Condo Living

November 1, 2023 Published by Golden Horseshoe Chapter - By Martin Venema

FEATURE CONDO: Wentworth Condominium Corporation #36

From the Volume 17, Fall 2023 issue of the CCI GHC Condo News Magazine

A friendly and welcoming community. 

This 13-unit town-house condominium corporation was registered in September 1976. Despite being in a major urban centre, the residents enjoy the small-town feeling offered by an exclusive location which is set back from the street and is almost hidden from view. With 6 units on one side facing across to 7 units on the other side, residents quickly get to know their neighbours in this close-knit community.

Residents report that the overall environment in the Condominium community is very friendly and welcoming. Neighbours look after each other’s needs and extend helping hands. To exemplify this, during a heavy snow last year, 4 residents helped to dig out a car from the snow. Residents are now banding together to plan a Community Vegetable Garden in the well-maintained common area which will enhance collaboration and further foster good relations amongst neighbours.

Being almost 50 years old, this corporation is going through a renewal phase. Staying ahead of the maintenance needs can be a challenge. The board has strived to make wise decisions with their reserve fund expenses, regularly prioritizing repair and maintenance needs to protect the investments that unit owners have made. Here is a summary of how the reserve fund has been used in the past year.

Railings on porches
Wrought iron railings don’t last forever. They were badly corroded and presented a safety risk. Replacing like-for-like was prohibitively expensive, so the board opted to install new aluminum railings to improve the safety and the aesthetics of the front porches. They matched the colour of the railings to the new eavestroughs and downspouts that were installed earlier in the year.

Replacing Wrought Iron with Aluminum Railings

Prioritizing fence repairs
An argument could have been made for replacing all of the privacy fences and perimeter fences. However, the board decided to prioritize those sections needing repairs most urgently. A multi-year plan has been established to replace the remainder of the fences.

Perimeter Fence Repairs - Before and After

Snow storage area expansion
One of the biggest concerns voiced by residents over the years had been the lack of visitor parking space. This is exacerbated during Winter when snow banks tend to encroach into parking spots. The board undertook some landscape enhancements that involved removing concrete curbs at the end of the parking lot to expand the snow storage area.

Snow Storage Area - Before and After

While items remain in the to-do list (and always will), the board is proud of the decisions they have made and their accomplishments in maintaining the corporation’s common elements without deviating from the cash-flow table in the last Reserve Fund Study. Response from owners has been favourable; they appreciate seeing their reserve fund contributions put to good use.

Martin Venema
Property Manager