CORNER BROOK, N.L. — When Fort Amherst Properties Inc. went looking for a best-in-class seniors home, Mike Powell said all it was looking for was found in Mountain View Retirement Centre in Corner Brook.
Powell is vice-president of health services and a partner in the St. John’s-based company that announced its purchase of Mountain View on Wednesday.
The retirement centre, located on Premier Drive, was built in 1999 and had been owned by 6620 Newfoundland and Labrador Inc., owned and controlled by Bob Regular.
Fort Amherst, formerly Pennecon Realty, purchased the centre under its health-care division, Bishops Gardens Seniors Living LP.
“We wanted a template for someone who was doing it really, really well already. So that’s a big reason why we’re acquiring Mountain View.” - Mike Powell
The company is currently developing the former Bishop’s College school in St. John’s into a 100-bed retirement centre along with 20 seniors apartments. The complex will open sometime in the next 12 months.
New to the retirement home industry, the company was looking to acquire a top-notch, 100-bed facility somewhere in the province.
“We wanted a template for someone who was doing it really, really well already. So that’s a big reason why we’re acquiring Mountain View,” said Powell.
The decision to make the purchase was six or seven months in the making as the company conducted its due diligence on the deal. Powell said the company is confident in the market in Corner Brook.
There is a new retirement centre opening in the former O’Connell Centre on Hospital Hill, just down from Mountain View, and Powell said they think it will fill up without any impact on Mountain View.
“We think that there’s enough room in Corner Brook for two large retirement homes.”
Overall, he said, they liked the market, the demographics and thought Mountain View had excellent management.
Current general manager Barbara Baker will stay on to oversee the operation and there will be no changes to the staffing level.
There will be some changes coming to the operation and to the home, but Powell said the company was not yet ready to make an announcement.
“I think that any time a business changes hands there’s an opportunity for the people who work, and in this case, live there to reflect on what’s working well and what could be improved.”
He said they listened intently to the people who live and work at Mountainview.
“From that, we’re going to see what we can do to make it an even better place for seniors to live in the community, " he said. “It’s a really special place."
Powell said it's a privilege to own this home and the company takes seriously its responsibility to care for seniors.
“We completely understand that we’re taking care of nans and pops, moms and dads and that’s a sacred thing to us, and we look forward to working with the folks who live here.”
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