Rotary Villas A-Z

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! 

At Rotary Villas, residents have the three options – continental, classic, or delight – to choose from.  Continental breakfast includes a choice of hot or cold cereal, assortment of bread and pastries, yogurt, or fruit.  The classic breakfast includes two eggs cooked to preference, bacon or sausage, hash browns and toast.  The delight option changes day-to-day; for example, this morning it was a veggie omelette, tomorrow will be French toast, and Sundays are always eggs benedict.

Many benefits come from living in a community living residence.  No need to stress about the home or yard maintenance, housekeeping, or cooking.  It’s all provided so there’s plenty of time to relax and become a part of the community — socialize and participate in activities such as exercise classes, card games, floor curling, crafts, Wii games, and more; dine with friends and/or family and enjoy nutritional meals prepared by a qualified staff; relax in your clean private suite.

Community living allows you live life to the fullest!

Each season and holiday brings out different festive decorations around Rotary Villas.  Whether it be flowers for spring, hearts and all things love for Valentine’s Day, flags for Canada Day, pumpkins and fall colored leaves for Halloween, or Christmas trees and light, we like to add a fun festive touch to our hallways and common areas.

Exercising? Keep it safe!

With a certified fitness instructor, we are ensuring residents that we are delivering a challenging, yet safe exercise program.  We all need to incorporate the right amounts of movement and stretching into our routine in order to stay well. It is important to be mindful that we are all at different levels of movement and fitness, and that we all need to work at our challenges in our own ways. The best way you can keep yourself safe is to know and accept the limits of your ability.

When stretching out your limbs, being self- aware will help you to not over extend, know when it is safe to challenge your limits, and when rest is needed. Take your time and remember to breathe deeply. Also, take a quick break and have a drink of water; this helps your system recover from sore muscles.

The National Institute of Health recommends these 4 types of exercises: strength, balance, flexibility, and endurance. Incorporating all four types of exercise into your fitness routine will allow you to benefit most, reduce boredom, and reduce risk of injury.

Rotary Villas enjoys a safe environment in a building with cement siding, wide hallways and stair wells.

Less than a block away from a fire station, Rotary Villas provides two elevators, a generator and 24/7 monitoring.

Fire protection is always a priority at Rotary Villas. Fire equipment is tested regularly and fire drills are practiced annually.

Rotary Villas staff and maintenance team are trained to implement a comprehensive fire safety plan and are available 24/7 for any emergency that may arise.

There’s always something to do at Rotary Villas.  Our Games Room is stocked with a large variety of board games, puzzles, cards, etc.  Residents and their guests are welcome to play any of the games at any time. 

The Billiards Lounge is also equipped with a billiards table, shuffleboard, and Crokinole.

“Home is not a place, it’s a feeling” – Unknown

A home is any place where you are comfortable, and feel as if you can be yourself.  What makes a place a home?  It’s different for everyone whether it be knickknacks and photos that bring back memories, family and friends, great food, and/or a welcoming space.  It does not matter whether your home is big or small, as long as your heart is there.

At Rotary Villas workplace inclusion is about ensuring that no one feels left out because of their age, disability, gender, race, religion, belief or sexual orientation.

This is how we build diversity within our organization.

The greater the mix of people in your business, the greater the mix of skills, experiences, perspectives and ideas you can draw on.

A typical day in the Rotary Villas community is filled with opportunities to’ join in’ a myriad of activities such as sing-a-longs, gardening club, book club, exercise class, workshop projects, coffee crew, and the endless list of fun and entertainment goes on.

Residents also have the opportunity to join clubs such as Brandon Embroider & Stitching Group, Kiwanis Club, Toastmasters, and the Rotary Club all within our community.

The Rotary Villas’ kitchen is a busy place with many hours of food prep and serving approximately 100 meals at breakfast, lunch, and supper.  Eggs, salads, pies, pork chops, perogies, ribs, and seasonal vegetables are some of the many food items prepared and cooked

in the kitchen.  The full monthly menu can be viewed here.  Special menus are also occasionally created such as Pizza Night, Chinese Food Night, or special events like Oktoberfest and Christmas.

The Kitchen also caters to a variety of club meetings such as the Kiwanis Club, Rotary Club, and Toastmasters throughout the week.

Our Library, located on the 2nd floor, is home to a wide variety of books collected and donated by the Rotary Club of Brandon #1344.  It’s the perfect place to enjoy peace and quiet and indulge in a favorite book.  The Library is also home to a record player and a computer which is available for residents and guests of Rotary Villas to enjoy at their leisure.

Meredith Medical is located on the main floor of Rotary Villas at Crocus Gardens. Residents enjoy the convenience of medical services just down the hall from their community. The clinic offers a physician, physician’s assistant, and a health team consisting of a dietitian, pharmacist and social worker. Dr. Meredith and staff welcome all new residents of Rotary Villas to the clinic.

Eating a well-balanced diet is important at any age, but even more so as we become older, in order to maintain our health, feel good, and have energy.  A balanced meal consists of a variety of foods from the four main food groups (vegetables and fruit, grain products, milk and alternatives, and meat and alternatives), and less of foods not categorized in these groups.  A healthy diet must provide the six essential nutrients:  fat, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein, and water.  According to Canada’s Food Guide, a well-balanced diet can help reduce the risk of developing conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain types of cancer, and osteoporosis.  Fibre also plays a large role in our diet and well-being.

