Transforming Senior Living in Canada: Nautical Lands Group

View This Article in BOSS Magazine

With its innovative atrium-style senior living communities, Nautical Lands Group is setting the precedent for 55-plus living in Canada.

Aging baby boomers are changing the demographic landscape of Canada. In July of 2015, and for the first time since the country started keeping population data, there were more people over 64 in Canada than there were children under the age of 15.

Compared to the rest of the world, Canada’s 16 percent over-64 population is relatively small. Twenty-six percent of Japan’s population, for instance, is aged over 64, and the rest of the G7 nations also have a high rate of elderly populations.

Close to six million Canadians have unique and growing needs, and companies want to ensure they can live a meaningful, full life even into their twilight years.

Nautical Lands Group is responding to the needs of adults 55 plus who are vibrant by offering a new way of senior living through the Wellings concept.

The company is an award-winning leader in senior living and retirement living, and has several Globals Awards—Over 50s Housing Healthcare Awards—to show for it.

“As a completely vertically integrated group of companies—from financing and land banking to residential design, construction, and ultimately operations, our communities are cutting edge,” said Kevin Pidgeon, President and COO of Nautical Lands Group. “We lead the market through the continuous customer feedback and input, we receive, and the vision of our founder and CEO, Kirk Hoppner.”

With a customer-centric approach, Nautical Lands Group remains nimble and continues to innovate and remain one step ahead of the industry.

Atrium Living There’s a reason Nautical Lands Group has won multiple Globals in everything from community plans, affordability, accessibility, management, and more. The company designs, builds, and runs its communities at the highest quality level possible.

Sometimes, this means putting resident satisfaction in front of cost.

“Our designs and builds may not always be omnifocused on cost, as it is more important to deliver an incredible product,” said Kevin Pidgeon, President and COO of Nautical Lands Group. “This was the situation at the Wellings of Picton, where we introduced our first atrium centered community.”

This was a major departure from previous designs for senior living, and has since been dubbed the Wellings Plus Concept.

“There was a woman who walked in the first day the Picton community opened, and her knees buckled a little bit. She had tears in her eyes because she had never imagined she could live in a building this beautiful.”

The latest project in the NLG Senior Living Portfolio is the Wellings of Corunna. The 132-unit is another atrium living community in the heart of Corunna, Ontario.

“We are very excited for the Opening on May 1, as this will be our second complete Wellings Plus building, featuring 132 beautifully appointed units. The vistas are beautiful, as it is along the St. Clair River, which is a very popular summer cottage region in Southern Ontario.”

The senior living community is the second iteration of the Wellings Plus concept. The major difference between the two communities is that Wellings of Corunna already has the second wing which features additional units and completes the outdoor courtyard to the rear of the building.

“Each building is an iteration of the last,” Pidgeon shared. “We’re not just the designers, we’re the operators of the communities as well. With every building we come to discover what works well and what needs improvement. We are a nimble company, always striving to bring a next-level experience to our residents.”

“Nautical Lands’ employees are a group of people committed to taking the business to the next level at each and every opportunity,” he continued. “So every building has improvements over the last. Each one incorporates new technology, building materials, and amenities. Our latest building—the Wellings of Corunna—builds on the atrium concept to provide a place for the community to gather, play pool, and plan next adventures together.”

Nimble NatureNautical Lands Group doesn’t follow trends in senior living—it creates them. With its ability to quickly improve from design to design, the organization can stay on the cutting edge of the industry.

This ingrained flexible nature also helps the company adapt to new and difficult challenges. For example, all local bylaws are different, and final designs are often changed to accommodate the regional differences.

“There is a very intricate fire shutter system that seals off the atrium from the rest of the building as a safety measure in the event of a fire alarm,” said Pidgeon. “The Wellings of Corunna required a different design solution, which yet another innovation provided by our design team.”

Strength of MissionIts dedication to excellence is supported by Nautical Lands Group’s financier: a mortgage investment company that creates a convenient way of lending. The investments are secured against hard assets, allowing NLG to react quickly.

The company’s in-house architecture firm and engineering partner round out the team that makes sure NLG gets the job done at each and every senior living location. The organization’s locations and designs are so industry leading that several of their competitors have approached NLG to buy the communities.

In the end, NLG’s vision all stems from what the potential senior living residents want. The company’s nimble nature, financing model, and exemplary design and build team all work from the same perspective. This creates a synergy that is efficient and successful.

“It always warms our heart to see people’s reactions to our communities,” said Pidgeon. “When you’re building communities like the Wellings that focus on comfort and convenience and an a la carte living model, our residents have more choices and more control of their own expenses.

“Succeeding at this means your residents become your biggest advocates. Residents telling people how wonderful our communities are is why we do what we do: to provide the best experience possible.”