August 31, 2022
Ottawa, Ontario
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced that he will hold a Cabinet retreat in Vancouver from September 6 to 8, 2022.
The Cabinet will drive progress on our continued efforts to make life more affordable for Canadians, and keep delivering economic growth that benefits everyone.
During the retreat, Cabinet will discuss what they heard when talking to Canadians over the summer. While Canadians have recovered all of the jobs lost since the beginning of the pandemic and our economy is growing, families are feeling the impacts of global inflation, particularly through rising food and gasoline costs. The Prime Minister and ministers will keep working to further strengthen the economy to meet the needs of Canadians, making life more affordable for families, and building a green, healthy future for everyone. Ministers will also work to advance other priorities for Canadians, including making housing more affordable, improving the delivery of government services, taking climate action and transitioning to a clean economy, strengthening democracy here in Canada and around the world, and creating safer communities.
The Government of Canada will continue to work with the provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous Peoples, international partners, businesses, and other stakeholders on the issues that matter most to Canadians. As Parliament resumes next month, together, we will continue to build a better Canada for everyone.
Quote
“After spending the summer talking to people in our communities all across the country, I look forward to a productive Cabinet meeting that will build on our continued efforts to make life more affordable for people and deliver progress on the issues that matter most to Canadians.”
Associated Link
- Cabinet
- Statement by the Prime Minister on the International Day for People of African Descent
August 31, 2022
Ottawa, OntarioThe Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the International Day for People of African Descent:
“On the International Day for People of African Descent, we celebrate the rich cultures and heritage of people of African descent and the many invaluable contributions they make, here in Canada and around the world.
“The African diaspora has shaped Canadian history and continues to strengthen our communities from coast to coast to coast. Today, we pay tribute to the trailblazers of African descent, among them retired Judge Corrine Sparks, the first African Nova Scotian appointed to the provincial judiciary and the first African Canadian woman to become a judge in Canada. Her decision in R. v. S (R.D.) called for the Supreme Court of Canada to reflect on the reality of anti-Black racism and hate in Nova Scotia.
“Historical injustices, systemic racism, and discrimination continue to have intergenerational impacts on people of African descent. Addressing historic wrongs is an important step toward building a better future for everyone. That is why, this past July, the Government of Canada apologized to the members of No. 2 Construction Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force for the anti-Black racism and hate they endured before, during, and long after the First World War, and we continue to learn from past mistakes to ensure that they never happen again.
“Today, we also recommit to addressing the underlying inequities faced today in Canada by people of African descent, including disproportionate health disparities, driven by systemic anti-Black racism, discrimination, and hate.
“In 2018, Canada officially recognized the United Nations’ International Decade for People of African Descent, which spans from 2015 to 2024 and focuses on the themes of recognition, justice, and development. As part of our commitment to the Decade, we have made targeted investments to empower Canada’s Black communities, improve the well-being of Black Canadians across the country, and address systemic barriers and anti-Black racism. While we have made progress toward a more just and equitable society, more work still needs to be done. As part of Canada’s Anti‑Racism Strategy, and with the support of the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat, we will continue to work to identify and eliminate systemic racism and racial discrimination in Canada.
“On this day, I encourage all Canadians to learn more about the rich history and diverse cultures of people of African descent as well as the many important contributions they have made, and continue to make, to our national fabric. Together, we can build a stronger, safer, more diverse and inclusive society for all.”
August 30, 2022
Toronto, Ontario
Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Ontario Premier Doug Ford to discuss shared priorities.
Following the announcement of new federal investments in housing made by the Prime Minister in Kitchener, Ontario earlier in the day, the two leaders spoke about the need for further collaboration on housing. They discussed investments proposed in Budget 2022 to help put Canada on a path to double housing construction and meet Canadians’ housing needs over the next decade. These measures include plans to launch a new Housing Accelerator Fund to incentivize cities and towns to get more housing built, and investments to increase the supply of affordable housing through programs such as the Rapid Housing Initiative.
The Prime Minister and the Premier discussed the significant investments made by Canada and Ontario to support the development of electric vehicles and create jobs in the province. They further discussed the potential of the Ring of Fire to provide the minerals necessary to make batteries for electric vehicles. They also spoke of the importance of ensuring projects meet environmental standards and benefit Indigenous communities.
Prime Minister Trudeau and Premier Ford recognized labour shortages in Ontario and committed to continue working collaboratively on their shared objective of welcoming the number of newcomers necessary to help support the province and the country’s economic recovery and growth.
They also spoke about pressures on the health care system and the importance of funding and accountability to deliver for Canadians. The Prime Minister emphasized that the Government of Canada is committed to continue working with provinces and territories to support public health systems that deliver quality health care for all Canadians.
The Prime Minister and the Premier agreed to continue working together on these and other issues of importance to both governments.
Associated Links
- Creating nearly 17,000 homes for Canadians across the country
- Budget 2022 Backgrounder: Making Housing More Affordable
- Delivering good jobs and clean air with a new electric vehicle battery components facility in Ontario
- Government of Canada makes significant additional transfers to provinces and territories in support of health care and transit
August 30, 2022
Kitchener, Ontario
Making life more affordable for Canadian families starts with making housing more affordable. Everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to live and raise their families, but Canadians are finding it challenging to find one. That’s why we are making historic investments to put Canada on the path to double housing construction and meet our housing needs over the next decade.