It’s that time of year when the weather starts to cool and the leaves start to fall and many people, especially seniors, begin to think about the daunting tasks of winter ahead.  For some, it may be time to consider new living arrangements such as assisted living where yard work, housekeeping, and cooking are worries of the past.

On Thursday, September 20, we will be hosting an Open House from 6 – 8 p.m.  Drop by for some information and a tour, and afterwards stay to enjoy a refreshment and snack.

Pets are great companions and become a part of the family.  There are many benefits to owning a pet including an increase in social interaction and physical activity, and helping to lower stress and blood pressure.  

At Rotary Villas, we welcome pets to join you in your home and become a part of our community.  We have eleven designated pet-friendly suites located on the main floor.

Quality is an essential aspect of the services Rotary Villas offers. We strive to provide life satisfaction to our residents by ensuring their dining experience, recreation activities, safety, shuttle bus and housekeeping experience are of the highest quality.

Our Residents’ Voice Matters

There are many venues that residents can make their voice heard by enriching us with their wisdom and talents to guide the life of our home. There are two ways established at Rotary Villas: Resident Council and Town Hall Meetings.

The Rotary Villas shuttle bus offers a safe convenient way to get our residents to appointments, church, shopping and more.  Equipped with a lift, this 14 seat bus, is wheelchair and scooter friendly.  Our shuttle runs Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and on Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m..  Our drivers all have first aid and CPR training, and are always very helpful.

Private tours are always available at Rotary Villas.  Come for a detailed tour with our Leasing Coordinator.  Darren will walk you through everything there is to see and know, and make you feel comfortable the minute you walk through the door.  He will also send a detailed information pack home with you so you can review the information afterwards.

Urban poling, also known as Nordic Walking, looks like cross-country skiing only without the skis.  There are many benefits such as increases calorie burning, helps to balance blood sugar, improves posture, relieves stress, tones muscles, and offloads weight from hips and knees into the upper body.  Urban poling is an effective, safe, and enjoyable physical activity for everyone, even for those with injuries, chronic conditions, and recovering post-surgery.

Urban walking poles are available for residents to use during their walks at any time of the day.

Rotary Villas has four veterans as residents.  We thank all veterans for their service.

Maurice “Moe” Lepage, originally from Coniston, ON, enlisted in Toronto at the age of 19 because of no work.  He trained at Camp Borden and joined The Essex Scottish Infantry in Windsor, ON.  He later became an orderly in the Medical Corps and worked in Basingstoke Hospital in England.  He was later transferred to Infantry and saw service in Holland and Germany until the end of WWII.  In 1947, he reenlisted in Shilo, MB, as a paratrooper.  In 1955, he instructed The Militia.  Moe retired as a Warrant Officer in 1972 in Brandon, MB.

Hank Walker, originally from Kinistino, SK, enlisted in the Canadian military at the age of 20 as a Gunner.  Over the years, he was promoted to many ranks, including Captain in January 1979.  He was posted to Germany on two separate occasions for a total of seven years.  In June 1982, Hank was awarded Order Military Merit.  He retired in December 1985.

Art Robillard, originally from Bowness, AB, enlisted in Calgary at the age of 19 to RCEME as a vehicle mechanic.  He completed Exercise Sweetbriar in Alaska and the Yukon, and a couple years later was posted to the 3^rd Royal Canadian Regiment.  During 1953-1954 he was posted in Korea.  Upon his return to Canada in 1954, he was attached to the Canadian Guard and then posted to the Toronto base workshop and changed trades to electrical mechanical technician.  From there he was posted to LdSH(RC) in Calgary and then at the Wainwright base workshop.  In 1967 he was posted to Shilo.  After 26 years in the military, Art retired as a Warrant Officer in 1974.  He had a second retirement from Base CE in 1994.  During his career, Art was attached to the infantry and Armoured Regiment. His medals include Canadian Decoration, Korean UN Medal, Volunteer Medal, and Service Medal.

Don Roy, originally from Nova Scotia, enlisted in 1951 during the Korean War at the age of 21.  He was a part of the 27^th Brigade group that went to Germany.  He was a Corporal in the Black Watch and played with pipes and drums.  He spent a total of five years in Germany.  In 1965, he transferred to the Dental Corps in Gagetown, NB.  In 1971, Don was posted to Shilo where he managed the dental clinic.  He was responsible for initiating the preventative dental program in Shilo and was awarded the deserving servicemen’s flight across South America.  Don retired as a Sargent in Shilo in 1980.

Winter at Rotary Villas is fun and worryfree.  We provide a safe warm environment, a shuttle bus providing door to door service, and an in-house medical clinic, pharmacy and hair salon.  There are also all kinds of activities and entertainment you can enjoy without braving the winter elements.

You, our residents and our residents’ family are our first priority.  We want you to enjoy the retirement lifestyle you deserve and will do whatever we can to provide you service with independence.

Our residents have a zest for living and it is infectious. Their love of life makes our community a wonderful place to live.