The “ Anchor” & Innovation Linkage
"As we shall see, the greatest opportunities for growth lie in communities recognizing their own advantages, then fostering forms of specialized innovation that rely on those advantages.
At the same time, communities must encourage the development of public institutions (NGO’s, think tanks, research centres, post-secondary institutions, etc.) to provide critical support." [1]
"Hiding in plain sight within the world’s rapidly changing production terrain are numerous innovation-based growth opportunities that have nothing to do with – and are much better than trying to create Internet, biotech – or lure science- based manufacturing industries."[2]
[1] Dan Breznitz. Innovation in Real Places. New York. Oxford University Press. (2021) at P.5
[2] Ibid at P 55.
"Life satisfaction is strongly influenced by location. People who live in small towns are generally happier than people who live in big cities. People who live next door to the ocean report being happier than those who don’t."[3]
[3] Charles Montgomery, Happy Cities, Toronto, Doubleday, (2013) at P.35
Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities
NORCs
The concept and label NORC was first coined in 1986 by Michael Hunt, a professor of urban planning at University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Gail Gunter Hunt. [4] Based on extensive demographic research they defined a NORC as an unplanned "naturally occurring" community that had a large proportion of residents over 60. NORCs are retirement anchors. NORCs can be small towns with single family homes and "15 minute" walkable neighbourhoods, "pocket communities" in urban areas or apartment complexes.
They found that NORCs evolved in one or a combination of three ways that have a natural association with historic Saint Andrews by the Sea on the Bay of Fundy with its rich heritage.
NORCS - Three Attributes
1. Aging in Place
2. Emigration
3. Immigration
[4]Hunt, M. E., & Gunter-Hunt, G. (1986). Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities. Journal of Housing For the Elderly, 3(3–4), 3–22. https://doi. org/10.1300/J081V03N03_02
Saint Andrews - NORC Anchor
Aging in place:
- Saint Andrews acknowledges that it is located on the traditional and unceded territory of the Peskotomuhkati (Passamaquoddy) Nation covered by the Treaties of Peace and Friendship.
- A key characteristic of NORCs is that that they are not initially designed or planned as retirement communities. They occur when communities naturally age. A number of small towns that were originally linked to one industry have naturally aged as the economy transitioned from an industrial base to a knowledge management focus. Canada and the U.S are aging societies..
- Saint Andrews occupies a legacy niche in Canadian heritage in tracing its founding as a town to the arrival of United Empire Loyalists circa 1785.
- The Loyalists represent a unique class of immigrants in Canadian history being de-facto asylum seekers seeking refuge to what was then a British colony in the aftermath of the American revolution. Many literally put their homes on platforms and towed them from Castine Maine on the Atlantic coast in the U.S. to the newly established British colonial town of Saint Andrews on the Bay of Fundy.
- The town proper is situate on an historic "plat" replete with a treasure drove of well maintained owner occupied single family heritage homes with a complement of contemporary single family three bedroom family homes.
- The population of the historic town plat is in the 2,000 range.
- The town plat contains a retail hub with a mix of local neighbourhood businesses encompassed in an easily accessible "15 minute walk" by residents.
- The source of strength and resilience of the town over two hundred years has been its ability to survive and thrive through the boom and bust cycles of forestry and aquaculture. These were supplanted more than 150 years ago with the sustained evolution of a vibrant heritage leisure and tourism industry.
- Many prominent Canadians and Americans built upscale summer leisure residences in the town in the latter part of the 19th century which have taken on a legacy status in their own right in the modern era of heritage tourism.
- Tourism was the impetus for the building of the iconic Algonquin Resort Hotel, an anchor to support a vibrant leisure and tourism service economy.
- The founders and their descendants, along with the modern era "silent generation" and "boomers", were either born or moved into the town creating an enviable legacy of active community living in a traditional neighbourhood parish culture.
- Housing was affordable and in their prime working years they either purchased and maintained the heritage homes or built conventional three bedroom family residences.
- The town's status as a heritage leisure icon attracted generations of retirees who relocated from urban centres to the iconic heritage town of historic Saint Andrews by the Sea.
