With the announcement of the imminent closure of Ace Cabs by the end of September, Marcel Zierfuss saw an opening in Collingwood.
On Sept. 4, Zierfuss took Collingwood accessibility advocate Casey Morrison to the movies as a way to celebrate the launch of his company Good Comfort’s expansion into Collingwood.
In an interview via email following the launch, Morrison said he’s hoping Good Comfort’s accessible transportation options will be busy enough to replace Ace Cabs for people with mobility issues by March.
“(This) will give me a choice,” said Morrison.
Good Comfort, originally started in Toronto, has expanded to other locations such as Niagara-on-the-Lake, Aurora and Bowmanville, and now serves parts of Simcoe County including Barrie, Orillia, Gravenhurst and Midland, in addition to South Georgian Bay. The organization offers home care, companionship care, palliative care, massage/exercise therapy and accessible transportation, and Zierfuss — the founder and CEO — refers to it as a “one-stop care company.”
It also sells, rents and installs care products, which include home care items such as beds and walkers.
“With Ace Cabs closing down, it was a little serendipitous. In late spring, we were thinking about the expansion of Good Comfort and we recognized that this community and its residents needed another choice, not only for accessible transportation, but also for home care,” said Zierfuss.
“It just made complete sense.”
He was inspired to start the company six years ago after his own experiences trying to get care for his father-in-law, Gabor, who had Lewy body dementia and Parkinson’s disease.
“My wife and I were thrown into the world of care overnight. We didn’t know where to go or who to turn to. It was convoluted and there was a lack of accountability. I thought there had to be a better way,” he recalled.
“All of this was inspired by that personal journey. We’re all about creating better home care, with an empathetic service model.”
For the accessible transportation portion, anyone in South Georgian Bay is eligible for the service. Zierfuss said riders are asked to book rides a minimum of 12 hours in advance. The South Georgian Bay fleet is starting with one van, but Zierfuss said he’s open to the possibility of adding more if it’s well used, including adding a vehicle with six to eight wheelchair spots.
“We’ve heard stories from people who are excited for this service because they haven’t been out for three years,” he said.
For more information about Good Comfort or to inquire about its services, call 705-888-2400 or visit its website here.
