Government of Canada provides funding to encourage Saskatchewan seniors to actively participate in their communities

REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN—A dozen Saskatchewan seniors projects will receive more than $188,000 in federal funding through the New Horizons for Seniors Program. Tony Ianno, Minister of State for Families and Caregivers, and Ralph Goodale, Minister of Finance, made the announcement today in Regina.

"The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that seniors continue to play an active role in our communities," said Minister of State Ianno. "These projects will help to support the social well-being of our communities by encouraging older Canadians to use their skills and knowledge to the benefit of others."

"We re-introduced the New Horizons for Seniors Program in the budget last year to encourage seniors to volunteer, to share their wisdom and experiences with others in their communities," said Minister Goodale. "Last month, in Budget 2005, I was proud to announce that the Government of Canada would more than double our support for this highly successful program."

The New Horizons for Seniors Program provides grants to support a range of community-based projects across Canada that enable seniors to participate in social activities, pursue active lives, and continue to contribute to their communities.

Projects support broad national objectives and regional priorities. They are inspired, implemented, and led by seniors in local communities. Priorities are set by those who are engaged in seniors' issues in each province and territory. These people are in the best position to understand the needs of their communities and to know which projects they will benefit from.

Applications for grants are submitted during a Call for Applications period. Projects selected to receive funding are recommended by a regional review committee composed of government and stakeholder representatives.

The priorities set by the Saskatchewan Regional Review Committee for this round of funding are:

• Projects whose primary focus is on promoting seniors' well-being and active living
  
• Projects that encourage seniors to participate in developing their community
  
• Projects that demonstrate lifelong learning and involve seniors sharing their experiences, skills, and wisdom with younger generations

Funding for these projects was provided for in the 2005 federal budget.

In response to overwhelming demand, Budget 2005 included an increase in funding for the New Horizons for Seniors Program of $5 million in 2005-06, $10 million in 2006-07, and $15 million in 2007-08 and subsequent years, bringing the annual budget to $25 million.

These projects have been reviewed to ensure compliance with the Department's administration of its grants and contributions program and are subject to review under the Financial Administration Act.

For more information on the Government of Canada's New Horizons for Seniors Program, visit www.sdc.gc.ca.

A complete list of approved projects for Saskatchewan is included in the attached backgrounder.

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BACKGROUNDER