In the retirement neighbourhoods of the Village of Taunton Mills, an exploration of friendship is underway. In a Village such as this, home to nearly more than 400 people in 388 suites, an entirely self-contained community of people converge, and while pragmatic thoughts of future needs often encourage prospective residents to consider a move, new relationships are often the greatest discovery once they settle in.
Erika, Anne and Bruno
Erika and Anne, who describe themselves as “besties,” are a prime example. Anne says she never really considered the idea of a sense of community prior to moving to the Village with her husband, Bruno, back in the spring of 2024; their children had explored the options for them and suggested Taunton Mills was the best choice, and that was that.
By the time Erika and her husband, Russ, came to the Village in June, Bruno and Anne had settled in and they were some of the first people Erika approached. They were sitting out by the pond on a pleasant summer afternoon, and conversation came easily.
“We’re always telling jokes and making each other laugh,” Anne says, and Bruno shakes his head, a broad grin upon his face.
“You should hear some of the jokes,” he says, with a wink as his wife offers a playful slap to the shoulder.
“Oh Bruno, you’re getting me in trouble,” she says, and their laughter grows.
“Every day we make fond memories,” she continues. They look forward to sitting together to talk and make each other laugh. They share stories of the past and connect in a shared space over the common experiences of a generation, and laughter is always present.
Lou, Mike and Roy
The billiards table in the pub is often a gathering point in the Village, and whether it’s late morning on a Thursday or a Friday evening over a couple beers, you’re likely to find Lou, Mike and Roy among a regular group of players.
Mike says in his previous home, it wasn’t as easy for him to get around and there weren’t spaces available like the pub at Taunton Mills, so connecting with people there was harder.
He’s been at Taunton Mills for just over a year, and “it’s great to get to know people where you can do lots of things together,” he says. He and Lou competed together in the 2024 Schlegel Olympics, dominating the soccer challenge, they point out, and they both feel it’s important to get to know their neighbours in the Village.
“I try to get involved in as many things as I can because if not, you spend your time in your room,” Lou says.
“It means a lot,” Roy adds. “We need to be able to socialize with other people; you can’t be alone all the time, and this is a great place that offers all you could want.”
Lou, Mike and Roy agree that the way in which one chooses to participate in Village life can make a difference in their happiness, for loneliness can be as difficult to navigate as any illness.
Anne, Gord, Gloria and Doreen
While opportunities to create new friendships in Village Life abound, it’s interesting to come across friendships that continue to thrive, decades after their inception. At a table in the dining room just off the Taunton Mills Town Square, we find just such a connection in Anne, Gord, Gloria and Doreen.
Gord and Gloria’s late husband, Doug, grew up together in the early 1940s, Gord explains. They were in the same classes through public school into high school; they played road hockey together in the streets of central Oshawa; and they ventured to Kingston together to attend Queen’s University. Doreen’s connection came as she married Doug’s first cousin, and she met Gloria not long after. When Anne and Gord connected, the ties of their relationships became entwined.
Gloria and Doreen cherish the memories of their husbands, and as they sit in the dining room at Taunton Mills, they reminisce. Gloria mentions the train trips where the ladies would roll east to Kingston and stay the weekend and dance the nights aways when the men were still in university. Over the decades, there’d be countless nights spent together.
Deep friendships like these don’t necessarily change over time, they say, it’s more like they simply grow, and today they continue to do so. Doreen was the first to move to Taunton Mills and Gord and Anne liked what they saw when they came to visit. Gloria soon followed and now they’re but a short stroll away from each other, and their friendships, all these decades later, continue to grow.
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