- As they have transitioned into retirement in an aging society they want to "age in place" and remain in their homes in an intergenerational certified "age- friendly" community with its "15 minute walk" to retail hubs with neighbourhood businesses owned and operated by locals.
- In 1963 Lady Dunn, a prominent philanthropist, was instrumental in the establishment of the Lady Dunn Trade School which has been integrated into the New Brunswick Community College (NBCC) system with a student enrolment of 359 in 2024.
- This educational anchor has enabled Saint Andrews to benefit from all the favourable socio-economic attributes of a small college town.
- NBCC does not have a designated student residence to accommodate the increasing number of out of town domestic and international students creating a modern era student housing problem.
- These are the attributes of a small town "naturally occurring retirement community (NORC).
Emigration:
- Saint Andrews evolved into contemporary NORC status as the emergent next generation of post war young adults moved on and relocated to urban centres. A "thundering herd" of boomers and millennials raised in Saint Andrews emigrated to urban centres to pursue professional careers. Canada was transformed from a country of "community of communities" to the most urbanized population in the western world with an estimated 80% of the population living in five urban centres.
- However, the town did not stagnate. Tourism and leisure have attained a vibrant legacy status. An aging population stayed on and aged in place who, along with retirees relocating to the town, have transformed Saint Andrews into an upscale small town three bedroom single family home NORC.
Immigration:
- A significant number of a "new age" emergent aging population, now dominated by boomers and 55+millennials, is looking to relocate from urban centres and suburbia to small towns that are intergenerational "age- friendly" communities.
- The NORC study was researched circa 1984-85. Fast forward to 2024 where a the mass emigration referred to above has resulted in a number of small towns evolving into NORCs.
- The Public Policy Forum (PPF) reports that Atlantic Canadians enjoy a greater satisfaction with their quality of life than Canadians as a whole. [5]
- Saint Andrews has what the PPF labels as the "Belonging Advantage". Both expatriates returning home and "newbies" who are relocating to the town feel as though they belong.
- NORCs such as Saint Andrews with their rich heritage and parish life culture (neighbours look in on and care for neighbours) and their "15 minute walk"along a traditional main street hub with neighbourhood stores and amenities are intergenerational "natural occurring retirement communities (NORCS)".
- Saint Andrews has been certified as meeting World Health Organization (WHO) "age friendly" designation status by the Province of New Brunswick.
- The New Brunswick Age-Friendly Community Recognition Program is a way of encouraging communities and municipalities across the province to become welcoming places for all ages. The program encourages the creation of policies, services and structures that promote healthy aging and wellness.
- The Age-Friendly Community movement encourages healthy aging and wellness under the following eight areas: outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, social participation, respect and social inclusion, civic participation and employment, communication and information, community support and health services
- Former emigres are transitioning into immigrants who now want to "come home" and embrace active retirement living.
- The town that an emergent generation of retirees on holiday excursions frequently exclaim has the look and feel of a classic "Hallmark movie" recognize Saint Andrews as an ideal upscale NORC and want to make this intergenerational "age friendly" community their home.
- "New Brunswick saw more than five times as many net interprovincial migrants in 2021-22 as two years earlier." ( FOONOTE 6)
- The end result is a combination of long time residents and relocated retirees residing in single family three bedroom homes who are underutilizing the residences. In many instances they are looking for opportunities to augment their retirement incomes in a community that has a student population in dire need of affordable accommodation.
- Many established seniors are now single residents who have enjoyed a comfortable life in their three bedroom homes. They want to continue to age in place. Because of a combination of the physical and financial requirements to maintain the home along with the emotional stress encountered in "home alone" living, they are feeling the need to sell the treasured family home and move on.
- However, assisted living and long term care are embroiled in a debacle that renders this option a no go and last resort.
- They are looking for viable alternatives that will enable them to age in place.
- Saint Andrews has joined the Province of New Brunswick's "Nursing Without Walls" program. Nursing Home Without Walls helps older adults living in rural areas to age in place. The goal of the initiative is to enable older adults to remain in their homes longer by giving them access to supports and services offered by participating local nursing homes
- NBCC and a town committee are in the process of setting up a home share program with Canada Home Share. Seniors living alone in three bedroom single family homes will rent out a room to a student for a reduced rent in exchange for the student helping out with household shores.
