VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, January 15, 2008 — Mr. James Moore, Member of Parliament for Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam, on behalf of the Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, and the Honourable Marjory LeBreton, Leader of the Government in the Senate and Secretary of State (Seniors), today announced funding for 97 projects under the New Horizons for Seniors Program, to ensure seniors in British Columbia have the opportunity to participate and take an active leadership role within their communities.
Total funding of $1,598,466 is being provided to support 58 communities throughout British Columbia.
"The Government of Canada is proud to support seniors in strengthening our communities and building our country," said Mr. Moore. "These projects will encourage seniors to continue sharing their skills, wisdom and experience to benefit others."
In the 2007 federal budget, the Government of Canada announced an additional investment of $10 million per year for two new components of NHSP: raising awareness of elder abuse, and providing capital assistance for upgrades to facilities and equipment used for existing seniors' programs. Projects funded under these new components will be announced in the spring of 2008.
The federal government is also acting to address the needs of Canada's seniors through the introduction of a series of important measures that include:
establishing the National Seniors Council to advise the Government on issues of importance to older Canadians;
enabling 1.6 million low-income seniors to benefit from increased monthly benefits available under the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) and to make a one-time application for the GIS. As long as these seniors file income tax returns every year, they will never have to reapply;
providing more than $1 billion in tax relief to Canadian seniors and pensioners in Budget 2007;
allowing seniors to build their retirement savings in Registered Pension Plans and Registered Retirement Savings Plans for an extra two years until age 71; and
raising the amount seniors can claim under the age credit on their tax returns for 2007. With less income taxed, seniors save more.
Since its launch, the New Horizons for Seniors Program has funded over 2,600 projects across Canada, inspiring seniors to bring their leadership, energy and skills to projects that benefit our communities. For more information about the Program, please visit: http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/community_partnerships/seniors/index.shtml
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A detailed list of funded projects in British Columbia is included in the attached backgrounder.
This news release is available in alternative formats upon request.
Additional information (media only):
Pema Lhalungpa
Press Secretary
Office of Minister Solberg
819-994-2482
Media Relations
Human Resources and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559
backgrounder
New Horizons for Seniors Program
Across Canada, the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) helps to ensure that seniors are able to benefit from and contribute to the quality of life in their communities through their social participation and active living. This is achieved through funding community projects that help seniors share their skills, wisdom and experience to benefit others, while reducing their social isolation.
Building on the success of the NHSP, in Budget 2007, the Government of Canada increased the Program's budget by $10 million per year to provide capital assistance for repairs to facilities and equipment related to existing seniors' programs, and to raise awareness of elder abuse across Canada. This has increased the total budget for the NHSP to $35 million per year.
As a result, the Program now offers three types of funding to organizations:
Pre-existing component
Community Participation and Leadership Funding: This funding supports community-based projects across Canada. The projects encourage seniors to continue to play an important role in their communities by helping those in need, providing leadership and sharing their knowledge and skills with others.
New funding components
Capital Assistance Funding: This funding will help non-profit organizations that need to upgrade facilities or equipment used for existing seniors' programs and activities. It will enable seniors to continue to lead active lives by participating in existing programs and activities in their communities.
Elder Abuse Awareness Funding: This funding will help non-profit organizations and coalitions raise awareness of the abuse of older adults on a national or regional level. Through this funding, new educational and awareness resources about elder abuse will be available to improve quality of life, safety and security for seniors.
