Construction on the residence next door to Providence Health Care in Scarborough, Ont., is above ground level and crews expect to be putting a roof on it before summer is out. A move-in date is scheduled for the fall of 2018.

Presentation Manor will begin its life as a home for retired religious sisters, brothers and priests. The board of directors envisions it will evolve into a mixed community of Catholic religious and lay people.

With backing from the Basilians, Scarboro Missions, Loretto Sisters, Our Lady’s Missionaries and others, Presentation Manor calls itself a residence “founded on the values of hope and compassion and inspired by Catholic religious orders.”

“I thought it was an amazing opportunity,” Perrault told The Catholic Register.

Perrault’s career running retirement homes has seen him in roles with Chartwell Retirement Residences, Compass Group Healthcare and others.

“Gord Perrault possesses the right combination of leadership ability, experience and expertise,” said board chair Fr. George Smith of the Basilians in a release.

The idea of a retirement home that builds on the collective wisdom and traditions of Catholic religious orders simply fits with the kind of environment seniors are seeking in their retirement years, said Perrault.

“I have seen people come in and really embrace (faith) in their final years,” he said. “Maybe that hadn’t been part of their life in the past, but it becomes a part.”

There are misconceptions and stereotypes about senior living that get in the way of people making rational choices about where they want to live as they age, said Perrault.

“Most people choose not to even think about retirement homes. They tend to kind of lump them in with long-term care, which is a nursing home,” he said. “It’s not end-of-life. It’s not that type of care. You might have some care, but it’s a new beginning. You just need some help.”