Hon. Alice Wong, P.C.

July 28, 2015
Toronto, Ontario
Employment and Social Development Canada

Good afternoon everyone.

I would like to start off by thanking MaRS Discovery District for having us today. I also want to thank Mr. Goldthorp from Mount Sinai Hospital Foundation of Toronto and Ms. McEwen from Innoweave for their remarks and partnership with us for this exciting announcement. And of course, thank you to Dr. Andrew Wister, and his colleagues from the National Seniors Council, for setting the stage for today’s announcement.

I am delighted to be here today to share some good news for seniors in the Greater Toronto Area.

As Minister of State for Seniors, it is my duty to work with partners from the private, public and not-for-profit sectors to address seniors’ issues under the federal purview.

When we talk about older Canadians, it is easy to get stuck on the word “seniors.”

We must remember who they really are.

They are the Canadians who shaped the country we know today. It is all too easy to take them and their contribution to Canada for granted.  We are indebted to them.

In their time, they were the stewards of our country. They built it and preserved it, and held it in trust for this generation, just as we do now for generations to come. We owe them a debt of gratitude and respect.

I am delighted to be making this announcement today. And I would like to take a moment to put today’s announcement in the context of the work that we have done over the past four years.  Many of our files have built upon each other.  And in a sense, the place where we find ourselves today in the area of seniors policy after four years can be regarded as a natural progression from where we began.

Information

First, information: it is critical.

Very early on we heard from Canadians that many citizens are confused about what the different levels of government do, and are struggling to access needed, basic information.

In response, we developed the Information for Seniors and Information for Caregiver web portals which are located at Canada.ca/Seniors.

Using an interactive map of Canada, these two web portals provide links to federal, provincial and municipal programs and services.

This was done collaboratively with my colleagues, the Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Seniors, whom I have had the pleasure of meeting with on four occasions over the past four years.

Seniors policy

The interactive map and portals we created at Canada.ca/seniors illustrate visually something important about the nature of seniors and aging as an area of public policy analysis.

Seniors policy is inherently interdisciplinary.

Issues affecting Canadian seniors fall within the scope of many federal departments and agencies.

While the Office of the Minister of State for Seniors is located within Employment and Social Development Canada—part of my job is to work collaboratively with other federal cabinet ministers with respect to issues affecting Canada’s seniors.

I have found that to do the work of Seniors Policy, one of the basic requirements is to bring together information and perspectives relevant to seniors from across all of government, and assess it holistically.

Sometimes this work requires mediating complex relationships that exist within and between these larger departments and agencies across government.  This can be a difficult task for public officials working in the area of seniors policy.

Depending on the issue, the relevant expertise and policy authorities may reside in another department altogether, while the holistic mandate to do seniors policy analysis is located at Employment and Social Development Canada.

This presents challenges and calls for collaborative approaches to doing the work of seniors policy.

Last year we published the Government of Canada – Action for Seniors report. The premise of this report was simple. Gather together, in one document, the various activities of the federal government that pertain, in one way or another, to seniors. We are very pleased with the result.

Employment and Social Development Canada chairs an interdepartmental committee which brings together representatives from over  23 federal departments and agencies and serves as a focal point for the wide range of disciplines affected by seniors’ issues. It was the work of that table that allowed us to produce the Action for Seniors report.

The Report has been warmly received by Canadians. But, separate from the report itself, I would add that the process of producing the report was helpful for us as it provided a focal point for a comprehensive examination of seniors policy federally.

So, the lesson I learned is that seniors policy is interdisciplinary, comprised of many sources from across government, and that to address seniors’ issues, effort is required to bring together and assess all of the relevant inputs within government.

This is not an easy task, but in my view, it is an essential one.

I am also pleased to announce that a new centre of expertise in the area of Elder Law within Employment and Social Development  Canada is now under development.

Currently, the area of Elder Law touches upon many areas of law, including wills, estates, trusts, substitute decision making, estate planning, health care, consent law, long term care and other housing laws, consumer law, criminal law, real estate, pensions and benefits, veterans and more.  We are also in the midst of the biggest intergenerational transfer of wealth in Canadian history, which will affect the law of business associations and in particular small businesses.

The development of legal and policy expertise in the area of Elder Law will be an essential element to the Government’s ongoing work in the area of seniors policy in the years ahead.

It will also provide a useful point of contact federally for the growing number of dedicated legal practitioners in this growing area of law.

