QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC, February 1, 2008 — The Honourable Josée Verner,
Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women and Official Languages,
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
celebrated funding for 29 projects under the Government of Canada's
New Horizons for Seniors Program with recipients in the Greater
Quebec City area. This funding will help ensure that seniors in
the area have the opportunity to participate and take an active
leadership role within their communities.
Speaking at the Fondation de l'hôpital Sainte-Monique, Minister
Verner announced total funding of $572,386 for 29 projects to
benefit community groups in the Greater Québec City area. This includes
$12,000 for the Fondation de l'hôpital Sainte-Monique for their project
Nos aînés; des ambassadeurs positifs.
"The Government of Canada is proud to support seniors in strengthening
our communities and building our country," said Minister Verner.
"The 29 projects we are funding across the Greater Quebec City area
will encourage our 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 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 GIS. As long as they
file income tax returns every year, these seniors 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; and
raising the amount that seniors can claim under the age credit on
their tax returns for 2007. With less income taxed, seniors save more.
To ensure that the New Horizons for Seniors Program and the programs
provided by the Government of Quebec complement each other, a
Canada-Quebec memorandum of understanding sets out the mechanisms
for collaboration. Under this memorandum of understanding, the projects
funded by the New Horizons for Seniors Program are recommended jointly by
representatives of Human Resources and Social Development Canada and the
Secrétariat aux aînés du Québec, following consultation with the Tables
de concertation des aînés established in every region of Quebec.
This process is fully consistent with the broad cross-Canada policy
directions for the Program, under which people who are engaged in seniors'
issues review and recommend projects for funding.
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 their communities. For more
information about the Program, please visit the following Web site:
http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/community_partnerships/seniors/index.shtml.
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This news release is available in alternative formats upon request.
Additional information (media only):
Pascal Doucet
Media Relations Coordinator
Service Canada Communications
514-982-2384, ext. 2209
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 PROGRAM PROJECTS IN THE GREATER QUEBEC CITY AREA -
Organization
Project Title
Location
Amount
Centraide Québec
Récits de vie... Récits de bonté! Réflexions
et pratiques de l'engagement social chez les retraités
Beauport
$14,945
Centre communautaire de Beauport
Ami " Aînés "
Beauport
$25,000
Club de l'âge d'Or de Donnacona Inc
Ateliers informatiques pour les aînés
Donnacona
$12,375
Fondation de l'hôpital Sainte-Monique
Nos aînés; des ambassadeurs positifs
Les Saules
$12,000
ACEF Rive-sud
Conférences et ateliers en consommation pour
nouveaux retraités et retraitées d'expérience
Lévis
$18,520
Centre d'action bénévole SERS Inc
Journée de formation et réflexion
Lévis
$20,667
La maison Louis-Honoré-Fréchette de Lévis
Si Lévis m'était conté
Lévis
$25,000
La section Lévis-Rive-Sud de L'AQDR
Illustration des droits des aînés: une
participation intergénérationnelle
Lévis
$14,144
Patro Laval inc.
Faire autrement
Québec
$21,193
Association des grands-parents du Québec
À l'écoute des grands-parents!
Québec
$23,243
Association des personnes retraitées du Cégep Limoilou
Limoilou : un pont entre les âges
Québec
$24,800
Association des retraitées et retraités
de l'enseignement du Québec
Secur'aidant
Québec
$14,900
Centre d'aide et d'action Bénévoles de Charlesbourg
Aînés-nous à vous aider
Québec
$12,240
FADOQ Sainte-Ursule inc.
Valorisation du milieu des aînés par l'informatique
Québec
$13,333
FADOQ-régions de Québec et Chaudière-Appalaches
Du nouveau pour les aînés
Québec
$20,000
Groupe Les Relevailles
Des aînés aidants
Québec
$25,000
La compagnie des Jeunes retraités du
Plateau de Charlesbourg
Fête champêtre du 400ème de la Fondation
de Québec-Aînés de Charlesbourg
Québec
$18,000
La Maison Léon Provancher
Exposition: Regard vert
Québec
$25,000
Le Patro Roc-Amadour (1978) Inc
60 ans un bel âge pour rester jeune
Québec
$24,950
Table de concertation des personnes
ainées de la région de Québec
Journée de sensibilisation et
d'information pour les aînés
Québec
$25,000
Club de l'âge d'or Saint-Alfred
Métiers d'antan et d'aujourd'hui
Saint-Alfred
$14,809
Présence-Famille Saint-Augustin
En amitié avec les aînés!
Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures
$21,520
Club FADOQ Saint-Damien
Regroupement et animation des aînés de Saint-Damien
Saint-Damien-de-Buckland
$25,000
Association Bénévole Beauce-Sartigan inc.
L'activité physique gage d'une vie saine pour les aînés
Saint-Georges
$15,214
Les diplomates
Concert intergénérationnel
« Les diplomates en concert pour la relève »
Saint-Sylvestre
$19,600
Centre d'Entraide Familiale de la MRC de Montmagny
Transformez les vieux en neuf, transférez
la sagesse et transposez votre histoire
Sainte-Apolline
$17,333
Docteur Fou rire
Un clown aîné
Sainte-Pétronille
$25,000
Club d'Âge d'Or Garnier Inc
Théâtre d'improvisation pour les aînés
Sillery
$18,600
Regroupement des centres d'amitié
autochtones du Québec
Mémoires du Mouvement des centres
d'amitié autochtones du Québec
Wendake
$25,000
