Our website content is not currently fully translated into English. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or for any request.
Background
In order to highlight the unprecedented aging of populations around the world and to salute the growing contributions seniors make to social, cultural and economic development, the United Nations declared 1999 to be the International Year of Older Persons. In Québec, this decree brought about the inception of the Québec Office of the International Year of Older Persons (Bureau québécois de l’Année internationale des personnes âgées). This bureau called upon the 17 regional development councils (Conseils régionaux de développement, or CRD) to create steering committees on seniors in their respective territories.
In Montreal, over forty organizations concerned with the quality of life of seniors were invited to form the first Montreal Steering Committee on Seniors. In October 1999, this group, with the financial support of the City of Montreal, the Department of Municipal Affairs and of Greater Montreal (ministère des Affaires municipales et de la Métropole) and Montreal’s regional development council (CRDÎM), held the “Grey…Yet Quite Colourful” conference. It was during the conference’s plenary session that the assembly supported the resolution to form a steering committee in Montreal whose first mandate would be to implement the courses of action and resolutions adopted during the conference.
On September 20, 2000, during its inaugural assembly, the Montreal Steering Committee on Seniors (MSCS) became an independent organization.
Mission
The mission of the MSCS is to facilitate joint action between organizations representing elderly citizens on the island of Montreal, to improve the quality of life of seniors and to build solidarity between all ages.
Values and principles
MSCS is not a substitute for organizations representing seniors. It does undertake projects, but its role is first and foremost to foster solidarity, to support improvement initiatives geared towards seniors’ quality of life and to work in collaboration with those who have expertise in specific fields concerning the well-being of seniors and solidarity between generations. Its activities are based on the principle that concerted action is stronger than isolated action. Finally, MSCS confirms the essential contribution of seniors to the construction of our society and promotes their ability to pursue this role.
Logo symbolism
Our logo represents the sun, to symbolize the reach of seniors’ action and involvement in community life on the island of Montreal. The sun is a positive, radiant symbol, which projects an image that counters the tendency to associate old age with the darkest period of life. The sun emerges halfway over the horizon line and can represent both the rising and setting sun.
Also, the two colors which make up each sunbeam represent the different daily phases of the sun: time may pass, but the core remains.
The rising sun represents the emergence of a dynamic group of citizens whose number and involvement in the daily life and evolution of our society are increasing. The setting sun acknowledges the reality of aging as leading to a serene twilight of life.
The sun is stylized such that its nine beams are clearly distinct. This graphic choice reminds us that the strength of the senior community on the island of Montreal relies on the drive, experience and involvement of a variety of ethnic communities.
Objectives and priorities
Objectives
• To host the interactive liaison between organizations representing the senior population on the island of Montreal and institutions concerned with the situation of seniors.
• To cooperate with decision-makers, particularly on local, municipal and regional levels, to develop, plan and implement policies and programs that impact the quality of life of an aging community.
• To promote and support action seeking to improve the living conditions of seniors.
• To increase awareness of the economic, social and cultural contribution of seniors.
• To pay close attention to seniors in cultural communities on the island of Montreal.
• To promote intergenerational exchanges.
Priority areas for 2010-2011
• Seniors’ mobility and transportation
• Elder abuse prevention
• Seniors’ community involvement
• Age-friendly cities
Board of Directors
Peter S. Eusanio, President – Table de concertation pour les besoins des aînés de l’Ouest-de-l’Île
Francine Unterberg, Vice President – Table de concertation des aînés d’Outremont
André Guérard, Treasurer – Association québécoise des centres communautaires pour aînés (AQCCA)
Claire Tougas, Secretary – Regroupement interprofessionnel des intervenants retraités des services de santé – Montréal – Laval (RIIRS)
Louise Daigneault, Director – Réseau FADOQ – Région Île de Montréal
Élizabeth Daoust, Director – Conseil Régional des Personnes âgées Italo-Canadiennes (CRAIC)
Gaétane Lebel-Fillion, Director – Association des retraitées et des retraités de l’éducation et des autres services publics du Québec – AREQ-CSQ – Région île de Montréal
Herb Frank, Director – Centre juif Cummings pour aînés
Marjorie Northrup, Director – Centre d’action bénévole de Montréal
Actions
MSCS may specifically address various current issues facing seniors, particularly through its participation in and creation of several committees in collaboration with various organizations with diverse expertise.