Social isolation

In 2014, I was pleased to appoint Dr. Andrew Wister as Chair of the National Seniors Council.

In November of 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 is different than loneliness, which is the subjective perception of a lack of interaction or contact with others. Rather, a situation of social isolation involves few social contacts and few social roles, as well as the absence of mutually rewarding relationships.

The impact of social isolation on seniors is very troubling. Some of the key findings of the report illustrate the unique challenges and risks that social isolation can place upon seniors.

Social isolation can cause a lack of social cohesion and risks the permanent loss of the valuable social contributions that seniors make to their communities.

Socially isolated seniors are more likely to be at risk of harms such as elder abuse, including financial abuse and fraud.

They are also more likely to experience mental health challenges such as depression, social anxiety, loneliness and addictions. Social isolation is correlated to dementia, as well.

On the other hand, it is clear that quality contact with a community or a network of support can have a profound impact on the livelihood, mental and physical health and well-being of seniors, as well as the prosperity of local communities.

The report of the National Seniors Council identified a number of measures that may help to reduce the social isolation of seniors.

One of the primary recommendations was for the federal government to assist with the collective capacity-building of organizations to address the social isolation of seniors.

This report has in turn led us to consider new and innovative ways the New Horizons for Seniors Program might support the work of a wide variety of organizations in attempting to address this complex issue.

And that brings us to today, here at MaRS Discovery District. We chose MaRS for today’s announcement because it exemplifies what innovation and collaboration can achieve.

Since MaRS was established in 2005, it has sought to contribute to social prosperity by catalyzing partnership and innovative thought.  MaRS represents the intersections of innovation and partnership. Bringing together corporate, small  business, government, academic and research  sectors, MaRS works to equip organizations with innovative methodologies and strategic partnerships to help maximize organizations’ societal impact.

The recent call for proposals for pan-Canadian projects supports social innovation principles and signifies a dynamic new way of addressing issues like social isolation among seniors.

This approach calls for various groups, such as local governments, businesses, community organizations and academics, to come together to collectively solve specific challenges faced by seniors.

For this call for proposals, we partnered with the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation and its Innoweave initiative.

Organizations applying for funding were asked to develop an impact plan encompassing a group of projects that would tackle social isolation through their collective efforts focused in a particular geographic area.

With over 200 project proposals received, I was very pleased to see such an overwhelming response to this call.

Today I am pleased to announce the first successful proposal of many.  I want to be very clear to the many other applicants that decisions on all applications will be taken in due course.

So, I am delighted to announce funding of close to a combined $3.7 million for six Toronto organizations who will join forces to create the ENRICHES Collective Impact Plan.

ENRICHES stands for Engagement to Reduce Isolation of Caregivers at Home and Enhancing Seniors.

These organizations will be sharing their insights and expertise and focusing their collective efforts on achieving integrated project goals.

As project partners, they will enhance the GTA community’s capacity to reduce social isolation among seniors who are also caregivers.

Seniors who are caregivers—often to their spouse—are often at great risk of social isolation. Isolation can set in gradually, sometimes without notice.

Together, with a common vision, these partners will work to identify caregiving seniors who are at risk of social isolation. ENRICHES will help to assist caregiving seniors and seek to prevent social isolation through awareness-raising of key risks, public outreach, educational programming and targeted outreach among diverse communities across the GTA.

The overall impact of their concerted efforts will have far-reaching benefits for local seniors and for the existing network of other GTA seniors-serving organizations.

Project partners include the Mount Sinai Hospital Foundation of Toronto; the Sinai Health System – The Reitman Centre; WoodGreen Community Services; the Alzheimer Society of Toronto; the Canadian Mental Health Association; and North York Community House.

These organizations have a vested interest in addressing the needs of seniors and in supporting isolated caregivers who are seniors—seniors who face the complex challenges of loneliness and isolation that the tremendous responsibility of caregiving can bring.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is just the beginning. In the months to come, other projects from across Canada submitted during the recent Call will be receiving funding.

Over the next 5 years, these pan-Canadian New Horizons projects will focus on measurably reducing social isolation among seniors and will have a tangible impact on older Canadians through creating social connections, strengthening social bonds and building a sense of community.

The Government of Canada has also adopted this approach of innovation and collaboration, working with the private sector, communities and not-for-profit organizations over the past four years on a number of initiatives to enhance the lives of seniors.