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced a major investment of over $2 billion to support three key initiatives that, together, will help create nearly 17,000 homes for families across the country, including thousands of affordable housing units.
This investment, which includes funding from Budget 2021 and Budget 2022, will go toward:
- Creating 4,500 additional affordable housing units by extending the Rapid Housing Initiative for a third round. This will include women-focused housing projects and projects supporting those experiencing or at risk of homelessness;
- Creating at least 10,800 housing units, including 6,000 affordable units, through the Affordable Housing Innovation Fund, which encourages new funding models and innovative building techniques in the affordable housing sector; and
- Creating a new, five-year rent-to-own stream under the Affordable Housing Innovation Fund to help housing providers develop and test rent-to-own models and projects, with the goal to help Canadian families across the country transition from renting to owning a home.
Applications are being accepted as of today for both the Affordable Housing Innovation Fund and its new rent-to-own stream. As part of their application, candidates will be required to demonstrate their commitment to innovation, affordability, and financial sustainability.
More information on the extended Rapid Housing Initiative will be available soon, followed by the opening of the application and proposal process.
These initiatives build on the significant progress the Government of Canada has already made to increase housing supply and build more affordable housing for people from coast to coast to coast. To date, the government has helped more than 1.2 million Canadians find a place to call home, including through the Rapid Housing Initiative. These investments are also growing our economy and creating good middle-class jobs in the housing and construction sectors.
Quotes
“When people have a home of their own, whether they rent or they own, they are better able to invest in themselves, and invest in their communities. Our government understands that it is only by investing in people, that we can grow our economy. Tackling housing affordability is a complex problem and there is no one silver bullet, but announcements like today’s give more people a place to call home, and a real and fair chance at success.”
“Housing affordability is key to strengthening the middle class and those working hard to join it. Our government is investing in proven and innovative programs to alleviate housing gaps today and into the future. This will help promote inclusive growth and lift more Canadians out of poverty.”
Quick Facts
- Canada’s National Housing Strategy (NHS) is an ambitious, 10-year plan to invest over $72 billion to give more Canadians a place to call home. Since its launch in 2017, the government has committed over $26.5 billion to support the creation of over 106,100 units and the repair of over 254,600 units.
- Launched in 2020, the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) is delivered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), under the NHS. It provides funding to facilitate the rapid construction of new housing and the acquisition of existing buildings for the purpose of rehabilitation or conversion to permanent affordable housing units. The first two rounds of the RHI exceeded expectations, and are expected to create 10,000 units instead of the 7,500 initially planned. This includes over 3,300 units to support women and over 4,200 units to support Indigenous Peoples.
- The RHI takes a human rights-based approach to housing, serving people experiencing or at risk of homelessness and other vulnerable people under the NHS, including women and children fleeing domestic violence, seniors, young adults, Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, people experiencing mental health and addiction issues, veterans, 2SLGBTQI+ individuals, racialized groups, and recent immigrants or refugees.
- The Affordable Housing Innovation Fund was launched in 2016. Delivered by the CMHC under the NHS, it is designed to help generate innovation and growth in the affordable housing sector by encouraging the development of new funding models and building techniques. It supports innovative solutions by providing opportunities where conventional financing is not easily available.
- Budget 2022 proposed targeted investments to build more homes and make housing more affordable across the country. This included:
- $1.5 billion to extend the RHI, with $500 million allocated through the Cities Stream and $1 billion through the Projects Stream. City-by-city allocations and exact timelines for applications will be announced soon.
- $200 million to create the new Affordable Housing Innovation Fund’s rent-to-own stream.
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August 29, 2022
Ottawa, Ontario
If you need someone to talk to, a National Residential School Crisis Line offers emotional support and crisis referral services for residential school Survivors and their families. Call the toll-free Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Hope for Wellness Help Line also offers support to all Indigenous Peoples. Counsellors are available by phone or online chat. This service is available in English and French, and, upon request, in Cree, Ojibway, and Inuktitut. Call the toll-free Help Line at 1-855-242-3310 or connect to the online chat at www.hopeforwellness.ca.
Residential schools are a shameful part of our history that continue to have a deep and lasting impact on Survivors, their families, and their communities across the country. We cannot forget this truth. As Canadians, we must all learn about the history and legacy of residential schools. Only when we face the hard truths of our past, can we truly move forward together toward a better future.
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, was joined today by the Executive Director of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR), Stephanie Scott, the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, Marc Miller, and Survivors from across the country to raise the Survivors’ Flag on Parliament Hill. This flag will fly in memory of the 150,000 Indigenous children who were forcibly separated from their families and communities to be sent to residential schools. It will honour the Survivors, their families, the communities whose lives were forever changed, and those who never came home.
