The Village of Ridgeview Court opened its doors on the west edge of Milton in the last week of March, and it has been steadily and methodically welcoming new residents in the weeks since. If you visit the Village, you're likely to see a slight woman named Ruth walking hand-in-hand with one of the team members.
She's become the warmest welcoming presence the Village could hope for.
Ruth was the first resident to call the Village home, and I first met her on April 14 while she walked alongside recreation director Annabelle Cruz and neighbourhood coordinator Edward Macias, who conveniently speaks fluent Spanish and could translate for Ruth.
Through Edward, she told me she was so happy to move into the Village. When I asked what makes her happy there, she pointed to Edward. When pressed further, she said she likes the workers in every neighbourhood.
"She likes the food, the people and how she can live with everybody and get along," Edward said, translating Ruth's early perspective on the brand-new Village.
Ruth is a people person; it's clear to see. As the first resident, she has been there to welcome everyone who followed, and her kindness and love of connection make her the perfect person to do so.
"Every morning, she makes her rounds of the Village to say good morning to everyone," Edward explained.
She showed me her room that day, and it was already feeling comfortably homey. She gravitated toward a small stuffed animal perched on the window ledge — a gift she had received from the second resident to move in, Irene.
Recreation team member Kianna Silveira and Jane Mugo, a PSW, were sitting with Irene as I walked past with Ruth. I stopped to say hello, and Irene smiled broadly and greeted me. She wasn't quite able to recall specifics around moving in, as memory can be a bit tricky for some residents living in long-term care, but she instantly recalled her friend Ruth. The two shared a hug before Ruth carried on with Annabelle.
"It's so amazing watching something get built and meeting all the new residents," Kianna told me. "I've never experienced anything like this before, and it's honestly so beautiful because you meet so many different people and you just kind of start building your own community with them from scratch."
Jane told me the feelings in those first days had been overwhelming at times because each new resident is another key facet of the community, and they get to be part of building those connections every day.
"To be honest, it's been the most amazing journey I've ever experienced," Jane said. "It was so amazing, so overwhelming, to see how they feel about the place and how much they like it. It made us feel that all the preparation was worthwhile."
Two months later, I find myself at Ridgeview Court again. A small team of surveyors from CARF International has been visiting several Schlegel Villages as part of a three-year accreditation process to assess the organization's commitment to internationally recognized organizational and program standards.
On this, their final day, I see that the surveyors — three from Pennsylvania and one from Mississippi — have come to know Ruth's kindness as an endearing indicator of the sense of community this fledgling Village is creating. It's an extension of the wider Schlegel Villages mission, and a reminder of why we're excited to continue growing into other parts of the province.
