Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with Mayor of Quebec City Bruno Marchand
May 14, 2024
Quebec City, Quebec
Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with the Mayor of Quebec City, Bruno Marchand, to discuss priority issues of mutual interest.
The leaders discussed the long-term rehabilitation of the Québec Bridge, public transit in the greater Quebec City area, and progress made on the High Frequency Rail project. They also discussed the measures announced in the 2024 federal budget to accelerate and facilitate housing construction.
The Prime Minister and the Mayor agreed to continue working together on priority issues for Quebec City.
Associated Links
- Budget 2024: Fairness for every generation
- More Affordable Homes
- Minister of Transport announces the launch of the Request for Proposals for the High Frequency Rail project
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand
May 14, 2024
Ottawa, Ontario
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the passing of Alice Munro:
“Alice Munro was one of the world’s greatest storytellers. Her short stories about life, friendship, and human connection left an indelible mark on readers. A proud Canadian, she leaves behind a remarkable legacy.
“Born in Wingham, Ontario, Mrs. Munro set much of her work in Huron County. She knew she was going to be a writer in her teenage years. She would go on to write numerous collections of short stories in her revolutionary and compelling style that has influenced modern writers.
“A true literary genius, Mrs. Munro received many awards throughout her career, notably three Governor General’s Literary Awards for English-language Fiction, an International Booker Prize, and a Nobel Prize in Literature – making her the first Canadian to receive this honour. Her work has also been adapted into several acclaimed films.
“On behalf of the Government of Canada, I offer my condolences to Mrs. Munro’s family, friends, and many fans. Her creativity, compassion, and gift for writing will remain an inspiration for generations.”
May 14, 2024
Port Colborne, Ontario
Canada is a global leader in the electric vehicle (EV) market. As demand for EVs continues to grow, we want more of these vehicles to be assembled right here in Canada. In the last four years, more than $46 billion has been invested by auto, EV battery, and battery component manufacturers across the country, with billions more in the pipeline. These global companies want a reliable partner with world-class talent, and this is exactly what we have to offer.
Today, the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and the Premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, are welcoming Asahi Kasei Corporation’s investment of approximately $1.6 billion to build an EV battery separator plant in Port Colborne, Ontario. As medium- to long-term growth is forecasted in the North American EV market, the company expects to make additional multi-billion-dollar investments through multiple phases. Details regarding direct jobs created by this investment are currently being finalized and will be announced at a later date.
Asahi Kasei’s decision to build this new facility in Port Colborne is a testament to Canada and Ontario’s competitive business environment, highly skilled workforce, and dependable supply chains. The project is expected to benefit from federal support through the Clean Technology Manufacturing investment tax credit. Ontario expects to support this project with both direct and indirect incentives.
Our auto sector has long been an engine of economic growth, driving innovation and creating good-paying jobs for Canadians. As demand for EVs continues to grow, we are well positioned to attract further investment, solidifying our leadership in auto, EV battery, and battery material industries, and creating economic growth and opportunities now and for generations to come.
Quotes
“Canada bet big on electric vehicles, and today, the biggest manufacturers in the world are building them right here in Canada. Asahi Kasei’s investment is another vote of confidence in our auto industry and auto workers. We’re creating good-paying jobs, keeping the air clean, and putting Canada at the forefront of this exciting opportunity.”
— The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
“Today’s announcement is more good news for Ontario’s world-leading electric vehicle manufacturing sector and the thousands of workers who are benefiting from the billions of investments being made in our province. Asahi Kasei’s investment will bring economic growth and good-paying jobs to workers in Port Colborne and across the Niagara Region. It’s also yet another show of confidence in our government’s ongoing work to build a domestic EV supply chain in Ontario that benefits workers across the province, from critical mineral extraction in the Ring of Fire to battery manufacturing in Port Colborne and everywhere in between.”
— The Hon. Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario
“Canada is home to the talented workers, raw materials, clean electricity, and specialized production capabilities needed to build electric vehicles – and these strengths have attracted billions in private investment to grow our EV supply chain. This progress attracting significant investment is underpinned by six major economic investment tax credits, which are incentivizing businesses to invest in Canada, create good-paying jobs, and keep us on track to reach net-zero by 2050.”
— The Hon. Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
“Canada is one of the few countries in the world that has everything it needs to be a global leader in EV and battery manufacturing: talent, green energy, and critical minerals. We welcome Asahi Kasei to the list of global companies choosing Canada and working alongside us as we transition to a green transportation future.”
