Hello everyone.

Over the past few months, we’ve introduced programs that are making a real difference in the lives of millions of people right across the country.

Take the Rose and Crown Pub in Canmore, Alberta.

As they were getting ready to welcome customers again, they used the wage subsidy to rehire 15 employees.

And they got a loan through the Canada Emergency Business Account so they could buy personal protective equipment, plexiglass screens, and additional handwashing stations to comply with public health guidelines.

That’s good news for people who are now back on the job, and for locals who missed their favourite neighbourhood spot.

When this crisis first began, a lot of people lost their jobs overnight.

They didn’t know how they were going to feed their families or pay their bills.

So, our government responded rapidly and substantially to support Canadians with programs like the Canada Emergency Response Benefit and the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy.

Three months later, we’re beginning to see across the country that we’re now in a place where we’re gradually and safely starting to reopen parts of the economy.

But I’m not going to sugar-coat it.

We still have a long journey ahead.

Some sectors will bounce back more quickly than others. Many workers will be able to find work, but others won’t.

Over the past few months, Canadians have been able to count on the Canada Emergency Response Benefit to help them get through a tough time.

And the reality is that even as we start to reopen, a lot of people still need this support to pay their bills while they look for work.

That’s why today, I am announcing that we will be extending eligibility for the CERB by eight weeks.

So, if you’ve been getting the CERB and you still can’t work – because you are unable to find a job or it’s just not possible – you will keep getting that $2000 a month.

Over the next few weeks, our government will look at international best practices, and monitor the economy and the progression of the virus to see what changes – if any – need to be made to the program so that more people are properly supported.

But I want to be very clear with Canadians.

Our goal here is to make sure that the CERB is working for you in the best way possible.

Our government will continue to be there for you.

This pandemic is an unprecedented challenge for our country.

And we’re going to make sure that all our supports, including the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy and Employment Insurance, are working effectively to get Canadians back on their feet.

That’s also a big part of the reason why I proposed to give the provinces and territories $14 billion to make sure that you have childcare, that there’s testing and tracing, and that your workplace is safe.

As the situation evolves, so too must our response evolve with it.

And that’s what we’re going to keep doing.

Since the beginning of the crisis, our government has acted quickly and substantially to support Canadians with programs like the Canada Emergency Response Benefit and the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy.

Three months later, we are now able to start gradually and cautiously reopening the economy, in part because businesses are using programs like the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy.

But I’ll be honest with you.

There is still a lot of work to be done in the coming months.

Some sectors will recover more quickly than others. A lot of people will find work, but not everyone.

Over the past few months, Canadians have been able to count on the Canada Emergency Response Benefit to help them get through a difficult time.

And the reality is that, even though certain activities are reopening, a lot of people still need this support to pay their bills while they look for work.

That’s why I am today announcing that we will be extending the eligibility period for the Canada Emergency Response benefit by an additional eight weeks.

This means that if you’re getting the CERB and you can’t go back to work—because you can’t find a job or because it’s not possible at this time—you will continue receiving your $2,000 a month.

Over the coming weeks, our government will be looking at international best practices and monitoring the economy and the progression of the virus to determine whether we need to make changes to the program to better support people.

But I want to be very clear with Canadians.

Our goal is to make sure the CERB works for you.

Our government will continue to be there for you.

The pandemic is an unprecedented challenge for our country.

And we will ensure that all supports—including the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy and Employment Insurance—complement one another to help Canadians get back on their feet. We want to give you the support you deserve during these turbulent times.

This is one of the reasons why I proposed giving the provinces and territories $14 billion so that you have quality childcare services, we can increase testing and contact tracing, and you can return to work safety.

The situation is still evolving and our response must evolve with it.

And that’s what our government will continue to do.

I want to close this morning with some news regarding the Canada-U.S. border.

I can now confirm that Canada and the United States have once again agreed to extend by 30 days, until July 21^st, the current measures in place along our border.

This is an important decision that will keep people in both of our countries safe as we continue fighting COVID-19.

I want to end this morning with an update on the Canada–U.S. border.

I can now confirm that Canada and the United States have agreed to extend the border measures that are currently in place by an additional 30 days, that is, until July 21.

This decision will protect people on both sides of the border as we continue fighting COVID-19.