Speaker, I rise in the chamber today to inform you of an important organization in my riding of Newmarket–Aurora that is making a positive impact on the lives of seniors. It is called the 108 Health Promotion Association. It is our local Chinese community organization. Their president, Mr. Nan Zhou, named it “108,” as he wants to help their members live to 108 years of age. Their vision is to support healthy aging and culturally appropriate community programs that encourage physical activity and mental well-being. Current programming includes yoga, health-related workshops, singing and dance clubs, as well as seasonal vegetable cultivation workshops, and a training course on preventing the elderly from falling.

At the beginning of 2021, I am proud to say that 108 was a recipient of our government’s Seniors Community Grant Program. Through this funding, they were able to help older adults and seniors in our community stay mentally and physically healthy during COVID-19. They transformed their programming to a digital format to continue social interaction within the community of 2,000-plus seniors, promoting healthy and safe engagements.

This past Saturday, I was honoured to be invited to the 108 family bonding event. There was a barbecue and a dragon dance, as well as a Chinese waist drum dance and many other forms of entertainment for the entire family.

Seniors are and will always be important members of our communities. We must take care of them and each other as we grow as a province.