My
uncle Frank served overseas and was "missing
in action - presumed dead" in 1942. Frankie was
23 years old. We all have memories of the war years
and the devastating losses to so many families.
The
Remembrance Day service is also an occasion to remember
those who were near and dear to us and are now gone
but never forgotten. The Year of the Veteran 2005
will end on December 31, but most of us will remember
their sacrifices forever.
I
hope you all had the opportunity to enjoy the sights
and smells of October. This is such an enjoyable time
of year - Thanksgiving, Hallowe'en and starting to
think about Christmas.
The
not so enjoyable part is the realization that rising
fuel costs will hurt many seniors. Ottawa recently
announced that families of modest means (including
seniors) will be eligible to receive financial assistance
for gas and home heating costs. Watch the news and
papers for more information on this. As it becomes
available, it will be printed in The Voice.
Keep
the club news coming. Everyone enjoys hearing about
your club and activities.
Details
on Affordable Housing continue to emerge since the
announcement of increased funding on August 31. We
will continue to remind the government that affordable
senior housing and support services on-site are essential
to the good health of seniors.
Although
they have not identified the new funds for supportive
housing, government spokespersons have stated that
these monies will be available for newly developed
housing as recently as October 6 at an Affordable
Housing Forum I attended in Kingston. Are you aware
that the USCO identified the deficiencies in seniors'
housing as early as 1981? It's very gratifying to
see that other groups are now actively involved in
pursuing a solution to this very important issue,
and that both federal and provincial governments are
responding.
Never
give up - that's my motto!
Further
in this issue, you will see information from the Ministry
of Health Promotion that will be of interest to you.
Although the original Submission of Interest was to
be in August 26, 2005, we received the information
just after the convention. However, I would still
recommend that you communicate with this ministry
for information about the program and any future funding
that may be available.
Introduction
The
Government of Ontario (Ministry of Health Promotion),
in partnership with the Government of Canada (Sport
Canada), is pleased to provide you with the 2005-2006
"Sport for More" Program guidelines and
program requirements.
The
Sport for More Program will be funded through a multi-year
bilateral agreement between the Ministry of Health
Promotion and Sport Canada.
The
Sport for More Program will provide funding for initiatives
that support the Enhanced Participation goal of ACTIVE2010
and the Canadian Sport Policy. Funding for Sport for
More Program initiatives will be made available for
eligible projects throughout the term of the bilateral
agreement to 2007-2008.
ACTIVE2010
- Ontario's Sport and Physical Activity Strategy
The
Province of Ontario has been a leader in developing
amateur sport and is proud of the results Ontario
athletes have achieved at both national and international
competitions. Ontario has also been at the forefront
of promoting participation in sport for the health
and social benefits that can be obtained from being
physically active.
However,
governments and citizens in the province have become
increasingly concerned about the diminishing level
of physical activity and participation in sport and
the resulting impact on health and quality of life.
Physical
inactivity and obesity rates are on the rise, putting
the future health of Ontarians at risk. The Government
of Ontario, through the Ministry of Health Promotion,
has recognized the critical need to address the issue
by introducing ACTIVE2010 - a comprehensive strategy
to increase participation in sport and physical activity
throughout Ontario.
ACTIVE2010
is comprised of two components: Sport and Physical
Activity. These two components contribute towards
the overall goals of ACTIVE2010:
