OTTAWA, ONTARIO - April 15, 2009: The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, and the Honourable Marjory LeBreton, Leader of the Government in the Senate and Minister of State (Seniors), today launched the latest call for proposals under the New Horizons for Seniors Program.

Up to $19.5 million in total federal support is available under the program's Community Participation and Leadership funding stream for local projects by non-profit organizations. Eligible projects will encourage seniors to continue to play an important role in their communities by helping those in need, providing leadership, and sharing their knowledge and skills with others. Up to $25,000 per project is available.

"The Government of Canada remains committed to the well-being of Canadian seniors," said Minister Finley. "The New Horizons for Seniors Program enables seniors to participate in projects that improve their quality of life and make a difference in their communities."

"Our government knows that Canada's seniors have wisdom worth sharing," added Minister of State LeBreton. "They have witnessed unprecedented changes in our society, raised their families, and built our country. This program encourages seniors to share their life experiences for the benefit of others-this is especially valuable in today's economic times."

The deadline for applications for the three territories is May 22, 2009. The deadline for all provinces except Quebec is June 12, 2009. In Quebec, the Program intends to launch a call for proposals for both the Community Participation and Leadership and Capital Assistance funding streams in late spring 2009 as a pilot project aimed at improving and streamlining the application process. For more information on this call for proposals, please visit www.hrsdc.gc.ca/seniors.

Since its beginning, the New Horizons for Seniors Program has funded over 5,000 projects in hundreds of communities across Canada.

In Canada's Economic Action Plan, the federal government made a clear commitment to protect Canadians, including seniors, in difficult times by implementing several key measures:

- Increasing the Age Credit by $1,000 for 2009 and beyond to allow eligible seniors to receive up to an additional $150 in annual tax savings.

- Providing seniors with $200 million in tax relief by reducing the required minimum withdrawal amount for 2008 from Registered Retirement Income Funds by 25 percent, in recognition of the impact of the deterioration in market conditions on retirement savings.

- Helping older workers and their families through these tough economic times by investing an additional $60 million over three years in the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers, and by expanding the number of eligible communities to include older workers in small cities.

- Providing $400 million over two years through the Affordable Housing Initiative for the construction of housing units for low-income seniors.

- Establishing an independent Task Force to make recommendations on a cohesive national strategy on financial literacy for Canadians.

For more information on the Government of Canada's actions for seniors, please visit: http://www.seniors.gc.ca.