2 years on, the Nunavut government is still trying to get elder mobility vans on the road

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Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-30 11:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Transportation, Seniors, Social Services, Infrastructure]

Two years after the Government of Nunavut spent $1 million purchasing five elder mobility vans for Iqaluit, Cambridge Bay, Coral Harbour, Pangnirtung, and Rankin Inlet, the vehicles remain parked and unused due to a failure to secure operational funding. The initial pilot project contract with the non-profit Northern Future Skills Development expired after the territorial government budgeted only for vehicle purchases and shipments without providing management funds. Premier John Main announced that the government has now approved $1.25 million in funding for the current year to establish an operational policy and seek new organizations to run the transportation service.

N.W.T. expands home heating subsidy for seniors

Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-21 18:06:17.0
Tags: [National, Seniors, Affordability, Social Services, Energy]

The Government of the Northwest Territories announced modifications to the Senior Home Heating Subsidy by raising the household income threshold to $90,000 or less per year to expand financial assistance over the winter. The new policy replaces a previous three-zone system ranging from $66,000 to $87,000 with a uniform income cap while maintaining zone-based monthly subsidy rates of $530 for Zone 1, $685 for Zone 2, and $1,090 for Zone 3. Payments are distributed monthly between September and April, with previously denied applicants automatically reassessed and an application deadline set for March 15, 2027.

Ontario Expanding Access to Dementia Care in Long-Term Care Homes

Source: Ontario - Ministry of Long-Term Care
Date: 2026-10-08 16:00:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Healthcare, Seniors, Social Services]

The Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care is investing nearly $13 million to expand the Improving Dementia Care Program (IDCP) and increase Behavioural Specialized Unit (BSU) capacity. Specifically, $3 million will fund the IDCP expansion to 13 additional long-term care homes—including Villa St. Gabriel Villa in Sudbury, which receives $247,545—connecting up to 1,300 additional residents to emotion-based dementia care models by 2027-28. Additionally, the province is committing $9.82 million annually in 2026-27 to fund up to 153 new BSU beds across five long-term care facilities to provide person-centred therapies and divert dementia patients from acute care hospitals.

Ottawa must renew mental health and home care funding, health ministers say

Source: Global News Politics
Date: 2026-10-02 12:23:46.0
Tags: [National, Manitoba, Healthcare, Social Services, Seniors, Finance]

Provincial and territorial health ministers from across Canada are raising concerns over the impending expiration of $1.2 billion in dedicated federal funding agreements for mental health, addictions, and home care set to sunset in March 2027. The funding stems from a broader $200 billion 10-year health care funding pledge made in the 2023 federal budget, which included $4.8 billion targeted specifically for home care, community care, and mental health services over four years. Officials, including Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara and Canadian Mental Health Association president Marion Cooper, warn that failing to renew these targeted agreements will result in a fiscal cliff, leading to reduced community services and job losses in the health sector.

Minister Pardy Commemorates National Seniors Day with Continued Support for SeniorsNL

Source: Newfoundland & Labrador - Government Releases
Date: 2026-10-01 12:15:43.0
Tags: [Newfoundland and Labrador, Seniors, Social Services, Transportation, Affordability]

On National Seniors Day, Minister of Seniors Craig Pardy announced nearly $650,000 in combined annual funding for SeniorsNL and the Newfoundland and Labrador Community Transportation Program. SeniorsNL will receive $343,000 to provide older adults with access to information, advocacy, and education, while $300,000 is allocated to the Community Transportation Program to address isolation and transportation barriers. Applications for the 2026-27 Community Transportation Program are open to municipalities, Indigenous governing bodies, and provincially incorporated organizations until November 26, 2026. This builds on Budget 2026 measures, which included a 20 per cent increase to the Newfoundland and Labrador Seniors' Benefit supporting approximately 50,000 seniors.

Provincial Government Delivers on Commitment to Strengthen Hospice Care in Central Newfoundland

Source: Newfoundland & Labrador - Government Releases
Date: 2026-09-29 15:30:40.0
Tags: [Newfoundland and Labrador, Healthcare, Social Services, Seniors, Finance]

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador announced an additional $400,000 investment in Budget 2026 for the Lionel Kelland Hospice in Grand Falls-Windsor, bringing total provincial funding to $2.7 million for the 2026-27 fiscal year. The funding builds upon an existing annual baseline allocation of $2.3 million to support specialized, around-the-clock end-of-life care, pain management, bereavement programs, and family support services. Operated in partnership with NL Health Services, the facility aims to provide community-based hospice care and relieve operational pressure on regional hospital resources.

