$10-a-day child care soon a reality for families in Manitoba
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March 3, 2023
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Families across Canada know that affordable child care is not a luxury ‒ it is a necessity. With global inflation driving up the cost of living and making it harder for families to make ends meet, the Government of Canada has been working with provinces and territories to deliver on our promise of $10-a-day child care – putting more money back in the pockets of Canadian families, driving economic growth that benefits everyone, and giving children the best possible start in life.
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and the Premier of Manitoba, Heather Stefanson, today announced that Manitoba will achieve an average of $10-a-day regulated child care on April 2, 2023 – three years ahead of the national target. This milestone achievement could save families hundreds of dollars per child, per month on average.
This announcement comes less than two years after the governments of Canada and Manitoba reached an agreement to support an average of $10-a-day regulated child care in the province. Already, families in nearly half of Canada’s provinces and territories are benefitting from regulated early learning and child care at an average of $10-a-day or less, and fees have been cut by at least 50 per cent in all other jurisdictions, with work on track to deliver $10-a-day child care on average by March 2026.
Delivering $10-a-day child care across the country is a key part of the federal government’s plan to make life more affordable for Canadians. It builds on a wide range of other support programs, including the Canada Child Benefit, which puts more money into the pockets of nine out of 10 Canadian families with children and has helped lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. We will continue to put Canadian families at the heart of everything we do, as we make life more affordable, create good jobs, and grow the economy to benefit all Canadians.
Quotes
“Reaching $10-a-day child care on average is a huge milestone achievement for families in Manitoba. It means hundreds of dollars per child back in the pockets of hard-working families every month, it means more jobs in early learning and child care, it means a stronger economy for Manitoba, and it means we’re giving every child the best possible start in life.”
“By working together, Canada and Manitoba have achieved our shared goal of affordable child care. We will continue to work together to achieve other important targets, such as space creation and support to early childhood educators, to ensure that every family has access to high-quality, affordable, flexible, and inclusive child care.”
“Our government recognizes that in order for Manitobans to be able to participate in the workforce, upgrade their skills and training, support their families, and play an active role in the growth of our communities and economy, access to affordable and high-quality child care is essential. Our government is proud to work in partnership with Canada to strengthen and grow Manitoba’s early learning and child care system in all communities of our province. Today, we are proud to announce that with the significant initiatives we have implemented over the past few years to lower parent fees and build capacity in the system, Manitoba is going above and beyond our commitment by maxing all parent fees to $10 a day for children 12 and under for regular hours of care, and we are achieving this historic goal three years ahead of schedule.”
“Manitoba has been working diligently to strengthen the continuum of child care services available for Manitoba families to improve access to high-quality, affordable, inclusive child care. We expanded the child care subsidy to prioritize families most in need; we provided new, ongoing operating grants to support the creation of over 3,100 affordable child care spaces; and we implemented a wage grid to support the dedicated staff working in the early learning and child care sector. Our government is pleased to work collaboratively with our federal partners to deliver on this important initiative to provide accessible, affordable child care to Manitoba families.”
Quick Facts
- In August 2021, Canada and Manitoba announced an agreement to significantly improve early learning and child care for all children in the province, with the Government of Canada contributing approximately $1.2 billion for the early learning and child care sector in Manitoba over five years.
- Additionally, nearly $98 million was announced in February 2022 through the Canada-Manitoba Early Learning and Child Care Agreement - 2021 to 2025, including a one-time investment of nearly $19.2 million to support the early childhood workforce.
- Through previous investments in early learning and child care, the Government of Canada already helped create more than 730 affordable child care spaces in Manitoba – and over 40,000 across the country – prior to the pandemic.
- With support from federal funding, Manitoba aims to create 23,000 new child care spaces as part of the Canada-wide system by 2026, to improve access to affordable child care for families. More than 3,300 of these spaces have been announced to date.
- As part of Budget 2021, the Government of Canada made a transformative investment of more than $27 billion over five years to build a Canada-wide early learning and child care system with provinces and territories. Combined with other investments, including in Indigenous early learning and child care, up to $30 billion over five years will be provided in support of early learning and child care.
- Delivering a high-quality, inclusive, and affordable Canada-wide early learning and child care system is good for families and the economy. TD Economics has pointed to a range of studies that have shown that for every dollar spent on early childhood education, the broader economy receives between $1.50 and $2.80 in return. And in Quebec, affordable child care alone has raised the province’s GDP by 1.7 per cent.
Associated Links
- Budget 2021: A Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Plan
- Toward $10-a-Day: Early Learning and Child Care
- $10 a day child care for families in Manitoba
March 2, 2023
Vancouver, British Columbia
Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with the Mayor of Vancouver, Ken Sim. They discussed several shared priorities, including housing, infrastructure, climate resiliency, health and safety, and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.
