Hon. Alice Wong, P.C.

Victoria, British Columbia, March 2, 2012—The Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State for Seniors, hosted a round table event today with local seniors’ organizations from theVictoria area. This event, hosted by the Centre on Aging,University ofVictoria, was part of a series of cross‑Canada consultations to discuss key issues that matter to seniors in the area.

“The Government of Canada is committed to the well-being of Canadian seniors,” said Minister Wong. “Through these round tables, our government is engaging key stakeholders to discuss elder abuse and other important seniors‑related issues.”

It is estimated that between 4 and 10 percent of Canadian seniors experience some form of elder abuse. The Government of Canada is taking action to increase awareness of this issue through its elder abuse awareness campaign and a component of the New Horizons for Seniors Program that provides grants to increase awareness.

The outcome of these round table discussions will help inform the direction of future government policies and programs on elder abuse and seniors’ issues.

For more information on what the Government of Canada is doing for seniors, visit seniors.gc.ca.

This news release is available in alternative formats on request.

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