Message From Tony
On the weekend, our government announced the first steps under the new Public Lands for Homes Plan.
Starting August 25th, we are launching the Canada Public Land Bank, which features 56 federal properties that have been identified as being able to support housing, including 5 new properties now intended for leasing and ready for builders to submit their plans. Under the new plan, we will partner with the housing sector and communities to build homes on every site suitable for housing across the federal portfolio. Wherever possible, we will do it with a novel long-term lease, not a one-time sale, to ensure every site has affordable housing and public land stays public. Public lands that remain in our ownership, leased to developers which removes the high cost of land from the ownership equation.
This new list will grow regularly in the coming months, along with further details on listed properties. New measures will continue to be announced under the Public Lands for Homes Plan. With 38,000 buildings, 27.5 million square metres of floor space, and almost 42 million hectares of land, the Government of Canada owns and manages the largest real estate portfolio in the country.
Some of that land can, and quite frankly should, be used to build more homes for people who need a place to call home.
By partnering with local communities, we can unlock these public lands for housing. We can build more homes, faster, at a cost prices young Canadians, families and middle-class Canadians from every generation can afford.
For example, we recently announced that former federal staff housing in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, is being converted into new permanent affordable homes, while a former property in Belleville, Ontario, is being converted into new homes for Indigenous Peoples.
But that is just the beginning.
To ensure every Canadian has a safe and affordable place to call home, our government is leading a Team Canada effort to unlock public lands for housing at a pace and scale not seen in generations.
For that, we need to do things differently.
To meet the housing crisis head on, on all fronts, we need to strengthen our existing partnerships and find new ones, across government, with municipalities, Indigenous communities and with industry—and we need to do it with the input of Canadians.
That’s why we are also seeking feedback from developers, homebuilders, potential homebuyers, and all Canadians to continually improve and refine the Canada Public Land Bank.
And the public land bank will be updated as we work with our partners to identify more properties and land for development.
So, when we say we have 56 properties – we expect this number to grow significantly as we continue the task of reviewing and analysing the government’s extensive real property portfolio.
At the end of the day, the Canada Public Lands Bank is going to help us find those new partnerships we need with homebuilders and developers to build homes on every possible site across the public portfolio. The Canada Public Land Bank is stepping up the pace to ensure that more Canadians have a safe and affordable place to call home.
Supporting the Aurora Chamber of Commerce
It was wonderful to join the Aurora Chamber of Commerce last week for their Annual General Meeting and Summer BBQ to learn more about their accomplishments in the past year, their future work, and meet with several familiar faces. We also had a delicious lunch, presented by the Chef at Stonehaven Banquet Hall.
The Aurora Chamber of Commerce provides a variety of resources for businesses of all sizes in Aurora, including networking opportunities, collaborative events, and much more. I encourage you to learn more about the Chamber and amazing opportunities they provide year-round.
Thank you to the Chamber for hosting such a great event and for the hard work they do every day to support businesses in our community!
Supporting projects designed for seniors in Newmarket-Aurora
Our government is focused on supporting projects from coast to coast to coast that empower seniors, promote engagement within their communities, and contribute to their health and well-being.
Through the 2024-2025 New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) call for proposals, community organizations can receive up to $25,000 for projects that will make a difference in the lives of seniors and in their communities. Projects must meet the following criteria:
- be no longer than 52 weeks
- request no more than $25,000
- meet at least one program objective
- seniors will lead or play a vital role in its planning and/or delivery
- seek to benefit seniors and communities
- demonstrate cost effectiveness
In the 2023-2024 call for proposals, organizations in Newmarket-Aurora received $214,567 through the program to help them build safer, more inclusive, and healthier communities for seniors in our community. I look forward to seeing the positive work that will continue to be done.
There are only two more weeks left to submit your applications, so I encourage you to learn more about the eligibility criteria and apply before the deadline of September 12th, 2024.
Working with provinces to keep Canadians safe during the wildfire season
Keeping Canadians safe and healthy is a top priority for the Government of Canada. By working together with provinces, territories, Indigenous communities, and international allies, the federal government continues to address and support the fight against wildfires, ensure public safety, and protect homes, livelihoods, and lives.
We’ve announced a joint investment with the Government of Ontario of $64 million over four years through the Fighting and Managing Wildfires in a Changing Climate Program (FMWCC) – Equipment Fund. This will support Ontario’s efforts to purchase wildland firefighting equipment such as trucks, community protection kits, and fuel systems. This will enhance safety for communities and firefighters across Ontario and improve the sharing of resources across Canada.
With a challenging wildfire season underway and wildfires increasing in frequency and severity across the nation, our government is taking action and working with all levels of governments to keep Canadians safe.
Strengthening Canada's justice system
All people in Canada must have confidence that the justice system is there to protect them and that it can be trusted. While rare, miscarriages of justices sometimes occur and can be discovered long after the criminal court process has concluded. In addition, members of marginalized communities are overrepresented in the criminal justice system and can face greater challenges in navigating it.
In February 2023, our government tabled the Miscarriage of Justice Review Commission Act (David and Joyce Milgaard’s Law), which proposes to amend the Criminal Code to establish an independent commission to review, investigate, and decide which criminal cases should be returned to the justice system due to a potential miscarriage of justice.
Currently, the federal Minister of Justice has the authority to review convictions and order a new trial or appeal where there is a reasonable basis to conclude that a miscarriage of justice likely occurred. The proposed changes will replace the existing ministerial review process.
In this past session, the Act successfully passed the House of Commons and is currently at the second reading in the Senate. I look forward to seeing this bill continue to make its way through the government.
