Hon. Alice Wong, P.C.

Toronto, Ontario, May 29, 2015

Thank you for that kind introduction, Mr. Kwan, and for hosting us today.

I am delighted to be here today at the Mon Sheong Foundation’s Home for the Aged for this very exciting launch.

Today we are launching two calls for proposals for the New Horizons for Seniors Program.

First, I am pleased to announce the launch of the annual Community-Based call for proposals. As in years past, organizations will have the opportunity to receive $25,000 in funding for community-based projects that run no longer than one year in duration.

The Community-Based stream of the New Horizons for Seniors Program has been incredibly effective at serving and supporting the well-being of seniors across the country for many years. I was delighted to announce approximately 1,850 new projects once again in 2014, bringing the total number of New Horizons community-based projects across Canada to nearly 15,000 since the program began.

I look forward to many new projects inspired by and led by seniors again this year and would encourage you to take a look at my website, Canada.ca/Seniors, right away for more information.

Today also marks the launch of the Pan-Canadian call for proposals for the New Horizons for Seniors Program. And I would like to take a few minutes to share with you about how we came to develop this year’s theme, and the larger vision for the Pan-Canadian stream.

Last year the National Seniors Council released its report entitled “Report on the Social Isolation of Seniors.” This report was particularly significant in bringing to light the issue of social isolation among Canada’s seniors.

Social isolation can be defined as “a low quantity and quality of contact with others.” Social isolation involves few social contacts and few social roles, as well as the absence of mutually rewarding relationships.

Socially isolated seniors are more likely to be at risk of harms such as elder abuse, including financial abuse, and mental health challenges such as depression, loneliness and addiction. Socially isolated seniors are more vulnerable to elder abuse, which includes things like neglect. Social isolation is also correlated with the earlier onset of dementia and other mental wellness issues.

The Council’s report identified a number of measures required to help reduce the social isolation of seniors. These include public awareness, the promotion and improved accessibility of information, services and programs for seniors, and continued research into this complex issue.

And a final recommendation from the Council’s 2014 report was for government to assist with the collective capacity-building of organizations to address the social isolation of seniors.

This report, and the recommendations provided, have in turn led us to consider how the New Horizons for Seniors Program might support the work of a wide variety of organizations and entities in an attempt to address this issue. And this is what brings us here today.

I am pleased to announce that the new theme for the Pan‑Canadian New Horizons for Seniors Program is social isolation.

Over the next five years, the Pan-Canadian stream of the New Horizons program will focus on reducing the social isolation of seniors, not in theory, but in the real lives of Canadian seniors in communities across Canada.

Organizations will be eligible to receive between $150,000 and $750,000 for projects two to three years in length. Our focus will be on collaborative approaches and measurable results. Successful applicants must demonstrate an ability to plan and work collaboratively with other organizations in a particular region or community.

The Government will also be partnering with the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation, and their Innoweave Initiative, to assist in achieving these goals.

The work of McConnell, and Innoweave, will be focused upon fostering collaboration among successful applicants in a particular community and region with a view to enhancing the effectiveness and impact of their collective efforts. They will work in conjunction with officials at Employment and Social Development Canada.

Collaboration and innovation are at the very core of what we are aiming for. It takes all members of a community to tackle such a complex social issue, and we recognize the important role of community organizations, municipalities, academic institutions, foundations—like the one we are at today—and other seniors-serving entities in identifying innovative solutions needed to reduce the social isolation of seniors across Canada.

I would encourage these organizations and entities to consider how they may connect with one another with the goal of generating collaborative, innovative solutions to help reduce the social isolation of seniors.

Officials at ESDC and McConnell’s Innoweave initiative will be available to answer questions about the application process. We’re doing things differently this year, so please take advantage of the opportunity to call either ESDC or Innoweave to ask any questions you might have. Contact information for both are listed on my website, Canada.ca/Seniors, along with all the new application information for this year’s call.

I am delighted that these two calls for proposals are now both officially open. And I should note, both calls will be open until July 10, 2015, providing organizations with six weeks to submit their applications.

Friends, this year we are trying something new:

• we are building upon the foundational and ongoing work of the National Seniors Council;
• we are focusing the Pan-Canadian New Horizons stream on a single issue;
• we are requiring applicants to work collaboratively with each other and with us towards measurable objectives; and
• we are focusing our efforts on community and regionally based collaboration.

It is hoped that this alignment and focusing of our efforts will result in a much greater impact for the Pan-Canadian NHSP program, and specifically that tangible progress at addressing the issue of social isolation will be demonstrated.

Thank you.