backgrounder
FUNDING TO NEW HORIZONS FOR SENIORS PROJECTS
IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
Organization
Project Title
Location
Amount
Agassiz-Harrison Historical Society
Seniors, Service & Cyberspace
Agassiz
$25,000
Agassiz-Harrison Senior Peer Counsellors
The Senior Peer Counsellor's Role
Agassiz
$2,430
Kindale Developmental Association
Seniors Creating Community Supports for Adults with Developmental Disabilities
Armstrong
$8,000
Atlin Supportive Living Society
Seniors in Action
Atlin
$20,000
Barrier & District Seniors' Society
Promote Social Interaction Between Seniors, Community, and Youth
Barrier
$10,600
Boston Bar North Bend Enhancement Society
North Bend Seniors' Centre
Boston Bar
$25,000
Burnaby Seniors Outreach Services Society
Family Care Providers Helping Each Other: Support & Self-Help for Senior Family Caregivers
Burnaby
$15,000
Canadian Red Cross
Building Safer South Asian Senior Communities
Burnaby
$16,890
New Vista Society
The Pacific Elders Drum Project
Burnaby
$12,500
VIP Volunteers for Intergenerational Program
Enhancing Safety Discussion Groups
Burnaby
$9,000
Campbell River Area Women's Resource Society
Supporting Our Peers
Campbell River
$12,490
Senior Citizen's Association of B.C., Castlegar Branch 46
Castlegar Seniors' and Youth Interactive Program
Castlegar
$25,000
Anderton Therapeutic Gardens Society
Green Thumb
Comox
$5,350
Creston & District Community Resource Center Society
Learning in Retirement
Creston
$24,300
Canoe Creek Indian Band
Capturing the Canoe Creek Culture
Dog Creek
$15,000
St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church
The Redemption Gardens Project
Duncan
$16,610
Wildsight Elk Valley Branch
Keeping Food Real
Fernie
$25,000
Regional District of Bulkley Nechako
Computer Literacy for Seniors
Fort St. James
$17,498
People for a Healthy Community on Garbriola Society
Golden Garden
Gabriola Island
$14,750
Golden Seniors Branch 150 of the Seniors Citizens' Association of BC
Learning in Retirement - Golden, BC
Golden
$17,600
Grand Forks Amateur Radio Club
Promotion of Amateur Radio among the Seniors
Grand Forks
$5,048
Community Futures Development Corporation of Boundary Area
Adapting Community Computer Education Services for Seniors
Grand Forks
$11,125
Yunesit'in Government
Intergenerational Knowledge Transfer between Elders and Youth
Hanceville
$15,000
Oldtown Storytellers' Society
Intergenerational Food Action & Citizenship Engagement
Hazelton
$14,300
Houston Link to Learning Society
Houston Community Garden Project
Houston
$25,000
Kamloops Women's Resource Group Society
An Untold Story: Valuing Women's Contributions to Community Life
Kamloops
$25,000
Kitamat Village Council
Haisla Computer Literacy Outreach and Keepers of the Culture
Kitimat Village
$15,000
Kitimat Citizens' Association
Building the Digital Bridge between Seniors and Youth
Kitimat
$16,000
Kitimat Museum
Seniors "Museum Explorer" Docent Program
Kitimat
$9,050
ICAL Intergenerational Centre for Action Learning
Community Storytellers; Celebrating our Elders
Langley
$20,000
Langley Senior Resource Centre
Promoting Senior Leadership
Langley
$11,166
Upper St'at'imc Language, Culture And Education Society
St'at'imc Elder-directed Research
Lillooet
$19,000
Lillooet Seniors Drop-in Center
Lillooet Seniors Drop-in Center Project
Lillooet
$24,500
Ts'Kw'aylaxw First Nation
Elders Fostering and Inspiring Leadership and Empowerment
Lillooet
$15,000
Cortes Island Seniors Society
Seniors Website Project
Manson's Landing
$7,836
Haida Heritage and Repatriation Society
Haida Memories
Masset
$10,000
Lifetime Learning Centre Society
Quilting a Virtual Legacy
Mission
$13,450
Mission District Historical Society
Voices from the Past: Living History
Mission
$8,600
Kyah Wiget Education Society
Passing the Feather
Moricetown
$15,000
Cedar Community Policing Office
Computer Clinic for Cedar Seniors
Nanaimo
$15,000
Nanaimo Community Kitchens Society
Seniors Cooking Together
Nanaimo
$15,000
Tillicum Lelum Aboriginal Society
Tse Tsa-wal-Tui - Coming Home
Nanaimo
$7,500
Nelson and District Seniors Coordinating Society
Class Act
Nelson
$10,640
Centre of Integration For African Immigrants
Mukutano (Come Together)
New Westminster
$15,000
Deep Cove Heritage Society
To Capture & Preserve the Living History of Seymour's Seniors
North Vancouver
$23,655
North Shore Neighbourhood House
Seniors Clicking In! (SCI!)
