For the past 15 years Eileen and Gordon Tomalty have been calling Whistler their home.
Even though they arrived here later in life, Whistler has been the place where they have found close friends and developed strong ties within the community.
It has been the place where they have volunteered their time and energy and have subsequently become familiar faces around town. Eileen was voted Whistler Citizen of the Year last year and Gordon served on municipal council in the early ’90s.
The Tomaltys would be loath to leave this transient resort town to begin a new life elsewhere. But they may not have a choice.
They are now in their 70s, facing certain health problems and Whistler does not offer them the choice of moving into a centralized retirement community.
To this end, the couple, along with other dedicated residents, has devoted hours to Whistler's Mature Action Committee (MAC) – an organization that has been the driving force behind bringing a retirement community to Whistler.
"This new idea of aging is that you age in place," said Eileen Tomalty.
Since its inception in 1993 the Tomaltys have been involved with MAC and have been working with other community residents to develop a seniors housing complex within the municipality. They want to ensure Whistler residents will have a place to go when they get older.
After eight years of talking and dreaming about a retirement community, MAC members now believe they have reached a crucial point in determining their future.
The time for talking is over, according to current MAC chair Gordon Leidal.
"There is a sense of urgency at this point," he said. "There are not many suitable locations and if we don't move quickly there won't be any."
Leidal has been instrumental in lobbying councillors, trying to convince them that seniors’ needs must be addressed and can no longer stay on the back burner.
In a recent meeting with Mayor Hugh O'Reilly, MAC members were assured that seniors are an integral part of Whistler and addressing their needs is compatible with Whistler's Vision 2002.
"Seniors build and strengthen the fabric of the community," said O'Reilly. "We're seeing more and more people of retirement age staying in the community and we're trying to accommodate the people who have made a contribution to the community."
O'Reilly believes there will be a unanimous endorsement by council in the upcoming weeks, recognizing the need for seniors housing. If this happens, seniors housing will be considered the same as resident or employee housing and will therefore be exempt from the municipal bed unit cap.
O'Reilly believes once this recognition step has been officially achieved and there is consensus that seniors housing qualifies as restricted resident housing, the ball will soon be rolling in the right direction for MAC.
"Once (council) recognizes their interests then there are lots of ways to get to the end solution," he said.
But there are also many hurdles to cross before arriving at the solution.
The main stumbling block is finding land that's suitable for seniors and can be zoned for this type of development.
MAC has been very proactive in the past year trying to find possible sites for the retirement community.
Their ultimate vision includes a site of more than five acres that would consist of some self-contained home units as well as a limited care facility. The complex would also feature shared facilities, like a recreation room, a workshop and possibly a dining area.
The finer details have yet to be worked out.
"It is pointless planning what we need until we get the land site," said Leidal.
If MAC hasn't exactly laid out the specifics of their housing design, they have been very particular about eligibility requirements to get your foot in the front doors of these future retirement homes.
In addition to being at least 55 years old and a member of MAC for two consecutive years, each prospective occupant must have lived in Whistler, as their principal residence, for a minimum period of five consecutive years.
The new occupants must also sell their principal residence in Whistler at least four months before moving into the retirement community.
MAC is determined that the complex be for those people who have contributed to the Whistler community, not for those who are coming from afar to enjoy the mountain view in later life.
Currently the committee has identified two potential sites where they would like to build, but are open to any other suggestions for possible sites.
At this time neither site has had any backing from councillors, who are wary about committing to any potential site at the moment.
"We've given as much support as we can at this time," said Councillor Ken Melamed. "It is not reasonable to agree on a location right now. We don't have one readily available."
Over the course of the next several months, council will also be waiting for a prepared draft of the 2010 Olympic Bid, due in the late spring. They are also anticipating the recommendations of the Sustainability Plan, scheduled to be ready by the end of next year. Both documents will have significant impacts on the way land is developed in Whistler in coming years.
However, the time is ticking for MAC members, and waiting for the outcome of these documents over the course of the year is a cause of grave concern for them.
Already former members have left town because they could not wait for a retirement community that may never materialize.
MAC's main concern at the moment is finding a place sooner rather than later that members and councillors alike can agree on. Even if they can get a site within the next year, Leidal believes the development will take at least another two years to build.
And three years is a long time for people like the Tomaltys.
"I feel quite positive in the long-term. It will be a lot of work for us but that's okay. If anything is worthwhile you have to work for it," said Eileen Tomalty.
MAC members would welcome anyone who is interested in seniors housing to come to their annual general meeting on Monday, Nov. 26. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. in the upper lobby of Maurice Young Millennium Place.
In addition to updating people on the recent MAC initiatives, the meeting will also feature Mayor O'Reilly as a guest speaker, talking about the future of seniors and the community.
