University-Integrated Seniors Village

Trent University is committed to advancing research on healthy aging, and helping reduce the long waitlist for aged care in Peterborough through implementation of a University-Integrated Seniors Village, anchored by a long-term care home.

Our vision for a university-integrated campus of care 

Trent has a vision to establish a University-Integrated Seniors Village (known also around the world as ‘a campus of care’) on its Symons Campus lands.  

Anchored by a long-term care home, the Seniors Village is envisioned to be an integrated, community-based senior living facility where elders can stay engaged in life-long learning, multi-generational interaction, the arts, research opportunities, and the life of the University. 

  To achieve a complete community, amenities and services (such as public transportation and allied health services) to support the Village would also be located on the site, along with the potential for student housing to create a truly intergenerational community.  

Addressing community and University needs 

Building on Trent’s position as a globally recognized age-friendly university, the research expertise in the Trent Centre for Aging & Society, and the Trent/Fleming School of Nursing, the Seniors Village will provide hands-on learning opportunities for our students and advance research into aging, while meeting the needs of our community for more seniors and student housing. It will interest students in geriatric care, offer a proving ground for innovations in seniors living, and will help reduce the long waitlist for aged care in Peterborough – the third oldest community in Canada – where almost 2,500 people are waiting two to four years for a long term care bed.  

Project implementation 

Trent University will first focus on anchoring the University-Integrated Seniors Village with a long-term care home. peopleCare Communities has been selected to build a 224-bed not-for-profit long-term care home on Symons Campus lands. Trent University and peopleCare Communities will collaborate through a research and teaching agreement to develop and implement promising practices in long-term care to enhance the quality of life and care for seniors, and influence care practices throughout the sector. Additionally, a minimum of 100 experiential learning placement for students will be created each year for student in programs such as nursing, kinesiology, social work, business, sustainable agriculture, and education. 

Meet peopleCare Communities – one of the Canada’s best managed long-term care operators 

peopleCare's vision is to change the world of senior living through innovation and leading practices, embedding learning and research into everything they do, delivering quality, resident-focused care, and operational excellence. 

Recently named one of Canada's Best Managed Companies for the 8th consecutive year, peopleCare Communities is a Canadian, family-owned operator of senior living communities, with strong values and a 50-year history of service. They are committed to engagement and collaboration to create vibrant communities of care that deliver meaningful experiences, clinical best practices, engaging programs and integrated services that meet seniors’ changing needs.  

The location: Water Street & Woodland Drive  

The location for the Seniors Village is at the north-west corner of Water Street and Woodland Drive. This site was selected for a variety of reasons:   

• Access to the campus: There is an established accessible road for student and resident access to the amenities on the Seniors Village and on the campus, enabling a thriving multi-generational community for living and learning.  

• Access to the community: The site is along Water St, a major roadway, and is serviced by City of Peterborough transit and the new County bus route that connects this site to Selwyn Township and Curve Lake.   

• Access to servicing: Municipal services, such as power, water and sanitation, are already available at this site, allowing for the long-term care home to move ahead and bring new beds to the community as quickly as possible.  

• Access to nature: The long-term care home and Seniors Village will be surrounded by nature, with trails and outdoors gathering spaces for residents, the campus, and local community. 

Progress with the Seniors Village  

Plans for the peopleCare long-term care home on Trent’s Symons Campus are continuing, with the Stage 1 Site Pan submitted to the City of Peterborough. This submission included forward-thinking steps that Trent took in collaboration with local First Nations to complete a detailed Environmental Impact Brief, featuring a Four-Season Environmental Monitoring, and Natural Heritage Compensation Plan. 

Trent and peopleCare have also been meeting with key community stakeholders, including the City and County of Peterborough, local Michi Saagiig First Nations, healthcare organizations, and Age-Friendly Peterborough, to discuss local needs for the long-term care home and University-Integrated Seniors Village. 

To help inform the approach and components of the Seniors Village, Trent researchers with extensive experience in geriatric care have completed a ‘University-Integrated Seniors Village Report Series' based on consultations with experts in the field, a review of academic research and sector literature, and profiles of existing university-integrated seniors villages (also known as “campuses of care”) around the world.

View the report series.