Secretary of State McLean announces funding for Alberta seniors
News release
September 9, 2026 Foothills County, Alberta Employment and Social Development Canada
As the cost of living continues to rise, the Government of Canada is taking action to make life more affordable for seniors, and to help them stay active and connected to their communities.
Today, the Honourable Stephanie McLean, Secretary of State (Seniors) announced an investment of $147,854 under the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) for seven community-based projects in southern Alberta. The Secretary of State made the announcement at the Heartbeat Society, which received $25,000 in funding for their project Sing, Smile, Connect: Music and Fun for Seniors. Seniors involved in the project will participate in activities that help improve peer mentorship and reduce social isolation for seniors.
The funding announced today was awarded through the 2025–26 call for proposals for community-based projects under the NHSP, which provides funding for projects that keep thousands of seniors engaged and giving back to their communities. These projects help seniors stay active, informed and socially connected as they participate in and help lead a range of activities, including memory-stimulating exercises, youth mentorship, cultural storytelling, medicine teaching, monthly nutrition programming, and digital literacy workshops.
The NHSP works with other Government initiatives, like the new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, to support low- and modest-income households, including those of seniors, as the cost of living continues to rise. Together, these measures are designed to help seniors better meet their everyday needs and as they help build stronger, more connected communities for all Canadians.
Quotes
“Projects like Sing, Smile, Connect are helping seniors remain engaged, active and connected to their communities. I am proud to work in partnership with organizations like the Heartbeat Society, to strengthen inclusive and supportive environments where older adults can thrive and enjoy a better quality of life.”
– The Honourable Stephanie McLean, Secretary of State (Seniors)
“The Heartbeat Society is incredibly grateful to the Government of Canada for its support through the New Horizons for Seniors Program. This funding allows us to bring the joy and healing power of singing, songs, and music to seniors in memory care, supporting their mental and emotional well-being in a truly meaningful way. Music has a remarkable ability to reach places that words sometimes cannot. It can awaken memories, stir emotions, and reconnect people with moments, relationships, and feelings they may have thought were forgotten. We are deeply thankful for the opportunity to make these meaningful experiences possible.”
– (Sgt Ret’d) Gary Benoit, Heartbeat Society Board Member
Quick facts
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Seniors are expected to represent almost 25% of the population by 2059 and could reach 11 million people within 15 years.
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The community-based stream of the New Horizons for Seniors Program, invests in projects that help to improve seniors’ quality of life. In the 2025–26 call for proposals, organizations were eligible to receive up to $25,000 in grant funding for projects of up to 52 weeks.
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Program funding supports projects that address one or more of the program’s five objectives:
- promoting volunteerism among seniors and other generations;
- engaging seniors through the mentoring of others;
- expanding awareness of elder abuse, including financial abuse;
- supporting social participation and the inclusion of seniors; and
- providing capital assistance for new and existing community projects and programs for seniors.
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Project proposals must involve seniors in vital roles to lead, plan or deliver the project.
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Since its inception in 2004, the program has funded over 45,000 projects in hundreds of communities across Canada, with the Government’s total investment now surpassing $1 billion in funding.
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Based on the last four years of available data, more than 900,000 seniors participate in NHSP community-based projects each year.
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Contacts
For media enquiries, please contact:
Greg Frame
Senior Communications Policy Advisor and a/Press Secretary
Office of the Secretary of State (Seniors)
gregory.frame@esdc-edsc.gc.ca
Media Relations Office
Employment and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559
media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
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