The senior’s care facility designed to serve First Nations elders in Port Alberni is looking to expand its facilities by building new apartments on the Russell Place property.
Tsawaayuus Rainbow Gardens is a senior care/subsidized housing facility built with First Nations elders in mind. Located at 6151 Russell Place, the care home was first dreamed of in 1985 when a group of women began planning safe housing for Indigenous elders.
In 1992, Tsawaayuus Rainbow Gardens opened its doors with 30 residential care beds. In 2007 the first expansion saw 10 assisted living units and the addition of 14 more long-term care beds.
A new single-story apartment building capable of housing 20 independent living units was built on the property in 2019. Then, in 2022, a five-story apartment building was completed, adding 48 new independent living units.
Now, the Westcoast Native Health Care Society, the entity that designed and operates Tsawaayuus Rainbow Gardens, is looking to build more independent living apartments on the property. They are in the process of public hearings with the City of Port Alberni seeking necessary approvals.
The West Coast Native Health Care Society submitted their proposal for the development of a 35-unit apartment building back in 2024. Intended for low to moderate-income seniors, the apartments would stand adjacent to the single-story apartments along Russell Place on what is now a large lawn.
The original plan called for a three-storey apartment building offering 35 living units. Residents in the neighborhood raised concerns at public hearings about the size of the building and the plans were revised. Now, the proposed building will be two stories, offering 31 living units for independent elders aged 55 and older.
According to Tsawaayuus Rainbow Gardens Building Manager Art Van Volsen, the project has gone through three readings at City Council. Once it passes fourth reading, the project will be approved, and planners will move ahead to get funding in place.
“We hoped to be doing the ground-breaking this summer,” said Van Volsen.
But with a few more hoops to jump through, it is difficult to know when construction can begin, and when it will be ready for tenants.
When completed, the project will add 31 living spaces for elders, where Aboriginal people will be prioritized.
