Government programs for senior citizens are indexed to inflation, but that does not mean budgets are not tight for those over the age of 65.
Rodney Holowaty is the President of Branch 63 of the Royal Canadian Legion and was at a public event Monday at the Round Prairie Elders’ Centre on Avenue P. Federal Seniors Minister Kamal Khera was highlighting the New Horizons for Seniors program, which allows seniors to remain active in their communities.
During a question and answer session, Royal Canadian Legion Branch 63 president Rodney Holowaty asked her to remember seniors as the cost of food and other services rise.
Canada’s Food Price Report is projecting a 5 to 7 per cent increase next year with vegetables, dairy and meat leading the way.
“For some our members, it is rough,” said Holowaty. “We had a Christmas party on Saturday and we gathered non-perishable goods because some of our members will need it.” He is especially concerned about seniors who solely rely on the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS) because they were not members of a private pension plan during their working years.
Khera says the federal government has increased OAS by ten per cent for seniors 75 and older.
“All of the benefits that are government has put forward—CPP, OAS, Guaranteed Income Supplement—they are all indexed to inflation. So all these benefits continue to rise as the cost of living goes higher”, she said.
The New Horizons for Seniors Program is allocating $25,000 for the Round Prairie Elders Lodge to provide the 30 Metis elders with activities and social opportunities.
“We do a lot of baking and visiting,” said Marlene Conron. “We also have a smudge room and it give us a (good) start on our day.” Another important activity is music with Metis fiddlers and other musicians coming to the lodge to entertain residents. There is also access to learning activities involving computers and other technology.
The New Horizons for Seniors Program is a $61 million initiative announced earlier this year. About 3,000 community projects across Canada will receive funding, including 95 in Saskatchewan and a dozen in Saskatoon. The funding for the Round Prairie Elders’ Lodge is $25,000. The nearby Legion building is also receiving funding from the program.
