Statement by the Prime Minister on Black Ribbon Day
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August 23, 2023
Ottawa, Ontario
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on Black Ribbon Day, the National Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Communism and Nazism in Europe:
“On Black Ribbon Day, we remember the millions of men, women, and children who suffered and lost their lives at the hands of the Soviet and Nazi regimes in Europe.
“On this day in 1939, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, allowing them to invade sovereign nations in Central and Eastern Europe. This agreement set the scene for the deadliest conflict in human history – the Second World War. Millions of people suffered, including Jewish, Romani, Slavic, disability, and LGBTQ2 communities, millions died, and survivors and their families continue to live with the trauma of the war today. After the war, many survivors moved to Canada in hopes of building a better future for their families and themselves. Their contributions have left a lasting mark on our country and helped build the strong and diverse Canada we know today.
“Every day, we are reminded of our collective responsibility to ensure that the atrocities endured by victims of the Second World War are never relived. Today, in response to global conflicts, Canada continues to step up to provide a safe haven for many who are forced to flee their homes because of persecution, war, and terrorism, and we continue to stand with the Ukrainian people in their fight against authoritarian aggression. Beyond our borders, we are committed to working with our international partners to defend democracy, promote peace, and safeguard human rights. Together, we can help put an end to crimes against humanity and chart the path toward a world free of extremism, intolerance, and oppression.
“Today, and every day, I encourage all Canadians to remember those who suffered, and continue to suffer, as a result of crimes against humanity. We will continue to honour them by fighting for a safer and more secure world.”
August 22, 2023
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Yesterday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with the Premier of Prince Edward Island, Dennis King, to discuss shared priorities. The leaders’ meeting followed a federal announcement, earlier in the day, of investments to create more spaces and support early childhood educators in the province.
The Prime Minister and the Premier discussed their continued commitment to working together to address affordability concerns for Islanders, including the Confederation Bridge and ferry tolls. They spoke about progress being made on clean energy and a resilient economy, and their shared commitment to working together to improve health care systems for Islanders and all Canadians. The two leaders also spoke about the post-Hurricane Fiona recovery on P.E.I., including damages incurred during the storm and ongoing collaboration to increase the resilience of P.E.I.’s infrastructure against the impacts of future extreme weather events.
The two leaders discussed infrastructure and the unique needs in the Atlantic region. They also emphasized the importance of working together to find solutions to address housing challenges.
Prime Minister Trudeau and Premier King agreed to remain in close contact and committed to continue the effective partnership between the Government of Canada and the Government of Prince Edward Island.
Associated Links
- Better child care for more families on Prince Edward Island
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with Prince Edward Island Premier Dennis King
August 21, 2023
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convened the Incident Response Group with ministers and senior officials to discuss wildfires and extreme weather across the country.
Building on previous meetings, the Group discussed the latest updates in the unfolding wildfire crisis in British Columbia and in the Northwest Territories, which has forced tens of thousands to be evacuated from their homes as firefighters continue to battle the devastating wildfires. They emphasized that those in impacted areas must continue to follow emergency orders and that all Canadians should avoid non-essential travel to affected regions so that accommodations remain available for critical-response personnel and evacuees.
The Prime Minister, ministers, and senior officials emphasized the importance of ensuring the continued safety of people impacted by wildfires. Ministers and senior officials also discussed the ongoing feedback they are receiving from impacted First Nations communities and the actions the Government of Canada is taking, in coordination with all orders of government, to keep communities safe. The Group discussed updates on the federal supports, including those led by the Canadian Armed Forces, the Canadian Coast Guard, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to protect communities and help evacuees. They also discussed the importance of continuing to work with partners in the telecommunication sector to ensure that essential services are available for Canadians impacted.
The Group highlighted the important services and benefits available to Canadians impacted by wildfires, including extended Service Canada hours, outreach to evacuees, and support to access services such as Employment Insurance (EI), Canada Pension Plan (CPP), and Old Age Security (OAS). The Prime Minister directed ministers and senior officials to continue working closely with partners to help people return to their communities once it is safe to do so, and to support recovery and rebuilding efforts.
The Group expressed their gratitude to first responders, including those deployed by our friends in the international community, for their courage and service in supporting impacted Canadians. They also thanked everyone who has generously opened up their communities, homes, and hearts to those in need in these extremely difficult times.
Information for affected Canadians
- Clients affected by wildfires can submit an eServiceCanada request online.
