NB 1489
Nov. 9, 1999
FREDERICTON (CNB) - Thirty-three New Brunswick seniors have been appointed senior goodwill ambassadors by Health and Community Services Minister Dennis Furlong. Nineteen are returning ambassadors, and 14 are beginning their first term.
"Senior goodwill ambassadors have a wealth of knowledge and experience about life in our province," Furlong said. "They are helping spread the word that New Brunswick is a great place to live and we should be proud of it."
The ambassadors have been appointed for two-year terms. Among the appointees is a member of New Brunswick's aboriginal community, the first to be appointed, as well as the president of the New Brunswick Senior Citizens' Federation.
The mandate of the senior goodwill ambassadors is to promote a positive image of New Brunswick to residents as well as to people from outside the province. This is done in many ways, including talking to various groups, as well as participating in local community events.
The Senior Goodwill Ambassador Program originated in 1991. Currently, 33 ambassadors are active, and there are vacancies in Kent and Victoria counties. Ambassadors are chosen to represent each of New Brunswick's 15 counties.
"The success of the program has been immeasurable," Furlong said. "Senior ambassadors participate in ribbon-cutting ceremonies and presentations. They greet tour buses, provide information and assistance to visitors about their local areas, and highlight New Brunswick wherever they may travel."
Although the ambassadors are seniors, they are involved with individuals of all ages. They will be continuing with the New Brunswick Legends Program, which originated in 1993. School children, seniors and every age in between will continue to hear about New Brunswick and its legends through the readings of the ambassadors.
New Brunswick seniors who are retired from full-time paid employment, 60 years of age or older, and interested in becoming senior goodwill ambassadors, are invited to contact the Department of Health and Community Services Support and Maintenance Unit, phone
506- 457-6811.
The current Senior Goodwill Ambassadors by county are:
-Albert, Joyce Hudson, Ellen M. Wells
-Carleton, Wayne McCallum, V. Dorean Gray
-Charlotte, Marion Barry, Velma Bagley
-Gloucester, John Carey, Laura Pinet, Florence Roussy
-Kent, Arnold Daigle
-Kings, Dorothy Power-Lawson, Jean Hartlen
-Madawaska, Réal Bélanger, Lionel Martin
Northumberland, Richard B. Saulnier, Sarah Matchett
Queens, Marguerite Glenn, Geraldine Shirley
Restigouche, Allan M. Dickson, Edith Morris
Saint John, Robert Butler, Douglas King, Gerald G. Burke
Sunbury, Helen Ladouceur, Harold Perrin
Victoria, Gerald Carroll
Westmorland, Anna Everett, Eva Walton, James L. Lowerison, Huberte Gallant
York, Dorothy Lockhart, Richard Cormier, Elsie E. Paul.
99/11/09
MEDIA CONTACTS: Ken Corbett, 506- 453-2536 or Peggy Norris-Robinson, 506- 444-4720 Department of Health and Community Services.
99/11/09