Message from Tony
All Canadians deserve a place to call home. A safe, healthy space to raise and care for a family. A sanctuary. A refuge.
That’s why I was so pleased to join Blue Door last Friday to celebrate Kevin’s Place and the redevelopment of the property, replacing it with 14 stacked townhomes providing transitional and emergency housing for families.
To rapidly address the affordable housing crisis and meet funder deadlines, Blue Door hosted “Building New Beginnings” to announce the redevelopment of its Kevin’s Place property and to recognize the generous funders and community champions who have made this project possible.
Funded in part by a $2,217,978 contribution from Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy, and an $80,000 contribution from Seed Funding through CMHC, the redevelopment of Kevin’s Place is important news. Its improved capacity, updated facilities, and additional support services will ensure it continues as a much-needed resource in our community for those experiencing homelessness.
Launched in 2019, Reaching Home supports the goals of the National Housing Strategy. This includes supporting the needs of the most vulnerable Canadians, and improving access to safe, stable and affordable housing to prevent and reduce homelessness. Building upon these efforts, the ultimate goal is to eliminate chronic homelessness.
The federal government is committed to working with all orders of government, communities and partners, including veteran-serving organizations, Indigenous partners, and housing providers, to achieve this important goal.
When we invest in community infrastructure, we create stronger communities. When we invest in community infrastructure, we are investing in the well-being of Canadians today, and for generations to come.
Highlighting the National School Food Program in the House
We know that far too many kids go to school on an empty stomach — so we’re taking action.
In the House last week, I had the opportunity to ask the Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development to share how our National School Food Program is helping hundreds of thousands of children across the nation receive nutritious meals. including in Newmarket-Aurora.
Recently, we signed an agreement with the Government of Ontario, meaning that more than 160,000 children in the province will be receiving healthy meals this school year. This will save an average family of four in Ontario about $800 in groceries and make sure children and youth have the supports they need to be successful.
This is much more than a dollar figure – for kids, they’ll be able to focus on school work, and for parents it offers reassurance that their kids won’t have to learn on an empty stomach.
16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence
The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence Initiative is a call to action for all Canadians – particularly men and boys – to change the social norms, attitudes, and behaviours that contribute to gender-based violence. It also encourages all of us to recognize the signs of gender-based violence and to reach out for support, for ourselves or loved ones.
On the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women on December 6, honour the victims of the Polytechnique Montréal tragedy by wearing a white ribbon. On December 10, Human Rights Day, read the full text or simplified version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights or consult the illustrated booklet of the Declaration.
To combat gender-based violence, you can:
- Listen: be open to learning from the experiences of others.
- Believe: support survivors and those affected by violence. It is very important that you say the words ‘’I believe you’’ and ‘’This is not your fault’’.
- Educate (yourself and others): learn the facts about GBV; know what your workplace policies say about violence and harassment; take a course; participate in an event.
If you are in an emergency situation, please call 911 (in Canada), for emergency services in your area. If you are outside of the 911 service area, please access available emergency services or get help now.
You may also want to consult the list of additional support services for people affected by gender-based violence.
Promoting healthy living in schools
Are you a student aged 16 to 19 and enrolled in secondary or post-secondary school?
Through the School Health Grant for Youth, you can apply for micro-grants of up to $1,000 to support initiatives that encourage and promote healthy living in your school. Projects must support and empower youth to make healthy choices and live in healthier ways.
The four priority areas are:
- Positive mental health and well-being
- Example: Host a learning event aiming to inform participants on essential skills to manage their emotions, build resilience, and maintain positive mental health.
- Healthy eating and nutrition
- Example: Arrange for a registered dietitian to speak at a school assembly about using Canada’s Food Guide to support healthy eating.
- Physical activity
- Example: Host an inclusive wellness week with daily physical activities highlighting different, accessible ways to be active throughout the day.
- Reducing substance-related harms
- Example: Organize a workshop on preventing and reducing substance-related harms, focused on reducing stigma and holding non-judgemental conversations.
I encourage interested youth to learn more about the requirements and apply before the deadline. In previous rounds of funding, dozens of high school students from coast to coast to coast received funding. This includes a project at JM Denison Secondary School in Newmarket, which received $950 to promote healthy living.
The deadline to submit projects is December 20th, 2024, at 11:59 AM Eastern Standard Time.
Tabling legislation to put more money in your pocket
The government can’t set prices at the checkout, but it can help Canadians with more money in their pocket. To help them buy the things they need and save for the things they want, today the government introduced Bill C-78, the Tax Break for All Canadians Act in Parliament.
Bill C-78 proposes to provide a two-month Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax (GST/HST) break for essentials such as:
- Prepared foods, including vegetable trays, pre-made meals and salads, and sandwiches;
- Restaurant meals, whether dine-in, takeout, or delivery;
- Snacks, including chips, candy, and granola bars;
- Beer, wine, and cider;
- Pre-mixed alcoholic beverages below 7 per cent ABV;
- Children’s clothing and footwear, car seats, and diapers;
- Children’s toys, such as board games, dolls, and video game consoles;
- Books, print newspapers, and puzzles for all ages; and,
- Christmas trees and similar decorative trees.
The Bill has passed all three stages in the House of Commons and is currently awaiting first reading in the Senate. The government encourages all Parliamentarians and all parties to get Bill C-78 passed quickly and unanimously so we can make essentially all food and many essentials tax-free.
This pragmatic tax relief is something we can all support—making life easier for workers and working families during the holiday season, when they tend to face higher than usual costs. By working together, we can help workers start the new year with more money in their pockets.
