Message from Tony
Canada Summer Jobs
Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) provides wage subsidies to employers from not-for-profit organizations, the public sector, and private sector organizations with 50 or fewer full-time employees, to create quality summer work experiences for young people aged 15 to 30 years.
In our riding of Newmarket-Aurora, funding provided the opportunity for 70 organizations to provide quality work experiences for 326 young adults. One of the things I really enjoy doing over the summer is visiting with organizations who have benefited from funding to gain insight on how the CSJ program is working.
This past week I heard firsthand from community businesses and not-for-profits on the value CSJ provides in terms of leadership and business skill development for the young adults they hire. Many spoke to the career development process as one of the real values of the program. As small businesses these groups depend on funding from CSJ to hire young adults so that these organizations can provide valuable resources back into the community. Those that provide camp opportunities provide safe venues for parents to enroll their children in programs that include athletics and arts and culture. I witnessed firsthand the amazing energy and the high level of engagement demonstrated by young adults employed for the summer. Safe to say that Canada Summer Jobs provides winning opportunities for families, young adults, and organizations that resonate throughout our communities.
Canada Child Benefit
This week, the Canada Child Benefit turns seven! That means for seven years, we’ve been making life more affordable for nine out of 10 Canadian families with thousands of dollars back in their pockets each year.
So far, our government has helped lift 435,000 kids out of poverty through the CCB alone! And to keep pace with the cost of living, payments go up as inflation rises. Families with kids under six years of age can now receive up to $7,437 per child every year. Those with kids aged 6 through 17 can get up to $6,275 per child every year.
Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association Awards
I had the pleasure of speaking at the Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association (NACCA)’s 2023 Scholarship Awards.
The recipients, Aime Ayonote, Jahlia De Leon-Hurley, Maram Elhag, Matthew Hart, Lola Irelewuyi, Julia Jones, Eden Marshall, Fola Olusanya, and Maya Weekes, inspire us all with their amazing leadership, dedication, ambition, and pride in who they are.
The nine recipients will use the scholarship towards post-secondary education and will continue to display their amazing skills and character throughout the future.
Thank you to NACCA for organizing the event and congratulations to all of the motivating and uplifting youth!
Housing Accelerator Fund
We’re committed to our plan of doubling the rate of housing construction over the next decade and make housing more affordable for Canadians.
As of July 4th, the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) has been officially opened. The HAF will provide funding to municipal and Indigenous governments to develop innovative measures to fast-track the creation of 100,000 new homes across Canada.
The Fund will provide upfront funding to support implementation, as well as additional funds upon delivering results.
The HAF aims to support municipalities that are taking action, such as:
- growing housing supply faster than their historical average;
- increasing densification;
- speeding-up approval times;
- establishing inclusionary zoning bylaws; and,
- encouraging public transit-oriented development.
We’ve heard your concerns about the cost of living, and through investments like the Housing Accelerator Fund, we’re providing local governments with support to build affordable housing units.
Streamlined Express Entry System
Key sectors across Canada are experiencing worker shortages, and immigration is helping to fill these labour gaps.
Our Express Entry system is now opening category-based selection for key sectors to help strengthen immigration and grow our economy. As of now, three groups have been invited to apply for category-based selections, including:
- Health workers
- Skilled newcomers with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) experience
- French-speaking newcomers
Through these rounds of selection, thousands of workers will be selected to apply through the Express Entry system and will continue to address our labour shortage.
We’re taking steps to improve access to health care, solidify our position as a leader in research, development, and innovation, and enhancing the vitality of Francophone communities.
Rounds of category-based selection will continue through the year, and more information will be announced in the coming weeks.
Community Meal Program
Throughout Newmarket, free meals are being offered for lunch and dinner to help support members of our community suffering from or at risk of homelessness.
Meals are offered every day at different locations with varying times of day. People are encouraged to bring their own reusable containers and to get there early.
In addition, Newmarket has many shelters throughout the city to offer a safe place to stay for those that need it:
- Belinda’s Place – Female only
- Inn From the Cold – Mixed
- Leeder Place – Family
- Passage House – Family
- Porter Place – Male only
Our government will continue to work to ensure that we address the crisis of homelessness.
Update on 2023 Wildfire Season
The 2023 wildfire season has been Canada’s most severe on record, and we’re focused on keeping Canadians safe while strengthening our long-term response.
To aid in our efforts of strengthening our response, we’re upgrading the National Fire Equipment Cache in Banff National Park, which will act as a central equipment storage facility and augment local equipment reserves in national parks across the country.
We’ve also announced the Canada-Portugal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on wildland firefighting cooperation, which will strengthen resource sharing between the two countries.
These two announcements add onto key steps taken in the past month to respond to this wildfire season including investments in training more firefighters, providing more support to provinces and territories, and deploying Canadian Armed Forces personnel.
Our priority is keeping Canadians safe and healthy. We will continue to work across governments and with international allies to continue to fight these wildfires while protecting homes, livelihoods, and lives.
