70 accessible and affordable homes — built by community, named for an advocate.
“This really is More than a Dream Come True.” — Dale Williams, grand-opening speech (2005)
Margaret Edgson was a wheelchair user living in Mission Heights who spent years advocating for accessible transportation in Grande Prairie. She helped secure the DATS accessible transit buses — though she died in 2002, just months before the buses she fought for were finally launched.
She told her brother Jim, who lived in Vernon, BC, that she wanted the proceeds from the sale of her house to go toward accessible housing. Jim honoured her wish with no legal obligation, donating $150,000 to GPRS — plus an additional $25,000 to $50,000 to the Disabled Transportation Society.
At the presentation, Jim said:
"I hope that you will continue to be an example for the rest of Canada."
Dale Williams, GPRS president at the time, called the gift the catalyst that made everything possible:
"Without Jim's contribution of $150,000, I don't believe we would be standing here today."
With waiting lists long and the oil-boom rental market squeezing out anyone on a fixed income, GPRS partnered with Grande Spirit Foundation, Royal Management Services, the City of Grande Prairie, and CMHC to plan something larger than anything they'd done before.
The original plan was 48 units. The math didn't work. Curtis Way, the project manager from Royal Management Services, pushed the plan to 70 — the only way to make the building self-sustaining without ongoing government subsidies. The model: 16 fully barrier-free AISH suites at roughly $300–$400 per month, subsidized by 54 affordable family suites at about $600 per month.
"This really is More than a Dream Come True."
Purpose-built for wheelchair users and residents with mobility impairments:
Two-bedroom suites for families and individuals who need relief from high market rents — the revenue that keeps the building self-sustaining without government operating support.
A barrier-free common space open to tenants and nonprofit groups — for meetings, workshops, celebrations, and neighbourly connection. One board director's efforts turned it into a true hub of community life.
Margaret Edgson Manor isn't just 70 units. It brought accessible and affordable housing together under one roof — a model where families, individuals, and disabled adults live side-by-side. People here aren't just tenants. They're neighbours, society members, volunteers, and part of a legacy that started in 1986.
The mixed-income model was deliberate. The affordable units generate the revenue that keeps barrier-free rents low — no ongoing government subsidy required. It was designed to sustain itself, and it has for nearly 20 years.
"Having a home of your own gives you a piece of independence. You have your own home."
On June 9, 2025, fire severely damaged Margaret Edgson Manor, displacing more than 70 residents. Thanks to first responders, no lives were lost. The all-volunteer GPRS board chose to rebuild — and construction is now underway to updated 2023 building codes.
Applications for both barrier-free and affordable units are handled through our property manager, Grande Spirit Foundation.
Questions? Call (780) 532-3276 or email gpresidentialsociety@gmail.com
