CHERTSEY, QUEBEC, May 23, 2008-Mr. Jacques Gourde, Member of Parliament for Lotbinière-Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, today announced funding for the Centre Communautaire Bénévole Matawinie under the Government of Canada's New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP).
Mr. Gourde made the announcement 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).
Funding will enable the Centre Communautaire Bénévole Matawinie to improve their facilities and equipment to maintain activities that permit seniors to remain actively engaged in the community. In total, the organization will receive $24,265.
"The Government of Canada is proud to support seniors in strengthening our communities and building our country," said Mr. Gourde. "The project we are funding in Chertsey will enable the continuation of programs and activities that play an important role in ensuring quality of life for seniors."
This project is funded under a new component of the New Horizons for Seniors Program, Capital Assistance, which enables organizations that support seniors to replace aging equipment or pay for needed renovations.
It is part of a $10 million per year commitment made in the 2007 federal budget for capital assistance and to raise awareness of the issue of elder abuse. This is in addition to the original Community Participation and Leadership component of the Program. This has increased the total amount of funding available under the NHSP to $28 million per year.
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 the typical GIS recipient will be able to keep more of her or his 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;
- 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 NHSP has funded over 2,600 projects across Canada, improving equipment and facilities used for seniors' activities and 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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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
Pascal Doucet
Media Relations Coordinator
Service Canada Communications
514-982-2384, ext. 2209
Media Relations
Human Resources and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559
