The province has announced $1.23 million dollars to fund shuttle buses in communities throughout the province.
These shuttle buses will help get seniors to activities and medical appointments and the Nanaimo Legion Branch 256 is receiving $60,000 dollars in funding to purchase a new van to help provide transportation for seniors.
Health Minister Adrian Dix said this support is very important and it will continue.
“That support for community organizations around BC and seniors organizations around BC is going to continue in the coming year,” said Dix. “We want to make opportunities available to seniors organizations everywhere, we’ll be making an announcement about that soon. We’ll be making more announcements that address issues about social isolation and provide services.”
Dix said BC has an aging population and this investment is a win for all British Columbians.
“There are 28,000 seniors in publicly funded long-term care today, assisted living is important, there are 4,400 seniors in assisted living, but the overwhelming number of seniors in BC live in communities. Providing the right supports for the extraordinary organizations that provide services, that makes a lot of sense to me,” said Dix.
Dix added, “It’s an investment that will pay us back as a society, as a community, as a government, as a people, again and again, and again.”
This van will transport both members and non-members of the legion to social events, information, and educational sessions, along with the trips to medical appointments.
