When Sunset Terrace opened in Yarmouth in 1890, it did so with a clear mission: to provide a safe and supportive home for women of minimal means. Originally known as the Old Ladies Home, the Victorian-style boarding house was created by a group of local women who raised funds through craft sales, fairs, and bazaars. It was an early example of grassroots philanthropy in Nova Scotia.
For 130 years, the home offered affordable housing to older adults who were independent but in need of support. It operated without government funding, relying instead on boarding fees, an endowment fund, and occasional grants.
Sunset Terrace closed in 2020 as residents’ care needs began to exceed what the facility could offer. But the values that built it continue to make a difference.
The Old Ladies Home Society, which owned and operated Sunset Terrace, invested its remaining funds with the Community Foundation of Nova Scotia. Today, the resulting endowment allows The Old Ladies Home Society to provide more than $60,000 in grants annually to charities that support vulnerable people in the Yarmouth area.
From a single boarding home to a long-term source of local support, the legacy of the Old Ladies Home Society lives on through its continued investment in the people of Yarmouth.