Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Government of Canada has helped millions of Canadians, including seniors and youth, by providing them with COVID-19 related supports and benefits. As Canada emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government will continue to support community organizations that make a difference and create opportunities for both seniors and youth to stay active and involved in their communities.

Today, Marc G. Serré, Member of Parliament for Nickel Belt and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Official Languages, was joined by Viviane Lapointe, Member of Parliament for Sudbury, on behalf of Canada’s Minister of Seniors, the Honourable Kamal Khera, and the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for FedNor, announced an investment of $57,000 for two community-based projects with Sudbury Shared Harvest.

New Horizons for Seniors Program funding of $22,000 will enable Sudbury Shared Harvest to provide an opportunity for local seniors involved with the organization to be engaged in public gardening and food literacy activities to promote volunteerism, diversity and inclusion among seniors.The I-GROW (Intergenerational Gardens Regenerating Our World) project will bring youth and seniors in the Sudbury area together to lead the development of new urban agriculture initiatives and improve existing activities. The project will empower seniors in their community and provide them with the programs and support they deserve. This funding was awarded through the most recent call for proposals for community-based projects through the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP).

“Seniors and youth have been working together to plan I-GROW, or the Intergenerational Gardens Regenerating Our World project since early spring,” Sudbury Shared Harvest Board Chair Jessica Blaauw says. “Regenerative agriculture is more important now than ever and it’s so great to bring people together to get their hands dirty.”

As part of the announcement, the Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for  Northern Ontario (FedNor), is providing a $35,000 contribution under the Northern Ontario Development Program (NODP) which will enable Sudbury Shared Harvest to hire a youth intern for one year. The intern will work with other youth involved in the agri-food sector to undertake research, development, and marketing of products and/or services, as well as develop a business plan to create a social enterprise and support the long-term economic sustainability of the Youth Employment in Agriculture (YEA) program launched by Sudbury Shared Harvest in 2019.

In Budget 2022, the Government proposed an additional $20 million over two years, beginning in 2022–23, for an expanded NHSP to support more projects that improve the quality of life for seniors and help them continue to participate fully in their communities.

As part of this year’s NHSP call for proposals for community-based projects, organizations were invited to apply for funding in support of the following national priorities to reflect issues and priorities facing seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic recovery:

• Supporting healthy ageing
• Preventing senior abuse
• Celebrating diversity and promoting inclusion; and
• Helping seniors to age in place.

Through a simplified application process, organizations submitted project proposals to help seniors move beyond the pandemic and continue to play important roles in their communities.

Quotes

“Every year, the New Horizons for Seniors Program makes a meaningful difference in the lives of seniors across Canada. I am thrilled that we are funding thousands of projects across the country focused on improving the quality of life of seniors. These projects will help seniors fight social isolation, will combat seniors fraud, and will support healthy aging in an inclusive and accessible environment. By supporting these community-based projects we are taking action to ensure that seniors are empowered and have a strong presence in their communities.”

  – Minister of Seniors, Kamal Khera

“Creating good jobs and meaningful experience for youth in Northern Ontario is so important for growing our workforce. Through FedNor, we are providing valuable hands-on work experience in our region’s many great industries. Today’s announcement will provide $35,000 to Sudbury Shared Harvest to hire a youth intern for one year, introducing them to our agri-food sector, help develop skills, and set them up for future success.”

• The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for FedNor

“Sudbury Shared Harvest is an excellent example of a local organization connecting seniors and youth for the benefit of the community. With today’s funding announcements, both seniors and youth with benefit through the New Horizon’s for Seniors Fund and through FedNor’s Northern Ontario Development Program. I am excited to learn about progress of these new urban agriculture initiatives and how they are positively impacting the community in the months and years to come.”

  – Marc G. Serré, Member of Parliament for Nickel Belt and Parliamentary Secretary for the Minister of Official   Languages

“Creating opportunities and relationships amongst age groups is crucial to a prosperous community. Through the New Horizons for Senior’s program, Sudbury Shared Harvest will bring together youth and seniors to develop programming that will be so beneficial for the Sudbury community. Sudbury Shared Harvest provides such meaningful opportunities that create a thriving community for all.”

   – Viviane Lapointe, Member of Parliament Sudbury

“The New Horizons for Seniors grant is providing such wonderful opportunities for seniors to take the lead, working together with volunteers of all ages on a number of urban agriculture initiatives.The project isn’t just about producing food, but also about learning how to do that while improving the environment as a whole.” 

     - Carrie Regenstreif, Executive Director of Sudbury Shared Harvest

Quick Facts

• Seniors are the fastest-growing age group in Canada. By 2030, the number of seniors is expected to reach 9.4 million, representing close to one quarter of Canada’s population.
• The NHSP is a federal grants and contributions program whose goal is to support projects that help seniors stay active and engaged.
• Since 2004, the NHSP has funded more than 33,500 projects in hundreds of communities across Canada, with a total investment from the Government of Canada of more than $720 million.
• The funding helps support activities that engage seniors in their communities and address one or more of the program’s five objectives: volunteering, mentoring, expanding awareness of elder abuse, supporting social participation, and providing capital assistance.
• Every year, organizations are invited to apply for NHSP community-based funding through a call for proposals. The projects announced today were approved as part of a call for proposals that was launched on November 23, 2021, and closed on December 21, 2021.
• Community-based projects are eligible to receive up to $25,000 in grant funding.
• The funding announced today is provided through FedNor’s Northern Ontario Development Program, which supports projects that promote sustainable community economic development, enhance business development and growth, and facilitate innovation.
• Since its inception more than three decades ago, FedNor’s youth internship initiative has helped create 1824 jobs for youth across Northern Ontario.

Associated Links

Programs and services for seniors
New Horizons for Seniors Program – Engaging seniors, strengthening communities

Backgrounder: Government of Canada supports for seniors

Minister Khera announces one-time payment