The governments of Canada and Prince Edward Island joined with residents and board members of the Tignish Seniors' Home Care Co-operative today for an open house and guided tour of the facility. This project received funding under the affordable housing priority of the Canada-Prince Edward Island Infrastructure Program.
Mr. Joe McGuire, Member of Parliament for Egmont; the Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Transportation and Public Works and MLA for Tignish-Deblois and Alan McInnis, President of the Tignish Seniors' Home Care Co-operative participated in the event.
"By encouraging its resident members to be involved in day-to-day decisions, this co-operative is supporting seniors who wish to live longer, happier lives as active and engaged citizens," said Mr. McGuire, on behalf of the Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). "The Government of Canada, through the infrastructure program, is pleased to have supported the community in establishing this innovative and affordable seniors' facility."
"The Government of Prince Edward Island is pleased to be able to play a role in the development of the Tignish Seniors' Home Care Co-operative. This new co-operative is an initiative that the community has been working to achieve for many years," said Minister Gail Shea, on behalf of Honourable Elmer MacFadyen, Minister of Community and Cultural Affairs.
The project is the result of years of dedication and cooperation among many community volunteers. Currently, the centre provides affordable housing to 27 residents from Tignish and surrounding areas. The centre offers a variety of social activities as well as assistance in meeting the daily needs of residents. The community also partners with the centre in offering a variety of services designed to assist residents in leading productive and independent lives.
"The centre has been in operation since April 2002, and it is our pleasure to welcome the community into the facility to enjoy a guided tour, meet staff and gain a greater understanding of our goal to assist elderly residents of Tignish and surrounding areas in staying in their community and enjoying a productive life with a little help," said Alan McInnis, President of the Tignish Seniors' Home Care Co-operative.
A team of 19 staff offer a variety of programs and services specially designed to meet the needs of residents.
The governments of Canada and Prince Edward Island each contributed $453,267 to the $1.3 million project. The program is administered by ACOA and the PEI Department of Community and Cultural Affairs.
The Canada-Prince Edward Island Infrastructure Program provides up to two-thirds of the eligible costs of community infrastructure projects. Communities provide the remaining one-third of project costs, making the program a unique partnership among all three levels of government, with infrastructure investments of more than $38 million in PEI over five years. The Federation of PEI Municipalities is an ex-officio member of the program's management committee.