— The Hon. François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
“Over the last four years, Ontario has become the epicentre of Canada’s electric vehicle supply chain, attracting billions in investments by global automakers and suppliers of EV batteries and battery materials. Today, our government is proud to welcome Asahi Kasei as the newest addition to Ontario’s thriving automotive ecosystem. Thank you, Asahi Kasei, for trusting Ontario as a partner in your success.”
— The Hon. Vic Fedeli, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade
“As demand for electric vehicles – and the lithium-ion batteries that power them – continues to rise, we are eager to bring the first Hipore™ wet-process lithium-ion separator manufacturing facility to Canada. Backed by the abundant renewable resources, skilled talent, and strong local community support here in Port Colborne, we will be able to better serve our partners in the region as well as the broader North American automotive market from this facility.”
— Koshiro Kudo, President and Representative Director, Asahi Kasei Corporation
Quick Facts
- Asahi Kasei Corporation is a multinational company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.
- Asahi Kasei’s new plant in Port Colborne will produce Hipore™ battery separators, an essential component of the lithium-ion batteries used in EVs which makes batteries more sustainable and durable. Construction of the facility will be completed by the end of 2024 and the plant is expected to be commercially operational in 2027.
- The Hipore™ battery separator is a microporous polyolefin sheet that prevents the anode and cathode from contacting one another and causing a short circuit, while enabling lithium ions to pass back and forth during battery charging and discharging.
- It is projected that the global sales of EVs will be over three times higher in 2030 than it was in 2023, and Canada is well positioned to be a major player in EV production.
- In Bill C-69, the Budget Implementation Act, 2024, the government proposes to implement the Clean Technology Manufacturing investment tax credit, which would be available retroactively as of January 1, 2024. This refundable investment tax credit would be equal to 30 per cent of investments in machinery and equipment, for eligible activities related to the manufacturing or processing of clean technologies, or the extraction and processing of key critical minerals. It would focus on activities needed to achieve a net-zero future, such as the manufacturing of zero-emission vehicles and batteries as well as purpose-built and integral upstream components for these activities.
- To seize the opportunities of Canada’s world-leading EV supply chain potential, Budget 2024 announced a new 10 per cent EV Supply Chain investment tax credit to attract private investment and create good-paying jobs across the EV supply chain ‒ from EV assembly, to battery production, to cathode active material production. This complements the 30 per cent Clean Technology Manufacturing investment tax credit, which is part of Canada’s $93 billion suite of major economic investment tax credits.
- Earlier this year, BloombergNEF ranked Canada’s attractiveness to build EV battery supply chains first in the world, surpassing China which has held the top spot since the ranking began.
- Canada has attracted investments across our EV supply chain, from mining to manufacturing. With Asahi Kasei’s new project, these investments now total more than $46 billion since 2020.
- Transportation accounts for about a quarter of our emissions in Canada. That is why the Government of Canada has an ambitious target of 100 per cent zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035, coupled with a suite of support measures from charging infrastructure to purchase incentives.
Associated Link
May 14, 2024
Ottawa, Ontario
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced he will travel to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 21, 2024, to participate in the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Quadrennial North American Convention and promote the Canada-US relationship, including cross-border trade.
Invited by the SEIU to address the convention, the Prime Minister will highlight Team Canada’s work creating good middle-class jobs, building opportunities for our workers, strengthening health care, and delivering fairness for every generation. The Prime Minister will also highlight the deep-rooted partnership that Canada and the United States share. As the closest of friends and Allies, this relationship is deepened by the important contributions of organized labour, led by our cross-border unions.
While in Pennsylvania, the Prime Minister will meet with U.S. business leaders to identify opportunities for commercial, investment, and trade collaboration. As one of Canada’s biggest trading partners, Pennsylvania exports more merchandise to Canada than to its next four largest foreign export markets combined. In 2023, Pennsylvania exported US$14.3 billion to Canada, more than a quarter of Pennsylvania’s exports to the world. Canada has an extensive footprint in Pennsylvania, with US$13.6 billion in exports to the state. Canadian-owned companies also employ over 25,000 workers in the state.
With this productive trade relationship, we’re creating good-paying jobs our workers can count on, the right conditions for our businesses to grow, and more opportunities for Americans and Canadians alike. Canada is a reliable partner with critical minerals, a resilient supply chain, a competitive economy, and a world-class talent pool. With this Team Canada approach – we’re growing trade, attracting investment, and putting Canadian workers at the forefront of these opportunities.
