Construction to start soon on Dykeland Lodge’s new home
It’s anticipated construction on a new long-term care facility in Windsor will start this spring. In April, Katie Kirkpatrick, representing Nycum and Associates, provided
West Hants council with an update on the plans for Dykeland Lodge’s new home.
The government-funded, not-for-profit, long-term care facility is currently located in an aging building on Cottage Street in Windsor. The existing building can accommodate 111 residents.
Planning began in 2020 and in 2021, Dykeland Lodge acquired nine hectares of property on College Road from the provincial government for $1. Since then, much work has occurred behind the scenes to ensure a successful build.
West Hants Mayor Abraham Zebian said seeing the project progress is good news on many levels.
“When you look at the overall picture there, it’s quite exciting for multiple individuals within our region,” Zebian said in an interview.
“It’s part of our infrastructure, it’s part of our day-today lives. There’s multiple members of our community who work there, their family is there, they are there,” he noted.
“Dykeland offers a variety
demographics of options for multiple within West Hants.”
THE DESIGN
The property will be developed in two phases, with Phase 1 focusing on the replacement of Dykeland Lodge. The second phase will focus on creating a community of affordable housing and assisted living options.
Kirkpatrick is involved with the first phase and outlined the features of the main building.
“The new Dykeland Lodge is going to be home to 144 residents, all of whom will be in private rooms with private en suite washrooms,” Kirkpatrick said on April 9, noting residents will be linked together in households of 16.
Those households are then paired together in neigbourhoods, each featuring 32 residents.
“They can still function almost completely independently, but do share some key services,” Kirkpatrick said.
Each household is arranged in a looped configuration, providing more privacy for the seniors who call Dykeland Lodge home.
“The looped corridor has a few benefits. One of them is that it provides residents with a variety of places to walk as they move about their household. It increases their privacy as well and it also shortens travel distance for staff, which is really important in a big facility,” said Kirkpatrick.
Every resident’s room features a large window as well as space to display some of their personal belongings.
The communal dining room and living room in each household also features large windows, which Kirkpatrick said helps “bring the outside in for residents.”
Each household features an auxiliary seating area, which provides residents and their families with a different place to sit and visit.
The building will be two storeys. Lower level households will have direct access to landscaped courtyards. Households on the upper level will have access to a balcony that overlooks those courtyards.
“There are three landscaped, secure courtyards in the new facility that are designed to be as barrier free for residents as possible. So predominantly smooth paved surfaces,” Kirkpatrick said.
“There are raised garden beds so that all residents can participate in recreational gardening activities. And there are planting beds that are designed to have year-round interest for the benefit of residents, staff and visitors alike.”
Kirkpatrick said meals will be prepared in a central kitchen and served in a setting “that’s very much designed to reference and evoke a sense of one’s home kitchen as much as possible.”
Most of the households are connected to the lobby via Main Street, a corridor that will also contain amenities like a hair salon and convenience store.
“Main Street is a wonderful opportunity to introduce a sense of familiarity and destination into this really busy thoroughfare in the building,” said Kirkpatrick.
The design team will be using some of West Hants’ unique architecture as inspiration to create a decorative treatment “to give it a really vibrant atmosphere.”
There will be a maintenance shop on site, shipping/ receiving area, staff and visitor entrances, as well as a staff lounge and locker room, administrative offices, and a central laundry facility.
Following the presentation, Coun. John Smith asked how long it will be before residents will be able to occupy the new building.
It’s estimated to be a 34- to 36-month build.
Council heard construction should start this spring.
UPGRADED ROAD
Work is also well underway on upgrading College Road, which will help with the predicted increase in traffic.
Funding from all three levels of government was announced in September 2023 to help widen the narrow street, which leads to the historic King’s-Edgehill School campus, the popular Dill Family Farm, the Gladys Manning Memorial Retirement Home, as well as numerous homes. While the need to upgrade the street had been on the books for several years, work only got underway late last year.
Phase 1 of the upgrade is complete, with Phase 2 now underway. The scope of the project includes widening the road, installing one sidewalk, separating the water and wastewater systems and installing new lines that will have more capacity.
The mayor anticipates the road will be completed later this summer or early fall.
“It’s a great project. It’ll definitely complement everything that has been happening within West Hants Regional,” he said.