Christie Gardens
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Located in Toronto’s Davenport Neighbourhood, near Seaton Village and The Annex, Christie Gardens Apartments & Care has been serving elders in Toronto for 40 years.

Christie Gardens is unlike any other retirement community in Toronto.

A COMMUNITY YOU CAN HAVE FAITH IN

Residents at Christie Gardens have access to additional on-site care and services and the assurance that if more care is required, a move away from home at Christie will not be necessary. Now that is a community you can have faith in!

Check out our Google Virtual Tour and call us Today for a Personal Tour: (416) 530-1330

Christie Gardens Values and Vision

OUR VALUES

At Christie Gardens we believe that elders deserve better. As such, we continually refine and improve upon our philosophy of care.

One way we do that is by living out our organizational values of excellence, community, and grace.

Our employees are committed to continuous improvement, building relationships, and believing the best in one another for the ultimate benefit of the elders we serve.


News

Grace Elizabeth Sweatman (1941 - 2024)

Grace Elizabeth Sweatman (1941-2024)

Grace Sweatman passed away peacefully on Wednesday, September 25 at Christie Gardens.

A founding member of the Christie Gardens Board of Directors and initially hired as Administrator in 1987, Grace went on to serve as Executive Director, Chief Executive Officer, and ultimately as President of The Christie Gardens Foundation during her semi-retirement.

Grace is survived by her sister Joyce, five children, fifteen grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and her best friend and colleague of many years, Catherine Belmore.

During her recent respite stay at Christie Gardens, Grace wrote that she felt blessed “to rest in the shade of the tree that she planted”. She was very grateful to the staff and leadership team for their care and kindness.

Grace will be remembered as a visionary leader who transformed elder care. She will be greatly missed by her family, and the Christie Gardens family.


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Lifestyle Options

Christie Gardens was the first not-for-profit community in Toronto offering a true continuum, with choices to suit your lifestyle and needs. Our commitment to the continuum model can be seen in everything we do.

  • Life Lease Suites
  • 84 Life Lease Suites
  • Opened in 2003
  • 11 One Bedroom
  • 73 Two Bedroom
  • Purchase prices from $600,000
  • Rental Apartments
  • 217 Rental Suites
  • Renovated for each new Resident
  • 192 One Bedroom
  • 25 Two Bedroom
  • starting at $3,400/month
  • Courtyard Community
  • A Resident-centred social model that follows the Eden Alternative Philosophy
  • 83 Private Rooms
  • 2 Premium Rooms
  • starting at $8,000/month

Several floorplans are available for Rental Apartments and Life Lease Suites. Here are two typical floorplans including our newest, the Sunflower:

Sunflower Floorplan
Pine Floorplan
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Click on the thumbnails to see the full images of our Sunflower Model Suite:

Sunflower Model Suite
Sunflower Model Suite
Sunflower Model Suite
Sunflower Model Suite

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Services and Amenities

Our on-site services and amenities allow for a unique lifestyle for every resident:

  • Auditorium
  • Computer Lab
  • Dietitian
  • Esthetician
  • Gardens
  • Hobby Room
  • Library
  • Pastoral Care
  • Physiotherapy
  • Receptionist
  • Theatre
  • Beauty Salon
  • Concierge
  • Dining Hostess
  • Fitness Centre
  • Guest Suites
  • Housekeeping
  • Lounges
  • Personal Trainers
  • Private Dining Room
  • Recreation Room
  • Wellness Centre
  • Cafe
  • Convenience Store
  • Emergency Medical Response
  • Games Room
  • Guest Parking
  • Laundry
  • Massage Therapy
  • Physicians
  • Public Patios
  • Security

Click on the thumbnails below to see the full images:

Games Room
Recreation Room
the Store

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Programmes

Our Programmes and groups offer a variety of social and educational opportunities.

  • Multi-denominational Services
  • Spanish Club
  • Musical Performances
  • Bible Study
  • Men's Club
  • Day Trips
  • Crafts
  • Christie Chorale
  • Wellness Advisory Group
  • Library Committee
  • Dining Committee
  • French Club
  • Lecture Series
  • Book Club
  • Art Class
  • Film Society
  • Creative Writing
  • Gardening Group
  • Ecology Group
  • German Language
  • Indigenous Awareness Group

Click on the thumbnails below to see the full images:

Auditorium
Community Life Programme
Display Case

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Events

Whether it is a monthly tea, or an annual event with hundreds of guests, our events are not to be missed.