- Canada Home Share will also create a mechanism to eliminate social isolation and foster a healthy intergenerational and multicultural mix between seniors aging in place and college students.
- You're aware from my Boomer Encore page that my wife and I have "come home" to historic Saint Andrews by the Sea.
- Get in touch if living in an idyllic small town NORC is of interest to you.
- Contact me if you're a representative of a small town that has NORC potential and you would like to form a small town NORC association.
[5]Mark Stevenson, The Belonging Advantage – How Quality of Life is Translating into Big Economic Gains for Atlantic Canada. Public Policy Forum. Jan. 2024
The NORC Multicultural Value Add
Smart Multi-cultural Active Retirement Towns
(S.M.A.R.T.)
- Canada has evolved into a model multicultural society. The Canadian government has launched an aggressive immigration program to attract immigrants to fill the employment vacuum in the professional, para-professional, skilled trades and service workers. Small towns have an employment void. Schools have declining enrolments. Immigrant families can fill these voids.
- Research by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) that 76 per cent of small-business owners are planning to exit their businesses over the next decade, marking a potential transfer of over $2-trillion in business assets. . Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA), a strategy where individuals or groups acquire and manage existing companies rather than starting new ventures from scratch, is an under appreciated path.
- As Canada has 100,000 fewer entrepreneurs than two decades ago, we desperately need more people choosing to be entrepreneurs. Increasing support for ETA will increase the number of people pursuing entrepreneurship in Canada, which will increase Canadian labour productivity and overall economic growth.
- Immigrants are entrepreneurial. This is why they embraced “first attempt at learning” (F.A.I.L) replete with risks to immigrate to Canada, "a land of family-friendly opportunity". S.M.A.R.T.s are the locus of family- owned neighbourhood businesses with aging owners and operators receptive to transferring ownership to an entrepreneur wanting to take on the risk and responsibility of transitioning it to the next generation. Many immigrants have these entrepreneurial attributes and have the willpower and family support to embrace an entrepreneurial business opportunity.
- The Canadian government is initiating programs to enable small towns to evolve into smart multicultural active retirement towns (S.M.A.R.T.s.)
Active Retirement Communities
A.R.C.s
You need to know what I know.
How do I know?
I've lived the ARC life to the fullest.
I've walked the walk.
- My wife and I lived in Village by the Arboretum (VBA), a model 55+ ARC Community in Guelph Ontario for 9 years.
- We were "Snowbirds" in Florida's top rated RV resort in Sarasota for six years.
- We were "Snowbirds" in a high end RV resort in Scottsdale, Arizona, for five years
- Active Retirement Communities (ARCs) are developer driven real estate developments. The developer purchases the land and builds a residential community. They often maintain an ongoing financial interest in the community through a land lease and/or grounds maintenance contract.
- Unlike generic retirement communities ARCs are activity theme focused. Golf, skiing, boating, tennis and yes, the "pickleball explosion" as well as hiking are popular themes. In addition to the central marketing theme a top tier ARC will have a recreation centre with a pool, exercise facility and games and activities room.
- This requires a prospective resident to look beyond the quality and convenience criteria when looking for a retirement residence and factor in the activity that most appeals to them as well as recognizing the ongoing cost of living that will be incurred through a residential activity charge.
- A preferred active leisure life is the driver in assessing the choice or community. Affordability is an ancillary consideration.
- ARCs are age restrictive. They are frequently marketed as "55+" communities. At least one of the residents must meet the age restriction.
- ARCs are not designed to be family friendly. The number of people permitted to reside in a residence is usually restricted to a couple with allowances for requests for an exemption for a specified period to care for a family member such as an elderly parent in need of personal care. They usually prohibit children residing in the community and have restrictions in place to limit holiday visitations by grandchildren.
