Speaking notes for

Colin Mayes, Member of Parliament for Okanagan – Shuswap

on behalf of

The Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

Grand Opening — Good Samaritan Heron Grove

4900 – 20^th Street
Vernon, BC
November 16, 2007
2:00 pm

Check against delivery

Bonjour. Hello.

It’s a pleasure to be here on behalf of my colleague, the Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development — and the Minister responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Today, we officially open Good Samaritan Heron Grove. This affordable housing project will provide assisted living apartments, life lease housing and a specialized cottage care model for persons requiring complex care. There are 38 assisted living units, plus 75 residential care beds for seniors in the Vernon area.

The Government of Canada is committed to making affordable housing available across Canada for those who need it most. Seniors in Vernon now have more access to quality, affordable housing to meet their specific needs.

I’m proud that the federal government contributed $950,000 to this project under the Canada – British Columbia Affordable Housing Agreement. This funding will be an investment for the people of Vernon for years to come. It will allow them to continue to live independently in their community, close to family and friends.

And we are doing so much more in this community and throughout Canada. In September, we opened Blue Heron Villa, which now provide 25 units of assisted living for seniors in nearby Lake Country.

Investing in projects like this one is just one part of what our government is doing for Canadians. Minister Solberg and Senator Marjory LeBreton, our Secretary of State of Seniors, recently announced the creation of a National Seniors Council and nearly $14 million in funding to seniors across Canada through the New Horizons for Seniors Program.

We are also working to improve the health and well-being of our seniors, including increasing the refundable medical expenses by more than 30 per cent to $1,000 a year, and improving the financial security of seniors by reducing the amount of taxes they owe.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s budget will help seniors by raising the age limit for RPPs and RRSPs from 69 to 71. These measures build upon the tax relief provided under our Tax Fairness Plan. The Government of Canada has increased the age credit amount to benefit low- and middle-income seniors and it allowing pension income splitting for pensioners beginning this year. Together, these actions put $1 billion a year back into the pockets of Canadian seniors, who earned and deserve every penny.

We’ve also introduced important 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 brought in a new child tax credit and a new Working Income Tax Benefit for low-income workers.

In addition, through CMHC, we provide approximately $2.1 billion a year in housing assistance primarily to support some 630,000 households across the country. For the people of British Columbia, this represents $259.6 million annually, in support of some 71,100 households.

The Government of Canada is delivering on our commitment to make a difference in the lives of those Canadians in need. Our economy is strong, our country is united, and with your help, we’ll continue building brighter futures and stronger communities in British Columbia and throughout Canada.

Today’s event marks an important step forward for the people of Vernon and demonstrates what we can achieve when we work together. When it comes to building safe and strong communities, it takes the efforts of many to achieve success. It takes partnerships at all levels of government to get real results. We are helping to create stable homes, a place where Canadians can get settled, and then get on with their business of building a better future.

I would like to thank the Good Samaritan Society. For over 55 years, you have provided caring and innovative environments for our seniors. Your civic-mindedness is truly inspiring. We appreciate all you are doing.

I wish you all the best in the future.

Thank you. Merci.