The Ontario government continues to invest in seniors' health.
Chatham-Kent Leamington MPP Rick Nicholls announced $375,380 in new funding at The Active Lifestyle Centre at 20 Merritt Ave. in Chatham on Thursday to allow eight groups throughout Chatham-Kent and Leamington to expand. Each will get roughly $52,000 for programming and infrastructure projects.
The province said about 30 per cent of Canadian seniors are at risk of becoming socially isolated, which is a growing problem leading to other illnesses.
Nicholls said the money will help many seniors who face financial and other obstacles in accessing programs and services that support health and well-being.
"They get out, they get exercise, they have fellowship, they can do programs, which keeps their mind active. You know the longer we can keep our seniors at home through seniors centres like this, the easier it is on our health care and of course easier on them too," said Nicholls.
Bob Dye, president of the Ridgetown and Area Adult Activity Centre, said the funding will go toward a new and larger $2.5 million centre to be finished in about a year.
"Imports from the Greater Toronto Area, they don't bring children with them but they do show up looking for something to do in a seniors centre," Dye said.
Linda Lucas, Executive Director of the Maple City Centre for Older Adults, is thankful for the funding and said it will go to good use.
"We have installed some fans to keep the exercise people cool and we also go to all the programs to get their needs and then prioritize them because we do have 60 programs here. So, probably some yoga equipment," said Lucas.
Locally, Blenheim and Community Seniors Group, Club De L’Age D’Or Le Foyer Pointe-Aux-Roches, Leamington and District Half-Century Centre, Maple City Centre for Older Adults, Morpeth Heritage 60+ Club, Ridgetown and Area Adult Activity Centre, Tilbury and District Seniors Adult Centre Association, and Wheatley and District Friendship Club Inc. will share the money announced on Thursday.
Ontario is investing $14.1 million to support more than 300 seniors active living centre programs across the province. The province said seniors' active living centres support over 100,000 seniors across the province. Seniors' centres offer physical fitness programs such as yoga and pickleball, social outings, educational programs such as tax clinics and technology seminars, and wellness programs such as falls prevention and nutrition programs.
Nicholls said Ontario seniors are the fastest-growing age group. By 2023, he said there will be 3 million Ontarians over the age of 65.