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Ms. Mahon is among a growing number of baby boomers settling into adult lifestyle communities across Canada.
Don’t confuse them with retirement homes, though: These are places where people come to be active, but without the bustle of busy working people or the around-the-clock sounds of screaming children or mischievous teenagers.
Sal Guatieri, senior economist at BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc., expects more of these developments to be built in the coming years as the boomer generation gets older and retires, or at least semi-retires.
Pauline Clairoux and her husband, Rheal, 70, recently moved into the Englewood Courtyard adult retirement community in Chilliwack, B.C., about 100 km west of Vancouver.
“Our main concern was having a good-quality development and one that is worry-free and maintenance-free,” she says. That’s especially important now that the couple spends winters in Arizona.
“We wanted somewhere [in Canada] where we could just lock the door and leave,” she says.
The couple also enjoy the slower pace and quietness that comes with living among other retirees.
Tracey L’hoist, a real estate agent with Homelife Glenayre Realty who sells units at Englewood Courtyard, said most buyers are “downsizing, but not downgrading.”
Many want a higher-end home with nice fixtures and appliances and enough space to have friends and family visit, but nothing too large to maintain. They also want to be close to amenities such as grocery stores and coffee shops, as well as walking trails, golf courses and tennis courts.
“It’s all about lifestyle,” Ms. L’hoist says. “They want quality and something that is turn-key for when they go away. When they’re in town, they want to be among like-minded people. That’s an important part of it.”