The Globe and Mail reports in its Saturday, Aug. 23, edition that Vision Capital's Jeff Olin likes Chartwell Retirement Residences REIT, the largest owner and operator of seniors' housing in Canada. The Globe's Brenda Bouw writes that Mr. Olin first bought Chartwell on Aug. 11, 2023, at $9.93 a unit. Seniors' housing is benefiting from powerful demographic tailwinds, with Canada's 80-plus population projected to grow at 4.8 per cent annually through 2042, requiring at least 20,000 new seniors housing suites annually over the next decade. There are fewer than 5,000 suites under construction across Canada right now, and, according to CBRE, new supply peaked in the prior business cycle at less than 10,000 units under construction.
The REIT recently reported that same-property adjusted net operating income was up 20 per cent for its second quarter compared with a year ago, which is extraordinary. Mr. Olin says it is very well managed and has a nice distribution yield. Like other operators in the sector, the REIT got hit during the pandemic, with occupancy rates dropping into the low 80-per-cent range. A year ago, it told the market its occupancy rate would be at 95 per cent by the end of 2025, and it is on track to achieve that.
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