Working with the private sector

Last June I launched the Canadian Employer Panel for Caregivers. The panel consisted of representatives from small-, medium- and large-size businesses across the country, including Johnson & Johnson, Ernst & Young and Home Depot.

The panel was launched with the goal of starting a national discussion on employee caregivers in the work place. There are currently 6.1 million Canadians, or 35 percent of our work force providing care to a family member or friend. The Conference Board of Canada estimates the annual cost of lost productivity to Canadian employers due to caregiving responsibilities is close to $1.3 billion.

The Panel consulted with businesses of all sizes across the country on the issue and their work culminated in the release of an excellent report entitled, “When Work and Caregiving Collide” in January of this year.

The report contains their findings, with practical resources that companies of all sizes can use in assessing the business impact of caregiving and how flexible workplace practices can help them retain their best and brightest talent.

Today’s project announcement tackles the issue of caregiving from a different perspective—for the isolation that it can produce.

Working with provinces

Through the Forum of Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers Responsible for Seniors, we’re doing a tremendous amount of work to address social isolation.

Collaboration is key.

Through this forum, not only do we share promising approaches, but we’re also encouraging organizations and communities to work together to engage socially isolated seniors through innovative projects and help reduce and prevent social isolation.

Working with communities

I would also like to touch on the issue of homeless seniors in the context of the need for innovative approaches to complex problems.

Homelessness among the elderly is troubling, particularly for those with mental illness or impairment who may be incapable of applying for Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Old Age Security (OAS) and Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) benefits.

Last Friday, I announced the Supporting Homeless Seniors Program.  Our Government is committed to ensuring that homeless seniors receive the CPP, OAS and GIS benefits they are eligible for.

We are working closely with front-line organizations to reach and support Canada’s most vulnerable seniors.

Thanks to this program, community organizations, such as the Salvation Army, can apply to act as third-party administrators of these benefits for homeless seniors.

A third-party administrator could be a non-profit or registered charitable organization, or a municipality.

As a third-party administrator, qualified organizations and municipalities can apply for and receive CPP and OAS benefits on behalf of a senior they serve and represent, to use the benefits in the best interest of that person.

Those without a home should not have to, and no longer will have to, lose out on this income.

Through this innovative program, by working collaboratively with non-profit and charitable organizations and municipalities to deliver these benefits, we’re doing all we can to make sure no one falls through the cracks.

Conclusion

I am grateful for your patience today in allowing me to take a little extra time to place today’s announcement in context.

I have tried in a short span of time to summarize four years of work:

• our information for seniors and information for caregiver web portals;
• our ongoing work in developing a methodology for seniors policy analysis that recognizes that it is an inherently interdisciplinary area of public policy, which requires the hard work of holistic analysis from across all of government in order to be coherent;
• the development of social isolation as a focus of our work over the next 5 years, which is reflected in the NHSP program and our partnership with J.W. McConnell Family Foundation and Innoweave, as well as the work of the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Seniors, and of course the work and report of the National Seniors Council, which in many respects represents the foundation of much of this work;
• the work of the Canadian Employers Panel for Caregivers;
• the Supporting Homeless Seniors Program;
• and, of course today’s wonderful announcement of ENRICHES, which will be led by Mount Sinai Hospital, and its partners.

We are on the cusp of the most profound demographic shift in Canadian history. What unites all of this work is the need to take a holistic approach to seniors issues that unites many subject areas and disciplines, and people engaged in this work in many different ways; and working together, to think and act with creativity and with innovation, and with the determination to tackle the challenges that lie ahead for all of us.

It has been my very great privilege to do this work.

Thank you.

The following is a transcript:

Canada’s veterans have served this country with distinction. On November the 11th, Canadians will join together in a day of Remembrance, when we will remember the ultimate sacrifices made by Canada’s brave men and women in uniform, in honour of the legacies they left behind. Their determination in the face of adversity will never be forgotten and we are forever in their debt. Lest we forget.

Toronto, Ontario
May 21, 2014

Thank you for that kind introduction.

It is an honour to be here and share the same podium with such an impressive group of experts in the field of aging.

The Knowledge Exchange conference is an important venue for those of you in the field of gerontology to learn from one another. I am happy I could be here with you today, and I look forward to hearing about new developments.

In my opinion, yours is one of the most fascinating disciplines. Every day we discover something new that will help us on our journey toward better aging.

Just the other day, I read a rather startling prediction from the Office of the Chief Actuary. The Actuary said that five of every ten Canadians, who are now aged twenty, can expect to live until the age of ninety.

