Sunset Manor cornerstone laid 50 years ago today

On this day, 50 years ago, Collingwood and Simcoe County politicians packed a time capsule and laid the cornerstone on a building that was more than five years in the making.

On Sept. 4, 1969, a small crowd gathered at Sunset Manor for the ceremonial laying of the cornerstone.

An article in the Enterprise-Bulletin at the time stated the chairman of the social services committee of county council, Reeve Mel McKean, of Collingwood, conducted the ceremony.

The building was a shared project between Simcoe County Council and the Ontario Department of Social and Family Services.

The cornerstone was laid by Warden Arnold Vancise and Rev. A.W. Downer, the MPP for Dufferin-Simcoe.

The article states various speakers during the ceremony said county council “had shown great wisdom in building a home with facilities that respect the dignity of man.”

Sunset Manor, as it was named by Mrs. Mel McKean, was the third home of its kind to be built in Simcoe County.

According to the article, “a tour of the building revealed a magnificent structure, brightly decorated and designed to give comfort for the future residents.”

The administrator of Sunset Manor at the time, Gordon Mason said he and his staff pledged to make it a “happy home for senior citizens.” He said he hoped Collingwood would be proud of Sunset Manor.

During the ceremony, guests also contributed to a copper time capsule placed in the cornerstone. According to the newspaper article, there are two copies of the Enterprise Bulletin inside, one containing a story about the “turning of the sod” for the building in July 1969, and another with a story about the announcement of the laying of the cornerstone.

Charles Lawrence included a dollar bill, and one of the architects on the project, I.D. Boigon contributed a coin collection and a copy of the 1969 Canadian Almanac.

There’s also a copy of The Toronto Star with coverage of the moon landing.

The building remains a county-operated long-term care facility with accommodation, support services, nursing, and personal care services for 148 permanent residents and two short-stay residents. The facility officially opened on Sept. 15, 1969.

The building underwent a major redevelopment from 1995 to 1997 and was officially rededicated on June 21, 1997.