Inflation rates are coming down, new home construction is going up, the Canada Child Benefit has gone out to parents, and over 500,000 Canadians have already accessed the Canadian Dental Care Plan!
These are significant updates and all part of our government’s work to make life fairer for every generation. From getting more shovels in the ground on new housing projects, investing in good paying jobs for our workers, investing environmental protections that grow the economy, and strengthening our social safety net for those who need it most, our government is building a stronger economy - for everyone.
In this week’s newsletter, you can read more about our government’s work to advance these key priorities, as well as updates on auto theft prevention, new support for seniors in accessing retirement benefits, and of course the great fun we have been having together here in Eglinton-Lawrence!
As always, don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns related to federal matters by emailing my office at [email protected] or by calling 416-781-5583.
Warm regards,
Hon. Marco Mendicino, P.C.
Member of Parliament for Eglinton-Lawrence
The past two weeks have been quite memorable spent with our Filipino community. We celebrated 75 years of Canada-Philippines relations at the annual Taste of Manila along with the Prime Minister - who come by to say hello rain or shine! As always, it was a huge success with many vendors, musicians, dancers, and more.
Yesterday I attended PIDC’s 26th Mabuhay Festival Gala which is yet another vibrant celebration of Filipino music, food, and fashion. The Festival will be at Nathan Phillips Square here in Toronto all weekend, so I encourage everyone to join the celebrations.
At the annual PLACA barbecue, I joined the community for amazing Filipino food. We had a wonderful time enjoying the outdoors together and celebrating the contributions of our Filipino community.
Canada is home to one million Filipinos and I’m proud to represent a community where the kababayan work hard, give back, and celebrate Filipino culture. Mabuhay!
It was a perfect summer afternoon the other weekend to kick off Ferragosto, Italy's traditional summer festival, with a fantastic festa put on by Villa Charities and CIBPA. A great time was had celebrating family, food and community, Italian style!
Buon Ferragosto a tutti!
It was an honour to welcome over 100 students from Israel Wednesday morning, including members of the families of victims and hostages from the October 7 attack. The Jewish community sponsors trips to Canada so that young victims of the conflict can attend summer camp and receive the support they need.
Great work to everyone involved in supporting these young people during this difficult time.
I want to share a special shout out to Trevaun Douglas, who walked from Toronto to Niagara Falls, NY to raise funds for Lawrence Heights! His motivation is to encourage and support youth and families in the Heights. As he said, “I want to show they can do anything they put their mind to”.
Read more about him and his efforts to strengthen our community here!
The FIFA headquarters in Toronto is buzzing with excitement as Canada prepares to co-host the 2026 World Cup! I’m looking forward to cheering on our team alongside Canadians and welcoming nations from around the world to this beautiful place we call home.
Families, check your bank account! The Canada Child Benefit was distributed this past Tuesday. For over 9,000 families in Eglinton-Lawrence, this means more tax-free money to help with the price of groceries, rent, extracurriculars, school supplies, and other family necessities.
Over the past eight years, the Canada Child Benefit has helped lift hundreds of thousands of kids out of poverty by providing support for low-to-middle-income families with children. For the 2024-2025 benefit year, families can receive up to $7,787 per child under the age of 6 and $6,570 per child aged 6 through 17.
It puts thousands of dollars back in families’ pockets each year – and it’s an important part of our government’s work to deliver fairness for every generation.
I am proud to be part of a pro-union government who stands up for workers rights and the collective bargaining progress. Recently, the collective agreements of both Canadian National Railway (CN Rail) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) were set to expire simultaneously, leading to an unprecedented situation where both companies would be renegotiating their agreements at the same time. Through their union, Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC), both companies went to the bargaining table to renegotiate a fair deal. Unsuccessfully, both CN and CPKC began lockouts while TCRC went on strike at CPKC.
The collective bargaining process belongs to these parties, and we have hoped they would reach a fair deal. However, the impact of both railway’s workers being locked out or on strike is far too crippling for workers, farmers, commuters, small businesses, miners, scientists, and much more. The transportation of goods through the railway affects the water we drink and food we eat.
