SUSSEX, NEW BRUNSWICK, January 23, 2008 — The Honourable Greg Thompson, Minister of Veterans Affairs, 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 43 projects under the New Horizons for Seniors Program, to ensure seniors in New Brunswick have the opportunity to participate and take an active leadership role within their communities.
Speaking at the Sussex and Area Seniors' Centre, Minister Thompson and Rob Moore, Member of Parliament for Fundy Royal, were pleased to award one of the organizations - Seniors Training Seniors - with $25,000 for their Internet Café project. A total of $743,362 is available for 31 communities throughout New Brunswick.
"The Government of Canada is proud to support seniors in strengthening our communities and building our country," said Minister Thompson. "These 43 projects will encourage seniors across New Brunswick to continue sharing their skills, wisdom and experience in their communities."
In Budget 2007, the Government of Canada announced an additional investment of $10 million per year for two new components of the New Horizons for Seniors Program: to raise awareness of elder abuse, and to provide 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 addressing 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 they 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;
enabling seniors to build their retirement savings in Registered Pension Plans and Registered Retirement Savings Plans for an extra two years until age 71;
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 beginning, 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 New Horizons for Seniors Program, please visit the following Web site: http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/community_partnerships/seniors/index.shtml.
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A detailed list of funded projects in New Brunswick 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 NEW BRUNSWICK -
Organization
Project Title
Location
Amount
Le Club d'âge d'or d'Acadieville
La marche en plein air et activités culturelles
Acadieville
$15,400
Services à la Famille Népisiguit Incorporée
Transition vers d'autres milieux de vie: Formation, prévention et action selon les besoins des aînés
Bathurst
$25,000
Boiestown Senior Citizens Group
Achieve Activity and Social Wellness
Boiestown
$10,000
Les 7 anneaux d'or de Bois Blanc Inc.
Vieillir en Santé 2007
Bois Blanc
$17,000
Granite Town Senior Citizens Club
Outreach to Seniors
Bonny River
$17,405
Washademoak Seniors Inc.
Washademoak Seniors Community Outreach
Cambridge Narrows
$12,460
Club des aîné-es de Notre-Dame-des-Neiges
Rejoindre des aînés isolés de la grande région de Campbellton
Campbellton
$17,450
Club d'âge d'or de Cocagne Inc.
Les aînés en action
Cocagne
$17,500
Fort Folly First Nation
First Nation Traditional Knowledge Gallery Calendar 2009
Dorchester
$14,250
Université de Moncton
Lorsque la santé se détériore -- une transition de vie : l'acquisition du rôle d'aidant naturel.
Edmundston
$23,802
Université du Troisième Âge du Nord-Ouest Inc.
Apprendre à gérer sa solitude
Edmundston
$25,000
Capital Winter Club Ltd.
Curling Club
Fredericton
$5,000
Mawiw Council Corporate
Mawiw Council Elders Circle Project
Fredericton
$25,000
NB Association for Community Living
"A Time of Uncertainty": Supporting Senior Parents with Adult Sons and Daughters with Disabilities
Fredericton
$25,000
The Frontier College
Intergenerational Literacy in Fredericton
Fredericton
$19,199
River Valley Community Access
Senior Traditions & Youth & Technology - That was Then/This is Now
Grand Bay-Westfield
$8,750
Association Intégration Communautaire Inc.
Planning for our Sons and Daughters Future: Supporting Senior Parents of Adult Children with Disabilities
Grand-Sault
$24,975
Club de l'âge d'Or de Lamèque Inc.
La joie de vivre des aînés
Lamèque
$9,750
Association des universités du 3e âge du N.-B.
Réseautage des universités du 3e âge du N.-B.
Moncton
$25,000
Go-Ahead Seniors Inc.
Seniors Living with Hearing Loss
Moncton
$12,557
Moncton Curlers Association Limited
Daytime Stick and Regular Curling for Seniors
Moncton
$10,850
Multicultural Association of the Greater Moncton Area
Nos aînés, notre mémoire et notre présence à Moncton
Moncton
$25,000
Université du 3e âge du Sud-Est Inc
Grouille ou Rouille
Moncton
$24,300
Club d'âge d'or de Notre-Dame-de-Kent
Énergie visible: aujourd'hui, demain
Notre-Dame-de-Kent
$23,900
Le Club de l'Âge d'Or Les Trois Anneaux Inc.
Les Aînés notre héritage, la Jeunesse notre avenir
Notre-Dame-des-Érables
$15,893
Le Club de l'âge d'or de Petit-Rocher Inc.
Donnons à nos aîné(e)s la place qui leur revient dans notre communauté
Petit-Rocher
$22,242
Plaster Rock Golf & Curling Club
Seniors Teaching Juniors How to Curl
Plaster Rock
$12,200
Tobique Seniors Club
Carpet Bowling for Seniors Teaching Juniors
Plaster Rock
$12,015
Metepenagiag Mi'kmaq Nation
Seniors and Youth Helping Other Seniors and Youth
Red Bank
$23,100
Association acadienne et francophone des aînées et aînés du N.-B.
Je me sens bien dans ma peau
Richibouctou
$25,000
Club d'âge d'or de Richibouctou
Resserons les liens entre les cultures et les générations
Richibouctou
$13,500
Rexton Golden Age Club
Kent Region for Seniors Helping Seniors
Richibucto
$15,000
VON Canada New Brunswick
S.M.A.R.T (Seniors Maintaining Active Roles Together)
Sackville
$24,100
Admiral Beatty Seniors Social Club
De-Isolation of Seniors.
Saint John
$4,000
Greater Saint John Senior Advisory Committee (SAC)
Senior Partners Bridging the Gaps
Saint John
$6,250
Saint John Theatre Company Inc.
Voices in Time
Saint John
$11,400
New Brunswick Senior Friendship Games Association
Reaching out to all Seniors
Saint-Andre-LeBlanc
$24,000
Club d'âge d'or de St-Arthur
Amélioration de la vie sociale des aînés
St-Arthur
$17,770
St. George Community Access Centre
Memories Through Pictures
St. George
$10,044
Stanley Golden Age Club
Carpet Bowling
Stanley
$3,000
Club d'âge d'or de Sainte-Marie-de-Kent
On s'donne l'air
Ste-Marie-de-Kent
$20,300
Sussex and Area Seniors' Centre Inc.
Seniors Training Seniors - The Internet Cafe
Sussex
$25,000
The Transportation Committee (New Brunswick Senior Citizens' Federation Inc.)
55 Alive - Mature Driving Program
Upper Salmon Creek
$24,000
