To understand the basic premise of the 2025 Schlegel Villages Operational Planning Retreat, President and CEO Jamie Schlegel took some time after welcoming the large Schlegel family to remind everyone that the neighbourhood design is the heart of Village life.
When Jamie Schlegel reflected on what makes Village Life so vibrant during his remarks in the first session of the 2025 Operational Planning retreat, he traced it back to one simple truth: “The basic building block of our Village is the neighbourhood.”
It’s in each neighbourhood, he said, that “relationships, friendships and connections are created and come to life.” That belief has guided every design decision since the earliest days, when his father Ron first envisioned an alternative to the institutional “campus of care” model that for so long had defined eldercare settings. Drawing from social psychology and the urban design movement known as New Urbanism, the goal was to build homes for elders that encourage belonging. The vision was for walkable, human-scale communities where people know each other and share in everyday life; small-town, rural Ontario was always on Ron’s mind.
“Our neighbourhoods connect to Main Street and flow into the Town Square,” Jamie reminded the audience of more than 500 leadership team members from across the organization. “That integration breaks down barriers and brings all parts of the Village together into one community.”
Each neighbourhood is self-contained, complete with its own kitchen, dining and family spaces, yet open and visually connected. It’s a design of “connected privacy,” where residents can find quiet when they want it and companionship when they choose. Team hubs are built right into these shared spaces, reflecting the idea that team members are part of neighbourhood life, not apart from it.
As Jamie described, the design mirrors how we all live. “Sometimes, after a busy week, we just want to stay home and relax. Other times we want to gather with our neighbours, or go to a community-wide event. That’s exactly what we’ve created for our residents.”
The result is more than thoughtful architecture; it’s a living community. In these spaces, friendships form naturally, families feel welcome, and, as Jamie said, “the buzz of life is lived in the neighbourhood.”
In our next stories from Operational Planning 2025, we’ll explore the inspiration offered by Nancy Fox as she encouraged everyone to remember why strong, self-directed teams are so important in neighbourhood life while offering tips on how to grow such teams.
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