Feds double amount of funding available through New Horizons for Seniors Program

An undated file photo of a senior citizen.

The federal government is doubling the amount of funding available for projects that improve seniors’ lives through the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP).

When the 2026-27 call for proposals opens later this spring, the maximum amount available per project will be $50,000, government officials announced at a news conference in Edmonton on Thursday.

“The New Horizons for Seniors Program hasn’t changed at all since it was started in 2004, and we know that $25,000 does not have the same impact that it did back then,” said Stephanie McLean, Canada’s secretary of state for seniors, at the event at Sage Seniors Association in downtown Edmonton.

She also announced $54 million for 2,600 projects across the country under the 2025-26 round of funding.

Sage Seniors Association received $25,000 as one of 213 successful applicants in Alberta.

The money will be put toward social activities, financial and digital literacy workshops, and community-building events.

“For example, we’ve been able to support intergenerational programming where older adults share their knowledge, culture and lived experience with youth, building relationships that strengthen both individuals and communities. In one project alone, more than 100 youth connected with senior mentors, forming meaningful relationships and reducing social isolation for all involved,” executive director Karen McDonald said.

“We imagine now, with that larger grant funding, how many more people can be reached?”

Since it was created, the NHSP has supported 45,000 projects in 400 communities, according to the federal government.