Quote
“Canada and the United States are the closest of friends. Together, we’re creating good-paying jobs, building opportunities for our workers, taking climate action, and growing our economies. This trip will be another opportunity for Team Canada to deepen the partnership with our American friends – and make life better and fairer for Canadians and Americans alike.”
— The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
Quick Facts
- The SEIU is a labour union that represents some 2 million individuals. It includes SEIU-Healthcare, which represents roughly 60,000 healthcare workers in the Province of Ontario.
- Canada and the United States of America share one of the largest trading relationships in the world. The two countries also share the longest and most secure border in the world, over which nearly $3.6 billion worth of goods and services cross daily.
- With over $1.3 trillion in bilateral trade in goods and services in 2023, Canada was the largest U.S. trading partner. Canada-U.S. trade is built on long-standing binational supply chains, whereby approximately 79 per cent of Canadian goods exported to the U.S. are incorporated into U.S. supply chains.
- The Canada-U.S. trade relationship supports millions of good jobs on both sides of the border, driving innovative collaborations that strengthen North American competitiveness.
- Pennsylvania imported US$13.6 billion in merchandise from Canada and exported US$14.3 billion in merchandise to Canada in 2023
- The state’s economy depends heavily on imports of Canadian crude oil, wood pulp, lumber and various metals
- Canadian-owned companies employed 27,800 workers in the state in 2018.
- More than 2.2 million jobs in Canada depend on exports to the U.S., and more than 7.8 million jobs in the U.S. are related to trade with Canada.
- According to U.S. data, majority-owned Canadian companies operating in the U.S. employ over 866,000 workers.
- The Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) has been in force since July 1, 2020. It reinforces North American supply chains and enables Canada, the U.S., and Mexico to compete as a regional bloc on the global market.
Associated Links
May 13, 2024
Ottawa, Ontario
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on Israel Independence Day:
“Today, we join Israelis, Jewish communities, and others across Canada and around the world to celebrate the 76th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel.
“In 1948, Canada was among the first countries to recognize Israel’s independence, later establishing diplomatic relations in 1949. In the 75 years since, our countries have forged a close friendship and strong bilateral relationship, anchored in deep people-to-people ties. Canada is proud to be home to the fourth largest Jewish community in the world, with a population of nearly 400,000 people of Jewish heritage who have – and continue to – make our country more inclusive, diverse, and prosperous. The establishment of the State of Israel reflected the principle that Jewish people – like all peoples – have the right to determine their own future. Canada supported this principle in 1948 and we stand by it today.
“This year’s celebrations of Israel’s independence come at a particularly challenging time for Jewish communities. Hamas’ brutal October 7 terrorist attacks were the deadliest attacks on the Jewish people since the Holocaust, Hamas must immediately lay down its arms and release all hostages. We will always defend Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state. We remain unwavering in our support for the Israeli people to live in peace and security, and we reaffirm our support for a two-state solution in which Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side with security and dignity, and without fear.
“In recent months, we’ve seen a disturbing rise in antisemitism across the world, including right here in Canada. This must not continue. Whether it’s at a synagogue or a Jewish business or school; whether it’s wearing the Star of David or a Kippah – Jewish Canadians deserve to feel safe, supported, and welcomed. They deserve to live openly and proudly Jewish lives, without intimidation or fear. Too often in recent months, Canadians have been threatened, harassed, and excluded because of their faith, their identity, or because they support the Jewish people’s right to self-determination in their ancestral homeland. That is unacceptable and must stop.”
“Through initiatives such as the Security Infrastructure Program and the Community Resilience Fund, we are investing in the security of communities targeted by hate-motivated crime and working with local organizations to prevent violent extremism in our communities. And through Budget 2024, we are investing over $273 million over six years to implement Canada’s Action Plan on Combatting Hate. An inclusive, diverse Canada is a better, fairer Canada.
“Canada stands with the Israeli peoples in their right to live in security and in their determination for long-lasting peace. On behalf of the Government of Canada, I send my regards on Israel Independence Day.
“Yom Ha’atzmaut Sameach!”
May 13, 2024
Ottawa, Ontario
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the passing of Arthur L. Irving:
“It is with sadness that I learned today of the passing of Arthur L. Irving, a successful and respected Canadian business leader and philanthropist.
“A proud New Brunswick native, Mr. Irving joined his father’s company, Irving Oil, in 1951. Under his leadership, the company became one of Canada’s top employers and job creators – making Mr. Irving a symbol of Canadian entrepreneurship and success.