- ARCs are designed to enable retirees to live active leisure lives in an environment surrounded by other retirees. ARCs comply with regulatory requirements to accommodate persons with disabilities. Grounds and facilities comply with "age friendly" criteria and are barrier free. Residents are permitted to privately contract with private health care providers for health services but not full time care and they must be capable to live independently.
- Residents are prohibited from operating a business within the community.
- Del Webb an American real estate developer is credited with pioneering the development of the contemporary North American ARC model with the creation of Sun City in Phoenix/Scottsdale Arizona in 1960. A local newspaper add attracted 100,000 visitors on the opening weekend. The overwhelming positive response and the construction of 2,000 ARC homes within the first year, which quickly ballooned into an ARC with a population of 40,000 and a waiting list, ignited a phenomenon for ARC development across the U.S. with a strong presence in southern U.S. states.
- I had the opportunity to visit the Sun City Memorial Museum in the community. It was a learning experience that was of valueh to me as an ARC resident and board member in an advisory capacity in a Canadian ARC.
- Arbutus Ridge on Vancouver Island was the first Canadian ARC. It was established in 1987 as an ARC golf community. The emergence of boomers into dominance as the inaugural generation of "young/olds (YOLDS)" with expectations of living active lives well into their 80s has spawned the development of a growing number of Canadian ARCs in the past decade
Village by the Arboretum
(VBA)
- My wife and I lived in an active retirement community at VBA, a "55 +" high end active retirement community (ARC) in Guelph, Ontario for nine years.
- The community of 1,000 was comprised of a mix of townhouses, condos, assisted living and long term care residences.
- There was an on site family health clinic where all residents were guaranteed access to a family physician, chiropractor, physiotherapist and pharmacy,
- VBA had a fully equipped 50,000 square foot recreational centre, with arts and crafts, library and an auditorium for entertainment.
- VBA was situate on University of Guelph rental lands. The campus was a land grant university with hundreds of acres of hiking and biking trails accessible to residents.
- There was a professionally ranked 18 hole golf course adjacent to VBA
- VBA residents were eligible to take courses at the university for a nominal fee
- I was a board member on the condo for five years and was involved in several initiatives with the VBA administration. In short, I know what you need to look for in pursuit of an ideal ARC environment and how they work.
Snowbird ARCs
- My wife and I have owned a series of iconic Airstream rvs (silver bullets) for 20 years. We have an 11 year track record of active retirement community living as snowbirds in Florida and Arizona.
- Florida and Arizona are chock-a-block full of any and all kinds of active retirement communities.
- It's not unusual to have a population of 40%-50% Canadian in what Canadians fondly call their "winter haven"They range from the worst of the worst places to the best of the best places of winter havens.
- We've always been amazed at the number of retirees who think and act smart on where to live life to the fullest in their Canadian home base but are swayed into "Inactive" snowbird retirement communities in their snowbird lives.
- Many Canadians have been introduced to the snowbird ARC concept through short term holiday sojourns n Florida and Arizona. Snowbirding is not a holiday. It's a lifestyle choice that requires the matching of who you are and they type of life you want to lead with your preferred winter haven.
- I have an 11 year track record as a snowbird who succeeded in living life to the fullest in high end ARCs in Florida and Arizona
Caution!
Look before you leap into an ARC
There can be downsides to living in ARCs. According to research by Harvard Law professor Cass Sunstein, "people who surround themselves by like-minded people are more likely to become more extreme in their views".
Sunstein observed increasing polarization in the United States in "ideologically-homogeneous communities" where groups composed of exclusively like-minded people isolate themselves from the wider, mainstream community and have limited exposure to alternative viewpoints. Carle also noted that residents in ARCs can get burnt out with their life centred around what was once a favourite hobby.
Sunstein observed increasing polarization in the United States in "ideologically-homogeneous communities" where groups composed of exclusively like-minded people isolate themselves from the wider, mainstream community and have limited exposure to alternative viewpoints. Carle also noted that residents in ARCs can get burnt out with their life centred around what was once a favourite hobby.
Next Step
Click into the "Ignite Your Passion & LiveYour 55/65/75+ Life to the Fullest " page and retain me as your "Sherpa Guide" to mentor you on how get going on that personalized pathway to your best fit ARC