NEWS RELEASE
EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT CANADA
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Far too many seniors face isolation in their retirement years. This was a fact even before the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government of Canada is committed to empowering seniors by supporting opportunities for older Canadians to stay involved and engaged in their communities.
Today, Lloyd Longfield, Member of Parliament for Guelph, on behalf of Canada’s Minister of Seniors, Deb Schulte, announced an investment of $176,657 for nine community-based projects in Guelph. The projects will help seniors stay active, informed and socially connected in their community. This funding was awarded through the New Horizons for Seniors Program’s recent call for proposals for community-based projects.
Organizations receiving funding this year include:
• Guelph Community Health Centre who will engage senior volunteers to help with emergency food delivery and reduce senior’s social isolation
• Guelph Wellington Seniors Association who will host studio media workshops to support social inclusion and participation of seniors
• Priory Baptist Church who will build accessible gardens and pathways to enhance safety and security of seniors
• St. George’s Church who’s senior tech lending project will support virtual social gatherings through book clubs and religious services
• St. Joseph’s Health Centre Foundation who will provide peer support and mentoring to improve social participation of seniors with dementia
• Stone Lodge Retirement Residence who will participate in connection of seniors via phone and letter packages for isolated seniors
• The City of Guelph who will organize bike rides through trails and on road to promote social and physical participation of seniors
• Church of the Apostles who will support social participation and inclusion of seniors through virtual church services
• Guelph Chinese Canadian Cultural group who will host activity workshops to promote social inclusion and mental health wellness for seniors
The projects in Guelph will help promote social inclusion, engagement among seniors and other generations as well as involving our community in the prevention of elder abuse, and supporting the financial empowerment of seniors and combatting ageism. The ourtreach and adaptability of our seniors and volunteers during the pandemic is continuing to reduce isolation and promote health aging.
This year, the Government of Canada increased its investment in the New Horizons for Seniors Program to $60.8 million, funding over 3,000 community-based projects to support seniors across the country.
Quotes
“I am proud of the thousands of projects funded through the New Horizons for Seniors Program across the country, helping Canadian seniors stay active and connected during this unprecedented time. Seniors have given and continue to give so much to our country—it’s important to provide them the programs and support they deserve.” - Minister of Seniors, Deb Schulte
“Through the New Horizons for Seniors Program, the Government of Canada is providing a wide range of opportunities for seniors in Guelph to participate in activities that bring people together improve their quality of life and well being, and to stay active and add their energy to our community vitality.” - Lloyd Longfield, Member of Parliament for Guelph
Quick facts
• Every year, organizations are invited to apply for New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) community-based funding through a call for proposals. The projects announced today were approved as part of a call for proposals that was launched on Sept. 9, 2020, and closed on Oct. 23, 2020.
• NHSP is a federal grants and contributions program whose goal is to support projects that help foster social inclusion and improve seniors’ health and well-being.
• The funding helps support activities that engage seniors in their communities and address one or more of the program’s five objectives: volunteering, mentoring, expanding awareness of elder abuse, social participation and capital assistance.
• Community-based projects are eligible to receive up to $25,000 in grant funding. Additional grants of up to $5,000 were available for organizations that have not received funding from the program in the past five years.
• This year, increased funding and improvements to the program resulted in the highest number of applications ever, almost double the number of projects serving rural seniors, and a greater share of funded projects serving vulnerable seniors.
• Those improvements include updates to national priorities—including targeting vulnerable and rural seniors—improvements to the application process and program delivery, such as a longer intake period, more time to provide missing information, increased use of plain language and focusing support in communities with recent low uptake. These changes put increased emphasis on applicants’ ability to serve seniors over their ability to navigate an application process, while maintaining the same standards and rigour.
• Since 2004, the NHSP has funded over 30,000 projects, including projects related to COVID-19, in hundreds of communities across Canada, with a total Government of Canada investment of more than $600 million. NHSP funding supports community-based projects and pan-Canadian projects.
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