  • Healthy Living Fair
  • Canada Day Celebration
  • Special Dinners
  • Birthday Lunches
  • Holly Sale and Luncheon
  • Taste of the Nations
  • Christmas Open House
  • Floor Teas
  • Foundation Tea & Conversation
  • Garage Sales
Canada Day
Healthy Living Fair
Staff on Canada Day

Wellness Centre

The Christie Gardens Wellness Centre is often the first point of contact for residents in need of assistance.

One of our greatest commitments is that of improving the quality of life of our residents. Central to this is the Wellness Team – an amalgamation of fitness, physiotherapy and clinic-based offerings. Our primary goal is to serve you, the resident, as effectively as possible with regards to your health and fitness needs.

Communication and collaboration form the foundation in our efforts to assist you with your health concerns.

Our knowledgeable staff will gladly assist you achieve your goals. We encourage all residents to stop by, even if it is only for a coffee and quick hello!

The Wellness Centre works with the Fitness and Physiotherapy departments. Together we form a team committed to effective management of your overall well-being.

Our goal is to provide you with onsite personalized health management that is adaptable to your changing needs.

In addition to our Doctors and Nurses, the following services are available by appointment through the Wellness Centre:

  • Hearing Aid Specialist
  • Dietary Consultant
  • Esthetics
  • Dentistry
  • Optometry Consultant
  • Pharmacy
  • Dermatology
  • Foot Care
  • Psychiatry

Fitness and Physiotherapy

Fitness and Physiotherapy

Residents come to fitness classes with the goals of improving energy, increasing mobility and strength, improving balance, and decreasing joint pain.

We have developed the following programs in order to meet our resident’s goals:

  • One on one personal training sessions: receive an individualized fitness program and learn how to safely perform exercises;
  • Exercise Class Series: Four levels of group fitness programming in support of your goals. Each level is designed to challenge your body and help you reach higher levels of fitness; and
  • Stretch & Strengthen Class (open to all): focus on achieving a deeper sense of peace and contentment, while gaining clarity of mind through focused breathing techniques.

The benefits of physiotherapy include pain reduction, basic strength and joint range improvements, and so much more.

By means of therapeutic exercises and other modalities, our physiotherapy team will assist in restoring, improving, and maintaining physical function affected by injury, surgery, or disability.

Examples of treatment include:

  • Full body, mobility and fall risk assessments;
  • 1:1 physiotherapy treatment twice a week utilizing a variety of modalities including ultrasound, heating pads and TENS machines;
  • Parkinson's Group Class twice a week: this dynamic class focuses on balance, proprioception and full body coordination, while incorporating the use of balls, floor ladders and balance boards; and
  • 1:1 Balance and gait analysis and training.
Fitness
Fitness
Fitness

Chef Stephan
Christie Cookbook

The Fuss over Food

There is a fuss about food at Christie Gardens.

Chef Stephane has been preparing delicious and nutritious meals at Christie Gardens for 30 years.

Stephane’s expertise, vision, and execution are second to none and he looks forward to many more years of presenting culinary delights to the Christie Gardens community.

Our focus is on providing the highest quality food and service possible. Elegant or Casual, the choice is yours.

  • Maple Dining Room
  • The Maple Dining Room features fine dining where residents are free to take advantage of "any time" dining.
  • The Store
  • Providing everyday essentials and delicious fresh take away meals.
  • The Village Café
  • A perfect meeting spot to catch up with friends and family.
  • Catering Services
  • Offering a variety of options from Afternoon Tea to Anniversary Dinners, and everything in between.

The Christie Gardens Foundation

The Christie Gardens Foundation

Grace Sweatman
Grace Sweatman

Grounded in the past. Looking to the future.

Established in 1998, The Christie Gardens Foundation is the charity arm of Christie Gardens. Year–round fundraising efforts raise money to support The Capital Campaign, our Benevolent Fund, and our Research and Education Opportunities.

In 2020, responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, we established a Staff Care Fund.

In September 2022, The Christie Gardens Foundation established our Inspire Scholarship. Inspire was developed to encourage Christie Gardens staff and their families to pursue continuing education in fields related to elder care.

Ways to Give

The Christie Gardens Foundation accepts donations by cheque, addressed to:
The Christie Gardens Foundation
600 Melita Crescent
Toronto, Ontario M6G 3Z4

You may also donate using a credit card or securities online through our partner, CanadaHelps.org.

Or, you may make a donation via e-transfer by sending funds to donation@christiegardens.org.

You can read more about the Foundation and our priorities and programmes in our Newsletters below.