The significance of peace in this vital sector cannot be understated. Therefore, Minister of Labour, the Hon. Steven Mackinnon, has directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board to assist all parties in settling the terms of their collective agreements, including by imposing final arbitration, through Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code. Read the Minister’s full statement here.
The Government of Canada has recently launched the new online Retirement Hub. This online service is now available to help seniors plan, apply for, and receive their retirement benefits. This includes the Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security, and the Guaranteed Income Supplement.
This new online space is meant to be a clear, concise and easy to access resource to help seniors and those planning for retirement access resources and information to apply for benefits, plan retirement, and learn about their options.
You can access the Retirement Hub here. You can also hear from Minister of Citizens’ Services, the Hon. Terry Beach here about this new online service. More online hubs such as this will be rolled out to support more of the most significant milestones for Canadians.
The rise we have seen in car thefts across North America has left many in our community feeling unsafe, and in some cases impacted. It is not only a costly and burdensome procedure to deal with, but it also impacts our sense of safety. You may have received my recent mail piece where I outline the ways our government is enforcing laws to distrust, dismantle, and prosecute organized crime groups involved in auto theft.
We’re making it harder to steal cars, harder move stolen cars, and harder to get away with it. In addition to this work, the federal government has recently launched a Vehicle Theft Prevention Challenge. Transport Canada is seeking new and effective solutions to deter and prevent vehicle theft that can be affordable and accessible to different income levels. Small businesses are now invited to submit innovative proposals. Read more about the grant, eligibility, and the application process here.
For Canada to thrive, it's essential that we invest into the technologies that allows us to move forward. For this, Public Services and Procurement announced a significant new project as part of NGen’s initiative to support 15 advanced manufacturing projects, to revolutionize the packing process for finished goods.
NGen is the industry-led not-for-profit organization that leads Canada’s Global Innovation Cluster for Advanced Manufacturing. This project represents a major step forward in enhancing automation in manufacturing. The development of this advanced system will not only streamline production processes but also bolster Canada's position as a leader in manufacturing technology and innovation, creating new jobs for Canadians.
Read more about these new investments here!
As part of Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade, and Economic Development, will lead a trade mission to Indonesia and the Philippines!
The trade mission will provide Canadian exporters and innovators from across the country exposure to these markets and create opportunities for long-term trade and investment opportunities. The trade mission is open to companies and organizations from all sectors.
This mission will go from Sunday December 1st - December 6th, 2024 in Jakarta, Indonesia and Manila, Philippines and is open to:
Export-ready Canadian companies of all sizes, including exporters from diverse backgrounds, with strong potential to seize opportunities in Indonesia and the Philippines.
Provinces and territories, municipalities, and other Canadian organizations (e.g., trade associations, chambers of commerce) aiming to expand their engagement in these markets.
If you are interested in expanding your business opportunities in Indonesia and the Philippines on a Team Canada Trade Mission (TCTM), you may apply and find more details here.
The deadline to apply is Friday, September 6th.
Exciting news! Since August 1st, 2024, organizations can apply for the Community-Based Stream under the New Horizons for Seniors Program! The New Horizons for Seniors Program has been hugely successful in Eglinton-Lawrence, providing funding for many organizations to support the wellbeing of seniors in our community.
The Community-Based stream of funding will support projects designed by seniors for seniors to empower them and continue improving their health and well-being. Projects must meet at least one of the following program objectives:
The deadline for applications has been extended to September 12th, 2024. Read more about the program information and eligibility criteria here.
In the wake of rising hate across the country, the Government of Canada remains committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive society with resilient communities.
In effort to combat systemic racism and promote inclusivity, a new priority on combatting anti-Asian racism has been established for the Events component.
The Events component of the Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program (MARP) provides funding to community-based events that:
There is no fixed deadline to submit a funding application under the Events component of the MARP, as applications are accepted on a continuous basis.
For more on the eligibility requirements and application details, click here.
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Mon: | 10AM-4PM |
| Tue: | 10AM-4PM |
| Wed: | 10AM-4PM |
| Thu: | 10AM-4PM |
| Fri: | 10AM-4PM |
| Sat: | Closed |
| Sun: | Closed |
