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What makes Sifton Properties different?

Learn about their combination of traditional values and innovation

When seeking community or care, you want to put yourself in the hands of people you trust who will also offer the latest innovations in lifestyle and care. Look no further than Sifton Properties for those. Having worked with Sifton for more than 10 years now, we’ve spoken with many people in the company. Without fail, they’ve told us the same things about the meaning of a family-run company and the importance of giving people choice and innovation in care.

A family-owned company founded on traditional values

Being a family-owned company, Sifton Properties brings traditional values to their work and to the communities they create. "Family-owned," in this instance, implies loyalty. It also implies a principled approach to building relationships, both in business with others as well as when working with staff and clients. It trickles down into the way everyone is treated in Sifton’s retirement homes, and the significance of this is palpable.

Tamara Billy, Sales & Marketing Manager at Sifton-Erinview in Mississauga, puts it this way: “The genuine family-based culture throughout the community is what drives us. When people walk in the door, you really get that sense of ‘I’m home.’ The staff know all the residents. We have team members who have been here 25 years, 15 years, 10 years. So, everybody knows everybody quite well. [Residents are] like your aunt or your grandma. It’s a homey atmosphere.”  

The family atmosphere finds expression in the way Sifton retirement homes invite families to participate in community life. For example, seniors in a Sifton retirement community celebrate family milestones⁠—anything from the high school graduation of a grandchild to a wedding anniversary⁠—by scheduling a meal in a community’s private dining room. At London’s Sifton - Richmond Woods, senior residents are encouraged to bring their grandchildren to the pool every week.

"We encourage seniors to bring the family into their home," says Marlene Powner, Sifton Properties’ Regional Operations Manager. That focus on family first has been the foundation that’s given Sifton nearly a century of success. The company will celebrate its centennial in 2023.

That success is also built on being proactive and forward-thinking in giving people what they ask for and offering the latest innovations in technology, construction, and care. 

Dependability built on progressive-minded responsiveness

A number of Sifton developments combine retirement home suites with both senior apartments and retirement villas, 1200-square foot townhome bungalows that seniors can ideally downsize into. That’s just one way in which Sifton’s options meet older Canadians’ needs and wants. One more striking example found at Sifton - Longworth in London is that residents have a choice of nine different styles of one bedroom suites. 

Seniors also have a wide array of options each day. There are exercise classes in the morning, four times a week. There are bus trips twice a week. There’s afternoon tea every day to go along with indoor activities, every day, both indoors and out. The list of choices (none of which are mandatory) goes on.

“We offer three meals a day for seniors here,” says Glenda Cumming, Sales and Marketing Manager at Longworth. “But people can choose whether or not they want to participate. If they want to have a slow start to their morning, have a coffee and toast in their suite—they can do that, too.”

Sifton Riverstone Retiree Apartments in London is another example of their responsiveness to a changing world and commitment to innovation. This apartment building is powered partly by solar panels in a net-zero community. There are electric vehicle chargers on site. Suites come equipped with Energy Star rated appliances and LED lighting. The building is set in the suitably verdant Riverbank Park area. A retirement residence will be added to this community in 2023. 

A commitment to living with purpose

An emphasis on living with purpose is another prominent value we see in Sifton Properties. “We recognize that seniors still love to learn and grow, no matter what their age,” says Powner. Life at a Sifton retirement home means that you find meaning in every day. One example of this is how senior residents are all encouraged to contribute to welcome baskets for new members by “playing to their strengths.” Seniors in both the woodworking club and the knitting club contribute hand-made products, everyone offering a personal expression of welcome.

Sifton offers increasingly multicultural programming in response to Canada’s ever-increasing diversity. For example, Diwali is now celebrated in Sifton retirement homes across the province. Everyone’s uniqueness is respected. 

In response to the solid values that root Sifton communities, people find themselves looking for the Sifton name when they need to change addresses. Sifton acknowledges this loyalty with discounts on upgrades or otherwise celebrating 5-year, 10-year and longer-term milestones for Sifton residents. 

Through anticipating people’s needs and an orientation toward relationship-building founded on that family-based culture, Sifton Properties is an excellent choice in senior living, no matter what stage you’re at. Move into a Sifton Property and you’ll experience that for yourself. Residents tell us, “This company knows what they are doing.” In fact, if you’re like many Sifton clients, you might find yourself wishing you had gotten into a Sifton Property earlier. 

More of what people say about Sifton Properties, Ltd.

Bea, one resident at Sifton - Dorchester Terrace (just outside of London) says, “I feel like I’m living at the Ritz!” She loves everything about it, including the “layout of my suite, closets and French doors,” as well as the amenities “and the brightness that shines through my windows. There is so much to enjoy here, including crafts, euchre, coffee club, bingo and the fitness centre.” Life at the Terrace gets both her legs and mind moving and she enjoys the good health propagated by daily good living. Like many, she says, “I wish I had made the move sooner!” 

Lois Swanson says, “Right from the start, I liked how bright it was” inside Sifton - The Westhill, in Waterloo. “When you walk in the entrance here, it's all very welcoming. People came out from playing bingo and they welcomed me right then and there. When I arrived I had a great resident mentor who invited me to things and got me involved in the activities, allowing me to meet other residents.” 

True to form for Sifton, her family also loves visiting her there. “My grandchildren and I have gone to exercise classes. We've enjoyed family dinners in the dining room. My daughter joins me for theatre excursions. My children even come to the pub here on Friday's to have a drink with me!”

You’ll find many more people who love the life they’re living in Sifton’s retirement homes across Ontario. Find one near you in the list below. See for yourself how family-based values and a proactive responsiveness can help you live a better life with Sifton.