The Meadows Community
The Meadows Community had its beginnings in 1877 when the land was purchased on Church Road outside Bridgetown for the creation of a County Home. In 1881 the contract for the building of a house on the Poor Farm, as it was then known, was awarded. In 1894, an additional building – the forerunner of The Meadows Community – was constructed. This building stood until 1987 when the current facility was opened just down the road, a few hundred metres to the south.
Over the years the name of the home has changed several times. For a time it was known as the Home for the Disabled and was changed to the Annapolis County Adult Residential Centre in 1976. In 2013 the name “The Meadows” was chosen from a selection of submissions, reflecting the peaceful and serene countryside in which it is situated.
The community programs that are part of our services originated in the late 1970s. Recognizing that some residents had the potential to live successfully in the community, community-based alternative living arrangements were explored. The result was the establishment of the first Supervised Home on the corner of Granville and Jeffrey Streets in Bridgetown. Three residents had prepared for about a year for the move, learning new skills and enhancing existing ones. With live-in staff as support, they lived and worked successfully in the community. In 1987 this home was replaced by a newly constructed three-unit apartment complex on Church Street – the Annapolis County Supervised Apartments. Eight residents made their home there and were supported by staff working in shifts. This building underwent renovations in 2012 and a 4th apartment was constructed, bringing the total number of residents to nine. In 2014 this community home was renamed Willow Vale Supervised Apartments by its residents.
The Community Support Services branch of our organization began in 1994 and continues to grow and thrive. The first program of its kind in Nova Scotia, it supports clients to live independently in their own homes in the communities of Bridgetown, Lawrencetown and Middleton, with support from staff based upon individual needs.
