2023 marked the end of an era for Adair Place Retirement Home in Tamworth Ontario.
It all started in the early 1990’s. With a vision in mind, then business partners John DuChene and Earl Smith, developed the concept and designed the facility. After a period of construction, the 16 unit home opened in 1994. The vision was to create a facility that supported the needs of seniors, providing an option for them to remain close to home when the time came to consider a facility that supported their daily living needs. And that is what Earl and John created – a place that residents would feel at home. Adair Place thrived and established itself as an integral part of the Tamworth community for nearly 30 years.
Adair Place was named for the century old farm on which it stands. It sits on a beautiful tree lined site along the Salmon River. The Adair homestead still stands just beyond the residence itself. Reg and Jean Adair were the last to live in the homestead. One of their sons, Alex, well known in the local community, was a proud WWII veteran. It was Earl and John’s desire to maintain the legacy of the Adair name and chose to name the home in their honour.
Individuals and couples alike chose to call Adair Place home over the years. The facility was always humming with activity. Local volunteers helped make Adair Place a community in itself. Each month, volunteers dropped in to socialize with our residents. Music was a favourite, whether on piano, guitar, harmonica or accordion, all of which would often lead to a sing-along. Church groups were welcome visitors and school groups were a resident favourite as the kids brought a whole new kind of excitement to the building.
The Tamworth Lions Club was a tremendous friend of Adair Place. While they led many events at the facility, the most spoken of and memorable was the BBQs they would host on the front lawn by the river for residents and their families.
Special occasions were always celebrated. Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter and St. Patrick’s Day were some of the favourites. Santa even took time out of his busy schedule to visit each Christmas.
We can’t say enough about the staff we had over the years. Their commitment and dedication to Adair Place helped make it a success – and we are thankful to all of them. We are happy that we were able to employ so many who lived right here in our community.
Then there was our volunteer driver, Willie Prue. Willie, being the kind caring soul he is, made himself available to our residents and drove them to appointments if family members were not available. To Willie, we are truly grateful.
It is said that it takes a village to raise a child, in our case, it took a community to cement Adair Place in the fabric of the Tamworth Community. The many local service providers made it all possible. From the paramedics to the local Fire Department, The Tamworth Medical Centre, The Tamworth Drug Store, Public Health and the many Case Managers and Personal Support Workers – our community truly came together.
After a number of years, business partner John left for other opportunities. Earl’s sister Joan Storring became Manager of Adair Place and later co-owner with Earl. Joan’s daughter, Edith Sagriff, soon joined as Assistant Manager.
In 2011, co-owner Earl Smith, passed away. Then I, Monica Smith became co-owner with Joan and we worked alongside Edith to carry on as Earl would have wanted. Eventually Joan and I decided it was time for us to slow down and take a step back. It was time for us to retire. It was a tough decision, but we listed the Adair Place for sale. A new owner purchased Adair Place in 2018 and the facility continued operations until it closed in 2023.
Joan, Edith and I have many fond memories of so many kind caring people over the years. The residents gave Adair Place the character it had. I think again of the music that was so often heard in Adair Place, and the residents singing along usually ending in bouts of laughter. That’s truly what it was all about.
Adair Place served us well. It served the community well. Adair Place was a dream and a vision that came to be – and we are all better off for it.
A heartfelt thank you and our gratitude goes out to everyone who shared in the success of Adair Place over the years.
Who knows what is next for Adair Place? Perhaps, like the Phoenix in Greek Mythology, “Adair Place will rise again”.
Yours truly,
Monica Smith