- Workers affected by the wildfires can apply for EI benefits online.
- Workers are encouraged to create a My Service Canada Account where they can view, verify, and update information for EI and other benefits delivered by Service Canada.
- As the delivery of physical cheques by mail may be impacted by wildfires, EI, CPP, and OAS recipients are encouraged to sign up for direct deposit by sending an eServiceCanada request or by contacting 1-800-O-Canada (1-800-622-6232) for further information.
Associated Links
- Wildfires
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with British Columbia Premier David Eby
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convenes the Incident Response Group to discuss wildfires in British Columbia, in the Northwest Territories, and across the country
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convenes the Incident Response Group to discuss wildfires in the Northwest Territories and across the country
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with Northwest Territories Premier Caroline Cochrane
- Government of Canada providing assistance to the Northwest Territories in response to wildfires
August 21, 2023
Cornwall, Prince Edward Island
Delivering $10-a-day child care for families right across the country is a key part of making life more affordable while creating good jobs and growing our economy by helping parents rejoin the workforce. The Government of Canada’s plan has already cut child care fees in half for families on Prince Edward Island (PEI) to an average of $20-a-day. As we keep making progress toward $10-a-day child care on the Island, we are investing to improve child care and make it more accessible for more families.
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, was joined today by the Premier of Prince Edward Island, Dennis King, as well as Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Jenna Sudds, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lawrence MacAulay, and PEI’s Minister of Education and Early Years, Natalie Jameson, to announce investments to create more spaces and support early childhood educators on PEI.
Over the next 18 months, PEI will create more than 300 new licensed child care spaces in the province’s Early Years Centres. This expansion means the province is now expected to create at least 530 spaces by March 31, 2026.
Early childhood educators are the cornerstone of our early learning and child care system. PEI will use federal funding to support wage increases for early childhood educators in Early Years Centres starting on October 1, 2023. Wage increases are key to the recruitment and retention of a qualified workforce and the further expansion of child care services in the province. PEI will also invest $1.18 million annually to develop, implement, and manage a defined-contribution pension plan for employees of Early Years Centres, which will help the early learning and child care sector retain qualified, experienced employees and boost recruitment efforts.
In addition to building a Canada-wide early learning and child care system, we are delivering support through key programs like the Canada Child Benefit, which provides families up to $7,437 per child under the age of six and $6,275 per child aged six through 17 this year. The Government of Canada is working to make life more affordable for families, while also creating good jobs and growing the economy.
Quotes
“Investing in workers delivers results. That’s the story we see play out again and again across the country. As we make progress toward delivering $10-a-day child care for families on Prince Edward Island, we’re also improving the system and making it more accessible. That’s how we make life more affordable, create good, middle-class jobs, grow the economy, and give every child the best possible start in life.”
“Working together, we continue to make important investments to build a strong, resilient and accessible early learning and child care system on Prince Edward Island. These investments will help introduce over 300 new child care spaces over the next 18 months, increase wages for early learning educators, and provide those working in the sector with a defined contribution pension plan to help attract and retain workers at designated centres across the province. The investments made today, will help build a better tomorrow, for all Islanders.”
“Today’s announcement will improve compensation and benefits for early learning and child care workers across PEI, and will greatly expand the availability of child care on the Island. In making these announcements, PEI has once again demonstrated that hard work and strong collaboration between our levels of government will bring benefits to families and children in the province, and across Canada. I congratulate Minister Jameson and her team on these significant achievements.”
“This financial investment demonstrates our collective commitment to supporting early childhood staff and acknowledging the pivotal role they play in shaping the future generations of our society. By offering financial security and peace of mind, we aim to attract and retain talented individuals in this vital profession, further enhancing the quality of the early learning and child care system in our province. The new expansion grant will provide more high-quality, inclusive and affordable early learning and child care spaces for Island families.”
Quick Facts
- Wage increases in designated Early Years Centres on PEI will be effective as of October 1, 2023, and will range from $0.50 - $1.75 per hour based upon certification levels and experience.
- 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.
- As part of the agreement with Prince Edward Island, the Government of Canada is investing nearly $121.3 million over five years to help improve regulated early learning and child care for children under the age of six in the province.
- As part of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care system, the Government of Canada aims to create approximately 250,000 new child care spaces across the country by March 2026 to give families affordable child care options, no matter where they live.
- Investments in child care will benefit all Canadians. Studies show that for every dollar invested in early childhood education, the broader economy receives between $1.50 and $2.80 in return.
