Government of Canada funds 14 projects to support seniors across in Yukon

From: Employment and Social Development Canada

News release

October 11, 2023             Whitehorse, Yukon            Employment and Social Development Canada

It is our responsibility as Canadians to make sure that the seniors who built this country can age with dignity and security. The Government of Canada is committed to supporting the local organizations that support our seniors by empowering them and contributing to their health and well-being.

Today, on behalf of Canada’s Minister for Seniors, Seamus O’Regan Jr., Dr. Brendan Hanley, Member of Parliament for Yukon, announced an investment of $342,046 to fund 14 community-based projects to support seniors in Yukon. He made the announcement while visting the Centre de la francophonie Community Centre in Whitehorse. This funding was awarded through the 2022–23 New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) call for proposals for community-based projects. The Association franco-yukonnaise will use NHSP funds to support seniors who participate in the planning of a radio play and on developing a workshop on financial abuse.

As part of the 2022–23 NHSP call for proposals for community-based projects, organizations were invited to apply for funding that created opportunities for seniors to be more connected, supported and active members of their communities and reflect the national priorities:

  • supporting healthy aging through engaging social, physical and artistic activities;
  • preventing senior abuse such as through financial literacy training, fraud prevention training and digital literacy sessions;
  • celebrating diversity and promoting inclusion by promoting intergenerational mentoring, serving vulnerable groups and holding peer support sessions; and
  • helping the majority of seniors who want to age in their own homes to do so by providing practical supports.


Today’s announcement builds on the Government’s commitment to helping seniors age with dignity and choice, including the new Canadian Dental Care Plan and the Retirement Hub on Canada.ca. The Canadian Dental Care Plan will become available to eligible low-income seniors by the end of 2023, because no Canadian should have to choose between their smile or their heating bill. After opening the Plan last year for eligible kids under 12, this year’s expansion will include low-income seniors, as well as persons with disabilities and uninsured Canadians under 18. The Retirement Hub on Canada.ca is the new one-stop shop for retirement planning, and is already helping Canadians plan for a secure and dignified retirement with simple applications, benefit estimators, quizzes and checklists. By removing barriers and making services easier to access, the Retirement Hub is making it easier for seniors to retire on their terms.

Quotes

“When seniors are more connected, engaged and active members of their communities, everyone benefits. So, we want to support organizations in the Yukon that build more inclusive communities and give seniors the tools they need to age on their own terms.”
– Seamus O’Regan Jr., Minister for Seniors

“The New Horizons for Seniors program supports those who support our seniors. As a proponent of healthy aging, I’m thrilled to see this program enable Yukon seniors to participate in activities, learn new skills, stay active and connect to both their peers and younger generations. Personal growth and belonging remain important at all stages of life, and local organizations working with seniors understand that. We’re here to help provide the resources they need to help everyone age with dignity.”

– Brendan Hanley, Member of Parliament for Yukon

Quick facts

  • Seniors are one of Canada’s fastest-growing population groups. They will represent almost 25% of the population by 2051 and could reach close to 11 million people within 15 years.

  • The New Horizons for Seniors Program community-based stream is a federal grants program whose goal is to support projects that help seniors stay active and engaged in the community. Organizations are eligible to receive up to $25,000 in grant funding.

  • The Government of Canada invests approximately $50 million per year to support NHSP community-based projects across the country. In Budget 2022, an additional $20 million over two years was proposed, for an expanded program to support more projects that improve the quality of life of seniors and help them to continue to participate fully in their communities.

  • Since its inception in 2004, NHSP has funded more than 36,500 projects in hundreds of communities across Canada, with the Government of Canada having invested a total of more than $780 million.

  • Every year, organizations are invited to apply for NHSP community-based funding through a call for proposals. The projects announced today were approved as part of a call for proposals that was launched on September 21, 2022, and closed on November 1, 2022.

  • Program funding supports projects that address one or more of the program’s five objectives: social participation, volunteering, mentoring, expanding awareness of elder abuse and providing capital assistance.

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Contacts

For media enquiries, please contact:

Hartley Witten
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Labour and Seniors, Seamus O’Regan Jr.
343-575-1065
Hartley.Witten@labour-travail.gc.ca

Media Relations Office
Employment and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559
media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
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