Meadows built to help meet ‘huge demand’

A decade ago, Nathan and Adam Janzen noticed a shift in their apartment buildings’ occupancy — more senior citizens.

Fast forward to 2025. The Janzens are overseeing the completion of their third seniors housing complex in the Sage Creek neighbourhood of Winnipeg within seven years. Construction on another is slated to begin next month.

Collectively, the buildings will hold 479 seniors units (one or two bedroom).

“There’s huge demand,” Adam said at Sage Creek’s first assisted living centre: the 178-suite Meadows Retirement Residence. Tenants are expected to begin arriving the week of June 9. For now, construction crews are site regulars.

Adam and Nathan, brothers and co-directors of Janzen Projects, took a seat in one of the suites at the Meadows for an interview. The living area faced the company’s most recently finished project, Sage Creek Pointe.

Eventually, tenants of the 55-plus apartment may move across the street to the Meadows, at 65 Des Hivernants Blvd. N.

“People like to know where they’re going next,” Adam said. “(This) hits another level of care in the sequence of aging in place.”

The Janzen brothers first forayed into Sage Creek with elder family members. The group built Sage Creek 55+ Apartments; those 103 units finished in 2018. It’s a short walk from the Meadows.

Nathan and Adam then created their own branch within the family business, Janzen Builders. The newly minted Janzen Projects — which the brothers formed in 2020 — became a development arm of the company their grandfather George began.

“I know we’re a development company, but we’re truly in the business of taking care of people,” Adam said.

That means looking at shifting demographics, he added. The City of Winnipeg forecasts an increase in senior citizens over the next two decades, per a 2023 population estimate study published by the government.

So Janzen Projects secured land in Sage Creek, a growing neighbourhood in Winnipeg’s southeast quadrant. It tackled the first building of its own, Sage Creek Pointe, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Interest rates really surprised us,” Nathan said.

But the project was already underway in 2020. It worked out, the brothers relayed — and now, the 100-suite complex has an extensive wait list.

There’s room for another 55-plus facility, Adam noted, hence the incoming 98-unit facility.

First, though, the business is readying for its launch of the Meadows. Upwards of 50 staff — housekeepers, chefs, management — will join the assisted living centre.

The hub sprawls across nearly three acres. Underground parking, concrete walls and in-suite laundry are draws, Nathan listed. Rooms include a library, gym, theatre and roof deck.

The goal is to offer as much in-house as possible, like pharmacy drop-offs and haircuts, the Janzens relayed.

It’s a welcome sight to area Coun. Brian Mayes.

“I don’t think we really have planned for an aging population,” Mayes said, considering Winnipeg at large. “It’s inevitable we’re going to need more of this sort of housing.”

The city’s housing sector had a “reduced emphasis” on options for seniors, a 2020 City of Winnipeg comprehensive needs assessment reads. The document suggested Winnipeg will see 37,400 more seniors between the ages of 64 and 74 from 2016 to 2032. The number of Winnipeggers older than 74 will grow by 42,300, the report continues.

Sage Creek is full of young families, noted Bryan Ward, Qualico Communities Winnipeg vice-president of community development.

Qualico is the lead developer behind Sage Creek.

Grandparents who want to live close to family and established Sage Creek residents looking to downsize may opt for a 55-plus or assisted living facility in the community, Ward said. At least 5,000 people live in the neighbourhood.

“This is just a logical next step,” Ward said of the assisted living centre.

Nathan and Adam declined to share the centre’s build cost. It’s a long-term investment, Nathan said, noting Janzen Builders has a property management side.

The price of the upcoming 55-plus residence is in limbo, the Janzens added. Tariffs through the U.S.-Canada trade war have created price uncertainty. Some contractors are cushioning quotes for tariff costs; others are coming in low, Adam relayed.

“The math is so tricky, because we want to provide fair rent to our residents,” Nathan added. “It’s just a whole puzzle … but we’re getting there. We’re going to make it work.”

A 19-month build is outlined for the new apartment complex. It will likely be Janzen Projects’ last seniors housing initiative in Sage Creek. The company will look elsewhere in the city, Nathan said.

Frank Capasso, president of the Sage Creek Residents’ Association, is awaiting the Meadows’ opening: “It’s been a long time coming.”

He’s eyeing two lounges within the centre that are bookable for community use. It’s a hub Sage Creek has been lacking, he said — and a spot for annual general meetings.

The Janzens envision baby showers and other gatherings in the lounges, which can fit 60 people each. Intergenerational mixing is important, the brothers said.

Monthly rent at the assisted living centre ranges from $3,900 to $5,200 for individuals. At least one-quarter of the suites are already spoken for, Adam said.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com