The Government of Canada supports seniors in New Ross

February 18, 2010

New Ross, NS - Gerald Keddy, Member of Parliament for South Shore – St. Margaret’s, today announced federal support for the Forties Community Centre under the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program.

MP Keddy 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 Forties Community Centre will receive $12,420 for its project “Greetings & Wildlife Preservation.” This project will provide local seniors with the opportunity to teach other seniors the art of card making and the construction of wood duck nesting boxes.  Once the wood duck nesting boxes are constructed, seniors will partner with local youth to place and care for these nesting boxes to protect the endangered wood duck.
 
“Seniors are valuable members of society who contribute a diversity of skills, knowledge and experience to their communities,” said MP Keddy. “Through the Community Participation and Leadership component of the New Horizons for Seniors Program, the Government of Canada is supporting local projects that enable seniors to contribute to their communities through social participation and active living.”

The investment highlighted today falls under the Community Participation and Leadership component of the New Horizons for Seniors Program, which encourages 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.

With two additional components of the New Horizons for Seniors Program—Capital Assistance and Elder Abuse Awareness—the overall budget of the Program is now $35 million per year.

Since its beginning, the New Horizons for Seniors Program has funded over 5,500 projects in hundreds of communities across Canada. For more information about the Program, please visit www.hrsdc.gc.ca/seniors.



Backgrounder

New Horizons for Seniors Program

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. The total budget for the NHSP is $35 million per year.


The Program offers three types of funding to organizations:

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.
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.
3. Elder Abuse Awareness funding (up to $250,000): 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.