In Richmond, B.C., senior citizens are getting $18,500 from the federal government to hold a few “intergenerational” movie nights.
In Denzil, Sask., a seniors club will receive $25,000 to form an exercise club.
And in Beauval, Sask. — where the most recent census found just 86 people who were over the age of 60 — the federal government has set aside $20,000 so those seniors can teach others native beadwork, dancing, and storytelling.
The projects are all funded with money from a federal government program called New Horizons for Seniors Programs. The initiative has a budget of $15 million this year to help pay up to $25,000 for 800 projects across the country.
“I can call it a waste of money without ambiguity,” said Kevin Gaudet, federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
“If someone wants art lessons or multimedia lessons or native dancing or beadmaking lessons, they can pay for it themselves,” he said.
One of the seniors projects is in Wildwood, Alta., where Rob Merrifield, minister of state for transport, is the MP. He presented a cheque last week for $21,000 to a group that will bring together children and seniors in long-term care facilities to develop a scrapbook so that seniors could share their life experiences.
“Seniors have a lot of experience and wisdom and it’s actually translating that into future generations,” said Merrifield. “It’s a great program.”
The latest grant to be announced went to a group in the Central Ontario town of Haliburton — where MP Barry Devolin is also a Conservative — who are helping seniors paint, draw, take pictures and video and then talk about their work at a local art gallery. The group received $19,000 from Ottawa to do that.
“Is this the best use of taxpayers’ money?” Liberal Judy Sgro asked. “Sounds like buying votes, to me. I suspect there are much higher priorities for Canadians today.” [Read the rest of the story]