  • SEPTEMBER 2024
  • September 2024 Courtyard Letter
  • DECEMBER 2023
  • December 2023 Holiday Letter
  • NOVEMBER 2023
  • November 2023 Newsletter

  • Benevolent Fund
  • The Benevolent Fund was established in 2009 to assist our residents who are unable to cover the full cost of their care.
  • Capital Campaign
  • Established to assist in the redevelopment of our Courtyard Community, we are now raising funds for our Let's Keep Moving campaign. Our project to develop a 1,000 square foot Fitness and Physio Centre on our ground floor is under-way.
  • Research and Education
  • Understanding the importance of education and training as they relate to our internal culture change initiatives, we established our Inspire scholarship. Developed to encourage continuing education in elder care, Inspire is available to Christie Gardens staff and their families.
  • Staff Care Fund
  • Established during the COVID-19 pandemic by The Christie Gardens Foundation, the Staff Care Fund was established to assist Christie Gardens staff with costs associated with living in isolation away from their families.
Our Mission is to raise funds to develop programmes that serve elders, inspire peers, influence policy-makers, and foster research and education
Donate Now Through CanadaHelps.org!

Board of Directors

Ernie was elected to the Board of Directors of Christie Gardens in January 2021. Ernie is the Executive Director of Discovery Pharmacy, where he also serves on the board of directors. The Discovery Pharmacy is a not for profit, fully accredited academic pharmacy which provides health care programs and services to the University of Toronto’s faculty, staff, students and wider community.
Ernie has over 15 years of professional experience in driving key strategic initiatives from the ideation/inception phase through to their execution involving a wide range of stakeholders and trans-disciplinary partnerships leading to successful sustainable programs.
Ernie’s interests include determining how the delivery of care; specifically, within the Canadian aging population and other vulnerable populations can be improved with emerging technologies.
Ernie obtained his Master of Business Administration from the Ivey School of Business, Western University and is currently pursuing his PhD, Health Management at the DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University.

Ernie Avilla

Ernie Avilla

Sam Gerbasi

Sam Gerbasi

Sam has served as a director of Christie Gardens since June 2015.
Sam is the president of Bridgemore Canada, a sales and consulting firm specializing in life safety and fire prevention; assisting property owners and their clients.
Having placed both his father (with Parkinson’s) and mother (with Alzheimer’s) in assisted living and nursing homes, Sam learned first-hand that assisted living while staying at home is no longer tenable; the importance of care and community for residents; and the collaboration needed between family and the care facility on behalf of the resident.
Sam has served as a director of The Peoples Church in Toronto and for CITT, an organization dedicated to helping those on government assistance learn the basics of financial stewardship and budgeting.
Sam has been a private pilot since 1992 and enjoys flying as well as reading, especially studying and understanding the world’s best seller: the bible.
Sam was raised as an only child and is grateful to God for family and friends.

David was appointed to the Board of Directors of Christie Gardens in April 2022 following thirty-five plus years of service in two similar senior facilities; either as a volunteer Board Member or as a Senior Management Executive. He began his career as a professional accountant working in the retail industry for private, national, and public companies – rising to the position of Executive Vice President for North America.
David’s interest in Eldercare came about by happenstance, having been appointed by his Church Board to represent the Church at a seniors care facility. He has since served in several capacities on the boards of a number for-profit, not-for-profit, and charitable organizations.
David’s overriding hobby is playing golf – which consumes much of his time. He has been married to the same wonderful woman for over fifty years and together they have four children and seven grandchildren.

David S. Hillier

David S. Hillier

Dave Hutchinson

Dave Hutchinson

Dave was appointed to the Christie Gardens Board of Directors in September 2015 and became Board Chair in October 2020. He became aware of the realities facing elders having watched his parents navigate their own eldercare journey.
Dave is a business owner whose company serves charitable and nonprofit organizations through executive search and recruitment services. His involvement in the nonprofit extends beyond Christie Gardens with over a decade of experience in other Board governance roles.
Dave lives with his wife and two children in downtown Toronto. Actively involved in a faith community, he is a singer in his church’s worship program.

At the forefront of quality management and compliance leadership, you will find Carmen Andrea: a friendly, high performing, and deeply analytical professional who leads with confidence and approaches even the most difficult and complex challenges with unflagging perseverance and commitment to success.
Carmen Andrea has successfully steered a career track leading to her current role as head of Quality Assurance for a Canadian radiopharmaceutical company with responsibilities in the areas of product quality, systems, shop floor, and tech transfer. She holds a master's degree in business administration from the Ivey School of Business and a bachelor's degree in pharmacy from the National University of Colombia.
Carmen Andrea was appointed to the Board of Directors of Christie Gardens in October 2019 where she fulfills her passion to help, protect, and support vulnerable populations and enable their well being.