Here are a few MSCS achievements:
• Contribution to the creation of an information phone line for seniors: Référence-Aînés (2003).
• The production of memoirs for various public consultations, including those concerning the contribution of seniors to Quebec society (2005), the living conditions of seniors (2007), the city of Montreal’s family action plan project (2007) and that of the Rendez-vous de la solidarité (2009).
• Completion of various projects aimed at seniors: fight against ageism (2006), safe environments (2004-2007), accessibility to online government services (2006-2007), seniors’ mobility and transportation (since 2007), prevention of elder abuse (since 2008), seniors’ community involvement (since 2009), etc.
• Participation in the CHSLD visits organized by the department of health and social services (Ministre de la Santé et des Services sociaux) aimed at evaluating these organizations from the user/user family point of view.
• Collaboration with the Secretariat for Seniors in assessing projects submitted as part of the federal government’s « New Horizons” program and the provincial government’s “Heartfelt Action for Québec’s Seniors” program.
• Participation in various committees, including the Montreal regional conference of elected officials on family and women (Montreal CRÉ Famille et Femmes), the Vigie-Aînés committee of the city of Montreal’s police department (SPVM) and the Vieillir en bonne santé mentale of the Montreal branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).
• Twice-yearly themed meetings with all local steering committees on seniors to ensure the link between local and regional action.
After ten years of existence and achievements, we are currently in the midst of the strategic planning process. This will be a pivotal year for MSCS, and we hope to present our new 2011-2014 action plan shortly.
Our associate and affinity members
MSCS members include some sixty regional organizations and groups (associate members) as well as some twenty collaborating institutions (affinity members).
Associate members (61 organizations)
• Alliances 3e Âge Grand Plateau (Local steering committee on Seniors)
• Association Culturelle Roumaine
• Association de professionnelles et professionnels à la retraite du Québec (APRQ)
• Association des aînés vietnamiens de Montréal
• Association des Retraités(es) d’Origine haïtienne du Québec et du Canada (ACOHC)
• Association des grands-parents de Montréal
• Association des personnes âgées immigrantes Inc. (ASPAI)
• Association des popotes roulantes du Montréal métropolitain (APRMM)
• Association des retraités et retraitées de l’éducation et des autres services publics du Québec (AREQ – CSQ)
• Association hellénique des femmes âgées du Québec (FILIA)
• Association l’amitié n’a pas d’âge
• Association nationale des retraités fédéraux – section Montréal
• Association québécoise de gérontologie – Région de Montréal et Montérégie
• Association québécoise des centres communautaires pour aînés (AQCCA)
• Au rendez-vous des cultures
• Bureau de la communauté haïtienne de Montréal (BCHM)
• Centre Berthiaume-Du Tremblay
• Centre communautaire congolais des aînés
• Centre d’action bénévole de Montréal (CABM)
• Centre juif Cummings pour aînés
• Centre Renaissance pour Femmes d’Âge d’Or
• Club d’activités physiques APADOR
• Coalition pour le maintien dans la communauté (COMACO)
• Comité Aîné du Comité des organismes sociaux de Saint-Laurent (COSSL) (Local steering committee on Seniors)
• Comité de concertation des aînés en action (CCAA) de St-Léonard (Local steering committee on Seniors)
• Concertation aînée Hochelaga-Maisonneuve (Local steering committee on Seniors)
• Conseil Régional des Personnes âgées Italo-Canadiennes (CRAIC)
• Croix de Secours Arménienne du Canada (A R S Inc)
• Entraide Bois-de-Boulogne
• Forum des citoyens aînés de Montréal (FCAM)
• Groupe Harmonie
• La Cinquantelle
• Le conseil des personnes âgées de la communauté noire de Montréal Inc.