If the current trend continues—that is, if people continue to live longer and healthier lives—we will see entire new industries geared to aging.

Actually, it’s already starting to happen.

More and more products are designed to assist seniors, and businesses are thinking more about how to respond to the needs of older people.

Our government understands that to meet seniors’ evolving needs, we must continue to take action, so that senior Canadians can stay active, engaged and informed.

In 2011, when I took on the portfolio of Minister of State for Seniors, I felt I would be able to make a difference.

I knew that if I wanted to serve seniors well, I would have to do some work on re-shaping attitudes toward older people.

I also knew we had to find innovative ways to finance programs that help seniors continue to be active, engaged members of their communities.

We continue to fund programs like the New Horizons for Seniors Program, or NHSP, that help promote the well-being and social inclusion of seniors across Canada.

In fact, this winter in the Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, we proposed an additional $5 million, which would bring the budget of the NHSP to $50 million annually.

I believe that in order to succeed with our programs, we have to take advantage of the knowledge and resources that already exist in the community.

I firmly believe that the guiding principles of social innovationcan help us resolve some of the more deeply-rooted issues facing seniors.

Issues like social isolation, loneliness, elder abuse and financial literacy.

Social innovation is about looking for new ideas to find solutions to social challenges and benefit people and their communities.

I’m excited that our government is playing a leading role in bringing together partners from both federal and private sectors to address issues like social isolation.

The Government of Canada is focused on making sure communities are well supported and is taking the necessary steps to help them to tackle local issues.

Social innovation is about mobilizing private capital for public good by creating opportunities for investors and community organizations to work together on mutually- beneficial projects.

This new direction complements existing programs such as the New Horizons for Seniors Program. We want to allow the opportunity for innovative approaches to be used to help as many Canadians as possible.

Social innovation recognizes that government programs and funds alone are not the solution to these pressing social issues.

Social innovation is about finding new, efficient ways of addressing social issues, such as promoting better participation of seniors in our communities.

It is also about putting all our talents to work, partnering and forging alliances between governments, the business community and community organisations for the common good.

It is about working as a dynamic team, pooling our resources and tapping into the wealth of collective experience and expertise that can really effect positive change for seniors across Canada.

To make room for social innovation initiatives within the NHSP, we are shifting some of its focus to “innovative projects” that will leverage resources to tackle some of the pressing issues faced by seniors today.

Leveraging requires partners outside the federal government to give a certain level of cash or in-kind resources, or both, to the project.

And it works.

It works because it increases sources for funding, including from the private sector, for social issues at the community level.

Last fall, we opened a Call for Proposals to identify Pilot Projects on social isolation and intergenerational learning.

We looked for projects that address isolation among seniors through better social support networks and resources, and community interventions.

Last week, I was pleased to announce that 20 of these New Horizons projects had been approved and would be starting in the months to come.

I’d like to share with you a few examples of the projects that have been approved to address social isolation, through this new innovative approach:

• the Dementia Alliance of Canada,which will provide peer support to seniors affected by dementia by matching them with volunteers highly trained to deal with this condition;
• the Municipality of Muskoka, which will identify problems seniors face when searching for different programs and services that are available to them; and
• The Silver Harbour Seniors’ Activity Centre in North Vancouver. The Centre will develop a pilot project to identify transportation problems and find solutions for seniors, especially those who are isolated.

All these projects have something in common. The organizations have all brought community partners to the table. By leveraging funds from partners, we are seeing a much greater capacity to make a real impact.

The New Horizons for Seniors Program has traditionally provided two types of project funding for projects led or inspired by seniors:

• Community-based funding, which provides grants of up to $25,000 for one-year projects; and
• Pan-Canadian projects with maximum funding of $750,000 for up to 3 years for projects that focus specifically on elder abuse.

I am proud to say that over 13,000 NHSP projects have been approved in hundreds of communities since 2006.

On May 13^th,I announced this year’s NHSP Call for Proposals for Community-Based Projects. Organizations have until July 4, 2014 to apply for project funding.

I expect a Call for Proposals for pan-Canadian projects will be launched later this year, and one for innovative projects will come next winter.

NICE’s National Survey on the Mistreatment of Older Canadians, which was launched in June of 2012, is a great example of an NHSP pan-Canadian project.

NICE will develop the first survey of the mistreatment of adults 55 and over.

