MONTRÉAL, QUEBEC, March 26, 2008 - The Government of Canada is supporting seniors in Quebec by making sure they have the opportunity to participate and take an active leadership role within the community.
Mr. Jacques Gourde, Member of Parliament for Lotbinière-Chutes-de-la-Chaudière and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, 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 a project under the New Horizons for Seniors Program.
The project Concert intergénérationnel " Les Diplomates en concert pour la relève " will receive $19,600 in funding. This project will allow seniors to organize and present a concert in Quebec, on November 16, 2008, at the Albert-Rousseau room, in collaboration with the youth of l'Externat Saint-Jean-Eudes. About 100 seniors are expected to participate in the project.
Les Diplomates is a group of musicians of all ages who have, in the past, been part of a drum and bugle corps, an activity that practically disappeared in Quebec in the late 1990s. The organization aims to encourage musical training for youth and to promote this type of musical activity as an art form to be appreciated by all.
"The Government of Canada is proud to support seniors in strengthening our communities and building our country," said Mr. Gourde. "This project will encourage seniors to continue sharing their skills, wisdom and experience to benefit others."
"This concert is proof that bridging the gap between youth and seniors is possible and valuable, through engaging in a common artistic activity and passion, such as music," said Ms. Carole Plante, Secretary-Treasurer of the organization Les Diplomates.
In Quebec, 245 organizations in 141 communities have received funding totalling more than $4.4 million.
Last year, 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.
Budget 2008 and other recent federal initiatives are also addressing the needs of Canada's seniors through the introduction of a series of important measures that include:
- providing $13 million over three years to help seniors and others recognize the signs and symptoms of elder abuse, and to provide information on what support is available;
- proposing to raise the current Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) earned income exemption to $3,500 from $500. This means that typical GIS recipients will be able to keep more of their hard-earned money without any reduction in GIS benefits;
- enabling 1.6 million low-income seniors to benefit from increased monthly benefits available under the Guaranteed Income Supplement 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;
- establishing the National Seniors Council to advise the Government on issues of importance to older Canadians;
- providing more than $1 billion in tax relief to Canadian seniors and pensioners;
- 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 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 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 benefit their communities. For more information about the Program, please visit: http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/community_partnerships/seniors/index.shtml.
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
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.
