Article by The Sudbury Star

Nine local groups focused on creating positive spaces for seniors are celebrating the advent of new initiatives, following a funding announcement on Thursday.

Sudbury MP Viviane Lapointe announced $154,331 for nine community-based projects in Sudbury. The projects will empower seniors in their community, and will provide them with the programs and support they deserve.

Lapointe said the funding will enable seniors “to participate in meaningful activities that nurture their personal growth and foster community vitality.”

This funding was awarded through the most recent call for proposals through the New Horizons for Seniors Program.

Successful projects include $12,500 for Dnipro/Veselka Cultural and Educational Society for Ukrainian cultural mentorship; $24,914 for the Kotopiha garden initiative at Finlandia Village; $22,667 for Independent Living Sudbury Manitoulin for a program to prevent elder and financial abuse; $24,600 for Volunteer Sudbury; and $25,000 for the Walden Seniors and Pensioners to replace ailing tools.

The Sudbury Performance Group received $25,000 for its seniors music mentorship program.

“The goal of our project is to create a committee of older adults who will become active within the community on a year-round basis that will work with younger generations and teach them the music and singing,” Mark Mannisto, founder and president of the SPG, said. “We are fortunate enough that music bonds generational gaps and ensures that older adults can connect and create with emerging artists as both mentors and peers.”

Pioneer Manor received $5,000 for a pollinator park, while the Sudbury Women’s Centre received $10,000 to implement life story exercises. Finally, the Ukrainian Centre received $4,650 for a new dough sheeter.

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

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 25 per cent of Canada’s population.

Since 2004, the New Horizons for Seniors Program has funded more than 33,500 projects in hundreds of communities across Canada, with a total investment from the federal government of more than $720 million.