A New Chapter for Wateridge Village
Ottawa is getting a major new retirement community — and it's coming to one of the city's most closely watched redevelopment sites. Wateridge Lifestyles, a family-owned Ottawa developer, has filed a proposal for a six-storey, 188-unit seniors' residence at 100 Bareille-Snow St. in Wateridge Village, the neighbourhood built on the grounds of the former Canadian Forces Base Rockcliffe.
The project sits on a 3.5-acre lot bounded by Tawadina Road to the south and Codd's Road to the west and north — a short walk from the mid-rise apartment already under construction at 375 Codd's Rd., and just west of where Kishkabika Park is planned.
Who It's For — and What It Offers
The 188 units break down into two distinct streams. Ninety units are earmarked for independent living, many with walk-out terraces or balconies. Another 49 units on the second and third floors are designed for memory care and assisted living, with dedicated nursing, dining, and lounge facilities on those floors.
The amenities list reads more resort than retirement home: a bistro, games area, theatre, pool, solarium, and spa are all part of the plan. Underground parking will accommodate 60 vehicles and 34 bikes, with surface spots for visitors, loading, and a shuttle bus.
According to the project's urban design brief, the goal is "the creation of a senior-oriented community where seniors have the ability to age-in-place as they transition from a more independent lifestyle... to a lifestyle where they may require a greater level of care and support."
Three Phases, Hundreds of Units
Phase 1 is just the beginning. Wateridge Lifestyles envisions two additional nine-storey apartment buildings on the same property — Phase 2 with 170 independent living units and Phase 3 with 100 more. If all three phases proceed, the development would add roughly 458 units of seniors' housing to this corner of Ottawa's east end.
Wateridge Village itself has been taking shape since 2017 on the 310-acre decommissioned military base purchased by Canada Lands Company in 2011. Other active developers on the site include Bayview Group, Glenview Homes, Mattamy Homes, Rohit Group, and WestUrban Developments — with combined proposals exceeding 1,000 new residential units.
The Bigger Picture: A Seniors' Housing Wave
The timing isn't a coincidence. A new Cushman & Wakefield report notes that retirement home development has been at "an all-time low in Canada" in recent years — but that's expected to shift in 2026 as market conditions improve and demand surges.
"Fuelled by the sheer scale of opportunity that lies ahead, we expect a new development cycle will kick off later this year," said Heather Payne, Cushman & Wakefield's VP of Seniors Housing and Health Care.
The numbers back that up. Statistics Canada projects that by 2030, one in five Canadians will be 65 or older — a demographic tidal wave that cities like Ottawa are already bracing for.
Elsewhere in Ottawa, Sienna Senior Living has proposed converting the former Madonna Nursing Home in Orléans into a 224-bed retirement and long-term care facility, adding to a growing pipeline of senior-focused housing across the city.
For Wateridge Village, the Wateridge Lifestyles proposal is another sign that this former military base is quickly becoming one of Ottawa's most dynamic new neighbourhoods — and one that's thinking seriously about the long haul.
Source: Ottawa Business Journal