“Mr. Irving was part of the company for an impressive 73 years, most recently as Chairman Emeritus. In 2008, along with his brothers Jim and Jack, he was inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame. In recognition of his contributions, Mr. Irving was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2002 and a member of the Order of New Brunswick in 2012.
“On behalf of the Government of Canada, I offer my deepest condolences to Mr. Irving’s family, friends, and those close to him. He will always be remembered and deeply missed.”
May 13, 2024
St.Thomas, Ontario
Every child deserves the best start in life. But for young families, including Millennial parents, the costs of child care can add up to a second rent or mortgage payment. This makes it harder to start and support a family, and as a result, parents – especially moms – often face impossible choices between their careers and child care fees.
Budget 2024 is about fairness for every generation. And it is why we introduced $10-a-day child care across Canada – with all provinces and territories already offering, or working toward, $10-a-day child care. This progress, made possible by nearly $40 billion in federal support, is making life more affordable for young families. Now, the participation of women in the workforce has reached record highs. That means more families are bringing home more income and growing our economy, while saving thousands of dollars on child care every year.
We need to keep this work going and that means creating more affordable child care spaces.
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced that the Government of Canada is providing Ontario with $201.87 million to create child care spaces and support inclusive child care services across the province, especially in underserved communities. This investment, part of the previously announced $625 million Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund, will help Ontario reach our goal of creating 86,000 new child care spaces by 2026 – meaning more families in Ontario can access affordable spaces.
It will mean more spaces in rural and remote regions, high-cost and low-income urban neighbourhoods, and communities that face barriers to access, including racialized groups, Indigenous Peoples, official language minority communities, newcomers, as well as parents, caregivers, and children with disabilities. We are working with all other provincial and territorial partners to reach similar funding agreements.
The Prime Minister also highlighted key measures included in Budget 2024 to build more child care spaces and infrastructure, support early childhood educators across the country, and help more families access affordable child care. These include:
- Launching a new Child Care Expansion Loan Program. With up to $1 billion in low-cost loans and $60 million in non-repayable grants, public and not-for-profit child care providers will be able to build new spaces and renovate their existing child care centres. This means more resources for child care providers and more affordable child care options for families.
- Offering student loan forgiveness for rural and remote early childhood educators. This will encourage educators to work in smaller communities and help families get the child care they need. With a $48 million investment over four years, Canada Student Loan forgiveness amounts will increase with the amount of time an educator works in a rural or remote area, attracting and retaining the talent, similar to the benefits we’re offering rural doctors and nurses.
- Increasing training for early childhood educators. We’re investing $10 million over two years to train more early childhood educators, building up the talent needed for the expansion of affordable, high-quality child care.
- Improving child care access for military families. Military service often demands frequent moves and deployments, making quality child care imperative for Canadian Armed Forces members. That is why we’re investing $100 million over five years to provide Canadian Armed Forces personnel and their families with better access to child care on bases across Canada.
In just three years, we’ve made incredible progress in building the Canada-wide early learning and child care system. Across the country, over 750,000 kids are already benefiting from affordable, high-quality child care, with some families saving up to $14,300 per child, per year. Alongside provinces and territories, we have also announced measures to create over 100,000 new spaces, well on our way to reaching our goal of creating 250,000 new spaces by March 2026.
The measures highlighted above are just some of the things that we’re doing in Budget 2024 to build a fairer and more inclusive Canada for every generation. We’re also building more homes, improving health care, and investing in our economy – to make sure every Canadian has a fair chance to succeed.
Quotes
“Affordable child care gives moms and dads the opportunity to build their careers, helps families save money, and gives kids the best start to life. With Budget 2024, we’re creating more child care spaces, hiring more early childhood educators, giving them more training, and working with provinces like Ontario to make sure families get the care they deserve. Affordable, quality child care – that’s what fairness looks like.”
— The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
“Young families who don’t yet have access to affordable child care spaces are paying nearly a second rent or mortgage payment for unregulated child care. This is unfair to today’s generation of parents, including Millennial parents, who need and deserve the relief of $10-a-day spaces. With today’s new agreement with Ontario to build more affordable spaces, we are helping more families access affordable child care and save thousands of dollars every year.”
— The Hon. Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
“Affordable, high-quality
child care has provided families with financial relief and is giving thousands of children the best possible start in life. Over 3,000,000 families in Ontario are already benefitting from thousands of dollars in savings in their childcare fees each year. With this new agreement, and the measures laid out in Budget 2024, Ontario has the funding and tools its needs to create spaces and reduce waitlists for parents across the province.” — The Hon. Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
Quick Facts
- The Government of Canada’s Budget 2024 was tabled in the House of Commons by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance on April 16, 2024.
