Hello to new and longtime members of our movement to end ageism in healthcare, the financial sector and society at large. Before reporting on CARP’s progress over the past months, I feel the need to acknowledge the crazy, historic times we are living through right now. In high school, I discovered George Orwell’s 1984, a novel influenced by the author’s experience as a volunteer fighting Fascism in the Spanish Civil War in 1936. What seemed like science fiction at the time has turned, again and again, into prophecy. Over the years I have re-read 1984 countless times, as well as most of his other works. One of his quotes has guided my career as a filmmaker and broadcaster ever since: “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” As we go about our daily business, it’s critical we stay well informed, not panic. Or as the British put it, “Keep Calm and Carry On.”
Now a year and a half into my position as CARP’s President. It gives me great pleasure to report that we have completed CARP’s full recovery from the pandemic’s negative impacts such as the loss of staff, funding, and members. Today, the National Office is fully staffed and reorganized to best serve our members and support our Chapter volunteers across the country. Best news of all, the membership is back on a growth track with more than 250,000 from coast to coast.
I want to publicly thank Bill VanGorder for his many years of dedicated and outstanding service to CARP’s mission as its preeminent chief advocacy officer. Although Bill has officially retired as a member of the National Office, we will continue to call on his expertise as Chief Advocate, Emeritus.
Our new Strategic Plan 2024-2028 – Join The Movement–sets us on a course for renewed growth and impact by strengthening the CARP brand identity as a movement to end ageism. This is signified with a new logo together with a mandate to amplify our advocacy to provincial and federal governments, key policy leaders, media, and Canadians at large.
The plan commits CARP to strengthening our 23 volunteer-led Chapters by improving communications through frequent President Council meetings; stable and predictable funding for operations; and more administrative support with our completely re-written Chapter Operating Manual.
We are re-establishing Chapters in communities that were suspended during the pandemic. I’m personally pleased to have helped in the relaunch of our Vancouver Chapter thanks to the indispensable counsel of Ramona Kaptyn, past Chair of the White Rock-Surrey Chapter. With that said, there is so much more to accomplish. Going beyond Zoom meetings has been essential to strengthening our sense of community. That’s why I have continued to meet and speak and listen to our Chapter volunteers and members in person at AGMs and board meetings. Since December, this initiative has taken me to White Rock-Surrey (BC), Brampton (ON), St. John’s (NFLD), and Halifax. In person meetings in Vancouver, Winnipeg and Ottawa are up next.
On the policy file and in anticipation of a federal election in 2025, we have developed CARP’s Top 5 Advocacy Priorities.
- Home Care & Community Care. CARP’s demands include: Financial relief and tax benefits; Improved compensation for paid caregivers; Training for family caregivers and PSWs; Workplace leave protection for caregivers
- Old Age Security (OAS) Protection & Strengthening. CARP’s demands include: Increase OAS by 10% for ages 65-74; Boost Survivor Benefit by 25% for those 65+; and Protect pensioners in bankruptcy
- RRIF (Registered Retirement Income Fund) Ending mandatory withdrawals age 71. CARP demands seniors have more control over their retirement savings to improve financial security in later years.
- Frauds & Scams Prevention, Enforcement & Redres.: CARP advocates for stronger protections and more severe consequences for those who perpetrate frauds against seniors. CARP demands: Creating a national definition of elder abuse; Implementing stronger punishments and stricter surveillance; Improving data collection and commitment to prevention; and Treating elder financial abuse more seriously than typical white-collar crime
- Vaccinations (expert-recommended) free for everyone. CARP demands: Wide availability of senior-specific high-dose flu shots for those over 65; Provincial funding for all 5 major expert-recommended (NACI and Health Canada) vaccines for seniors; Permanent federal funding for COVID-19 vaccines; Free shingles vaccines for everyone over 50; and no-cost pneumonia vaccines for all Canadians 65 and older.
To our Ontario members, the provincial election is less than a week away. As it was the Premier’s decision to call early an election, CARP is holding the government to account, on how it has delivered on promises from the last election, with a CARP-issued report card. You can read more about it in the February issue of CARP Action.
As you will soon see in the next issue of CARP Action, the format is changing to be more responsive to and engaging with our members. In light of this change, we encourage anyone with stories, anecdotes, news and photographs to share them by reaching out to Marc Glassman, our Communication Manager and CARP Action editor at m.glassman@carp.ca.
It’s thanks to CARP’s strength in numbers that we have been able to achieve meaningful and lasting changes to provincial and federal public policies that most impact the lives of Canada’s seniors.
Thank you,
Rudy Buttignol, C.M.
President
