May 19, 2024
Ottawa, Ontario
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced that a by-election will be held on June 24, 2024, in the electoral district of Toronto—St. Paul’s, in Ontario.
May 18, 2024
Ottawa, Ontario
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day:
“Fifteen years ago, the quarter-century-long armed conflict in Sri Lanka came to an end. Tens of thousands of Tamils tragically lost their lives, including at the massacre in Mullivaikal. To this day, many more remain missing, injured, or displaced. Today, we honour the victims, survivors, and their loved ones, who live with the lasting pain caused by this senseless violence.
“Two years ago, Canada’s Parliament unanimously voted to recognize May 18 as Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day. We will always advocate for justice and accountability for the crimes committed during the conflict, as well as for the hardships faced by all in Sri Lanka. In 2023, we imposed sanctions against four former Sri Lankan government officials in response to their violations of human rights in the country during the armed conflict.
“Canada is a strong defender of human rights in Sri Lanka. We are advancing our work with international partners to fully implement the United Nations Human Rights Council resolution adopted in October 2022, which calls for greater reconciliation, justice, accountability, and human rights in Sri Lanka. And we continue to urge the Government of Sri Lanka to respect freedom of religion, belief, and pluralism – essential values to build lasting peace.
“Today reminds us of our shared responsibility to stand up for human rights, justice, and accountability – values that cannot be taken for granted. Canada will never stop its work to protect human rights across the world. On behalf of the Government of Canada, I invite Canadians to join in honouring the victims of the armed conflict in Sri Lanka. Together, let us reflect on how we can foster a better, more inclusive, and more peaceful world for everyone.”
May 17, 2024
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Every generation deserves a fair, healthy future – from kids, to parents, to grandparents. That means we support each other at every stage of life – starting from childhood.
The federal government has made generational investments such as the Canada-wide early learning and child care system, the Canada Dental Benefit, and the Canada Child Benefit, which together are helping families across Canada save thousands of dollars every year. Since 2015, we have helped lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty.
When it comes to supporting families and kids, we’re going to keep going. With Budget 2024, we’re delivering fairness for every generation.
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today highlighted the new National School Food Program. With an investment of $1 billion over five years, the Program, included in Budget 2024, will provide meals to 400,000 more kids every year, beyond those served by existing school food programs.
This will mean peace of mind for parents and healthy meals for kids – helping them learn, grow, and get the best start to life. The Program will also be a safety net for the kids who need this support the most. We’re going to work with provinces, territories, and Indigenous partners to get this program to schools across the country.
The Prime Minister also highlighted other measures from Budget 2024 to support parents, families, and kids:
- Supporting after-school learning. Budget 2024 invests $67.5 million to help students, including Indigenous, low-income, and at-risk youth, reach their full potential. By investing in after-school learning and supports, such as mentorship and academic assistance, students will be able to better learn, grow, and succeed.
- 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.
- Helping students acquire coding skills with a $39.2 million investment in CanCode. CanCode has helped over 4.5 million students ‒ from kindergarten through grade 12 ‒ develop coding and digital skills, so they can succeed in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
These measures will help ensure our kids have everything they need to succeed, prosper, and reach their full potential. These are just some of the things that we’re doing in Budget 2024 to build a better and fairer 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
“Budget 2024 is about fairness – and that starts right from childhood. The measures we’re talking about today will support families, make life more affordable, and invest directly in the future of our kids. Let’s make sure our youngest Canadians can reach their full potential – feeling happy and healthy.”
— The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
“Fairness for every generation starts with ensuring every child in Canada has the best start in life. It’s why we’ve made transformative investments in our social safety net, such as affordable child care, the Canada Dental Benefit, and the Canada Child Benefit. But more needs to be done. That’s why in Budget 2024, we’re doing even more to build a better, fairer Canada for children and families and ensure every generation can reach their full potential.”
— The Hon. Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
“Ensuring that every child has the best possible start in life is the drive behind so many of our investments. Budget 2024 is about ensuring fairness for everyone, and that includes the youngest amongst us. With measures such as the Canada Child Benefit, the Canada Dental Benefit, affordable high-quality child care, and our new National School Food Program, children in Canada will be able to reach their full potential.”
— The Hon. Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
“Manitoba is leading Canada in our universally-accessible school nutrition programming. Students can’t learn on an empty stomach. Providing meals to students who need them will help set them up for academic success and positive learning outcomes. Our government is providing a record $30 million into school meal programs to ensure that children have barrier-free access to food, particularly in areas where the needs are greatest and where students need it the most.”
— The Hon. Nello Altomare, Manitoba’s Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning
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.
- The new $1 billion National School Food Program includes investments that will support school food programming for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities as well as Self-Governing and Modern Treaty partners, many of whom have some of the highest rates of food insecurity in Canada. Investments will also support capacity building and engagement with Indigenous partners to develop culturally appropriate solutions. These partnerships will aim to tackle food insecurity by advancing Indigenous-led solutions and will further our work on reconciliation.
- 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 investments since Budget 2021, the federal government is investing nearly $40 billion in early learning and child care. And in just three years, we’ve made incredible progress: 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.
