Making Canterbury
Foundation Our Home
In 1969 the Bentall Family Foundation joined with the Dominion Construction Company and decided to build retirement homes in Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton. In 1971 Ron Grantham, the Edmonton manager of Dominion Construction hoped that the Edmonton project would be owned and operated by a group from the Anglican Parish of Christ Church, his home church.
Ron began by recruiting the first Board of Directors from the membership of Christ Church and from St. Timothy’s Anglican Church. It was in St. Timothy’s that the new facility was to be constructed. The Board of Directors met for the first time on January 17, 1972. In this meeting, the name “Canterbury” was suggested by Rev. Peirce.
Canterbury Foundation was incorporated as a charitable not-for-profit organization under the Societies Act of Alberta in March 1972.
A Success Story
We celebrate 40 years of being the seniors’ residence of choice in Edmonton. We give thanks to the visionaries who responded to the needs of seniors 40 years ago and who continue to respond to their changing needs today.
– Wendy King, Past CEO of Canterbury Foundation.
In early 1973, the Dominion Construction Company turned over the Edmonton division of the original project to Canterbury Foundation as owners and operators of the new facility. Construction began in July 1973 and the first resident was welcomed just over a year later, in August 1974. The official opening of this assisted living residence was on September 8, 1974, and is commemorated by the bronze plaque in Canterbury Court.
Celebrating over 40 years of home
In 1991, a sod-turning ceremony marked the commencement of the construction of Canterbury Manor, a 127-unit self-contained, independent living senior’s residence. The Manor, which opened in 1992, quickly became a second success story for the Foundation, becoming one of the most popular and highly regarded seniors’ residences in Edmonton.
In 1998, the Foundation again seized the initiative when, in conjunction with a major upgrade and refurbishment of Canterbury Court, a 20-suite special care unit was constructed for residents with Alzheimer’s and similar dementias. This secure dementia care residence was called Canterbury Lane and was the first of its kind in Edmonton.
Canterbury Foundation celebrated the 40th Anniversary of the opening of Canterbury Court in October 2014.
Give the promise of home.
Canterbury Foundation is a not-for-profit licensed care facility.