary care and retail spaces. Participants learned that this is an efficient model of care, staff enjoy working there, and residents have a day well lived.
For full recording, click here
‘There’s No Place Like Home’
A Green House Dining Room (copied with permission)
The National Institute on Aging released its recent report, “There’s No Place Like Home: Why Canada Must Prioritize Small Care Home Models in its Provision of Long-Term Care”.
“This report, There’s No Place Like Home, emphasizes the need for a transformative shift away from delivering care in large institutional care settings to smaller, more personalized, home-like environments that align with public preferences and improve care outcomes for residents and working conditions for staff. ”
Please join us in our advocacy efforts to transform Ontario’s long-term care homes from ‘institutions to homes’ by contacting your MPP and/or city councillor, writing a letter to the editor, etc to make this transformation happen.
Public Dementia Village opens in Comox, B.C.
Canada’s first privately operated community designed specifically for people with dementia, Langley Village
The Views, Canada’s first public, non-profit long-term care home modelled after a dementia village is opening in July, 2024.
The village has been designed for 156 residents and is divided into 13 households. Each mini-neighbourhood has 12 residential suites and a common living area with a kitchen, laundry room, dining area and living space.
“These villages are safe, community-focused and allow residents to feel a sense of belonging while getting the care and support they need,” says B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix.
Providence Living created this site for seniors living with or without dementia and for younger adults in need of long-term care.
This is another example of transformative change taking place in our long-term care home system – from Institutions to Homes.
To read more, click here
French Government invests $22M for a Dementia Village
Canada’s first community designed specifically for people with dementia, Langley Village
Everyone living at Landais Alzheimer, in south-west France, has dementia. “Each of the single-storey chalets houses about eight residents, with a communal kitchen, sitting and dining room. While villagers pay a contribution, the running costs, similar to an average care home, are mainly covered by the regional French government. This project has a research component which means that outcomes will be tracked right from the beginning, providing meaningful date for future long-term care home ‘villages’ on whatever scale is possible.
Click here to learn more.
“I opened Canada’s first dementia village”
Canada’s first community designed specifically for people with dementia, Langley Village
As noted in his article which recently appeared in Macleans, Elroy Jespersen, came to the conclusion when considering long-term care homes that “The standard approach was to designate a wing or floor of a given building to dementia patients, with locked doors on either end. When the doors wouldn’t open, they would get frustrated and agitated. I’d panic if I couldn’t move about freely—wouldn’t anyone? Newer facilities have doors that open into a fenced-off courtyard instead, but people still feel trapped. The focus was always on their safety; their freedom and connection with others took a back seat. This approach didn’t sit right with me: life should be about more than just safety. “
Fast forward, Village Langley in British Columbia is now thriving. Click here to read more
This is one of several innovative and/or hybrid models that allow residents to live in ‘homes’ and not in institutions. So while the costs at Langley may be too expensive for most, there are other models to choose from or to adapt the Village model accordingly.
If you want to see these types of ‘homes’ become the norm, please help us create more awareness by sharing this post with your contacts, MPP, and City Councillor.
Quebec is all action in transforming its long-term care homes from institutions to homes
The Hover Green House, copied with permission
In his presentation on May 17th, Stéphane Bouffard, long-term care consultant at la Ministère de la santé et des services sociaux in Quebec, was passionate when he spoke about the approach being taken to transform all long-term care homes from institutions to homes. With good reason!
Quebec seems to be ‘all action’ as noted by CBC news in its posting on May 22nd, 2023, “Quebec announces 1st private CHSLDs to get government funding as province moves to fund all” Click here to read more . Quebec is taking seriously the need for drastic change to transform its long-term care home system and ensure that residents in any home receive quality care and have quality of life.
Please join us as Champions for Change Long-term Care Now from Institutions to Homes by forwarding this post to your contacts, MPP and city councillor.
Webinar: Overhauling Quebec’s long-term care homes with small more “humane’ homes
A Green House Dining Room
At the May 17th webinar, Stéphane Bouffard, long-term care consultant at la Ministère de la santé et des services sociaux in Quebec, spoke in no uncertain terms about the progress that is being made to do just that. His passionate presentation outlined Quebec’s strategic plan to transform long-term care homes from institutions to homes where the focus on new builds has already begun. The projected size of the units will range from 12 to 15 residents and the care approach has been adapted from existing innovative models including the Green House, and the Hogeweyk Village model.
Webinar: Resident autonomy over institutional effectiveness
More than 300 people registered for the webinar, Humanizing Dementia Care in Long-Term Care on Feb 11, 2023. Aimée Foreman began her presentation saying, “Aging is a social experience, and our emphasis in long-term care should be on the social experience as opposed to clinical care.”
Aimée presented information on the Hogeweyk model of care for those with advanced dementia and explained why this village model promotes quality of life for the residents. Hogeweyk villages emphasize a household model where normal activities of living occur inside the home and exterior design allows for other activities that usually happen outside the household such as shopping, concerts etc.
Some of the key points in her presentation include:
- Normalizing dementia is key.
- Resident autonomy and self- identity trumps institutional effectiveness.
- Language is important. Use of the words “programs” or “therapy” implies a clinical approach.
- We need to measure quality of life based on the experience of the person living in the home.
- Quality of life implies choice and with choice comes risk.
To view the presentation, please click here.
Ontario needs more homes where residents thrive in a place that looks and feels like home, not an institution.
Please help make this transformation a reality by forwarding this post to your contacts or by sharing on your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram accounts.