Senior Grants New Horizons for Seniors Program

Program Helps Seniors Participate More Fully In Their Communities
,January 18, 2008 —THUNDER BAY, ONThe Honourable Joe Comuzzi, Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay-Superior North, 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 congratulated fifteen organizations throughout Northwestern Ontario on being selected to receive funding under the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP). This will ensure that seniors in Northwestern Ontario have the opportunity to participate and take an active leadership role within their communities.
Total funding of $333,525 is being provided for 16 projects throughout Northwestern Ontario.
“The Government of Canada is proud to support seniors in strengthening our communities and building our country,” said Mr. Comuzzi. “These projects will encourage seniors to continue sharing their skills, wisdom and experience to benefit others.”
In Budget 2007, the Government of Canada announced an additional investment of $10 million per year for two new components of the NHSP, in order 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.

The federal government is also acting to address the needs of Canada’s seniors through the introduction of a series of important measures that include:

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establishing the National Seniors Council to advise the Government on issues of importance to older Canadians;

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enabling 1.6 million low-income seniors to benefit from increased monthly benefits available under the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), and to make a one-time application for the GIS. As long as these seniors file income tax returns every year, they will never have to reapply;

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providing more than $1 billion in tax relief to Canadian seniors and pensioners in Budget 2007;

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enabling seniors to build their retirement savings in Registered Pension Plans and Registered Retirement Savings Plans for an extra two years until age 71; and

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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, inspiring seniors to bring their leadership, energy and skills to projects that benefit our communities. For more information about the Program, please visit http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/community_partnerships/seniors/index.shtml.

Background:

New Horizons for Seniors Program

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 of 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.

Recipients in Northwestern Ontario

Organization	Location	Project Title	Amount
Emo LaVallee Healthy Communities Coalition	Emo	Community Country Club	$5,000
Lakehead Social Planning Council	Thunder Bay	The One Abuse Nobody Knows	$25,000
Rainy River Valley Safety Coalition	Fort Frances	Safe and Healthy Seniors	$22,000
Stanjikoming First Nation	Fort Frances	Weechi-it-te-waag (Helping Each Other)	$24,375
Tecky Seniors Project	Neebing	Neebing Community History Book	$8,000
Tecky Seniors Project	Neebing	Rural Adult Education Workshops	$4,000
Volunteer Action Centre of Thunder Bay	Thunder Bay	S.A.V.E-Senior Aboriginal Volunteer Engagement	$25,000
Animbiigoo Zaagi'igan Anishinaabek	Beardmore	Celebrating Our Elders: Elders Appreciation Day	$20,500
Geraldton Native Women's Group	Geraldton	New Horizons for Seniors Elder Program	$25,000
Long Lake No. 58 First Nation	Long Lake No 58 First Nation	Passing on Our Teaching to the Younger Generations	$25,000
The Defeat Autism Together Association	Thunder Bay	Grandparents for Autism	$25,000
Women Independently Living With Disabilities	Thunder Bay	"On My Own" Workshops and One on One Mentor Groups	$25,000
Eagle Lake First Nation	Migisi Sahgaigan	Ceremonial Round House	$25,000
Kenora Metis Council	Kenora	Revitalizing Kenora-Seniors in Action	$25,000
Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation	Dryden	Strengthening and Extending the Senior's Advisory Council and Social Club	$24,650
Wassay Gezhig Na Nahn Dah We Igamig	Keewatin	Wiisookootaadiwin: Working together for community wellbeing	$25,000

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