Speaking Notes for

Mr. Gerry Ritz, Member of Parliament for Battlefords – Lloydminster

On behalf of

The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development

Opening of Unity and District Seniors Lodge

605 Main Street
Unity, Saskatchewan
November 25, 2006
2:00 pm

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Good afternoon. Bonjour.

I am pleased to be here today, on behalf of my colleague, the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development — and the Minister responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Today, we are here to celebrate the opening of the Unity and District Seniors Lodge.

Here in Unity, and right across the country, Canada’s New Government is getting things done for Canadians.  We’re putting more money in their pockets by lowering taxes and helping with choice in child care by giving parents $100 a month for each child under six.  We also recently proposed a Tax Fairness Plan that includes an increase in the Age Credit Amount, and would permit income splitting for pensioners — delivering over a billion dollars of new tax relief annually for Canadian seniors and pensioners. We’ve also introduced important new changes to Compassionate Care leave, brought in incentives to help young people get into the trades through apprenticeship grants, provided $1 billion for post-secondary education, and made an additional $1.4 billion commitment to affordable housing in our last budget.

Our ongoing commitment to affordable housing is helping to provide support for projects like this one. The Unity and District Seniors Lodge will provide 24 units of affordable housing for seniors, as well as on-site support services, allowing them to live as independently as possible in their community.

Canada’s New Government is very proud to be working in close cooperation with the Province of Saskatchewan to fund this project, through federal funding of $480,000 under the Canada – Saskatchewan Affordable Housing Agreement.

Through CMHC, our national housing agency for more than 60 years, the federal government provides approximately $2 billion a year in housing assistance across the country. This primarily supports some 633,000 lower-income households. For the people of Saskatchewan, this represents a total of about $152 million annually — in support of about 35,000 lower-income households.

Today's event marks an important step forward for the people of Unity and demonstrates what we can achieve when we work together. When it comes to building communities, it takes the efforts of many to achieve success. It takes partnerships at all levels of government. And it also takes creative and innovative people with a vision.

Thank you to all those involved in this project, especially the Unity and District Seniors’ Lodge Project Inc. This project is testament to your civic-mindedness — as well as your persistence and your energy as advocates for elderly people living in your community. Congratulations — and thank you for all you are doing.

Thank you for joining us today. Merci.