Celebrate the International Day of Older Persons

September 30, 2009

Winnipeg, Manitoba – The United Nations General Assembly designated October 1 the International Day of Older Persons. This day was celebrated around the world for the first time on October 1, 1991.

Shelly Glover, Member of Parliament for Saint Boniface and Parliamentary Secretary for Official Languages, wishes to recognize the vital contribution of older persons in her community and across the country.

“Older persons built the society in which we are so fortunate to live in today. There should be more opportunities to thank them.”
By designating a special day for older persons, the General Assembly recognized their contribution to our society’s development and drew attention to a demographic shift: the greying of the population. Today some 600 million people are 60 and over. This figure will double by 2025 and reach 2 billion by 2050, with the greatest increase in developing countries.

“Older persons already greatly contribute to our society’s development. However, they cannot make these contributions unless they are reasonably healthy. Take good care of the older persons around you and encourage them to take part in social and physical activities. This will keep them with us and allow us to benefit from their experience for much longer,” concluded Glover.

If you want to learn more about older persons and what our government do to help them, please visit www.seniors.gc.ca.