Church announces low-cost senior housing plan in Beaconsfield

Officials at Beaurepaire United Church in Beaconsfield yesterday announced preliminary plans for a $7 million, 40-to-46 unit low-cost senior housing project to be built within the next few years on the property's large parking lot thanks in part to provincial and municipal funds. "We think it would be a perfect place where seniors could live and have a good quality of life in this community," said Lyle Cruickshank, chairperson of the church's official board, during a press conference.

The project, which has the support and backing of all three mayoral candidates in Beaconsfield's competitive municipal election, would be taken up by the Conseil de Développement d'Habitation (CDH) Group, a non-profit urban planning organization that strictly works on low-cost and co-op housing, according to project manager Samir Admo. "We have a concept that we're very confident with," Admo said.

He added the group had deposited a plan for a grant approval with the city of Montreal earlier this week, and was waiting to hear back from them.

According to a conceptual design sheet shown to attendees of the conference yesterday, one of the existing two buildings in the church's parking lot would be razed completely, along with a couple of bungalows currently owned by the church. A new, T-shaped building, which would house the low-cost units in question, would rise up where the old ones were demolished.

Mayoral candidates each spoke in turn yesterday, praising the project and stating there is a need for it in the municipality. "The 85-year-old widow in Beaconsfield who has a house that she and her husband built 60 years ago for $16,000 that's now worth $700,000, but she can't afford to pay her tax bills, is just as poor as the lady in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve who can't pay her rent," said

incumbent Bob Benedetti, who added the project had been around ever since the beginning of his first mandate at the end of 2005.

David Pollock, who was first elected councillor that year and is now running for mayor, also praised it. "This is a good project, and it's a good community project," Pollock said, adding the surrounding Beaurepaire Village shops would have a new clientele that could use them, and the seniors who moved there would benefit from having shopping amenities so close by.

But when came the turn for Hela Labene, the third candidate for mayor, to speak, she expressed guarded approval. "I am not against the project," she said. "Only, there's one thing that's very important for me. I promised the people of Beaconsfield I would listen to them," she said, adding residential neighbours of the church absolutely had to be consulted before any plans took concrete shape.

In an interview with The Chronicle, Admo said there would definitely be public consultations once the grant approval at city hall in Montreal moved forward. "It might be before Christmas, it could be slightly after Christmas," he said.

Another concern raised by Labene at the conference yesterday was the fate of Marian Hall, the only other low-cost senior housing option in Beaconsfield at the moment, which made headlines last spring after it turned out its mysterious owners want to sell it off to a developer. "You say Marian Hall could be sold, but I don't have that information," Labene said, referring to a line in the press release advertising yesterday's press conference by the church. "Recent reports indicate that an existing home for seniors, Marian Hall, located in Beaconsfield, may close its doors in the next few months," the release read.

However, Cruickshank said Beaurepaire United Church did not have any new information, but was simply speculating based on an April council meeting where residents of the hall had raised the issue, and follow-ups had been made by the media.

Cruickshank said the Beaurepaire home may be able to accommodate some Marian Hall seniors if the latter was only "sold in three to four years," but if the sale happened much sooner, it would simply not be ready.

At the conference, Labene also charged accusations on Doug Smith, a real-estate developer and former Beaconsfield councillor who has stitched his political fortunes to Pollock's, publicly backing him for mayor, as he attempts to make a comeback as councillor. "I commend the church for considering this program and the redevelopment of this site, it's an excellent use of space and I wish them luck," Smith, who said he helped the church draw up its plans during his free time, told the small crowd yesterday.

However, before he could return to his seat, Labene rose to question his role in the Beaurepaire United Church project. "I'm scared about your supporting this project," Labene said. As the sister-in-law of one of Smith's business partners, Omar Rifai, who he co-owns the Jardins Beaurepaire, a high-end seniors' home, with, Labene said she knew he had some financial troubles. "Mr. Smith is the owner of 450 Church Street (the Jardins building) and it's almost empty," she said.

She also accused him of having ties to the closed-doors deal to sell Marian Hall. "That (Jardins) building has nothing to do with Marian Hall," Smith said. "There are 37 units (at Jardins). Thirty of them are rented, and that's the end of the discussion," he replied.

Later, Smith told The Chronicle he was uninvolved in the Marian Hall deal.

In May, Rifai said Smith was not involved at all in the sale of Marian Hall. "We're still partners on one project, but this is a different project," Rifai said of Smith. He also would not confirm or deny whether he is attempting to buy Marian Hall.

Meanwhile, the approximately 60 seniors of that residence have banded up to form a tenants' association to better protect themselves. Chairperson John Whatmore is keeping a cool composure in the face of possible behind the scenes deals to sell of the property. "Until you find out who the owner is," Whatmore said he was advised by Arnold Bennett's Housing Hotline, a tenants' rights group serving the Montreal area, "you can't do anything."

However, that is easier said than done. Though Beaconsfield tax papers and Montreal valuation rolls indicate the building belongs to a group called the Montreal St. Patrick's Orphan Asylum, no contact information exists for that group. According to a University of Toronto book called the Golden Jubilee of St. Patrick's Orphan Asylum, an institution with that name was founded in 1852 by the St. Patrick Basilica's predecessor, St. Patrick's Church.

However, Lorna Telfer, a spokesperson for the owners of the building—whoever they may be—told The Chronicle in May that they do not have anything to do with St. Patrick's Basilica. "The basilica has been there for almost 200 years and they have nothing to do with Marian Hall," she said. She also said an explanation by the group may be forthcoming, but nothing could be revealed for the moment. Marian Hall administration council president William H. Wilson had also spoken of a possible future statement, but that has yet to occur. Grace Moore, a clerk at Arnold Bennett's Housing Hotline, told The Chronicle the tenants have rights and cannot simply be thrown out overnight if a new owner takes over. ""They cannot be asked to leave, just like that," Moore said. "The new owner takes up the responsibilities of the old owner," she added.

Meanwhile, a high difference in rental fees seems to make the prospect of Marian Hall residents staking out a room at the Beaurepaire United Church project rather slim. "We're thinking that we'd be able to rent one bedroom for $750 s month and a two-bedroom for $950 a month. That's purely an estimate," Cruickshank said after the press conference.

At Marian Hall, rent ranges from $300 to $600, according to Whatmore. "There's people here that can't pay rent (now)," he said, adding they simply could not afford the higher costs at Beaurepaire. "$750 for a single room? That is not low-cost," he added.