Minister Tassi visits communities in British Columbia, highlights Government of Canada’s support for seniors

July 9, 2019 Vancouver, British Columbia Employment and Social Development Canada

Seniors make significant and valuable contributions to their families, communities, and workplaces. That is why the Government of Canada remains committed to providing Canadian seniors with greater security and a better quality of life.

Today, the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister of Seniors, wrapped up a successful five-day visit to British Columbia, where she met with seniors, project partners and other key stakeholders to hear about issues important to Canadian seniors and to highlight a number of actions the Government is taking to improve their quality of life.

During her visit, Minister Tassi announced that, with additional funding through Budget 2019, more than 650 additional community-based projects were approved this year through the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP). This brings a total of 2,666 projects approved across Canada in 2019, with 343 projects in British Columbia.

Through Budget 2019, the Government of Canada is investing additional funding of $100 million over five years, and $20 million per year ongoing for the NHSP to support projects that empower seniors in their communities and contribute to improving their health and well-being.

Additional investments the Government is making to support seniors include:

Implementing Canada’s first National Dementia Strategy to improve the lives of Canadians with dementia, as well as their families and caregivers.
Taking concrete steps towards the implementation of national pharmacare. These include working with provinces, territories and stakeholders on the creation of a Canadian Drug Agency, taking steps toward the development of a national formulary, and creating a national strategy for high-cost drugs for rare diseases.
Ensuring Canadian workers receive the full value of their pension by proactively enrolling Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributors who are 70 years old or older and who have not yet applied to receive their retirement pension.Enhancing the security of workplace pensions through new measures that better protect pensions in the event of corporate insolvency, giving Canadians greater peace of mind when it comes to their retirement.
Making retirement more financially secure for seniors who wish to work by enhancing the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) earnings exemption so they can keep home more of their benefits.

Quotes

“We continue to build on measures that will improve the lives of Canadian seniors. In Budget 2019 our government made key investments that will help seniors enjoy a smooth transition into a financially secure, healthy and socially inclusive retirement. Through the New Horizons for Seniors Program, we are taking more steps to empower seniors by supporting opportunities where they can benefit from and contribute to the quality of life in their communities.”
– The Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister of Seniors

Quick facts

The NHSP is a federal grants and contributions program whose goal is to support projects that help foster social inclusion and engagement of seniors in all aspects of society.
Projects funded by the NHSP help promote volunteerism, mentoring, awareness of elder abuse and social participation among seniors and make it possible for them to share their knowledge and experience with community members.
Since 2004, the NHSP has funded more than 23,600 projects in hundreds of communities across Canada, with a total Government of Canada investment of more than $487.7 million.
Seniors are the fastest-growing demographic group in Canada. By 2030, the number of seniors will reach 9.6 million, representing close to one-quarter of Canada’s population.

Minister Tassi visits communities in British Columbia, highlights Government of Canada’s support for seniors

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