November is Edmonton Housing Month – an annual campaign to raise awareness about the importance of safe, quality housing in the Capital Region and a time to reflect on what “home” truly means. Throughout the month, Homeward Trust Edmonton, in partnership with local organizations, will host a series of webinars featuring housing solutions and supportive programs across the city.
With a 90% client satisfaction rate, GEF is proud to contribute to these efforts by helping seniors find that sense of home through affordable housing and support that enables them to live with dignity and thrive in their communities.
For 66-year-old Ted W., moving into GEF Strathcona Place earlier this year finally gave him the security and comfort he’d been searching for.
A Fresh Start
Ted had lived in many places over the years, but none ever felt like home. Shared accommodations were inconvenient and uncomfortable, and a short-lived apartment in St. Paul turned out to be unsafe and expensive.
“A friend had told me to look into affordable housing options for seniors, but there was a stigma for me. I hated to admit that I needed help, but I realized that living the way I was wasn’t working anymore. It was very difficult.”
~ Ted W., Strathcona Place
After years of unstable housing, Ted finally has a place where he feels safe, settled, and connected.
“I love living here! The building is clean, ideally situated for walks, and there’s always someone to talk to. I haven’t been able to truly call a place home in 15 years, so it’s a really good feeling. Nicole at GEF was very helpful and made the process seamless.”
~ Ted W., Strathcona Place
Supporting Seniors
Nicole Davis, Ted’s GEF Housing Placement Coordinator, sees firsthand the growing demand for more affordable housing options for older adults. With over 1,300 seniors currently on GEF’s waitlist, the housing application system prioritizes need.
“Every human deserves to feel safely housed. When people feel safe, they can thrive. GEF uses the Social Housing Accommodation Regulation (SHAR) scoring system to determine placement and priority. The waitlist is based on need. We serve our communities’ most vulnerable first.”
This year, GEF expanded its Housing and Outreach teams to better support seniors – from applying for housing, to the move-in transition, and connecting them with the resources they need to thrive.
With that support, Ted has settled in and now enjoys the simple pleasures of cooking, meeting neighbours, and decorating his space one piece at a time.
“I feel like I can actually have a life! You know the term nesting? That’s what I’m doing now. Getting to slowly buy things, bring them back here, and decorate my place – it feels like home to me.”
~ Ted W., Strathcona Place
Recently, Ted sent a heartfelt note to Nicole to share just how much this move has meant to him:
Home and Community
This Housing Month, we’re highlighting Ted’s story – a reminder of why home, stability, and community matter. We’re grateful for the trust our residents and tenants place in us. Their feedback inspires us to keep listening, learning, and finding new ways to strengthen our communities for the seniors who call GEF home.
Summer BBQs bring our apartment communities together. This past month, the BBQ fun continued, with new faces and an extra reason to celebrate. Two new communities officially joined the GEF family!
Burgers, BBQS, and New Neighbours
Tenants from both Tegler Manor and Tegler Terrace enjoyed their first GEF Summer BBQ where seniors and staff had the opportunity to get to know each other better. There was good food, laughter, prizes, and plenty of connections made. It was a great way to welcome everyone into this new chapter together.
Tegler Manor BBQ
“I’ve lived at Tegler Manor for 14 years. It’s a nice, quiet building, and close to everything. We often see each other in the halls as we come and go and say ‘hello’, but I enjoyed today’s GEF BBQ because we were able to sit down with each other, have fun, and socialize.”
— Lucita C., Tegler Manor
Tegler Terrace BBQ
“I’ve been at Tegler Terrace for 4 years and have met many wonderful people. Most tenants are over 85 with a few of us in our early 70’s known as ‘the kids’! This was the first of many events with GEF, and it was nice to see what they do compared to what we do as a social committee. The best part is always visiting with one another and the laughter. You know it’s a good time when the volume in the room keeps going up!”
— Joanne E., Tegler Terrace
Two Buildings, One Warm Welcome
Tegler Manor and Tegler Terrace have been home to Edmonton seniors for decades, and now they’ll continue that tradition as part of GEF. With their addition, we can now provide nearly 4,000 low-to-moderate income seniors with access to affordable housing and services in 43 building locations across Edmonton.
