CALGARY, ALBERTA, May 23, 2008-The Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, today announced funding for 88 projects in Alberta under the Government of Canada's New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP). This support will benefit seniors in Alberta by improving the facilities and equipment they need to stay involved and take active leadership roles within their communities.
"The Government of Canada is proud to support seniors in strengthening our communities and building our country," said Minister Solberg. "The projects we are funding in Alberta will enable the continuation of programs and activities that play an important role in ensuring quality of life for seniors."
The 88 projects will receive total funding of more than $1.1 million under the new Capital Assistance component of the New Horizons for Seniors Program, which enables organizations that support seniors to replace aging equipment or have needed renovations done. Nationally, the Program is funding 845 new projects under this component, for a total of nearly $10 million.
The funding announced today is part of a commitment made in the 2007 federal budget to provide capital assistance for needed repairs or equipment, and to raise awareness of elder abuse. When added to the original Community Participation and Leadership component of the NHSP, the total amount of funding available for projects under the Program is now $28 million per year.
The announcement followed a National Seniors Council Roundtable on Seniors' Well-Being that was held in Calgary. Council members met with seniors' organizations and service providers to better understand the challenges that seniors living on low incomes face, 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."
Today's roundtable is one of a series being held across Canada. Recently, roundtables have been held in Québec City, Quebec; Vernon, British Columbia; St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador; Woodstock, New Brunswick; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Nanaimo, British Columbia; and Whitehorse, Yukon.
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 re-apply;
- 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.
Since its launch, the NHSP has funded over 2,600 projects across Canada, helping seniors to bring their leadership, energy and skills to 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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Information on the funded NHSP projects 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 Office
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 actively contribute to and benefit from the quality of life in their communities.
Building on the success of the NHSP, in 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 amount of funding available under the NHSP to $28 million per year.
As a result of the additional $10 million, the Program now offers three types of funding to organizations:
New funding components
1. Capital Assistance funding (up to $25,000 in funding): This funding helps non profit organizations that need to upgrade facilities or equipment used for existing seniors' programs and activities. It enables seniors to continue to lead active lives by participating in existing programs and activities in their communities. The last Call for Applications closed on December 14, 2007, and applicants received decision letters in March 2008.
2. Elder Abuse Awareness funding (up to $250,000 in funding per year over three years): This funding helps 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. The last Call for Proposals closed on December 14, 2007, and proposals are being assessed.
Original component
3. Community Participation and Leadership funding (up to $25,000 in 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. The Call for Applications for Community Participation and Leadership funding is currently open until June 13, 2008.