- 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.
- As part of the Canada–Ontario Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, the Government of Canada is investing more than $10.2 billion through 2025-2026 to help improve early learning and child care for children and their families in Ontario.
- Combined with investments since Budget 2021, including in Indigenous early learning and child care, the federal government is providing nearly $40 billion over five years for early learning and child care.
- Investments in child care 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.
- In 2023, Canada saw a record 79.7 per cent labour force participation rate for core-aged mothers with children under age six.
- To date, eight provinces and territories are delivering regulated child care for an average of $10-a-day or less, including Quebec and the Yukon, which achieved this prior to the Canada-wide early learning and child care system. In all other provinces and territories, fees for regulated child care have been reduced by at least 50 per cent on average. Provinces and territories are working toward lowering fees for regulated child care to $10-a-day on average by March 2026.
- Canada-wide early learning and child care is saving families, per child, up to $13,700 a year in Alberta, $8,500 in Ontario, $6,900 in Saskatchewan, $6,600 in British Columbia, $6,300 in Newfoundland and Labrador, $6,000 in Nova Scotia, $4,170 in Prince Edward Island, $3,600 in New Brunswick, $2,610 in Manitoba, $7,300 in the Yukon, $9,120 in the Northwest Territories (effective April 1, 2024), and $14,300 in Nunavut.
- As part of the Canada-wide early learning and child care system, the Government of Canada is working with provinces and territories to create 250,000 new child care spaces across the country by March 2026 to increase access to affordable child care options for families, no matter where they live.
- To support this goal, the federal government previously announced the Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund. The Fund provides an additional $625 million to provinces and territories to support infrastructure projects for not-for-profit child care spaces in underserved communities, such as rural and remote regions, high-cost and low-income urban neighbourhoods, and communities that face barriers to access, including racialized groups, Indigenous Peoples, official language minority communities, newcomers, as well as parents, caregivers, and children with disabilities.
- To give every child the best start in life, the federal government is also:
- Giving families more money through the Canada Child Benefit to help with the costs of raising their children and make a real difference in the lives of children in Canada. The Canada Child Benefit, which can provide up to $7,437 per child per year, is indexed annually to keep up with the cost of living and has helped lift half a million children out of poverty since its launch in 2016.
- Improving access to dental health care for children under the age of 12 through the Canada Dental Benefit, and soon for children under 18 with the Canadian Dental Care Plan, because no one should have to choose between taking care of their kids’ teeth and putting food on the table.
- Creating a National School Food Program to help ensure every child has the best start in life, with the food they need to learn and grow, no matter their circumstances.
- Helping students acquire coding skills by advancing the next phase of CanCode, with an investment of $39.2 million. CanCode has helped over 4.5 million students—from kindergarten through grade 12—to develop coding and digital skills, priming kids for success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
- Supporting after-school learning with an investment of $67.5 million to help all Canadian students reach their full potential. After-school learning and supports play an important role in helping students succeed in their academic pursuits, especially for at-risk students.
Associated Links
- Fairness for Every Generation
- Budget 2024: Fairness for Every Generation
- More $10-a-day child care spaces
- Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada’s Defence
- Toward $10-a-day: Early Learning and Child Care
May 11, 2024
Ottawa, Ontario
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the death of the Honourable Jim Peterson:
“It is with great sadness that I learned of the death of the Honourable Jim Peterson, former Member of Parliament for Willowdale, in Toronto, Ontario.
“A lawyer by profession, Jim established himself as a respected and distinguished legal mind before transitioning into politics, where he served as Member of Parliament for Willowdale, advocating tirelessly for his constituents. During his tenure in Parliament, Jim played a pivotal role in shaping Canada’s international trade policies, as then Secretary of State under Prime Minister Chrétien and as Minister of International Trade under Prime Minister Martin. Jim’s contributions to Canada’s economic prosperity and engagement on the world stage were invaluable.
“Jim’s leadership and dedication left an indelible mark on Canada’s political landscape. After an illustrious twenty-three years of serving his fellow Canadians, Jim retired from politics in 2007. He remained a champion for philanthropy, with an unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and making a positive impact in the lives of others.
“As we reflect on Jim’s remarkable legacy, we draw inspiration from his example of selfless service to make a more inclusive and more prosperous Canada. On behalf of all Canadians, I offer my heartfelt condolences to Jim’s family and friends. He will be dearly missed.”