- To give every child the best start in life, Budget 2024 is also:
- 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 more than just a convenience. Budget 2024 invests $100 million over five years to provide Canadian Armed Forces personnel and their families with better access to child care on bases across Canada.
- Launching a new Youth Mental Health Fund to ensure that younger generations have the access they need to mental health supports, so they can have a healthy start to adulthood. Budget 2024 proposes an investment of $500 million over five years to ensure youth have access to mental health supports in their community.
- Ensuring a brighter and more prosperous future for First Nations children, youth, and communities with a proposed new investment of $1.2 billion in First Nations’ kindergarten to grade 12 education and $242.7 million to increase access to post-secondary education for First Nations students.
- Keeping our children safe by protecting them from online harm. Budget 2024 proposes an investment of $7.5 million over three years, starting in 2024-25, to the Public Health Agency of Canada to support Kids Help Phone in their work providing mental health, counselling, and crisis support to young people.
- These new investments build on the significant progress we have already made to help kids reach their full potential and level the playing field for parents, including by:
- Giving families more money through the Canada Child Benefit, to help with the costs of raising their kids 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.
- 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.
Associated Links
May 17, 2024
Ottawa, Ontario
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced the following changes in the senior ranks of the public service:
Laura Lee Langley, currently Deputy Minister of the Office of Citizen-Centered Approaches; Deputy Minister of the Office of the Premier, Head of the Public Service, Clerk of the Executive Council, Chief Executive Officer of Communications; and Deputy Minister of the Treasury and Policy Board, Government of Nova Scotia, becomes President of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, effective July 2, 2024.
Christine McDowell, currently Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Client Service Delivery, Employment and Social Development Canada, becomes Associate Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs, effective May 27, 2024.
Biographical Notes
May 15, 2024
Quebec City, Quebec
For over 100 years, the Québec Bridge has stood as a testament to the innovation and hard work of Canadians, linking communities and businesses on both sides of the St. Lawrence River. In recent years, the Government of Canada has been working to identify the best path forward to ensure the bridge’s long-term sustainability, and today we are taking an important step toward that goal.
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced an agreement with the Canadian National Railway (CN), the current owner of the Québec Bridge, to repatriate this essential and historic infrastructure to the federal government and support its long-term viability. Canada will invest approximately $40 million per year for the next 25 years through its rehabilitation program. These investments will help extend the bridge’s useful life for decades to come, notably by increasing the frequency at which parts are replaced. The rehabilitation program also includes a contribution component for painting and aesthetics of this historic infrastructure.
The Québec Bridge is a major road, rail, and pedestrian bridge linking the shores of Quebec City and Lévis, Quebec. Built in 1917, it was designed to boost economic development and connect Quebec City to the Canadian and American rail networks. Considered one of Canada’s architectural gems, it is recognized as a symbol of engineering excellence and was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1995.
Today, the bridge remains a critical regional transportation link, a strategic freight corridor, and an important element of the Canadian supply chain, allowing passengers and goods to move freely across the St. Lawrence River and to other destinations in Canada and North America. More than 33,000 vehicles, including cars, transit buses, passenger trains, and freight trains, cross the bridge daily. During the summer months, it is also enjoyed by some 1,000 pedestrians and cyclists every day.
The repatriation agreement is the result of significant consultations and negotiations with CN, the Government of Quebec, and other stakeholders. The agreement will position the federal government to restore and maintain the structure of the Québec Bridge to ensure it can continue to benefit our economy and all users and residents of Greater Québec – preserving the bridge’s historical, cultural, and economic value for future generations.
Quotes
“The Québec Bridge is a source of pride for the people of Quebec City and all Canadians. It is a timeless symbol of what is possible when we work hard together, and today’s repatriation agreement with CN will ensure that it is protected and restored for future generations.”
— The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
“The Québec Bridge is a feat of civil and architectural engineering in our country. By repatriating the bridge, we will not only ensure the sustainability of this critical and major infrastructure for the region, but we are also giving control back to the people of Québec.”
— The Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement
“The Québec Bridge is part of the city’s history. It’s part of the identity and pride of the people of Quebec City. By repatriating this essential link, we are fortifying and preserving both our heritage and our future prosperity.”
— The Hon. Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Transport and Quebec Lieutenant
Quick Facts
- The Québec Bridge was designed and built by the St. Lawrence Bridge Company of Montréal, Quebec, in 1917. Made of nickel alloy steel, it was the longest clear span bridge in the world at the time of its construction. It was officially inaugurated by the Prince of Wales – the future King Edward VIII – in 1919.
- Initially designed as a rail bridge, the Québec Bridge now also includes three highway lanes and a walkway for pedestrians and cyclists. It remains the longest span cantilever bridge ever built, stretching 549 metres between the main piers, with a total length of 987 metres and a height of 95 metres.
- The bridge was under ownership of the Government of Canada from its construction until 1995, when it was transferred to Canadian National Railway (CN).
- In 2019, the Government of Canada appointed Mr. Yvon Charest as Special Negotiator to examine options for the bridge’s restoration and life extension. Following extensive consultations with CN and other stakeholders, the government received Mr. Charest’s recommendations in 2021 and extended his mandate for the negotiation of an agreement to transfer ownership of the bridge to the federal government.
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