QUESTION PERIOD — Employment and Social Development
Demographic Transformation
June 11, 2026
My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate.
Senator Moreau, Canada is entering a profound demographic transformation. Canadians live longer and healthier lives. Many experts argue that longevity should not be viewed solely as a fiscal challenge but as a major economic opportunity. Other countries are already developing national strategies to adapt their economies, labour markets, financial systems and health care infrastructure to support longer and more productive lives.
Yet, I would argue that Canada continues to treat aging, health care strain, labour shortages and productivity challenges as separate issues rather than interconnected realities.
Will the government engage with relevant stakeholders to explore and ideally develop a pan-Canadian public-private-academic governance model to advance and steward a national longevity economic strategy? We need a strategy to position Canada for the “100-year life.”
Thank you, Senator Loffreda. I am not aware of a formal national longevity economic strategy. I can certainly bring such a proposal to the attention of the minister and the department. I might even suggest that this could be an interesting area for a Senate committee to look at.
That being said, the government is acting on several pieces of this challenge. The government launched Workforce Alliances to bring governments, employers, unions, post-secondary institutions and Indigenous partners together to identify workforce pressures, close skills gaps and build talent pipelines. The government also continues to support the New Horizons for Seniors Program, with $70 million annually to support projects that promote seniors’ participation, inclusion and financial literacy.
Thank you for that answer.
Experts suggest that extending healthy and productive work lives could help address labour shortages, improve productivity and reduce long-term fiscal pressures. But we desperately need a strategy, so thank you for your future suggestion to the government.
Until that happens, what is the government doing to encourage age-inclusive labour markets, lifelong learning and innovation in health and financial systems so that Canadians who choose to do so can continue contributing to the economy for a longer period of time?
Your follow-up question allows me to expand more on Workforce Alliances, which is going to be key in a broader strategy of ensuring that Canadians who choose to remain active in the workforce later in life can do so. These alliances bring together employers, labour organizations, educational institutions, Indigenous partners and government to identify labour shortages and skills gaps to support workforce participation across all stages of a person’s career. They are intended to help Canadians access training and upskilling opportunities, adapt to changing labour market needs and continue contributing their experience and expertise for a longer period of time if they choose to.