Carmen Andrea Moreno

Carmen Andrea Moreno

Claudia Thompson

Claudia Thompson

Claudia joined the Christie Gardens Board of Directors in April 2022. Claudia is a Managing Director at Accenture, a global leader in consulting and outsourcing services. With more than 32 years in the Consulting industry, Claudia has held several leadership roles on Accenture’s Canadian Executive Committee. As Managing Director for Quality & Risk Management, Claudia is responsible for driving quality programs across all services and industries that Accenture serves in Canada, while managing the risk profile of the overall Canadian business.
Claudia has been recognized for her work in promoting inclusive workplaces by WXN Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100 Award in 2016 and by Catalyst in 2018 with the Business Leader Champion Award.
Claudia is a member of the TechNation Executive Committee and an alumni of the C.D. Howe Institute, Human Capital Policy Council. She is an active contributor of the Prosperity Project as the Co-Chair for the Modern Day Rosie the Riveter initiative, Women United East Ontario, and the International Women’s Forum, Ottawa Chapter.
Claudia has a Bachelor of Commerce, Honours degree from Queen’s University. She has also graduated from the 2016-2017 IWF Fellows Program and the ICD-Rotman Director’s Education / Certification Program. Claudia and her husband Robert have been married for 32 years and are proud parents of their adult son, Stephen and they enjoy the company of their loving sheltie, Lily. 

John Winsor is a global executive with a wealth of industry expertise in Financial Services, Real Estate, Human Capital and Leadership. With over 30 years of experience, John's career has been marked by distinguished tenures with TD Bank Group, Oxford Properties Group, and OMERS Pension Fund.
Today, he stands as the founder of Winsor Human Capital, a firm dedicated to providing comprehensive leadership consulting services to organizations and individuals.
Residing in Oakville alongside his cherished and accomplished wife, Kelly, of 30 years, John takes immense pride in his role as a father of two spectacular young men, Carter, 27, and Cole, 24.
John earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri, and furthered his education through advanced study programs at numerous institutions, including the University of Western Ontario, Richard Ivey School of Business, the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business, and the Faculty of Law at the University of Windsor.
Beyond his professional achievements, John Winsor is a passionate leader and advocate for underserved populations, actively contributing to numerous not-for-profit organizations. His previous board involvement includes serving as Board Chair at Matthew House Refugee Reception Services, Board Secretary for the Canadian Center for Diversity, Board Director at Immigrant Services Calgary, and Board Secretary at Brooklin Village Church.

John Winsor

John Winsor

Angel Morales

Angel Morales

Angel Morales is the Director of Development for LeaderImpact, a global outreach Christian organization for marketplace leaders. He oversees and heads the development of next generation business leaders under LeaderImpact NEXT.
Angel is a father of 2 boys and has been married to his wife, Mary Anne, for over 36 years.
Prior to joining LeaderImpact, Angel was a sales and business development executive for over 30 years leading sales and business development for companies such as Bell Canada, General Electric, Computer Associates, as well as several top software companies.
Angel has an engineering background and studied at De La Salle University.
Angel sits on the Board of several non-profit organizations in STEM, long-term care, and anti-human trafficking. He also sits on several Advisory Boards of startup tech companies. He has been a Business Mentor at the University of Toronto’s Impact Center – an entrepreneurship program for STEM companies. He is also involved in mentorship and coaching for MBA students through several campus ministries.


Leadership Team

Heather Janes
Heather Janes
Chief Executive Officer
Ken Sweatman
Ken Sweatman
Chief Financial Officer
Melanie Burton
Melanie Burton
Executive Director
Charla Patel
Charla Patel
Director of Human Resources and Administration
Diana Sweatman
Diana Sweatman
Director of Community Life
Sindu Mathew
Sindu Mathew
Director of Health and Wellness
Cindy Flanagan
Cindy Flanagan
Director of Sales and Marketing
Venu Kalidoss
Venu Kalidoss
Director of Resident Services
Claudia Osmond
Claudia Osmond
Director of Education and Advocacy
Joe Soroka
Joe Soroka
Director of Dining Services

Accessibility Statement

Christie Gardens is committed to serving all stakeholders with excellence including persons with disabilities. The following documents are available upon request:

These documents are available in various formats. Please contact us if you require accessible formats and communication support for these documents or any information required for your visit to Christie Gardens.

Your feedback is important to us. Feedback on how we provide services to people with disabilities may be provided to:

Christie Gardens Apartments and Care
RE: Accessibility Feedback
600 Melita Crescent
Toronto, ON M6G 3Z4

Email: accessibility@christiegardens.org

Phone: (416) 530-1330

Copyright 2024 Christie Gardens Apartments and Care. All Rights Reserved.

photo credits: Taku Kumabe