Intergenerational Living at Its Best: Sherbrooke Community Centers Lives It 24/7
- Carrie Leljedal
- 20 hours ago
- 3 min read
Two years ago, at my first Eden Alternative Conference, I heard about a place that stopped me in my tracks: Sherbrooke Community Centre in Saskatoon, Canada.
This year, I had the chance to learn from them again—and I was just as inspired.
Because Sherbrooke isn’t just doing things differently.They are living proof of what’s possible when we truly rethink long-term care.
But what struck me most is this:
In many ways… Sherbrooke isn’t new at all.
It’s a return to something many of us once knew.
A Personal Reflection: When Generations Weren’t Separated
I grew up in a world where children were simply part of elders’ lives.
Not through programs.Not through scheduled visits.Just… life.
I spent summers with my dad’s parents in Florida, in a 55+ community where I probably wasn’t the “typical” resident—but no one ever made me feel like I didn’t belong.
We played shuffleboard together.We swam in the pool.My grandparents had friends over to play cards—and I learned right alongside them.
There was no separation between generations.There was connection, laughter, and shared life.
Somewhere along the way, we lost that.
Somewhere, we decided that elders should live apart from the rest of the community instead of within it.
And I’ve often wondered… when did that become normal?
Sherbrooke: A Community, Not a Facility
Sherbrooke Community Centre is a long-term care home—but it doesn’t feel like one.
It is a community in every sense of the word.
Home to 263 residents, along with community day participants, volunteers, families, students, pets, and over 500 staff, Sherbrooke is built around a simple but powerful mission:to support each person in living a full and abundant life.
And they mean every person.
Where Generations Don’t Just Visit—They Belong
What makes Sherbrooke so unique is their deep commitment to intergenerational living.
On their campus, they have a true preschool in a separate building—but fully integrated into daily life with the elders.
Inside the main building, something even more remarkable happens:
Each year, a sixth-grade class is located within the home.
But there’s no traditional classroom.
Instead, learning happens throughout the building—shared spaces where children and elders naturally interact as part of everyday life.
Not scheduled visits.Not special events.Real relationships.
You’ll find children:
Walking dogs that live in the home—whether they belong to residents or even the executive director
Helping care for cats and engaging with an aviary of nearly 20 birds, supported by a local parrot rescue
Participating in a choir made up of both students and elders
Spending time throughout the day connecting, learning, and simply being together
There are, of course, thoughtful safety protocols in place—but they are designed to support connection, not prevent it.
A Community That Extends Beyond the Walls
Sherbrooke doesn’t stop at intergenerational programming—it embraces the broader community as well.
At the front of the building is a space that, in winter, serves as a safe drop-off zone during harsh weather.
But when the seasons change, so does the space.
It becomes a gathering place—closed off to create a vibrant community hub for events throughout the spring, summer, and fall.
This is not a facility that people visit.
It is a place people come together.
Guided by Principles That Actually Show Up in Practice
Sherbrooke’s work is grounded in three guiding principles:
Individuality – honoring each person’s unique abilities, preferences, and opportunities for growth
Normalcy – shaping daily life around what is meaningful and familiar for each individual
Reality – delivering care that is both person-centered and practical within real-world resources
And as a Certified Eden Member they are fully committed to eliminating the three plagues of long-term care:
Loneliness. Helplessness. Boredom.
At Sherbrooke, you don’t just hear those words.
You see what it looks like to actively fight them—every single day.
So Why Don’t We See More of This?
That’s the question I keep coming back to.
Because Sherbrooke isn’t built on unrealistic ideas.
It’s built on intentional choices:
To integrate, not isolate
To engage, not entertain
To see elders as part of a living community—not separate from it
It looks a lot more like the world many of us grew up in… than the one we’ve created today.
The Takeaway
Sherbrooke challenges us to think bigger.
To stop asking, “What’s allowed?”And start asking, “What’s possible?”
Because when children and elders learn, grow, and live alongside one another…
We don’t just improve long-term care.
We rebuild community.
Somewhere along the way, we lost what once felt so natural—children and elders sharing space, stories, and everyday life. We replaced it with separation, and called it care. But what Sherbrooke shows us—and what Connected Communities make possible—is that we can choose differently. We can rebuild places where generations are reconnected, where people of all abilities are included, and where community is not something we visit—but something we live.
