Marrion Gardens Redevelopment Ceremony
Oak Bay, BC
Jan. 30, 2006

[Check Against Delivery]

Good morning. It’s a pleasure to be here today as the Minister Rsponsible for Seniors' Issues and the MLA for this area.

As many of you know, our Premier is passionately committed to supporting communities to help meet the needs of seniors in British Columbia. He sends his best wishes on this special occasion, as does the Minister Responsible for Housing, Rich Coleman.

Our government is committed to improving the lives of B.C.’s seniors. We’re providing an additional $242 million over the next three years.  We are renewing the Seniors’ Supplement for approximately 40,000 low-income seniors.  We are doubling the funding for the SAFER rent subsidy program and we are updating seniors’ health facilities and modernizing services.

We want to help seniors live as independently as possible. In my role as Minister of Community Services and Minister Responsible for Seniors’ and Women’s Issues, I have had the opportunity to get to know many of our seniors in this province.

I’ve had the chance to visit them in their homes and I’ve had the opportunity to tour assisted living developments across the province.  Many of them were grateful to have a safe, affordable place to call home.

Here at Marrion Gardens, we will also have a safe, affordable place to call home.

I’m pleased that our government will provide:

• 29 new rent supplements to Marrion Gardens;
• $29 million for interim financing for the project; and
• a $725,000 capital grant.

This will help ensure that more seniors are able to afford safe, comfortable, supportive homes without undue stress to themselves and their families.

When our government took office in June 2001, we made a commitment to improve housing and health options for British Columbians in greatest need. We said that we would create 3,500 new, affordable apartments with support services.

To date, we have allocated over 3,300 apartments –  over 94 per cent – with more on the way.

This is excellent progress and I want to congratulate everyone involved for their important contribution in helping us get here.

Developments like Marrion Gardens are excellent examples of successful public – private partnerships and the benefits of the Independent Living BC program.

I would like to thank the partners involved in this development:

• Baptist Housing Society, an exemplary partner in seniors’ housing;.
• BC Housing for facilitating these assisted living developments, and;
• the Vancouver Island Health Authority for its expertise in program delivery and ensuring the appropriate services for these seniors will be made available.

I know we’re all looking forward to returning for the opening of Marrion Gardens –  and to meeting the new tenants who will be able to continue to call this community home.

Thank you again.