Ontario Construction News staff writer
An American-based, award-winning provider of non-medical home care is making its first foray into Canada, planning to open six locations immediately across Ontario as a first step to establishing 150 more locations across the country.
Sam Riad, CEO of Comfort of Senior Living, has signed on as a master franchise and will operate as FirstLight Home Care of Canada. He currently operates 10 Comfort of Senior Living retirement communities across Ontario. The master franchise agreement will allow Riad to introduce the FirstLight Home Care brand and deliver the company’s non-medical home care services to a brand-new market.
“We are thrilled to bring our FirstLight brand to Canada,” said Jeff Bevis, CEO and Co-Founder of FirstLight Home Care. “International expansion has always been part of our strategy, and we believe we have found a solid master franchise partner in Sam Riad. He has extensive experience and a deep understanding of the industry, established relationships in the market and the infrastructure for rapid growth. And we share a similar mission, culture and calling to care for aging seniors and other adults in need of extra support.”
FirstLight provides care for seniors, veterans, people with disabilities and individuals who are recuperating. Its network of franchises is dedicated to the health and well-being of others by delivering compassionate and quality services to individuals in the place they call home.
“We recognized the tremendous success of FirstLight in the U.S and realized how beneficial this model would be to the Canadian market, especially with the recent increasing trend of older adults wishing to stay at home longer,” said Riad. “We are passionate about helping individuals in our communities, and FirstLight sets the pace by offering innovative home care services that ensure people in need receive premium care.”
Canadian CEO Brad Rye will lead the implementation of FirstLight Home Care into Canada. Rye has owned and operated various homes for special care for the past 30 years. He is co-founder and former president of the Ontario Homes for Special Needs Association (OHSNA), representing 500 homes and 5,000 residents across Ontario. Recently working with the Ontario government, Rye assisted in the development and implementation of a resident-focused model of housing and services.
Since opening its first franchise location in 2010, FirstLight Home Care has experienced steady growth and is now serving clients in more than 220 locations in more than 30 states throughout the United States.