Minister Schulte announces funding to increase Gibsons seniors' participation in local activities Français
GIBSONS, BC, March 3, 2020 /CNW/ - Seniors are the fastest-growing age demographic in Canada. However, far too many seniors face isolation in their retirement years. The Government of Canada is committed to empowering seniors and improving their quality of life by supporting opportunities for older Canadians to stay informed, engaged and connected in their communities.
Today, the Honourable Deb Schulte, Minister of Seniors, announced an investment of $24,250 that will help the Gibsons Community Building Society improve the quality of the services offered to their senior participants. This funding is the result of successful applications submitted through the most recent call for proposals of the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) community-based stream.
With this investment, the Gibsons Community Building Society will conduct acoustic renovations to allow seniors, especially those who are hard of hearing, to have access to a safer and more accessible area. By improving the sound quality of the main gathering space, seniors who are hard of hearing will be more comfortable while participating in activities such as cooking classes, yoga, tai chi and information workshops.
This project is one of close to 300 projects across British Columbia that will receive a total of $5.3 million from the NHSP's community-based stream to help improve the well-being of seniors and foster their social inclusion. Last year, the Government of Canada invested an additional $100 million in the NHSP over five years.
Quotes
"The Government of Canada is proud to support projects that help seniors stay involved and engaged in their community. People who are hard of hearing often have a hard time participating in activities in a room where there are echoes and background noise. This is why I am proud to support projects like the Gibsons Community Building Society renovation that will help provide a more accoustiscally sensitive space for seniors to connect, support each other and share information."
– The Honourable Deb Schulte, Minister of Seniors
"Volunteers play a vital role in our communities, including at the Gibsons Public Market, and many of them are seniors. I am proud of the support our government has provided to improve this space, making it even more accessible and inclusive. Through the New Horizons for Seniors Program, we will continue to enhance seniors' social well-being and community vitality, and empower seniors so they can enjoy a great quality of life."
– Patrick Weiler, Member of Parliament for West Vancouver–Sunshine Coast–Sea to Sky Country
"The Gibsons Community Building Society (GCBS) is thrilled to be a recipient of the New Horizons for Seniors funding. This funding will enable 'Hearing from our Neighbours,' a project focused on activities encouraging social inclusion and volunteerism among local seniors. Additionally, New Horizons funding will ensure installation of acoustic baffling in the Gibsons Public Market atrium space, improving sound quality for all patrons of the public market, especially those with hearing impairments. GCBS is grateful for the financial support from Employment and Social Development Canada."
– Pam Robertson, President, Gibsons Community Building Society
Quick Facts
- By 2037, the number of seniors in Canada is expected to reach 9.6 million, representing close to one quarter of the country's population.
- Seniors who are socially isolated make more visits to emergency rooms, use more medication, fall more often and enter residential care sooner.
- Every year, organizations are invited to apply for NHSP community-based funding through a call for proposals. The projects announced today are being approved as part of the 2019–20 call for proposals, which ran from May 15, 2019, to June 21, 2019.
- The Government of Canada is investing approximately $50 million per year to support NHSP community-based projects that empower seniors in their communities and contribute to improving their health and well-being.
- Community-based projects are eligible to receive up to $25,000 in grant funding, and as of 2018, small grants of up to $5,000 are available to organizations that have not received funding within the last five years.
- Community-based project funding supports activities that engage seniors and address one or more of the program's five objectives: volunteering, mentoring, expanding awareness of elder abuse, social participation and capital assistance.
- Since 2004, the NHSP has funded more than 26,300 projects in hundreds of communities across Canada, with a total Government of Canada investment of more than $537.7 million.
Related Product
Backgrounder: New Horizons for Seniors Program
Associated Links
New Horizons for Seniors Program – Engaging Seniors, Strengthening Communities
Programs and services for seniors
A secure and dignified retirement for Canadians
Gibsons Community Building Society
SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada
For further information: For media enquiries, please contact: Scott Bardsley, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister of Seniors, 613-295-1761, [email protected]; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]
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