Newsletter - Jan. 14, 2022
Since the beginning of the pandemic, our government has assured Canadians that we will be there to support them for as long as it takes. We are temporarily expanding eligibility for key support programs to ensure that Canadians are protected, and workers and businesses get the help they need through new and necessary public health restrictions.
These supports include:
Introducing and expanding the Local Lockdown Program to include employers that face capacity-limiting restrictions of 50% or more and reducing the revenue decline threshold requirement to 25%;
Introducing and expanding the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit to ensure more regions would be made eligible as they make the difficult choices to reduce capacity to help reduce the spread of the virus;
Extending the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit, the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit, and the Canada Recovery Hiring Program to May 7, 2022;
Introducing the Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program and the Hardest-Hit Business Recovery Program to provide supports to businesses that have faced deep losses due to the pandemic.
We have also announced that the repayment deadline for CEBA loans to qualify for partial loan forgiveness is being extended from December 31, 2022, to December 31, 2023, for all eligible borrowers in good standing.
This extension will support short-term economic recovery and offer greater repayment flexibility to small businesses and not-for-profit organizations, many of which are facing continued challenges due to the pandemic. Repayment on or before the new deadline of December 31, 2023, will result in loan forgiveness of up to a third of the value of the loans. You can view the full news release here.
Disinformation: Taxes on Primary Residence Sales
A number of Oakville residents have reached out to my office to inquire as to whether our government has plans to tax the sale of principle residences. Our government has been extremely clear that we will absolutely not implement a tax on the sale of principle residences. Any suggestion to the contrary is false. Should you have additional questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact my office.
An Open Letter to the Halton Catholic District School Board Trustees & Community
On January 18th, the Halton Catholic District School Board will have an opportunity to vote on whether they will allow schools to raise the Pride flag this June. Next week, you can act to show the 37,000 students that you teach that the Halton Catholic District School Board embraces diversity, celebrates love, and recognizes the community’s desire to officially embrace the 2SLGBTQ+ members of your schools. As the federally elected representatives for Halton, we express our unwavering support in favour of flying the flag.
Canada Summer Jobs - Join Our Information Session!
Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) is a long-standing Government of Canada program that strives to help youth (15-30 years of age) obtain their first summer work experience. The program provides opportunities for youth to develop and improve their skills within the not-for-profit, small business, and public sectors, and supports the delivery of key community services.
This year, CSJ 2022 is targeting the creation of up to 100,000 full-time summer job opportunities for young people. Not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers, and private-sector employers with 50 or fewer full-time employees in Oakville can apply for funding now until January 25, 2022, to hire young Canadians next summer. Full-time job placements will take place during the summer of 2022.
Employers interested in applying for CSJ 2022 funding can submit their applications electronically via the online fillable application or the Grants and Contributions Online Service (GCOS). The online fillable application is the fastest way for employers to complete an application online without having to create an account.
Interested in learning more about the program? Have questions about the application process? Join us on Tuesday, January 18 from 2:00PM to 3:00PM for an information session! RSVP by email at anita.anand@parl.gc.ca.
Special Olympics Canada
It was an honour to meet with Special Olympics Canada and three of our Special Olympics athletes, Erica Matchtinger, James Montague and Ryan Colpitts. Erica, James and Ryan spoke to the positive impact that Special Olympics has had on their lives.
With over 800,000 individuals with an intellectual disability in Canada, Special Olympics is the only organization providing both grassroots and competitive sport opportunities to this underserved population. Their programs address not only sport, but also inclusion, physical health, mental health, diversity and employment.
In Budget 2018, our government approved an incremental $16M for Special Olympics Canada over the next five years, plus $2M per year ongoing. I am so proud of our government's commitment to support this incredibly worthy cause.
Interested in learning more about Special Olympics Canada or making a donation? Click here.
Investing in Fourmark Manufacturing
This week, I had the pleasure of joining the Honourable Helena Jaczek, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, to announce a total investment of $8.5 million for four innovative businesses: Equispheres Inc., The Crump Group Inc., BIG-nano Corporation, and Fourmark Manufacturing Inc., located right here in Oakville.
Fourmark Manufacturing, one of North America’s premier custom molding suppliers, produces recyclable packaging for the food, health and beauty sector. This $1.4-million-repayable contribution will enable Fourmark to adopt new equipment to scale-up and increase production capacity by 75 percent to meet the growing demand for its sustainable packaging solutions. It will also support the transition to a greener economy by encouraging consumer brands to use more environmentally conscious containers. Through this investment, 12 skilled jobs will be created, and 67 jobs will be maintained across the Oakville and Halton Region. The project would also help eliminate approximately 970,000 lbs of non-recyclable waste material from landfills annually.
Summer Leadership Program - Deadline Extended!
Are you interested in progressive politics? Do you wonder what it would be like to work in politics first-hand? Are you looking for a unique opportunity to make a difference in your community and your country? This is the internship for you!
The Summer Leadership Program (SLP) is a unique political internship developed to invest in the future success of young leaders from coast to coast to coast. SLP provides young people an opportunity to contribute to Prime Minister Trudeau’s team while gaining vital job experience serving in the offices of Liberal Members of Parliament, Ministers’ Offices, The Prime Minister’s Office and the Liberal Research Bureau. At the same time, SLP gives our government an opportunity to learn from the young leaders of today.
Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic and in order to ensure we follow all public health and safety measures to keep safe, the Summer Leadership Program 2022 will be administered as a hybrid internship experience offering work placements remotely and in-person, where permitted by public health measures.
Click here for more information.
An Update from Maple Grove United Church
Over the holidays, two Afghan families sponsored by Maple Grove United Church made the incredibly difficult journey out of Afghanistan and into Pakistan. Once their refugee support group learned that the families were safely out of Afghanistan, Maple Grove began completing the paperwork. The church has been kept very busy over the holiday season to ensure that everything was completed as quickly as possible to help get these families to safety.
The support from a number of local churches has been remarkable. Munn’s United and Knox Presbyterian are sponsoring families, and Glen Abbey and St. John’s United are fundraising. This is an endeavor that requires a community effort. Should you wish to donate, you can visit Maple Grove’s website’s donation page for more information.