Peace of mind and a friendly, supportive community ...

“Our experience with the accident made us think about things a little more in advance than most people do,” Al Rempel says. “We found out how fast life can change.”

In 1990, Al’s wife, Wendy, was in a critical car accident. A serious brain injury meant that she had to relearn many things. It taught them both the importance of living each day to its fullest ... and not waiting too long to make the right move.

Wendy and Al Rempel decided to move to Touchmark two-plus years ago while they were still young, healthy, and independent. They intentionally made the move on their own terms, rather than waiting until a crisis forced its own terms on them. They both know that if you wait too long, someone else may end up making all the choices for you.

“We’ve seen what it’s like for people to be forced by their circumstances (or their children!) into making a move,” says Wendy. “We’re so glad we made the decision early — so our children won’t ever have to make it for us. Our children are very happy that we’re living here.”

Never have to move again

Peace of mind came to the Rempels when they settled into the Touchmark community and realized they wouldn’t ever have to move again—no matter what happened down the road.

Wendy says, “We really love the fact that we wouldn’t have to move away if one of us were to get sick. Because of all the support services available, we can still live here and still have our partners here with us, no matter what.”

That’s peace of mind.

A lucky accident

The Rempels have been living in their Touchmark bungalow since mid-2006, becoming the fourth bungalow residents, with another 62 bungalows to follow. Finding it was actually an accident. In fact, their son first ran across it. Literally.

“Our son is a marathon runner,” Al explains. “He trains around here and jogs through a lot of neighborhoods.”

One day, the Rempels were visiting their son when he suggested they go take a look at a couple of new homes he’d seen in a private community called Touchmark at Wedgewood.

“There were only two bungalows available at the time,” Al recalls. It was love at first sight. He and Wendy liked them so much that they put options on both homes for 24 hours. Their most difficult choice was deciding which one to give up.

“It was a hard choice, but we ended up buying this one the next day.” They both laugh when remembering how fast they made the decision and how good their instincts proved to be.

A beautiful bungalow with all the extras

The Rempels have a 1,600-square-foot bungalow with the Waterton floor plan. It has vaulted ceilings, a double-car garage (roomy enough for Al’s woodworking shop), and many gorgeous details.

Wendy says, “We liked the idea of the bungalows. There aren’t a lot of places in Edmonton that have bungalows. In fact, we don’t have anything else like the Touchmark community in the area. That’s what attracted us to it.”

“I love the whole concept of an active, energy-driven retirement,” says Wendy. “The idea of aging gracefully and actively.”

Al adds, “We like the peace and quiet. The availability of services, being around other people, the entertainment.”

“It’s the community living,” Wendy chimes in. “We feel like we belong to a family.”

Their list goes on and on.

The luxury of a secure, worry-free bungalow

To many people who are used to bearing full responsibility for the upkeep of their own houses, a carefree Touchmark bungalow and yard can seem like wonderful indulgences.

“It’s such a luxury that we no longer have to do maintenance and all of those outside things, like shoveling snow or mowing grass,” says Wendy. That leaves more time for labors of love, like her colorful, front-yard flower garden.

Wendy says another luxury is that whenever they travel, they know their bungalow is safe and cared for. “Our children never have to worry about looking after the house or doing yard maintenance when we’re gone, because it’s already done for us!”

More time for life-enriching activities

While they rave about their great neighbors, Wendy and Al are also the kind of neighbors anyone would want to have: generous with their time and resources, creative, full of energy, and just plain fun to be around. They are as active and as involved in their community as a 24-hour day allows.

“Wendy volunteers for everything” says her husband, with plenty of pride in his voice.

Wendy helped get the community store started, gives computer lessons to seniors, and sings in the glee club. She loves gardening, scrapbooking, and tole painting. As a member of the Decorative Painting Guild, she even helped paint carousel horses when the City of Edmonton restored the Fort Edmonton carousel. She joins many of the Touchmark Life Enrichment/Wellness programs.

Al doesn’t let moss grow under him, either. He was the first president of Touchmark’s resident association. Al also enjoys photography, all things related to computers, playing with the stock market, and racing radio-controlled cars. In fact, he currently has one that travels 105 kph (65 mph).

Al also collects 1/18-scale die-cast cars, which are about a foot long, and says he has about 450 of them (“More like 500,” corrects Wendy.) Last year, he and another bungalow resident built a horseshoe pit that meets tournament specifications.

But what he may be most famous for is his love for woodworking. When the SCAT (Senior Citizens at Touchmark) Purple Martin Committee decided to add some purple martin bungalows, Al built three of them, with room for 12 pairs each, in his garage workshop. Wendy enlisted a group of Touchmark friends and committee members to paint these houses and erect the structures around the campus. They were mounted in the best location and manner, as advised by the Purple Martin Conservatory.

“And we’ve just taken up cruising!” says Wendy. “We recently went to Alaska with a group of our Touchmark friends, and we’re going on a Mexican cruise this spring.”

“Oh,” says Al, “and I started playing golf last year.”

It seems that sleeping might be considered just another hobby to them, squeezing in between their other activities.

The best things are free

Wendy and Al Rempel say that their quality of life has really picked up since they moved to Touchmark.

“We know more people; we have more friends; we have that special community feeling here,” says Al. “You can’t buy that anywhere ... it’s here for free.”

What do the Rempels say to friends who are thinking about moving to Touchmark?

“We just take them for a tour,” says Al. “This place speaks for itself.”