It is estimated that between four and ten percent of older adults in Canada experience some form of abuse and that only one in five incidents is ever reported.

This survey is really the first of its kind.

Gaining a more complete understanding of the dynamics of elder abuse in Canada will help healthcare providers and policy developers make more informed decisions.

As I said a moment ago, we need to continue to take action now, to keep our seniors active, engaged and informed.

Our government is working hard to improve the lives of seniors on many other fronts:

• In Budget 2014, we proposed the Canadian Employers for Caregivers plan, to help Canadians balance their work and caregiving responsibilities;
• We made it easier for caregivers to find the information they need in just one location when we created the new Information for Caregivers section on the seniors.gc.ca website.
• In April 2014, we tabled the Digital Privacy Act to amend the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) in Parliament, to better protect seniors from fraud and financial abuse; and
• this year, it is estimated that we will provide more than $80 billion through Canada’s public pension system.

So, as you can see, we are taking a holistic approach to help seniors have happier, healthier and more secure lives.

This is a good investment that our government and all Canadians can be proud of.

Thank you for inviting me, and I look forward to hearing from the extraordinary lineup of speakers and presenters here today.

The following is a transcript:

Hi, I’m Alice Wong, Minister of State for Seniors and Member of Parliament for Richmond. Canada’s veterans have served this country with distinction, their willingness to defend democracy, freedom, and the rule of law, sets them apart as the very best our country has to offer. This Remembrance Day, I hope you will join me in commemorating the bravery and sacrifice of veterans who fought in World War 1, World War 2, the Korean War, Peacekeeping Missions, and in Afghanistan. Their determination in the face of adversity will never be forgotten and we are forever in their debt. And finally, to the men and women of our armed forces, on behalf of myself, my family, and the residents of Richmond, thank you for your service. Lest we forget.

The following is a video of Alice Wong’s Canada Day remarks:

The player will show in this paragraph

The following is a transcript:

Canada Day is a special holiday where we come together as a nation to commemorate the birth of our country. This year, as Canada celebrates its 146th birthday, I invite you to join me in taking part in celebrations throughout our community. Whatever your activities entail this Canada Day, I encourage you to reflect on how lucky we are to call this great country our home. Happy Canada Day.

The following is a video of Alice Wong’s Christmas Holiday Season remarks:

The player will show in this paragraph

The following is a transcript:

Hello, I’m Alice Wong, Member of Parliament for Richmond and Minister of State for Seniors. On behalf of myself and my husband Enoch, I wish you all a pleasant and joyful holiday season. Whether you are celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, or any other religious event, may your festivities be an occasion for great happiness for you and your family. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The following statement was issued to local media:

As I indicated at the event in Richmond on October 11, 2012, our Government condemns the reprehensible practise of shark “finning”, which has been banned in Canada since 1994.

On the other hand, I am of the view that shark which comes from a legal, humane and sustainable fishery is no different from any other food that Canadians may or may not choose to consume.

As noted, I do engage with the Chinese-Canadian media on a regular basis in both Mandarin and Cantonese. However, it is unfortunate that the Richmond News and the Richmond Review were not notified of this local event.

You are invited to the Alice Wong Community BBQ, Saturday, August 25, 2012 from 12:00pm to 3:00pm at West Richmond Community Centre (Hugh Boyd Park). It is close to the No. 1 Road and Francis Road intersection.

Free admission, food and live music, children’s entertainment and fun for the whole family.

Above is a map of the location (Google Map Link here). Please note that the southeastern parking lot (via Pendleton Road) is most likely to be available. The spot nearest to the West Richmond Community Centre is most likely to be full.

The site at which Canadians can contribute their ideas will be open until August 3, 2012. Individuals and groups are invited to access the secure online questionnaire, to which responses can be made only once per individual or group, at: http://www.parl.gc.ca/PBC2012.

Like last year, pre-budget consultation submissions will be put on the Committee’s website after they have been translated. Following translation, the submissions will be circulated to all members of the House Finance Committee, who will then identify those whom they would like to invite to make an oral presentation. Hearings are expected to begin in September 2012.

Every year the Ministry of Finance publishes a report titled “Where your tax dollar goes”.

It is designed to give Canadians a general breakdown of where their federal tax dollars are spent, as well as how they are collected.

The most recent edition, the 2010-2011 publication, can be found by clicking here.

The following graphic is a very brief summary with a pie-chart of where your tax dollar goes.