ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR, February 20, 2008 — 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), the Honourable Loyola Hearn, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, today announced funding for 22 projects under the New Horizons for Seniors Program. This funding will ensure that seniors in Newfoundland and Labrador have the opportunity to participate and take an active leadership role within their communities.
Speaking at the Battery Hotel and Conference Centre, Minister Hearn announced total funding of $380,009 to support 18 communities throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.
"The Government of Canada is proud to support seniors in strengthening our communities and building our country," said Minister Hearn. "The 22 projects we are funding will encourage seniors across Newfoundland and Labrador to continue sharing their skills, wisdom and experience to benefit others."
This announcement followed the National Seniors Council Roundtable on Seniors' Well-Being where Council members met with seniors' organizations and service providers to better understand the challenges faced by seniors living on low incomes, particularly women.
Established in March 2007, the National Seniors Council advises the Government of Canada on all matters related to the well-being of seniors, and helps ensure that federal government policies, programs and services continue to meet the evolving needs of Canada's aging population.
"These roundtables give the Council a great opportunity to get to know people working on the front lines of seniors' issues," said Mr. Jean-Guy Soulière, Chair of the National Seniors Council. "Hearing these views will help us to give the government our best advice to ensure that the evolving needs of Canada's aging population can be met."
Similar roundtables are being held across Canada over the next few months, including Quebec City and Woodstock, New Brunswick this week.
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 New Horizons for Seniors Program has funded 1,690 projects in hundreds of communities across Canada over the past year, 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.
For more information on the National Seniors Council, please visit the following Web site: www.seniorscouncil.gc.ca
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A list of the funded projects in Newfoundland and Labrador 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
Government of Canada Initiatives for Seniors
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:
funding 1,690 projects in hundreds of communities across Canada under the New Horizons for Seniors Program over the last year, inspiring seniors to bring their leadership, energy and skills to projects that benefit our communities;
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.
backgrounder
- FUNDING TO NEW HORIZONS FOR SENIORS PROJECTS IN NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR -
Organization
Project Title
Location
Amount
Princess Sheila 50 + Club
Quilting Project
Carbonear
$3,100
Eagle River Literacy Advisory Committee Inc
Creative Hands
Cartwright
$11,620
Young At Heart 50 + Club
Furthering our Education
Colinet
$13,000
The Town of Come By Chance
Partners in Learning
Come By Chance
$13,530
Gladgreeters Senior Citizens Club -69
Heritage Scrapbooks
Ferryland
$9,560
Fogo Island Roaring 50 Club
Bridging the Gap and Uniting an Island
Joe Batt's Arm
$14,156
Lower Trinity South Regional Development Association
Senior Web Surfers
New Perlican
$9,700
Twilight 50 + Club
Seniors Painting with Pleasure
Port au Port East
$11,008
Town of Robert's Arm
Active Living for Seniors
Robert's Arm
$25,000
Town of Springdale
Drop In Centre for Older Adults
Springdale
$24,425
Anglican Homes Inc
Jolly Bunch of Seniors Choral Group
St. John's
$10,560
Community Mediation Services Inc.
Building on our Strengths
St. John's
$25,000
Macmorran Community Centre
Beyond our Borders
St. John's
$25,000
Public Legal Information Association of NL
Seniors and the Law
St. John's
$25,000
Seniors Bridging Cultures
Building Bridges: Easing the Passage
St. John's
$24,990
Yesterday's Youth 50 + Club
Seniors Working our Way with Youth
St. Mary's
$25,000
St. Vincent's Lions Club
Boosting the Moral of our Community
St. Vincent's
$14,300
Indian Head First Nations
Building the Circle - Honouring Traditions - Creating Futures
Stephenville
$25,000
Stephenville Crossing Senior Citizens 50 Club
Seniors Being Together
Stephenville Crossing
$11,800
Torbay 50 + Friendship Club
Living Strong, Living Well and Life Long Learning
Torbay
$20,410
Victoria Community Development Corporation
Wisdom Tree Program
Victoria
$20,500
O'Connor 50 + Club
Women - Young and Old - Sharing Their Talents
Witless Bay
$17,350
