The following statement was read in the House of Assembly today by the Honourable John Abott, Minister of Seniors:

Speaker, I rise today to recognize June as Seniors’ Month.

Seniors’ Month provides the opportunity to encourage seniors to stay active, connected and engaged within their community and to acknowledge how they enrich Newfoundland and Labrador.

Over the last two years, our government has made significant investment in the health and well-being of seniors.

Budget 2025 includes funding to ensure supports and services are available to seniors to enable them to age at home, including initiatives under the Seniors’ Health and Well-Being Plan.

We are also continuing to invest in our Targeted Basic Income pilot for eligible people aged 60 to 64.

These initiatives are in addition to other programs that support healthy aging, including the Seniors’ Social Inclusion Initiative, the Age-Friendly Newfoundland and Labrador Communities Program, the Community Transportation Program and the Seniors’ Benefit, which Budget 2025 commits to indexing to the consumer price index.

We have recently released two guides for seniors in our province: Bridging Generations: A Guide to Intergenerational Programs, and a Guide to Provincial Government Programs and Services for Seniors. Both are available online or in print form.

Our government is committed to fostering inclusive, age and dementia-friendly communities to ensure seniors remain active members of their communities, maintain their independence and age with dignity.

I encourage everyone to honour and celebrate our province’s seniors and older adults for the important contributions they make to our province.

Thank you.