Hon. Alice Wong, P.C.

Brampton, Ontario, August 14, 2012—The Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State (Seniors), today delivered opening remarks to an audience of active seniors at the Ontario 55+ Summer Games.

“The Government of Canada is committed to supporting the well-being of seniors,” said Minister of State Wong. “We believe that their well-being depends on staying active, staying engaged and staying informed.”

Minister of State Wong spoke to approximately 10 000 participants from across Ontario about the importance of regular exercise in maintaining a good quality of life. She praised the athletes for being powerful role models to all ages and also encouraged community and workplace participation among older Canadians as a way to enjoy stronger social networks and better mental health.

The Government of Canada is committed to supporting seniors’ well-being. For more information on the Government of Canada’s programs and services for seniors, please visit www.seniors.gc.ca.

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This news release is available in alternative formats on request.

For further information (media only):

Robert Lynch
Director of Communications and Parliamentary Affairs
Minister of State (Seniors)
613-790-0219

Media Relations Office
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
819-994-5559

Backgrounder

The Government of Canada is helping seniors stay active, engaged and informed through a number of initiatives.

Staying active

While health care is a provincial responsibility, the Government of Canada does promote better health for Canadians and seniors through a variety of programs.

Physical Activity Tips for Older Adults is an online resource for older adults that explains why physical activity is important, offers tips and easy ways to increase their physical activity and provides advice for maintaining good health and an improved quality of life.

Injury prevention among seniors – One-third of Canadian seniors experience a fall each year; half of those are reported to have fallen more than once. As many as 40 percent of those falls result in hip fractures, often causing disability, loss of independence or death. Yet, falls can be prevented. The Government of Canada has developed several publications aimed at reducing falls among seniors, such as The Safe Living Guide: A Guide to Home Safety for Seniors and the You Can Prevent Falls fact sheet. More information can be found on the Public Health Agency’s website.

Physical activity is one of the most important things older people can do to maintain their physical and mental health and quality of life as they get older.

Staying engaged

The Government of Canada support seniors to remain engaged in their communities through initiatives such as the Age-Friendly Communities Initiative and the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP).

The Age-Friendly Communities Initiative seeks to engage older Canadians and their communities in making their communities better, healthier and safer places for seniors to live and thrive.

Currently, eight provinces are working with municipal governments and non-government organizations to promote age-friendly initiatives in communities. There are 600 communities now engaged in age-friendly action. The Public Health Agency of Canada coordinates activities and opportunities to exchange knowledge, and is developing resources to help evaluate age-friendly initiatives.

Through the NHSP, seniors are able to share their knowledge, skills and experiences with others. The NHSP supports projects led or inspired by seniors who want to make a difference in the lives of others and in their communities. Since its beginning, the NHSP has funded more than 10 400 projects in more than 1 000 communities across Canada. For more information, visit www.seniors.gc.ca.

The Targeted Initiative for Older Workers is a federal–provincial/territorial cost-shared initiative that provides employment assistance services and employability improvement activities (such as skills upgrading and work experience) to unemployed older workers aged 55 to 64 living in economically vulnerable communities.

Staying informed

Recognizing that being informed can help seniors make better decisions, the Government is committed to giving seniors the information they need.

A robust collection of information, resources and tools is available through www.seniors.gc.ca, 1 800 O-Canada and Service Canada Centres across the country.

Seniors.gc.ca has been developed as a central resource for Government of Canada information relating to seniors and seniors initiatives. The Seniors Canada website provides information on federal government initiatives targeted to seniors, their families, caregivers and supporting service organizations. It offers resources on Government of Canada programs and services for seniors and provides key links to seniors-related information from other Government of Canada and provincial/territorial websites.

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