Conveniently located in Bowser's village core beside Magnolia Court, Lighthouse Villa opened on March 1. (Image Credit: Bowser Seniors Housing Society)

By Ian Holmes

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‘Many of these people have been living in vans:’ Bowser seniors’ housing complex opens

Mar 8, 2026 | 10:31 AM

BOWSER — A difference-making independent housing facility north of Qualicum Beach is open.

Lighthouse Villa offers seniors 65-years-old and up affordable rent in a 22-unit single-storey unfurnished development in Bowser’s village core.

Eileen Beadle, who serves on the Bowser Seniors Housing Society’s board of directors, said this project was the byproduct of many years of planning, fundraising and advocacy.

“We had many, many twist and turns and we finally got funding from BC Housing and CMHC in 2024 and we opened the building on March 1st.”

Exterior courtyard of Lighthouse VIlla. (Image Credit: Bowser Seniors Housing Society)

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All but one of the units are spoken for, Beadle said.

She expects all of Lighthouse Villa’s residents will be occupied by mid- April.

“Many of these people have been living in vans, in places that have no insulation, no water. There are people who want to live closer to their families who live here, people who have been waiting a long time to get into something that is reasonable and affordable to them.”

Half of the units are calculated on a rent-geared-to-income model, while Beadle said seven units are slightly below market rate and four are deeply subsidized.

Lighthouse Villa includes a common living room, while the Society hopes to establish a communal kitchen at some point in the future.

Beadle noted there is already a waiting list for prospective tenants.

However, Beadle said the property adjacent to Magnolia Court is zoned through the Regional District of Nanaimo for 40 units.

“Sometime in the future another 18 units will hopefully be built on the same site,” Beadle told NanaimoNewsNOW.

She said Bowser Seniors Housing Society raised $500,000 toward the Ligthhouse Villa project.

A common living room area complements the Lighthouse Villa independent living complex. (Image Credit: Bowser Seniors Housing Society)

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