• Le P.A.S. de la rue
• Les petits frères des Pauvres
• Mains Secourables
• Patro Le Prévost
• Regroupement des Aidants et Aidantes Naturel(le)s de Montréal (RAANM)
• Regroupement des associations québécoises de défense des droits des personnes retraitées et préretraitées de l’Île de Montréal (AQDR)
• Regroupement interprofessionnel des intervenants retraités des services de santé Montréal-Laval (RIIRS)
• Regroupement des organismes pour les aînés des Faubourgs (ROAF) (Local steering committee on Seniors)
• Regroupement des organismes pour aînés et aînées du Sud-ouest de Montréal (ROPASOM) (Local steering committee on Seniors)
• Regroupement des syndicalistes à la retraite (RSR) – Conseil régional FTQ du Montréal Métropolitain
• Réseau FADOQ – Région Île de Montréal
• Résidence ukrainienne de Montréal / Villa ukrainienne de Montréal
• Ressources ethnoculturelles contre les abus envers les aîné(e)s (RECAA)
• Secours aux aînés – L’ŒUVRE LÉGER
• Service à la famille chinoise du Grand Montréal / Centre Man Sau des aînés chinois
• Table de concertation des aînés de Montréal-Nord (Local steering committee on Seniors)
• Table de concertation des aînés de Montréal-Est/Pointe-aux-Trembles (Local steering committee on Seniors)
• Table de concertation des aînés d’Outremont (Local steering committee on Seniors)
• Table de concertation pour les besoins des aînés de l’Ouest-de-l’Île (Local steering committee on Seniors)
• Table des aînés de Rivière-des-Prairies (Local steering committee on Seniors)
• Table de concertation des aînés de Bordeaux-Cartierville (Local steering committee on Seniors)
• Table des Aînés de Montréal Centre-Ouest (Local steering committee on Seniors)
• Table de concertation des Aînés de LaSalle (Local steering committee on Seniors)
• Table de concertation Aînés de Lachine (Local steering committee on Seniors)
• Tel-Écoute / Tel-Aînés
• Vivre et Vieillir à Rosemont (VVR) (Local steering committee on Seniors)
• Vivre St-Michel en santé (VSMS) – Table des Aînés (Local steering committee on Seniors)
• YMCA St-Laurent – Programme aux aînés
Affiliate members (20 organizations)
• Agence de la santé et des services sociaux de Montréal
• Agence de santé publique du Canada
• Association canadienne pour la santé mentale – Filiale de Montréal (Comité Vieillir en bonne santé mentale)
• Centre Dollard-Cormier
• Centre de recherche et d’expertise en gérontologie sociale (CREGÉS)
• Comité des gestionnaires du programme PPALV de Montréal
• Conférence régionale des élus (CRÉ) de Montréal
• Cour municipale de Montréal
• Direction de santé publique de Montréal – Unité Environnement urbain et santé de l’Île de Montréal
• Ensemble Mosaïque
• Fondation Émergence
• Fondation des maladies mentales
• Forum Jeunesse de l’île de Montréal (FJÎM)
• Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille
• Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal (IUGM)
• Observatoire Vieillissement et Société (OVS)
• Office des personnes handicapées du Québec (OPHQ)
• Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal (OMHM)
• Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) – Section Stratégie d’action avec la communauté
• Société Parkinson du Québec du Grand Montréal (SPGM)
In short – Our achievements
Current:
• Mobility and transportation
• Prevention of elder abuse
• Seniors’ community involvement
• Age-friendly cities
Completed:
• Online government services
• Safe environments
• Act now for a future free of ageism
• Référence-Aînés line
Our partners
• Conférence régionale des élus de Montréal (CRÉ) de Montréal
• Ministère de la Famille et des Aînés
• Ville de Montréal
• Conseil des ainés
• Conférence régionale des aînés du Québec
To reach us
Our website content is not currently fully translated into English. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or for any request.
Montreal Steering Committee on Seniors
3285, rue St-Jacques, suite 104
Montréal, Qc H4C 1G8
Phone: 514-286-8226
Fax: 514-286-9495
e-mail: info@tcaim.org
Website: www.tcaim.org
