Despite the best efforts of one senior, the Cherry Lane Towers condominium complex will be going to a 55+ age restriction.

Toni Russell had been championing a fight against the proposal to change the strata’s restrictions, but the vote on Jan. 25 ended up with a majority in favour of stricter limits on who would be allowed to buy or rent in the buildings.

“It went how I expected it to, doesn’t mean I’m not disappointed,” Russell said on Friday, Jan. 27.

Russell went so far as to get letters and statements from a local realtor and her financial manager to back up her argument that moving to a strict senior-only strata would cost everyone in the building financially.

It was a special concern for Russell, as she was focused on the impact on her children should she die before selling the place herself.

READ MORE: Penticton resident fighting to keep condo strata from becoming 55+ only

Now, Russell is beginning to look elsewhere to the future.

“I have to seriously think about this now,” Russell said. “I would like to sell and get out of this old age community, but what’s to stop the next place I move into from changing to 55+ after I move in? Nothing.”

At the core of Russell’s issue is the update to the Strata Act that was passed in late 2022, which removed the ability for stratas in B.C. to ban rentals or to set themselves with 19+ age restrictions. The Strata Act update did not change rules around 55-plus.

Prior to the amendment passing, Cherry Lane Towers had a 19+ age restriction.

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