Business View Magazine | Volume 8, Issue 7

83 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 8, ISSUE 7 long-term care home, we actually spent $84,000 just on preventative measures. The government promised us that money back, but we haven’t seen it. I can assure you 2020 was a struggle for us because we are a non-profit. That extra $84,000 we put out resulted in us not being able to fix some air conditioning, some heating, a boiler. That has been a real struggle.” Riverside Lions relies on fundraisers and support from companies like PDF Mechanical & Electrical Ltd., who Quiring says, “Have helped us out many times when we are in a jam. When we needed temporary walls put up, they were there in a heartbeat. They’ve also given us lots of money for fundraisers, staff appreciation, they’ve been great in that aspect. National Industrial Communications Inc., Freedom Fire Inc., and MJ Electrical have also been huge supporters of ours.” With all residents fully vaccinated, and staff getting ready for their second dose, Riverside is preparing to move forward. A four-to-six-year waitlist for the independent living suites, and up to four years for the assisted living, means there is no shortage of residents to keep the buildings filled to capacity. Upgrading the facilities and adding features that will enhance the quality of life for residents is always on the agenda. Plans include improvements to the HVAC system and gardens. “That is what we love about Riverside Lions – that we always challenge ourselves to do things better and think of what we can do to improve,” says Hill. “We are always looking to the future to make sure this is still a place that people want to live, and has the upgrades that people are entitled to.” With a newly added gym on the independent side, and a newly renovated hair salon on the supportive housing floors, residents will be able to enjoy these conveniences close to home. A website upgrade is also underway, making communication with families easier, and sharing the features and offerings of the facility. R I VERS IDE L IONS ESTATES AND SENIORS RES IDENCES “Everything that we do here at Riverside is a team effort,” asserts Quiring. “We definitely have to regularly meet and talk things through. We all come from different perspectives and different objectives. We all have different goals, whether it’s from cleaning and maintaining the property, or recreation, or wellbeing, or families… we all have different goals and challenges we want to overcome. Just by collaborating as a team, we can meet those objectives in a way that makes sense for our buildings and our staff. I feel like we’ve done a great job doing that, but it’s not one person. It’s all of us together.”