Canadians deserve to age with dignity. For many seniors, staying connected and active in their community is a big part of that dignity. Through the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP), the federal government funds pan-Canadian and community-based initiatives across Canada that create a significant impact for the social inclusion of seniors in their communities. Through the Age Well at Home (AWAH) initiative, the federal government funds projects to assist seniors in aging at home.
Today, Steven MacKinnon, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour and Member of Parliament for Gatineau, on behalf of Joanne Thompson, Canada's Minister of Seniors, announced the Government of Canada has approved 42 projects for an investment of up to $6.5 million under the NHSP pan-Canadian and community-based streams and the Age Well at Home initiative to support seniors in the Outaouais region. The Minister was joined by the Stéphane Lauzon, Member of Parliament for Argenteuil-La Petite-Nation; and Sophie Chatel, Member of Parliament for Pontiac. The Minister made the announcement while visiting the Club de Curling de Buckingham in Gatineau, Quebec.
Among the funded projects, the Ville de Gatineau's collective impact initiative has been selected to receive $5 million over five years under the pan-Canadian stream of the 2023-24 NHSP call for concepts. This project will support vulnerable seniors aged 55 and over in Gatineau. The Ville de Gatineau will work closely with other organizations to develop and offer programs and services that help vulnerable seniors better connect with others and with their community. It will also create an innovation lab to find solution about different problems seniors face.
The Minister also announced the Government of Canada has approved funding for 39 projects for an investment of nearly $800,000 in the Outaouais region, under the NHSP community-based stream. This stream funds a wide variety of projects, such as online computer classes, financial literacy and fraud prevention education, meal deliveries and the purchase of equipment to help keep seniors informed, connected and engaged.
In addition, the Minister announced that funding has been approved for two projects for an investment of nearly $700,000 in Gatineau, under the In-Home Support Pilot Project stream of the Age Well at Home initiative.
The NHSP and the Age Well at Home initiative play a pivotal role in supporting seniors across Canada. Together, these programs work to help improve the quality of life of seniors in their communities.
