In Focus | Ed Hall of Regency Retirement Resorts

In Focus is our gift to the community. A way for us to help show our recognition for the people, businesses and organizations that help make our city great. The team at KelownaNow.com is passionate about this community and the people that make it amazing. We want to show our friends, neighbours, family and colleagues that we notice them and the fabulous things that they do.

What is your name?
Ed Hall

What do you always find yourself saying?
Make a difference, and make it fun.

If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select and why?
My family.They are the most important to me.

If you were to receive any existing public award, what award would you like to win?
Entrepreneurship. I admire the entrepreneurial spirit.

If you could spend a day with any historical figure, who would you choose and why?
Margaret Thatcher- She restored Great Britain’s confidence in itself. Also, Paul Watson, Founder of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society- for making the world a more humane place.

Who inspires you?
Regency’s caring, patient, and empathetic staff who make such a difference in our residents lives every day.

What things are on your bucket list?
I would like to combine and contribute my many years of construction and real estate development experience to spearhead the construction of a new women’s’ resource centre and shelter in Kelowna, specifically addressing the needs of women at risk in our community with young children. There is a chronic need for such a facility in Kelowna. My goal is to try to set these at risk young children on a more positive trajectory in life.

If you had an enormous yacht, what would you name it?
S’ed n’terri (Sedentary) meaning inactive (my wife’s name is Terri)

If you could foresee a single day of your future in its entirety, what date would you select?
A day of cutting fresh tracks through champagne powder in Fields of Joy at Big White.

What are you passionate about?
Enriching people’s lives. Creating life enriching opportunities for self, family, friends and Regency residents.

What has been your favourite day of your life, up to this point?
I have enjoyed more than my share of favourite days but one that I clearly recall was day one of a year long adventure to circumnavigate Africa in a VW Van. So exhilarating.

What has been your proudest accomplishment?
Raising two great kids that I am so proud of and love being with.

Where is your favourite place to dine in Kelowna? What do you like about it?
So many great dining experiences in Kelowna but one of my recurring favourites is Bordellos in downtown Kelowna. Great food, great vibe and great people.

What is your favourite activity or event in Kelowna? Why?
Snowboarding at Big White. Great mountain, great terrain, great snow, great people to ride with.

What is the name of your business/organization?
Regency Retirement Resorts
15 years ago we identified that there was a lack of really nice places for seniors to live with charming architecture, life enriching amenities and activities, extensive cuisine and elegant dining. We went about designing, and building a beautiful, amenity enriched retirement resort (Sandalwood) in the Glenmore area of Kelowna. Then we went about operating it in a manner that encouraged the enjoyment and enrichment of life to the fullest degree possible for our residents.
It was an immediate success. Since then, we have gone on to design, build, own and operate a total of five luxury retirement resorts in the Okanagan with a total asset value of almost $200 million and now provide enjoyable and enriched, independent retirement living for almost 1000 residents and employ almost 300 friendly, engaged and caring staff.
Regency has provided a new and enriching lifestyle alternative for Okanagan seniors which is on par with or of superior quality to anything offered in all of Canada.

What does your business/organization do?
We are in the Life Enrichment business. Our job is to make life as enjoyable, enriched and engaging as possible every day for our residents.

Where can people find you or your business online?
www.regencyresorts.ca

Where can people find your business on Facebook?
Regency Resorts

What is your mission?
To create engaging and enriching living environments for Okanagan seniors which encourages them to maximize their enjoyment of life.

If you could achieve one thing within your field, what would it be?
I would like to contribute to the goal of making seniors’ lives more enjoyable in the Okanagan.

Where do you want your business/organization to be in five years?
Recognized as a contributor to the well being of seniors in the Okanagan.

Who do you consider to be a forerunner within your field?
Dave and Tim Kornell of Kelowna. They pioneered the field on enriched seniors living with their Lakeshore Place Seniors Residence. Regency has just taken it to the next level.

What three qualities do you feel that your business/organization exemplifies?
Caring about the quality of life and enrichment of life for our residents. Pride- in what we do, our beautiful resorts and our exemplary service. Respect for all- residents and staff.

What would you like to say to your employees/volunteers?
Thank you. We have a remarkable team who truly go out of their way to contribute to the well being of our residents every day. They really care. And it shows.

How does your business/organization impact the community?
We are active participants in community events and charities throughout the year. Every resort is an integral part of the community and opens its doors to a wide variety of community events and non profit organizations.

If you were trapped in an elevator with several wealthy investors from any field, which field would you want them to be experts in? What would say to them/talk about?
Philanthropy. I would ask them- how has their individual wealth made a difference to their community.

If I could change one thing about Kelowna, it would be:
Replace the RCMP with a municipal police force, responsible to, accountable to and reporting directly to Kelowna Mayor and Council. We need greater accountability and greater responsiveness to the particular policing needs of our great city.

What do you think makes Kelowna great?
I love the freewheeling entrepreneurial spirit that flourishes here. We are here by choice and we are making it work.

My choice for the Kelowna In Focus spotlight is:
Kent Melvin, Beachcomber Home and Leisure. A great local family business that goes out of its way to offer superlative customer service.

Some general comments I would like to share are:
I wish to complement KelownaNow for its efforts in recognizing and supporting the creative energy that exists in our community.

We encourage you to leave your comments and words of support below, and submit your own nomination by clicking HERE. You are also welcome to submit a form of your own by clicking HERE. Thank you, Kelowna!