The Prime Minister and the Mayor agreed that continued collaboration between all orders of governments will be needed to address the supply of housing in Vancouver, as well as to ensure Vancouver’s infrastructure needs are met. They discussed major proposed projects that will benefit the entire Lower Mainland region, such as the Millennium Line UBC Extension.
The two leaders discussed the work governments are doing to improve housing, health care, and safety in Vancouver communities, such as in Chinatown and the Downtown Eastside, including for Indigenous residents. They also spoke about the important work of adapting to the impacts of climate change, including extreme weather.
Prime Minister Trudeau and Mayor Sim agreed to remain in close contact and to continue working on these and other shared priorities, including growing the economy, creating good middle-class jobs, and making life more affordable for people.
Associated Link
March 2, 2023
Vancouver, British Columbia
Indigenous Peoples face unique challenges when it comes to receiving the health care they deserve including, for example, a lack of family doctors and nurse practitioners in rural and remote communities. The Government of Canada is working with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis partners across the country to address gaps and systemic inequities in health care services, as well as to deliver high-quality and culturally appropriate health care.
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today highlighted the recently announced federal investment of an additional $2 billion over 10 years to help ensure access to quality and culturally safe health care services, in line with the priorities of Indigenous partners.
This new Indigenous Health Equity Fund will be distributed to ensure support to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities. Over the coming months, the Government of Canada will work with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis partners across the country, as well as provinces and territories, on the design and implementation of the Fund, ensuring alignment with Indigenous-led regional and community health priorities.
The new Fund is part of the government’s plan to increase health investments by $198.6 billion over 10 years to improve health care across the country. This additional funding will help clear backlogs and support the front-line workers who power our health care system; give all Canadians access to a primary health team as well as quality mental health and substance use services to support their well-being; and ensure patients can access their own health information and benefit from it being shared between health professionals, across jurisdictions.
As the Government of Canada continues to work with provinces and territories to reach tailored bilateral health care funding agreements, we are committed to supporting meaningful engagement between provinces and territories and Indigenous organizations to address gaps, support Indigenous health priorities, and work toward eliminating health inequities for all.
Quotes
“The promise of our universal health care system in Canada is that no matter where you live or what you earn, you will always be able to get the medical care you need, when you need it. Right now, our health care system is not living up to that promise. That’s why we’re making major investments to improve our system – and that includes an additional major investment to deliver better health care for Indigenous Peoples, in line with their priorities. We will work in partnership with Indigenous communities to deliver results where they’re needed most.”
“I have heard many devastating personal stories from First Nations, Inuit, and Métis leaders and community members about racism and discrimination in Canada’s health systems. Accessing health care free of racism is a basic human right. The Indigenous Health Equity Fund will support Indigenous health leaders to design health services and work with health partners on Indigenous priorities.”
“Everyone deserves access to culturally safe and quality health care. The Indigenous Health Equity Fund is an important step to ensuring that Indigenous Peoples can access the culturally safe health care services that they need and deserve, without racism or discrimination. We remain committed to working together with Indigenous Peoples, provincial and territorial governments, and all partners to combat racism and discrimination in all of its forms, including in health care.”
Quick Facts
- The new Indigenous Health Equity Fund will be developed and implemented on a distinctions basis, in alignment with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) Calls for Justice, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, and following the leadership of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis partners.
- The Government of Canada also remains committed to co-developing distinctions-based Indigenous health legislation to foster health systems that will respect and ensure the safety and well-being of Indigenous Peoples.
- The Canada Health Transfer (CHT) is the largest major federal transfer to provinces and territories. In 2023-24, the federal government will provide a total of $49.4 billion to provinces and territories under the CHT, an increase of 9.3 per cent, or $4.2 billion, from 2022-23.
- In addition to the new Indigenous Health Equity Fund, the federal government invests approximately $5 billion in Indigenous health each year. This includes important new investments announced since 2021 to support further progress, including:
- $354 million over five years to increase the number of nurses and other medical professionals in remote and isolated First Nations communities;
- $250 million over five years to further support recruitment and retention of health professionals on reserve;
- $825 million over three years for distinctions-based mental health and wellness strategies;
- $127 million over three years to foster health systems free from racism and discrimination; and
- $107 million over three years to continue efforts to transform how health services are designed and delivered by First Nations communities.
Associated Links
- Indigenous health care in Canada
- Working together to improve health care for Canadians
- Canada Health Transfer
March 2, 2023
Ottawa, Ontario
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced that the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will visit Canada from March 6 to 8, 2023. Her visit will include stops in Ottawa, Ontario, and Kingston, Ontario.
