April 8, 2020
Dear Neighbours,
I want to thank everyone for your efforts during this very difficult time. It is very important for all of us, to the best of our ability to follow the mandatory social distancing bylaw!
Tonight at sundown, Jewish communities will celebrate the beginning of Passover. I would like to take the opportunity to extend my best wishes to everyone celebrating Passover!
For faith groups and attendees of religious celebrations including Passover, Easter, and all other faith-based events, please make sure you follow the guidelines provided by Toronto Public Health. This includes suspending or greatly reducing the size of services, using virtual or online methods, and ensuring social distancing rules are maintained. For the Fact Sheet please click here.
Today, the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, announced temporary changes to the Canada Summer Jobs program that will help employers hire summer staff and provide young Canadians access to the jobs they need during this unprecedented time. This program will help create up to 70,000 jobs for youth between 15 and 30 years of age.
Canada’s small businesses increasingly depend on the employment of young Canadians. The changes to the Canada Summer Jobs program will help small businesses hire and keep the workers they need so they can continue to deliver essential services.
The temporary changes to the program for this year include:
- an increase to the wage subsidy, so that private and public sector employers can also receive up to 100 per cent of the provincial or territorial minimum hourly wage for each employee
- an extension to the end date for employment to February 28, 2021
- allowing employers to adapt their projects and job activities to support essential services
- allowing employers to hire staff on a part-time basis
The full news release can be viewed here.
A list of food banks and soup kitchens in Ward 24 can be found here:
Please remember to call ahead to book to ensure they are properly stocked. For those interested in volunteering, food banks are always looking for volunteers, so please feel free to save and share this information.
The City’s website is updated daily with the latest health advice, and information about City services and social supports. Check https://www.toronto.ca/covid-19/ for answers to common questions before contacting the Toronto Public Health COVID-19 Hotline or 311.
You can also reach me by telephone at 416-396-7222 or email me at councillor_ainslie@toronto.ca
All my Best,
Paul