Chester, NS - Gerald Keddy, Member of Parliament for South Shore – St. Margaret’s, today announced federal support for the Chester Art Centre Association and the Chester Municipal Heritage Society under the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program, which encourages seniors to continue to play an important role in their communities by helping those in need, providing leadership, and sharing their knowledge and skills with others.
MP Keddy made the announcement on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, and the Honourable Diane Ablonczy, Minister of State (Seniors).
These projects are funded under the Community Participation and Leadership component of the New Horizons for Seniors Program. It is one of 797 projects that were approved through the 2010–2011 Community Participation and Leadership call for proposals.
“The Government of Canada is committed to improving the lives of seniors, and is proud to support local organizations with the same goal,” said Mr. Keddy. “These projects bring new opportunities for seniors to contribute their skills, knowledge and experience for the benefit of the entire community.”
“Today’s seniors know the importance of being active and staying involved in their communities,” said Minister Finley. “The New Horizons for Seniors Program is just one example of how we are helping seniors make a positive difference in their own lives and in those of the people around them.”
The Chester Art Centre Association will receive $17,100 for its project entitled Brain Fitness: Lifelong Learning Through Creative Arts, which will see seniors leading a learning forum to promote the benefits of creativity for older adults as a link to positive aging as well as lead intergenerational art sessions.
“The Chester Art Centre is now in its fifth year of serving the community from ages four to eighty, and has been growing by leaps and bounds,” said Wayne Grigsby, Chair, Chester Art Centre Association. “The New Horizons for Seniors Program funding will enable the centre to engage seniors in two of the most topical issues facing us today: aging and brain health. Working with the art centre, seniors from the Municipality of Chester will now have the opportunity to participate in a cutting edge program specifically designed by them and for them, to enhance brain fitness through the joys of art and creativity.”
The Chester Municipal Heritage Society will receive $9,000 for its project entitled Treasures on Tape, which will see seniors lead a video initiative in recording oral histories and assisting youth to create videos, thus enabling seniors to contribute their skills, knowledge and experience, while strengthening intergenerational connections.
“For the past two years, the Chester Heritage Society has been working with the Chester and Area Family Resource Centre and Pink Dog Productions to collect on video tape the oral histories from Chester and Chester Basin,” said Carol Nauss, Chair, Chester Municipal Heritage Society.
“The project (Back 2 the Future) was launched because of the 250th anniversary first of Chester and this year of Chester Basin. This grant will allow us to complete this project and add much needed diversity to the people interviewed. Youth will interview elders about what Chester Basin used to be like. These videos will be compiled with the others previously recorded and made available online for everyone to enjoy. In addition, the raw interviews will now be able to be converted to DVDs for the Heritage Society to preserve forever. “
Through Budget 2010: Leading the Way on Jobs and Growth, the Government invested an additional $5 million per year in the Program, bringing this year’s funding to $40 million. This additional funding will support projects that encourage seniors to volunteer and mentor other generations, as well as initiatives that aim to increase awareness of financial abuse.
The New Horizons for Seniors Program helps to ensure that seniors are able to benefit from and contribute to the quality of life in their communities through their social participation and active living. Since its beginning, the Program has funded over 7, 000 projects in hundreds of communities across Canada. Last year alone, more than 100, 000 seniors in over 500 communities throughout the country were involved in projects funded by the Program.
For more information about the Program, please visit www.hrsdc.gc.ca/seniors.
Backgrounder
New Horizons for Seniors Program
Across Canada, the New Horizons for Seniors Program helps ensure that seniors are able to actively contribute to and benefit from the quality of life in their communities.
The Program offers three types of funding to organizations:
- Community Participation and Leadership funding (up to $25,000 in funding per project). This funding supports community-based projects across Canada. The projects encourage seniors to continue to play an important role in their communities by helping those in need, providing leadership, and sharing their knowledge and skills with others.
- Capital Assistance funding (up to $25,000 in funding per project). This funding helps non profit organizations that need to upgrade facilities or equipment used for existing seniors’ programs and activities. It enables seniors to continue to lead active lives by participating in existing programs and activities in their communities.
- Elder Abuse Awareness funding (up to $250,000 in funding per project annually, over a maximum of three years). This funding helps non-profit organizations and coalitions raise awareness of the abuse of seniors at a national or regional level. Through this funding, new educational and awareness resources about elder abuse will be available to improve the quality of life, safety and security of seniors.
For more information on the Program, or upcoming calls for proposals, please visit www.hrsdc.gc.ca/seniors.
