Where have we been? Updates, Information and More… British Columbia Seniors Advocate Town Hall in Vernon, BC, April 14
The Seniors Tin Cup has been on something of a hiatus for the past few months, first, waiting to see who the new Prime Minister would be, and now, we find ourselves in the middle of an election. The TinCup is currently waiting for the government to settle out so that we have an actual target to address our concerns. To say that we are living in challenging times is an understatement. We are continuing to plan and will move forward once again as soon as the dust settles, and we will continue to agitate for seniors rights and raising seniors out of poverty. This may entail “getting political” and…
New Numbers: Recent Income Survey Statistics
While we patiently wait for the federal government to sort itself out, we’ve pulled together some numbers and summaries for you from several reputable sources – the Government of Canada Public Pensions website, the National Seniors Strategy website, and the most recent Statistics Canada Income Survey (2022), and Made in CA. We encourage you to visit the actual official websites for more detailed and up to date information, as numbers are often adjusted for inflation and may be subject to change. Yearly Income For Canadians Aged 65 or Over The average monthly income for Canadians over 65 years of age is $1,883, which is $22,600 per year (December 2024). This…
Happy New Year? New Minister for Seniors, little relief for seniors living below the poverty line
Happy New Year? Highly unlikely for many seniors who live below the poverty line. The latest absurdity of our government is to offer those who earn up to $150,000.00 a year, a bonus cheque in the amount of $250.00 in the Spring of 2025, with no plans to give the same to seniors who live under the poverty line of $25,252.00. Even if it doesn’t happen, for them to even think this might be okay is exceedingly insulting. I wondered if their brains had fallen out. A recent Canadian survey shows that single seniors had 4 times the poverty rate compared to senior families I was lying in bed watching…
A Heartfelt Thanks to all who came out in support of the October 5 Rally!
We had a few new communities joining us, included Terrace and Salmon Arm – Welcome! – and so great to see different generations coming out in support of elders. Thanks to all communities, volunteers, and participants who came out in good weather and not-so-good weather to support the October 5 Seniors Tin Cup Rally for fair seniors pensions. A huge thank you to the Businesses in Armstrong and Vernon who donated a prize for the draw held during the Vernon rally (see list below!). Vernon also had Tim Horton’s coffee and doughnuts donated! Much appreciated! Stay tuned for our next rally in 2025 – BUT – we encourage all Seniors…
Take the Tin Cup Challenge & Write or Email a Letter
We have received permission to publish the following letter of support (see below) that was recently sent to Dan Levitt, the Provincial Advocate for Seniors by one of our Tin Cup supporters. Every voice counts! We ask that you also write your own letter/email, to send to the Prime Minister, your local Member of Parliament, or the Minister responsible for Seniors, and/or your local MP or MLA in your Province. We have provided a sample letter for downloading, but you can also copy and paste from the examples below. Use these letters for inspiration, add your own stories, or write your own. We are very grateful for all of the…
Seniors Unhoused and The Hidden Homeless
Homelessness and the “Hidden” Homeless It may sound fun at first, to live in your RV or van. But when this becomes a choice between being able to pay rent and still have enough funds to buy food, medications, etc, by giving up your home to live more inexpensively full time in your recreational vehicle, if you are lucky, or car, or truck, if less lucky, then it becomes a different matter. Worst case scenario is living on the streets. We have met these seniors who have had to make this choice at many of our rallies. Homelessness or Unhoused Statistics A disproportionate number of both senior men and women are…
Next Rally Saturday, October 5, 2024, 11 am – Find your community and contact organisers here.
PLEASE NOTE: Some communities, such as Kamloops, will be rallying at an earlier date – Saturday, September 21, 2024. Please check with your local community to be sure. The following communities will be taking part – we will add communities as they come on board: Terrace, Vanderhoof, Williams Lake, Kamloops, White Rock, Ladysmith, Salmon Arm, North Vancouver/Delta, Campbell River, Vernon and Victoria. Find your community and contact organisers here. We will be adding Communities and Organiser Contacts as we go. WE NEED ORGANIZERS FOR ALL COMMUNITIES NOT LISTED BELOW.NEXT RALLY THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2024 Meet at 10:30 am – RALLY STARTS AT 11:00 am See locations for each Community below.…
Who is the new Minister for Seniors? Find out here
Seamus O’Regan has stepped down from this post, and Steven MacKinnon has been newly appointed as the Minister for Labour and Seniors. We do not know very much about him, as yet, however the Prime Minister’s website has posted his biography and we have made it available here. We will keep you posted when more information becomes available. Link to the CTV Video here to hear Mr. MacKinnon’s initial statements. Link to CPAC full video (27 minutes) of swearing in ceremony and interview (some parts are not translated)… You can contact the Minister directly via email to voice your concerns about seniors pensions and other seniors issues at this email…
Next Rally Thursday, June 27, 2024, 11 am – Find your community and contact organisers here.
Find your community and contact organisers here. We will be adding Communities and Organiser Contacts as we go. WE ARE NEED ORGANIZERS FOR ALL COMMUNITIES NOT LISTED BELOW.NEXT RALLY THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2024 Meet at 10:30 am – RALLY STARTS AT 11:00 am Find out More PLEASE CONTACT CAROLE FAWCETT IF YOU CAN HELP ORGANIZE. We will provide instructions – it’s not that difficult and should not require too much time, other than getting the word out/posters to seniors and other groups/media, and using your own networks of friends and colleagues. VOLUNTEERS ARE ALSO WELCOME IN EACH COMMUNITY – help spread the word – MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHTER WORK COMMUNITY…
Petition to the Government of Canada
TIME IS RUNNING OUT! WOW! Over 2500 signatures for the Online Petition!HAVE YOU SIGNED YET? Sign the Petition BEFORE September 14, 2024, at 3:57 p.m. (EDT). Sign the official federal petition now to demand changes to pensions for seniors and help lift low income seniors out of poverty. Follow the links to the official petition site. PLEASE NOTE: IT IS A TWO STEP PROCESS – DON’T FORGET THAT AFTER YOU HAVE SIGNED – THERE IS ONE LAST STEP REQUIRED… You will receive an email to validate your identity. You must click the link provided in order to complete the signature process. The petition will remain open until September 14, 2024,…