The residential school system in Canada robbed Indigenous children of their childhoods. It attempted to assimilate them, forcing them to abandon their languages, cultures, spiritualities, traditions, and identities. Many suffered physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, and many never returned home. The painful legacy of the residential school system lives on today for Indigenous Peoples from coast to coast to coast.
The orange and white Survivors’ Flag was designed by the NCTR in consultation with Survivors from across Canada as an expression of remembrance and to be shared with all Canadians. It features nine distinct elements, each with a special meaning. For example, the seeds depicted underneath the family and children represent the spirits of the children who never returned home.
We still have work to do. Reconciliation is not the responsibility of Indigenous Peoples – it is the responsibility of all Canadians. It is our responsibility to continue to listen, and to learn. The Government of Canada will continue to do just that and support First Nations, Inuit, and Métis in their healing journey. Together, we will build a better future for everyone.
Quotes
“Residential schools are a shameful part of our history – that is the truth the Survivors’ Flag is going to remind us of, every day, here on Parliament Hill. By raising this flag here today, we’re saying: we will always remember. We will continue to listen to Survivors. We acknowledge the intergenerational trauma these so-called schools have caused. And we commit to continue working together as partners toward a future of healing and partnership.”
“Raising the Survivors’ Flag on Parliament Hill is a reflection and sign of deep grieving for the over 150,000 Indigenous children that were forcibly removed from their families and robbed of their culture and language to attend state- and church-run residential schools. Today we honour the survivors, as well as the resiliency of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. Together we are on a shared journey of reconciliation based on the principles of honesty, equity and self-determination. Raising this flag is a powerful symbol that every child matters and that the Government of Canada will do more to be an honourable partner in the work of reconciliation.”
“Today’s flag raising represents Canada’s commitment to honouring the lives of those who did not return home from residential schools, and to Survivors, their families and communities, as they continue to search for the truth. The flag will also serve as a prominent focal point to highlight for all of Canada the ongoing search for truth.”
“The Survivors created this flag as a symbol of the complicated journey we are on together toward healing. I know the Survivors’ Flag flying on Parliament Hill will serve as a reminder to all of us that we must continue to hear and understand the truth of residential schools. When Canadians witness the flag, they must reflect on actions that they can take as individuals in all capacities on our shared path of reconciliation.”
“Reconciliation must start with the truth – a truth that I and thousands of Survivors lived through and continue to feel; a truth that was thought to have perished along with the thousands of children who never returned home. Many still don’t know. It is the responsibility of our government, our churches, and our collective peoples to uncover the truth and honour the children.”
Quick Facts
- The Survivors’ Flag was developed through consultation and collaboration with Inuit, Mi’kmaq, Atikamekw, Cree, Ojibway, Dakota, Mohawk, Dene, Nuu-chah-nulth, Secwepemc, and Métis Nation Survivors. Each element depicted on the flag was carefully selected by Survivors.
- The flag will fly near West Block and the Visitor Welcome Centre on Parliament Hill until 2024, when a decision will be made to find its permanent home.
- The Survivors’ Flag was first raised on Parliament Hill in 2021, at a special ceremony to mark the inaugural National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
- The NCTR, hosted by the University of Manitoba, was created to preserve the memory of Canada’s residential school system and legacy, not just for a few years, but forever. It is the responsibility of the NCTR to steward and share the truths of Survivors’ experiences in a respectful way and to work with Indigenous and non-Indigenous educators, researchers, communities, decision-makers, and the general public to support the ongoing work of truth, reconciliation, and healing across Canada.
- The Government of Canada continues to work with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis to support the difficult and important work of locating and commemorating missing children who attended residential schools.
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August 31, 2022
Ottawa, Ontario
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced changes to the Ministry. These changes follow Minister Filomena Tassi’s request to spend more time in Southern Ontario due to family reasons.
Filomena Tassi, currently Minister of Public Services and Procurement, becomes Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario). Minister Tassi became Minister of Public Services and Procurement in 2021, after serving as Minister of Seniors, and then Minister of Labour. Under her leadership, Public Services and Procurement Canada played a central role in the government’s response to the pandemic, which continues to include the procurement of COVID-19 booster doses. The department also made progress on a number of important issues, among them modernizing the government’s procurement processes, advancing green procurement to help reach our climate goals, and increasing diversity in government contracts. In her new role, Minister Tassi will ensure the continued strength of FedDev Ontario, in turn, creating good middle-class jobs, driving clean economic growth in the region, and supporting small and medium-sized businesses for the benefit of everyone in Southern Ontario.
Helena Jaczek, currently Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, becomes Minister of Public Services and Procurement. As Minister responsible for FedDev Ontario since 2021, Minister Jaczek helped create jobs and economic growth in southern Ontario by championing the delivery of regionally tailored programs and services. In her new role, she will leverage the government’s purchasing power to increase access to economic opportunity for more Canadians while ensuring federal procurement supports Canada’s transition to a clean economy. She will also ensure Canada continues to have all the critical supplies needed to respond to current and future pandemics, bringing experience acquired in the health sector and as a former Ontario Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.
In addition, the Prime Minister announced that changes had been made to the membership of Cabinet committees to coincide with changes to the Ministry.
