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Hello everyone.

I want to begin by noting Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Today, we remember the six million innocent Jewish men, women, and children who were systematically murdered by the Nazis.

We also pay tribute to the bravery and resilience of survivors, and of all of those who risked their lives to save others during the Holocaust.

This morning, I want to again extend my most sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims of the terrible Nova Scotia attacks.

Since yesterday, I’ve had the chance to speak with Constable Chad Morrison, the RCMP officer who was wounded, as well as Constable Heidi Stevenson’s family.

On behalf of all Canadians, I thanked them for their service and their sacrifice.

Yesterday, when I offered my sympathies to the RCMP officers who support me, I was amazed to see how many of them knew Heidi and had incredibly fond memories of her.

They’d worked with her on the Musical Ride.

They remembered her as an extraordinary person and it really goes to show just how tightly knit, not just the RCMP is as a force, but how close we are as a country.

Yesterday afternoon, I visited the Canadian Police and Peace Officers’ Memorial on Parliament Hill to pay tribute to Constable Stevenson and to recognize the contributions of all law enforcement members to keep us safe.

I also spoke to a number of colleagues from Nova Scotia both past and present, and sought Senator Stan Kutcher’s advice both as a Nova Scotian and as a mental health expert.

These calls reinforced what we all know about Nova Scotia – that it’s a special place where people stick together and look out for each other.

This week, we are all Nova Scotian.

The families of the victims can count on the unwavering support not only of their neighbours, but of every single Canadian.

It has now been several weeks that we’ve been asking everyone to follow the guidance of the experts to protect your health and the health of others.

Self-isolation, social and physical distancing – it’s an adjustment for the vast majority of us.

But for some, the consequences of this pandemic are much more profound than just an adjustment.

The effect of the virus has been to aggravate the inequalities that already existed in our society.

The most vulnerable – like seniors, homeless youth, the unemployed and single-parent families – have been hit especially hard by COVID-19.

At the same time, the total number of people who need assistance to get through this tough time has also increased.

Long before this pandemic, charities and non-profit organizations were doing crucial work to help our communities.

Their mission has always been to support people in their time of need and that hasn’t changed.

But COVID-19 is putting a tremendous amount of pressure on those organizations because more people need help.

I’m thinking for example of PEYO in Parc Extension which helps at-risk youth, or Mon Resto Saint Michel, which serves meals at an affordable price.

I’m also thinking about one United Way partner in Winnipeg who made and distributed 1,475 emergency kits for families, seniors, and homeless people in just five days back in March.

Organizations have also had to change the way they deliver services because of the rules that everyone has to follow to keep each other safe.

Here in Ottawa, there are a number of organizations that are focused on serving isolated seniors.

Usually, they have day programs where seniors can socialize, participate in activities, eat well, and maintain a connection to their community.

That’s no longer possible because of COVID-19, so organizations are now delivering meals and providing support via phone.

In Toronto, Tropicana Community Services is now helping vulnerable youth access their COVID-19 benefits.

Throughout the country, community organizations are an essential resource for the most vulnerable, and their mission during this pandemic has not changed.

It takes resources to make these kinds of adjustments – resources these groups don’t have because they’re spread so thin, trying to help as many people as possible.

So to support charities and non-profits in their important work, our government is setting up a $350 million Emergency Community Support Fund.

A portion of these funds will go directly to smaller, independent frontline organizations, and the rest will flow through national organizations like the United Way, Community Foundations Canada, and the Red Cross that can get funds to local organizations and vulnerable people quickly.

This is money for things like training volunteers, increasing at-home deliveries for seniors, or driving people with disabilities to appointments.

With this fund, we’re giving more resources to charities and non-profits so they can adapt to the new realities and difficulties brought on by this pandemic.

Our government is also helping business owners and entrepreneurs adapt to a new reality with the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy.

This new measure gives qualifying employers up to $847 per employee each week so they can keep people on the payroll.

Today, we’re launching a new calculator on the CRA website so businesses can determine the amount they can expect to claim through the wage subsidy.

Employers will be able to apply as of this Monday, April 27.

Later today, Minister Duclos will be providing more details regarding the rollout of this program.

And I want to turn now to some encouraging news on the innovation front.

Our supercluster initiative brings together small, medium-sized and large companies, academic institutions and not-for-profit organizations to generate bold ideas and innovate.

So, a few weeks ago, the Digital Technology Supercluster challenged its network of over 500 firms to come up with solutions to help Canadians get through this pandemic.

They received over 300 submissions and they are now moving forward on a number of key projects.

Toronto’s DNAstack is developing a new cloud-based network that allows researchers who are looking to improve our ability to diagnose and treat COVID-19 to share their findings.

Another company, Food-X, is working with its partners to develop an e-grocery management system to make sure our health care workers, seniors, and others have access to fresh food during this crisis.

Canadian innovators are among the best in the world and it’s great to see so many of them use their talents to help our communities.

This is yet another example of what we can achieve when we work together as Team Canada.

This week and over the coming weeks, you can count on us to keep finding new ways to help you.

We’ll continue to do our part just as you will continue to do yours.

It’s been about six weeks that you’ve been staying at home, washing your hands regularly and keeping two metres distance between yourselves and others.

A month and a half is a long time, but your efforts are paying off.

There are early but positive signs that we’re heading in the right direction – and it’s mainly thanks to you.

So keep following the advice of experts, and together, we’ll get through this.

Thank you.