Provincial Homeowner Support Programs Launching Next Week

Source: Newfoundland & Labrador - Government Releases
Date: 2026-09-22 13:30:29.0
Tags: [Newfoundland and Labrador, Housing, Affordability, Social Services, Seniors]

The Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation is launching applications for two expanded and enhanced homeowner support programs backed by an annualized investment of $7.3 million introduced in Budget 2026. The Home Repair Program for low-income homeowners doubles the forgivable loan from $5,000 to $10,000 (and from $6,500 to $13,000 in Labrador), increases the lifetime maximum funding from $12,500 to $30,000, reduces reapplication wait times from seven to five years, and removes pre- and post-inspection requirements, operating under an income threshold of $42,500 ($65,000 in Labrador). Meanwhile, the Home Modification Program doubles its forgivable loan from $7,500 to $15,000, eliminates occupational therapist recommendations and pre- and post-inspections for minor accessibility modifications like handrails and grab bars, and operates under an income threshold of $51,500 ($65,000 in Labrador).

'Father of Nunavut' has one more fight left: to live in the territory he helped create

Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-09-22 08:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Healthcare, Seniors, Social Services, Indigenous, Justice]

Supporters of John Amagoalik, known as the 'Father of Nunavut,' filed two notices of application for judicial review in the Nunavut Court of Justice against the territorial government after it declined a request for $16,000 per month to cover his accessible housing and daily personal support worker care in Iqaluit. Amagoalik, who requires complex medical care following a partial leg amputation, was previously sent by the Department of Health to Embassy West Senior Living in Ottawa, where 73 Nunavut elders are currently housed due to a lack of territorial facilities. Friends and supporters formed the John A. Committee, raising $30,000 to temporarily bring him home, and are now seeking a court order to compel the government to adequately fund his long-term care needs within the territory.

New Edmonton affordable-housing project aims to support homeless veterans

Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
Date: 2026-09-05 20:28:30.0
Tags: [Alberta, Municipal, Housing, Social Services, Defence, Seniors]

A new affordable-housing project named Veterans' House is scheduled to open in Edmonton's Athlone community shortly after Remembrance Day, providing 40 independent, fully accessible living suites for unhoused veterans. Developed in partnership with the affordable housing provider Civida, the facility features below-market rental units capped at approximately $900, with rent subsidized by veterans' support groups to ensure tenants pay no more than 30 per cent of their income. The project aims to address the disproportionate rate of homelessness among Canadian veterans—estimated at five per cent nationally and seven per cent in Alberta—while offering on-site mental health, employment, and life-skills supports. Following the Edmonton opening, the organizers plan to construct additional facilities in Halifax, Victoria, and Toronto.

Auditor General Delivers Report to the Public Accounts Committee on Audit of Long Term Care Facilities

Source: Newfoundland & Labrador - Government Releases
Date: 2026-09-03 13:45:44.0
Tags: [Newfoundland and Labrador, Healthcare, Seniors, Social Services, Governance]

Auditor General Denise Hanrahan delivered a performance audit report to the Public Accounts Committee pursuant to section 22 of the Auditor General Act, revealing that Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services, the Department of Health and Community Services, and the Department of Seniors failed to adequately ensure quality care for long-term care residents. The audit uncovered inappropriate oversight, limited performance measures, inconsistent monitoring, and operational standards that have not been comprehensively updated since 2005. The Public Accounts Committee is requesting formal action plans from the involved departments and health authority to address these deficiencies.

Opening new shelter with supports in Kamloops

Source: British Columbia - Government News
Date: 2026-09-02 20:25:00.0
Tags: [British Columbia, Housing, Social Services, Healthcare, Seniors, Infrastructure]

The British Columbia Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs and BC Housing are investing nearly $10 million through the Homeless Action Plan Enhanced Fund to open Solace Shelter at 1055 Glenfair Dr. in Kamloops, providing 40 support spaces for seniors and older adults operated 24/7 by The Mustard Seed. Additionally, the Province is contributing approximately $17.7 million through the Complex Care Fund for construction starting in October 2026 on 20 complex-care housing units at 1102 Glenfair Dr., where Interior Health will deliver clinical health services.