Tegler Manor is a 14-story building with 101 units, right in downtown Edmonton at 9943–110 Street.
Tegler Terrace is a five-story building with 83 units and takes up a full city block at 9918–149 Street. Both offer two-bedroom apartments and are already full of friendly faces.
Looking Ahead
With the addition of these two new communities, GEF is taking an exciting step toward our strategic goalof growing by 1,000 units over five years. The transition to GEF ensures the Tegler buildings remain designated as affordable housing for seniors in Edmonton. But with nearly 1,300 seniors on our waitlist for housing, we need and want to do more. Donations to the Building for Life Fund enable us to increase the number of housing units we own or operate.
Welcome to everyone at Tegler Manor and Tegler Terrace! We’re so happy to have you join the GEF family.
At GEF, we believe in more than just providing a place to live – we believe in building vibrant, welcoming communities. One of the opportunities we provide for people to come together is the annual summer BBQs in our apartment buildings.
BBQs, Burgers & Belonging
Staff, tenants, and community partners come together for tasty food, live music, fun prizes, and lots of smiles. It’s an afternoon of laughs, full plates, and memorable moments.
“I look forward to these get-togethers! I recommend everyone try to come out to more of these community events.”
Debbie G., Avenwood Corner
“We see people that we don’t often see. It’s a nice way to connect and socialize.”
Johanna F., Avenwood Corner
The music, the dancing, and the friendly faces all add up to something really special. Press ▶️ PLAY to see the toe-tapping tunes at GEF Groat House Apartments.
Tenants at GEF Trinity Lutheran had a great time singing and dancing at their sunny Summer BBQ. Press ▶️ PLAY.
Even those who prefer their own space find joy in seeing their neighbours having fun.
“I typically like to be more solitary. I enjoy doing my own thing. But what I like about the BBQs is seeing everyone having fun, seeing how everyone’s doing, and seeing the new faces!”
Holly K., Bateman Manor
Community Partners and Staff get in the Spirit
“We’re such a person-centred organization. We love the interaction between staff and residents, which is so important for building relationships.”
Peggy Caine, Manager, Portfolio 8
“It’s the food, the music, the mingling – what’s not to love? You can’t help but feel good when you’re surrounded by so much positive energy and fun!”
Theresa Fielden, SAGE Seniors Association Edmonton
Share Your Story!
As the Summer BBQS continue, we want to hear how you’re creating vibrant communities in your own buildings. Whether it’s a special event, or a creative idea to engage and connect – tell us your story! Share your favourite moments with us at communications@gef.org and don’t forget to include your photos!
Follow us on Facebook,Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Xto stay up to date on GEF news and to see what’s happening across our GEF communities.
A new bench was placed outside of Cathedral Close on June 29, 2017, and while this isn’t normally something to pay special attention to, this bench represents something more than simply somewhere to stop for a quick rest. As part of the City of Edmonton’s Hello, How Are You? campaign to address urban isolation and mental health, the Buddy Benches were developed by the City Lab as an open invitation to make a connection.
Edmonton Transportation Service (ETS) donated 20 brand new benches to be used as Buddy Benches all over Edmonton as a means to try and address social isolation. The idea is that people can stop and sit on the bench as a signal that they’re looking for someone to talk to. Anyone else can then join the person on the bench, ask how they are, and start a conversation. Most Buddy Benches are painted bright colours with the hashtag #SayHelloYeg to signal that this bench is meant for connections.
“When the bench was being installed, a lot of the tenants were asking what it was about, and after I explained the Buddy Bench program they loved the idea,” says Colleen Simpson, Assistant Manager with Cathedral Close. “We have a couple of our benches and a gazebo on our property, but the Buddy Bench is allowing more connection with the community, which is important for a lot of people.”
Areas being targeted for Buddy Benches include high-density neighbourhoods with lots of pedestrian traffic and close to seniors’ residential buildings. Seniors are increasingly a population at risk for social isolation and more organizations are taking steps to try and address the isolation issues and help prevent any of the adverse health effects that follow social isolation.
“In the short time the Buddy Bench has been in front of Cathedral Close, I’ve already seen a few seniors sit on it, and these are seniors I don’t recognize,” says Simpson. “People from the community are already trying to make more connections and I’m excited to see some of the interactions happen.”
