Our Mission, Vision, and Values

A Brief History

1896

County of Perth builds its House of Refuge.

1978

The Town of St. Marys becomes involved in the ownership and governance along with the City of Stratford and the County of Perth.

1897

The first resident moves in.

1985

Woodland Towers I is built.

1947

The House of Refuge becomes the Home for the Aged.

1990

Woodland Towers II is completed.
Hamlet Estates units are completed.

1955

The Home of the Aged adopts its current name, Spruce Lodge, in recognition of the large majestic spruce trees that adorned the property.

1992

Spruce Lodge is redesigned into seven living areas, including secure cottage units for those at risk of wandering.

1965

The City of Stratford becomes involved as an equal partner with the County of Perth. The new Spruce Lodge is built and the former House of Refuge is taken down.

2009

Woodland Towers III is completed.

The Not for Profit Difference

Re-investment in Care

Not for profit operators that generate a surplus re-invest these monies to increase the level of service they provide. Additionally not for profits typically contribute additional resources to enhance and expand services; all in an effort to meet the needs and interests of the people they serve. Here on the Spruce Lodge campus we survey all of our stakeholders on a regular basis and we are continuously searching for ways and means to make our campus a great place to live and a great place to serve.

Local Accountability

Not for profits and municipal organizations are accountable to the public through elected representatives and charitable boards that include Resident representation. This is a key element for ensuring the appropriateness and effectiveness of the programs and services delivered. Accountability is strengthened by greater transparency, including annual general meetings and regular resident and member meetings. Each element of our campus’s financial books are fully open and available to those we serve, and we value the input we receive toward the greater good.

Strong Community Support

Not for profits are deeply rooted in the communities we serve. We have a proud history of caring and we are a bold and dynamic sector that is continuously exploring opportunities to improve. Grassroots support of not for profits and municipal entities comes in many forms, including active involvement by local volunteers and generous financial contributions from friends, families and municipal partners. Here on the Spruce Lodge campus we are fortunate to have hundreds of volunteers, and we have multiple community networks and partnerships we are engaged with on a regular basis.

Our Mission is Putting People First

Respecting each person's unique life journey
Being our best in service to others
Caring for and within our community

Our Vision

Our vision for the future is that we will be a campus community with purpose. We will continue optimizing our people, places, and programs to inspire and lead the way forward in service to people first.

Our Values

While there are many noble and worthy values, or guiding principles and moral standards, when it comes to our values, it is more important that they are remembered and lived out. Here at the Lodge we value People First. Presented below are the FIRST values, intended to guide our hiring process and our people first approach.

Friendly: We value people that are friendly to each other and to all stakeholders. (i.e. kind, considerate, positive attitude and generally fun and joyful)

Inspired: We value people that are inspired by the work they do such that their passion shines through and they inspire others to be at their best. (i.e. empathetic and willing to go the extra mile, it’s not just a job)

Resident focused: We value people that understand and appreciate that all we do is intended for the immediate or the eventual benefit of our residents. (i.e. it’s about being resident centered)

Solution oriented: We value people that focus on the solutions and not the problems. (i.e. by being creative, flexible, and able to think through and past a problem)

Teamwork: We value people who understand they are part of a team, by caring how their actions affect others, by putting the interests of the team above their own, and by realizing that doing so helps everyone. (i.e. understand their role on the team, accepts direction from others, always willing to pitch in, and strives to do what’s best for the team)

A Logo with Meaning

While some may see a geometric depiction of a Spruce Tree, we see “People First”

The Spruce Lodge geometric spruce tree, (our LOGO) depicts a diamond at the top, a heart in the middle and two pyramids at the base. The diamond at the top symbolizes residents as our top priority; the heart in the middle symbolizes our staff and volunteers as the heart and soul; the pyramids at the base symbolize our partners and governors as foundations of support. Our mission is to strive in all things to put the needs and best interests of People First, by involving them in decisions that affect their experiences here on the Spruce Lodge campus, and by continuously striving to improve these experiences.

Municipal Non-Profit

Municipally owned and governed since 1896

Spruce Lodge, as it is seen today, was built in 1965 to replace the old “County Home” that was built in 1896 on the same site. The original structure was owned and operated by Perth County. However, when the new building was erected, the City of Stratford became an equal partner with the County. In 1978, the Town of St. Mary’s joined the County and the City as a part owner of Spruce Lodge. The residents of all three municipalities now enjoy the use of the Lodge, as do so many that come from other parts of the Province.

As owners, The County of Perth, the City of Stratford and the Town of St. Marys each contribute their proportionate share toward Spruce Lodge operations. These contributions are intended to enable the Lodge to meet municipal obligations and to ensure a standard of care and service that each Municipality can be proud of together.

The overall operation of the Lodge is the responsibility of a Board of Directors that is comprised of Municipal Councillors who are appointed by their respective Councils. The governance chart below identifies the relationship of the three participating municipalities in the governance of the Lodge.