QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC, May 21, 2008-Mr. Daniel Petit, Member of Parliament for Charlesbourg-Haute-Saint-Charles, today presented a cheque of $12,240 to the Centre d'aide et d'action bénévole de Charlesbourg for its project Aînés-nous à vous aider, and a $17,300 cheque to the Compagnie des jeunes retraité(e)s du Plateau de Charlesbourg for its project Fête champêtre du 400e de la Fondation de la Ville de Québec-Aînés de Charlesbourg.
Funding falls under the Community Participation and Leadership component of the Government of Canada's New Horizons for Seniors Program, helping to ensure that seniors have the opportunity to participate and take an active leadership role within their communities.
Mr. Petit made the presentations and toured Centre d'aide et d'action bénévole de Charlesbourg 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 Government of Canada is proud to support seniors in strengthening our communities and building our country," said Mr. Petit. "These projects we are funding in Quebec City will encourage seniors to continue sharing their skills, wisdom and experience to benefit others."
For the next 12 months, seniors of the Centre d'aide et d'action bénévole de Charlesbourg will be promoting the ongoing involvement of seniors in the community through outreach and celebratory activities, reducing their risk of social isolation. Seniors of the Compagnie des jeunes retraité(e)s du plateau de Charlesbourg will organize meetings with other senior citizens of Charlesbourg related to celebrations for the 400th anniversary of Quebec City.
The Community Participation and Leadership component is currently accepting applications for funding for the fiscal year 2008-2009. The deadline to apply is June 13, 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 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 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.
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This news release is available in alternative formats upon request.
For more information (media only):
Pema Lhalungpa
Press Secretary
Office of Minister Solberg
819-994-2482
Pascal Doucet
Media Relations Coordinator
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514-982-2384, ext. 2209
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 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 amount of funding available under the NSHP to $28 million per year.
As a result, the Program now offers three types of funding to organizations:
Pre-existing component
1. Community Participation and Leadership funding (up to $25,000): 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. This component is currently accepting applications for the fiscal year 2008-2009. The deadline to apply is June 13, 2008.
New funding components
2. Capital Assistance funding (up to $25,000): 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.
3. Elder Abuse Awareness funding (up to $250,000 in funding annually for a maximum of 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.
