ur History

What is the history of the Elim Society for Senior Citizen’s Care?

Our Society was first organized in the early 1960’s. In 1969 the society was incorporated as “Rehoboth Society for Seniors Care”.  It was later renamed “Elim Society for Senior Citizen’s Care” and was registered as a charity on October 29, 1980.   Our bylaws were last amended on March 25, 1988.

Early Board members kept busy looking for a site on which to build a new building while also viewing existing buildings and talking to various lending institutions. Finally, in June of 1987, Balmoral House was purchased.  In 1992, a fellowship hall was added to the existing building.  This addition has been a blessing to all the tenants and other various Christian organizations.

For 29 years, Balmoral House was the mainstay of the Society. Its success encouraged the development of our second independent living facility, Elim Village.  In 2000 we purchased 5.4 acres of land in North Lethbridge. By 2009 we had spent a large amount of funds to maintain and service that location. A variety of site plans were developed that included free standing structures, row housing, and dormitory-style assisted living units.

In 2011, the future planning committee revised its vision and proposed development of an independent living facility with a congregate living format.  In 2013-2014 the proposal was made to the membership and was accepted. We turned the sod early in the spring of 2014. The building was completed on December 2, 2015.

When the Elim Village project was completed, we were no longer a small society.  Balmoral House had one site manager for residents in 32 units who cooked for themselves. By the time Elim Village came on stream, we had we quadrupled our assets.  As we took on responsibility for providing shelter, meals, maintenance and security for residents in 42 units at Elim Village as well, we grew to an organization with a total of 17 employees. It took two years to reach full occupancy at Elim Village, and we celebrated that milestone in December of 2017.

To understand the ‘world and life view’ that brought the members of Elim together, you must turn to Exodus 15:27. The text says: ‘Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters’. (God’s chosen people had just encountered a barren desert and bitter waters. They were now shown a temporary, but very pleasant place, a respite from the desert voyage that they encountered on the way to the ‘Promised Land’.) This theme shows that we, as Christians, are awaiting the Promised Land.

The Elim Society for Senior's Care is a faith-based charity created in 1969 by Reformed Christian People in Southern Alberta to address the housing needs of their seniors. We desire to provide safe, secure and affordable housing with activities that support Christian faith and lifestyle.

Our goal is to look after seniors in an atmosphere that promotes and endorses our beliefs in a caring communal setting. Our vision is to provide a variety of facilities, programs and levels of care for our seniors as the need and the finances allow.

We operate two independent living facilities: Balmoral House and the Elim Village in Lethbridge Alberta.