In his daily address, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a $350-million Emergency Community Support Fund for organizations that support the elderly, the homeless, youth at risk, the unemployed and single parents. The money will be given directly to local community organizations with the rest distributed to national groups like the Red Cross and United Way. It will be used to help train volunteers, expand meal delivery service to seniors, and help take people with disabilities to appointments as well as provide support for organizations that work with the homeless and others at risk.
Trudeau said charities and non-profits are doing crucial work, “COVID-19 has put a tremendous amount of pressure because more people need more help.”
Trudeau also said there will be a calculator on the Canada Revenue Agency website that employers can use to figure out how much they will be able to be eligible for under the wage subsidy benefit. Businesses can begin to apply for the 75-percent subsidy next Monday. When asked he did say getting the money to businesses will take longer than the CERB payments, but he could not give a specific timeline.
The PM also extended condolences to the families and friends of victims of the crime spree in Nova Scotia. He said he has had the opportunity to speak to the family of Heidi Stephenson, the RCMP officer that lost her life and Constable Chad Morrison who was shot during the rampage. Trudeau said when he was speaking to other RCMP officers he was heartened to learn of how many officers knew Stephenson from her 23-years on the police force and how they remembered her as an extraordinary person and how close the force is and how close we all are as a country, “The families of the victims can count on the unwavering support of not only their neighbours but all of Canada.”