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.
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!
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.
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.
Our September 2024 activities calendar is now available!
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.
We have developed the following programs in order to meet our resident’s goals:
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
Email: accessibility@christiegardens.org
Phone: (416) 530-1330
Copyright 2024 Christie Gardens Apartments and Care. All Rights Reserved.
photo credits: Taku Kumabe