President's Report - June 2026

The year 2025 has been a very full one for the Gulf Islands Seniors Residence Association (GISRA). We have continued to provide excellent accommodation for residents in our Meadowbrook facility. In this regard, we have maintained full occupancy for all suites at Meadowbrook, upgraded our hot water system and obtained a grant from New Horizons Seniors Program to renovate our dining room space with new cupboards, shelving and carpet. Through the efforts of our Executive Director, Harry Barnes, GISRA obtained a building permit allowing us to renovate suite 200, thereby increasing space for two new residential suites, a visiting guest suite and new storage facilities. Financially, the Board allocated increased funding to our Capital Reserve Fund and initiated a Safety Reserve Fund to support for a time should we have an unoccupied suite.

With regards to our Kings Lane property, our contract with BC Housing for the temporary housing for disadvantaged individuals ended with all of them transferring to new accommodations on Drake Road at the end ofOctober  . Also related to this property, we have initiated discussions with ICCS (Island Community Clinic Society) and Lady Minto Foundation towards plans for expanding the medical clinic on our Kings Lane property to provide increased physicians and health care professionals for the island community.

The greatest challenge GISRA has faced this past year relates to our Kings Lane property. Following the findings last year that the Salt Spring Island Community could not realistically support a second independent living facility similar to Meadowbrook, we have sought alternative avenues to provide low-cost affordable housing to seniors as well as the general population. To this end, we applied for grants to BC Housing which ultimately failed as the government ceased funding such ventures due to economic conditions. We are currently exploring other options to help ameliorate the affordable housing shortage that exists on Salt Spring Island.

From a governance perspective, the GISRA Board continues to successfully navigate the waters of providing the best care for seniors who desire independent living quarters at our Meadowbrook facility. Over the year, the Board in conjunction with our Executive Director decided to shift from a bimonthly to a quarterly meeting schedule without any reduction in successfully managing GISRA affairs. In the last two months of the year, the GISRA Board benefited from the addition of two new members, Geoff Oestreicher and Gerard Zentner. Their backgrounds in economic sustainability and business, respectively, will serve to provide added depth in decision making and strategic planning related to Meadowbrook and our Kings Lane property. Their presence in addition to ongoing board members Linda Adams (Vice-President), Peter Spencer (Treasurer), Mike Garside (Secretary), and Gord Koppang (Director) provide GISRA with an excellent leadership team.

It should be noted that special appreciation needs to be given to Linda Adams and Janice Gauthier (housing consultant) who have spent many hours over many months working with Harry Barnes our ED in putting together grant applications, working with Islands Trust staff and our local Capital Regional District representative Gary Holman related to our Kings Lane property.

With regards to our Executive Director, GISRA owes gratitude and much appreciation to Harry Barnes. He is responsible for the operation and management of the Meadowbrook facility. He has shown himself to be a well-respected leader to the resident population and to the working staff.

Additionally, his skills in design and construction provided a strong foundation for the renovation of suite 200, the original building from which Meadowbrook was built. He designed and has been overseeing the permitting and building of this needed addition and will continue to do so until

completion next year.

Harry has a strong management team helping him with the day-to-day operations. Christina Antonick, Operations Manager, deals with multiple demands relating to staff, residents and dining room operations. Stephanie Bartels, our Office Administrator, and Marcus Kufman, our Bookkeeper, provide supportive service in keeping Meadowbrook operating smoothly.

Additional recognition needs to be given to our CFO, Keena Hicken-Gaberria. She has overseen the financial affairs of GISRA for the past five years. Her CFO Report and the 2025 financial statements show that GISRA is a financially stable non-profit charitable organization. She has effectively worked with our Executive Director in creating a workable budget that provides excellent accommodation and services for our residents, a living wage to our staff, and reserve funds for managing the Meadowbrook infrastructure.

On a final note, my role as Board President, has been made easy by the active participation of all of the above people. I am looking forward to what 2026 will bring in allowing the Gulf Islands Senior Residence Association to prosper and continue to provide outstanding support for the seniors living within our accommodations.