CHILLIWACK, BRITISH COLUMBIA, March 30, 2009—The Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians and Member of Parliament for Chilliwack–Fraser Canyon, today announced federal support to improve the facilities and equipment of seven organizations under the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program.
Minister Strahl made the announcement on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, and the Honourable Marjory LeBreton, Leader of the Government in the Senate and Minister of State (Seniors).
“The Government of Canada is proud to support seniors in building and strengthening communities across our country,” said Minister Strahl. “These projects will enable the continuation of programs and activities in our area that allow seniors to stay involved in their communities.”
Minister Strahl highlighted $129,144 in funding to seven organizations under the Capital Assistance component of the New Horizons for Seniors Program, which helps organizations that support seniors to replace outdated equipment or undertake needed renovations.
- The Boston Bar North Bend Enhancement Society will receive $25,000.
- The Chilliwack Alliance Church will receive $25,000.
- The Columbia Valley Ratepayers Association will receive $25,000.
- BC Old Age Pensioners Organization #173 in Sardis will receive $22,201.
- Agassiz-Harrison Community Services will receive $17,000.
- The Pemberton Valley Seniors Society will receive $9,000.
- The Chilliwack Senior Peer Counsellors will receive $5,943.
Eligible activities for Capital Assistance include repairs or renovations to existing seniors’ community facilities, or the purchase or replacement of equipment and furnishings required for community programs and activities for seniors.
On March 18, 2009, Minister LeBreton announced more than $11 million in funding to over 900 projects across Canada through the Capital Assistance component of the New Horizons for Seniors Program.
With the two other components of the New Horizons for Seniors Program—Community Participation and Leadership and Elder Abuse Awareness—the overall budget of the Program is $35 million per year.
Since its beginning, the New Horizons for Seniors Program has funded over 5,000 projects in hundreds of communities across Canada. For more information about the Program, please visit www.hrsdc.gc.ca/seniors.
In Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the federal government made a clear commitment to protect Canadians, including seniors, in difficult times by implementing several key measures:
- Increasing the Age Credit by $1,000 for 2009 and beyond to allow eligible seniors to receive up to an additional $150 in annual tax savings.
- Providing seniors with $200 million in tax relief by reducing the required minimum withdrawal amount for 2008 from Registered Retirement Income Funds by 25 percent, in recognition of the impact of the deterioration in market conditions on retirement savings.
- Helping older workers and their families through these tough economic times by investing an additional $60 million over three years in the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers, and by expanding the number of eligible communities to include older workers in small cities.
- Providing $400 million over two years through the Affordable Housing Initiative for the construction of housing units for low-income seniors.
- Establishing an independent Task Force to make recommendations on a cohesive national strategy on financial literacy for Canadians.
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This news release is available in alternative formats upon request.
For further information (media only):
Michelle Bakos
Press Secretary
Office of Minister Finley
819-994-2482
Media Relations Office
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
819-994-5559
New Horizons for Seniors Program
Across Canada, the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) helps 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 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 of the additional $10 million, the Program offers three types of funding to organizations:
- 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.
- 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.
- Elder Abuse Awareness funding (up to $250,000 in funding annually over 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.
