Dear residents,
Today is Remembrance Day, the occasion for Canadians around the country to participate in remembrance ceremonies to honour the memory of Canadians in uniform. It is also Veterans Week, an opportunity to further highlight the contributions and sacrifices made by Canada's veterans and active service members to protect our rights and freedoms.
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This week, I visited the Beechwood National Military Cemetery to lay a wrea
th in honour of those who so bravely served their country. I was joined by the Honourable Lawrence MacAuley, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, and Marie-France Lalonde, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and MP for Orléans.
During the ceremony, we heard from active and retired members of the Canadian Armed Forces as they told personal stories of comradery, service, and sacrifice in memory of dear friends and family who are buried in the military cemetery. It stood as an important and humble reminder of the rights and freedoms we enjoy every day thanks to these brave acts of service. Thank you to those who kindly shared their heartfelt stories and to everyone who bravely served our country.
Today, November 11, I will be participating in the Remembrance Day services at Beechwood Cemetery which begins at 10:30 a.m. and then at the Royal Canadian Legion - Eastview Branch at 1:30 p.m.
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Since 1988, Librairie du soleil in the ByWard Market has provided the largest selection of French books in the city and has become an important local source of quality Canadian literature.
With an investment of over $41,000 through the Canada Book Fund’s new Support for Booksellers stream, Librairie du soleil can adapt their business to online sales and continue providing a diverse range of French-Canadian books and stories well into the future.
The residents of Ottawa count on elected officials to work together to meaningfully address the issues that matter most, like affordability, housing, transportation, and climate change. Ottawa’s new mayor and council members will need to work together and collaborate with all levels of government to tackle the issues that matter most to residents.
I met with Ottawa’s new mayor-elect, Mark Sutcliffe, and Rideau-Vanier’s newly elected councillor, Stephanie Plante, to build the working relationships we need to improve the lives of people in Ottawa-Vanier and throughout the city. I look forward to working with Mark and Stephanie to improve the lives of people in Ottawa–Vanier.
Connection with busy post-secondary students isn’t always easy, so we brought the message directly to them! I visited the Collège La Cité and the University of Ottawa campuses this week to speak with students about the latest affordability measures we introduced in the 2022 Fall Economic Statement.
Our plan includes changes that will make life more affordable for post-secondary students and graduates, like eliminating interest on all federal student loans and investing in job creation and economic growth.
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Monday was International Inuit Day, a chance for us to recognize Inuit heritage and celebrate the many contributions of people of Inuit descent, here and around the world.
Ottawa–Vanier is home to the biggest Inuit community outside Canada’s north and Inuit artists, businesses, and community leaders help make our city and society a better place to live. It was a pleasure to meet Inuit residents in the community and shop for some locally, handmade products by Inuit businesses.
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I paid a visit to the Financial Education Centre (EBO) to meet the people working to provide tax advice and financial assistance to residents of Ottawa-Vanier and the National Capital Region. The EBO Center works with people to help them overcome economic challenges thanks to the experience and expertise of their staff and volunteers.
Congratulations to the EBO Centre volunteers who are making a real difference in our community!
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Canada is imposing targeted sanctions on Haitian political elites in connection with the wrongful supply of funds and illicit weapons to armed gangs. The sanctions target the President of the Senate, Joseph Lambert, and former President of the Senate, Youri Latortue. Canada’s targeted sanctions aim to prevent the flow of illicit funds and weapons into Canada and will effectively freeze any assets these individuals may hold on Canadian soil. We will consider further sanctions as events develop to put pressure on the people responsible and uphold human rights internationally.
We know Haitian communities in Ottawa, Gatineau, and across the country are concerned about the events unfolding in Haiti. I joined my fellow MPs from the national capital region to hear from groups and organizations in the Haitian community to discuss how Canada can assist the people of Haiti. Thank you to everyone who joined us for this important discussion.
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Each year, the Snowflake Breakfast raises funds for the Partage Vanier Food Bank, supporting thousands of households in need.
This year’s Snowflake Breakfast will take place on December 2nd, 2022. You can purchase a ticket for yourself, donate a ticket to someone in need, or make a direct donation.
If you are between the ages of 16 and 24 and live in Ottawa–Vanier, I encourage you to apply to join the Ottawa-Vanier Youth Council. Come meet your peers, share your advice and opinions, and take part in a unique civic learning experience right here in our community.
If you have any questions, please call the constituency team at 613-998-1860 or email at [email protected].
Last week, our government delivered this year’s Fall Economic Statement. It provides an update on the state of Canada’s economy and outlines our commitments and the progress we’ve made on key issues like affordability.
Making life more affordable: we have introduced measures that will bring financial relief to millions of Canadians, including families, students, and seniors, including:
Eliminating interest on all Federal student loans: we are permanently eliminating interest on federal student and apprentice loans to reduce the financial burden on recent graduates and allow them to invest in their futures.
Lowering credit card transaction fees for small businesses: the federal government will enter negotiations with businesses and the payment card industry to achieve lower credit card fees for small, growing businesses.
Housing: we are moving forward with our ambitious housing programs to build more homes and make housing more affordable, including:
A Top-Up to the Canada Housing Benefit: In September, we introduced legislation that, once passed in Parliament, will deliver a tax-free, top-up payment of $500 through the Canada Housing Benefit to 1.8 million low-income renters who are struggling with the cost of housing.
A two-year ban on foreign home buying: effective January 1, 2023, we will restrict foreign home speculation to ensure that houses are used for Canadians to live in, not as financial assets for foreign investors.
Helping young Canadians buy a home: we are introducing the new Tax-Free First Home Savings Account so that young Canadians can save up to $40,000, tax-free, for a down payment, and doubling the First-Time Home Buyers’ Tax Credit to provide up to $1,500 to offset closing costs.
Jobs: we are making targeted investments in workers to grow Canada’s economy, create quality jobs, and improve productivity, including:
The new Canada Growth Fund: we are investing in programs that will help attract investment in Canada’s economy to support a stronger, more sustainable Canadian economy.
Creating jobs for youths: we are investing in the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy to expand popular job placement programs like Canada Summer Jobs and Youth Employment and Skills Strategy Program.
Investments in Canada’s Immigration plan: we are helping businesses address worker shortages and attracting top talent by investing more resources into application processing to reduce application backlogs, speed up processing, and allow more skilled workers to fill critical labour gaps.
