2019 | Chamber of Commerce Community Investment Award
2020 | Sault Star Readers Choice “Best Retirement Living Residence and Senior Care Provider”
About OFRA
The greatest reward we can hope for is the simple opportunity to continue providing high-quality care to the seniors we are proud to call our friends and family.
History of OFRA
The idea for a local Finnish rest home came from Lauri Kovalainen (Windsor), who provided personal care to a stranger and later to his wife. At that time care options were few and far between; thus the onus to care for the elderly rested mostly on one's family. Lauri had a vision for a different way of providing care to seniors, one that was steeped in the traditions of the Finnish culture.
People have a misconception that you have to be Finnish to reside or work at OFRA. We cater to seniors of all backgrounds and nationalities; as a matter of fact, only 25% of our residents are of Finnish descent!
Lauri’s original plan was to build a nursing home, and it was in this spirit that he networked holding province-wide town hall meetings to build support. It was through his contacts in Sault Ste. Marie that the idea took hold, and on September 1, 1971, the founding meeting of the organization, later to be called the Ontario Finnish Resthome Association, took place.
By January 1973, OFRA purchased 27 acres of land nestled next to the Fort Creek Conservation area at the corner of Second Line E. and North St. The membership had nearly 800 members at this point, and people were mortgaging their homes to help make it happen.
Suomi Eesti Maja, an affordable-living senior’s housing project, opened in September 1976; and building on that success, OFRA went on to build an assisted-living facility, Kotitalo, for more complex care needs in June 1982.
Fundraising events and activities continued, eventually leading to the building of Mauno Kaihla Koti Nursing Home, which opened in February 1991.
OFRA’s Board of Directors needed to look to the future of the organization and build on its reputation of excellence in senior care. Seeing a need in the community for independent living accommodations for seniors, a decision was made to build another independent apartment building, Uusi Koti, which opened in November 2016. Uusi Koti quickly reached full capacity, and guests took full advantage of the two daily guest suite rentals for family and friends to enjoy while visiting residents of OFRA.
The OFRA campus is home to approximately 440 residents with a total of 186 staff members and 300 volunteers! We have a huge community of people from our board members, association members, residents, staff and volunteers that help keep us afloat.
OFRA operates under the guiding principle that each resident be provided with the best environment possible within which they are able to maintain an optimum level of functioning and maximize the quality of their daily life. This is achieved through OFRA's providing four different senior residential sites:
- Two independent-living apartment buildings;
- An assisted-living facility for seniors who require some support with their daily living activities
- A nursing home that provides 24-hour access to healthcare services
As we plan for the future, our goal is to ensure that OFRA continues to excel in providing a continuance of multi-level care designed to meet the needs of seniors within the District of Algoma. With the ever growing shortage of affordable housing options, particularly for pensioned and low-income seniors, and a rapidly growing aging population, we must take action now to ensure we will continue to meet their needs for years to come.
OFRA Membership
We welcome you to join the OFRA Family! All OFRA Members have the ability to attend the Annual General Meeting and vote on any decisions that shape the future of OFRA as well as any new board members.
Click below to view our informational brochure & Membership Application
OFRA Staff are Second to None!
Our staff members are the face and reputation of OFRA. They represent OFRA each day with heart and caring, with compassion and respect. They strive to make sure each resident is seen and heard, their needs are met and they are comfortable in their chosen “home.” We are very proud of the men and women who work hard each day to ensure that our residents feel “at home,” are loved and cared for. An organization is only as good as the people that represent it, our staff works to maintain that ideal. We take great pride and joy knowing that our OFRA team is "simply THE BEST," and that’s what makes us a “Home with a Heart” - the housing option of choice!
Our Mission Statement
Mission
Our “Homes with a Heart”, founded in Finnish and Estonian heritage, provide safe, compassionate, resident-centred care for all seniors, dedicated to enhancing their quality of life.
Vision
Be the preferred choice of high quality housing and care for seniors, shaping the future of senior living by empowering residents, engaging all stakeholders and creating an environment our residents are proud to call home and our employees are proud to work.
Values
• Compassion ~ empathy, kind and caring
• Integrity ~ accountable, honest, trustworthy and sincerity
• Respect ~ independence, autonomy and self-care
• Dignity ~ compassion, empathy and comfort
• Inclusivity ~ fairness and equality
What Lies Ahead for OFRA
In 2015 an application was submitted to upgrade our existing nursing home from a Class B level to a Class A level. We made second application to apply for an additional 64 beds.
Under the government's Ontario Action Plan for Seniors: Aging with Confidence plan (a commitment to increase nursing home beds in Ontario by 5,000 beds), OFRA submitted another application. On April 26, 2018, we were approved for an additional 64 beds, the only home to receive this sizeable an increase!
Although it took three years to get approval for the expansion, and then another set back with a global pandemic, our expected occupancy for the new 128 beds is March 2025.
People have the notion that we are 100% government funded. Unfortunately, the government only provides us with funding to use towards our brick and mortar operations. That is why we rely heavily on donations and the hard work of our Foundation, Ladies Auxiliary, Board of Directors and Volunteers to help make it happen.
OFRA Awards
2016 | Heather Crowe Award
2016 | Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Award (med to large)
2016 | Chamber of Commerce Marketing of the Year Award (med to large)
2017
| The Winston Piper Memorial Award – Rotary Community Day Parade Grand Prize Float
2017 | Sault Star Readers Choice “Best Retirement Living Residence and Senior Care Provider”
2018
| Sault Star Readers Choice “Best Retirement Living Residence and Senior Care Provider” – 2nd year in a row!
2018
| ICF Builder Award for Uusi Koti (SalDan Construction)