During the visit, Prime Minister Trudeau and President von der Leyen will build on the close, enduring transatlantic relations between Canada and the European Union (EU) and drive progress on shared priorities, including continuing to work together on advancing clean energy and clean technologies, creating good middle-class jobs, and driving economic growth that benefits everyone, most notably through the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the Canada-EU Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA). The leaders will also continue to collaborate on ongoing solidarity and support for Ukraine as the Ukrainian people continue to courageously defend themselves from Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable full-scale invasion.
On March 7, the Prime Minister and the President will travel to Kingston, where they will hold a bilateral meeting to further drive trade and investment, and cooperation under CETA, which are all key to building strong economies and creating good jobs, while delivering on their shared commitment to fight climate change. The leaders will also discuss Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine and its global consequences as well as Canada and the EU’s efforts to uphold the rule of law; further promote peace and security, democracy, and human rights; and promote women’s empowerment and gender equality around the world.
While in Kingston, the leaders will visit the Canadian Forces Base to meet with Canadian Armed Forces personnel who have deployed to Central and Eastern Europe as part of Operation REASSURANCE to support humanitarian efforts for Ukrainian refugees through Task Force Poland.
Following their bilateral meeting, Prime Minister Trudeau and President von der Leyen will highlight their collaboration on critical minerals – the building blocks of the clean and digital economy – and Canada’s potential to be a reliable supplier in a net-zero economy. They will visit an innovative Canadian clean technology company.
Following their visit to Kingston, the leaders will return to Ottawa, where President von der Leyen, as the first woman President of the EU Commission, will address Parliament in the House of Commons to highlight the unique ties between our countries and to mark International Women’s Day, the following day on March 8.
Finally, Prime Minister Trudeau will host a reception for Canadian and European businesses and industry leaders to encourage them to take advantage of the investment conditions created by CETA and contribute to strengthening transatlantic supply chains.
Quote
“Canada and the European Union enjoy a longstanding relationship rooted in shared values, strong ties between our peoples, and a history of friendship and close cooperation. I look forward to welcoming President von der Leyen to Canada to further strengthen our bilateral ties and advance our efforts to create good jobs for the middle class and build a clean economy that works for everyone – on both sides of the Atlantic.”
Quick Facts
- This will be President von der Leyen’s first official visit to Canada.
- Prime Minister Trudeau last met with President von der Leyen on September 21, 2022, on the margins of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
- The Canada-EU relationship is the oldest formal relationship the EU has with any industrialized country, dating back to 1959.
- The EU is the world's largest trading bloc. In 2022, Canada and the EU celebrated the fifth anniversary of the provisional application of the Canada-EU Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) and the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which is creating opportunities for businesses and good, middle-class jobs for workers on both sides of the Atlantic. In 2021, Canada-EU bilateral merchandise trade was $100 billion (67.5 billion euros), an increase of more than 33 per cent since CETA’s provisional application in 2017.
- The EU is Canada’s second-largest environmental goods export market (excluding waste and scrap goods), with Canadian environmental goods exports to the EU almost doubling between 2016 and 2021.
- The Canada-EU Strategic Partnership on Raw Materials, signed in 2021, focuses on enhancing security and sustainability of trade and investment, the integration of raw material supply chains, science, technology and innovation collaboration, and environmental, social, governance criteria and standards.
- Critical minerals like nickel and lithium are key components in everything from batteries that power electric vehicles to permanent magnets that are essential components of wind turbines and cell phones.
- Launched in December 2022, Canada’s Critical Minerals Strategy will increase the supply of responsibly sourced critical minerals and support the development of domestic and global value chains for the green and digital economy. The Strategy is backed by up to $3.8 billion in federal support. The proposed funding covers a range of industrial activities of the critical minerals value chain, from geoscience and exploration to mineral processing, manufacturing, and recycling applications, including support for research, development, and technological deployment.
Associated Links
- Canada and the European Union
- Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)
- Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA)
March 1, 2023
Ottawa, Ontario
Yesterday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness.
The two leaders discussed the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) mission to Haiti on February 27, led by Prime Minister Holness. They talked about the meetings held with Haitian stakeholders and political actors, and the need for inclusive dialogue to bring parties to consensus. These meetings were also valuable in understanding the needs on the ground, and that a Haitian-led solution is required to achieve long-lasting stability and security in the country. The leaders agreed on the importance of working with the Haitian National Police (HNP), both in the short and long term, to combat the violence and insecurity experienced by Haitian people.
Prime Minister Trudeau and Prime Minister Holness discussed the importance of sanctions and the need to continue to work with the international community to disable the criminal gangs and those responsible for the ongoing violence in Haiti.
The prime ministers also underscored the importance of CARICOM’s role in supporting inclusive political dialogue in Haiti, and reiterated that Canada, CARICOM, and the international community will continue to work together to provide assistance and support to help address the needs of the Haitian people.
The leaders agreed to continue to work closely together and to remain in close and regular contact.