North Vancouver
$24,570
Oceanside Community Network
Oceanside Seniors Collaborate
Parksville
$14,180
Ooknakane Friendship Centre
Walking With Elders
Penticton
$14,468
Penticton Seniors Recreational & Wellness Society
Elders Leading
Penticton
$25,000
Sparc BC Society
Senior Ambassadors of Civic Engagement
Penticton
$14,750
Hupacasath First Nation
Hupacasath Elders Haahuupaa Project
Port Alberni
$12,500
Pouce Coupe Senior Citizens Hall Branch 105
SASSII Smart, Active, Sociable Seniors
Pouce Coupe
$14,335
Tla'Amin Community Health Board Society
Tla'Amin Hys Ky'mieuwx Ahms Taow - Sliammon Respected Elders Tradition Teachings
Powell River
$15,000
Prince George Council of Seniors Society
Day-to-Day Lives of Pioneers (Biographies)
Prince George
$14,550
Punjabi Canadian Seniors Society
Breaking the Isolation of Indo-Canadian Seniors
Prince George
$24,860
Revelstoke Senior Citizens Association Branch #83
Seniors Against Hunger
Revelstoke
$24,578
Richmond Fruit Tree Sharing Project Society
Greenhouse Social Club
Richmond
$25,000
Rosewood Manor Care Foundation
Community Drumming Group
Richmond
$7,796
South Arm Community Association
MILAP Group - Outreach to Indo-Canadian Senior Women
Richmond
$3,448
St. Alban Anglican Church
Peace Labyrinth
Richmond
$9,175
The Kehila Society of Richmond
Mazel Tov - A Showcase of Jewish Seniors
Richmond
$8,000
Trinidad and Tobago Cultural Society of British Columbia
Caribbean Intergenerational Project
Richmond
$20,000
Volunteer Richmond Information Services
Enterprise Training for 'next' volunteers
Richmond
$6,150
Rossland Senior Citizens Association Branch
Cooking with Grandma, the Nutritious Old-fashioned Way
Rossland
$13,290
Salt Spring Trail and Nature Club
Partners Creating Pathways
Salt Spring Island
$20,000
Sunshine Coast Women's Resources Society
Sunshine Coast Senior Housing Counsellors Service
Sechelt
$18,900
Bulkley Valley Brain Injury Association
Falls Prevention - Ice Cleats Program
Smithers
$2,763
Edward Milne Community School Society
Old Salts - EMCS Maritime Program
Sooke
$25,000
Summerland Asset Development Initiative
Seniors Theatre
Summerland
$19,800
White Rock Surrey Come Share Society / Senior Support Services
Seniors Program to Maintain Health, Mind, Body & Soul
Surrey
$14,786
The CNIB
Community Outreach to South Asian Seniors with Vision Loss
Surrey, Richmond & Abbotsford
$19,800
Kootenay Columbia Educational Heritage Society
School District #20 Education History Project
Trail
$24,410
411 Seniors Centre Society
Seniors Cultural Buddy Network
Vancouver
$22,000
Association of Neighbourhood House of Lower Mainland
Issue Based Forum Theatre Workshops
Vancouver
$21,412
Carnegie Community Centre Association
SHIRE, Seniors Housing and Isolation Response Experience
Vancouver
$22,280
Downtown Eastside Women's Centre Association
Bridging the Gap
Vancouver
$25,000
H.R. MacMillan Space Centre Society
Sharing Space - The Next Generation
Vancouver
$10,150
Joyce Station Area Planning Association
It's All About M.E. (Mobile Education)
Vancouver
$25,000
Kensington Community Centre Association
Kensington Seniors Computer Club
Vancouver
$8,518
Multicultural Helping House Society
"A Whole New World" - An Approach to Senior Empowerment
Vancouver
$15,000
Oakridge Seniors' Society
Active Seniors Involving Youth to Nourish the Community
Vancouver
$25,000
Tetra Society of North America
Seniors for Seniors
Vancouver
$25,000
The Chinese Community Library Service Association
Computer Initiative for Chinese Seniors
Vancouver
$24,480
The Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver
Music for All Ages - Bridging the Gap
Vancouver
$23,000
The Minerva Foundation for BC Women
Combining Our Strength - Continuing Leadership Education
Vancouver
$25,000
Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society
Our Elders: Bridging for Today & Tommorow
Vancouver
$12,400
Inkamupalux Elders Society
Teaching of Okanagan Elders
Vernon
$14,000
Vernon Restholm Association
Social Kitchen & Family Room
Vernon
$10,000
Cordova Bay 55 Plus Association
Cordova Bay Seniors' Centre Internet Access
Victoria
$9,755
Friends of the Centre on Aging
Guided Autobiography: Telling Life Stories
Victoria
$20,000
James Bay New Horizons Society
Discovering the Best Possible Life for Yourself
Victoria
$24,370
La Société Francophone de Victoria
Apprendre, comprendre, léguer
Victoria
$25,000
Victoria Lesbian Seniors Care Society
Visioning Women: Living and Aging Well
Victoria
$15,000
Friends of Walhachin
Capacity Building Through Social Community Interaction
Walhachin
$21,050
Wells Best Seniors Association
Seniors Wellness Project
Wells
$25,000
Westside Health Network Society
Westside Senior Peer Network
Westbank
$15,554
Halfway River First Nation
Written Knowledge Project
Wonowon
$12,500
