Good morning, everyone. Good afternoon, everyone.  Thank you, MaryAnn, for those kind words.  Thank you, David, for welcoming us here to your riding and to CHEO.

I have to say, having grown up in Ottawa, I visited CHEO a number of times when I was a kid after various incidents and accidents, and I'm very pleased to be back here today as Prime Minister and not as a dad worried about Xavier having fallen out of a tree or Ella having wiped out on her bike or Hadrian with too high a fever.  But knowing that all of you are here not just for my family but for the entire family of Ottawa is… is extremely important to remember, to celebrate and mostly to thank you in advance for everything you’re going to be doing today, tomorrow, in weeks and months to come for many families.

Today I'm here as MaryAnn pointed out not only as Prime Minister but also as Minister of Youth.  That’s a role I took on because I believe that youth issues are Canada’s issues and there’s no separating the two.

Being Minister of Youth is something that is helped by the fact that I’m Prime Minister because I get to make sure that everyone listens to their Youth Minister and around the…

(Laughter)

… around the cabinet table, the voice of youth is taken very seriously.  But at the same time, I have to say that, being the Minister of Youth means that I get to make sure that the Prime Minister focuses very much on youth minister… on young people and on building the future, and that’s just as useful in that way.

You see, one of the biggest challenges that young Canadians face is finding work.  Work that they need to learn new skills, expand their job experience, and save money for their education.  So today I’m happy to announce that our government’s increased investment in the Canada Summer Jobs program has paid off.  This summer, 77,000 young Canadians will be at work, thanks to that investment.

(Applause)

That amount, 77,000, is double the number of jobs that were available through the program last year, and even 7,000 more jobs than we anticipated when we announced additional program funding earlier this year.  The response has been that great.

Today, I am happy to announce that our government’s decision to increase investment in the Canada Summer Jobs program has paid off.  Seven hundred... Pardon me, 77,000 young Canadians will work this summer thanks to these investments. Seventy-seven thousand young Canadians, that’s twice the number of jobs that were available through the program last year. It’s also 7,000 more jobs than what we had anticipated when we announced the new investments  earlier this year. 

The response has been remarkable.  Employer applications were up 30 per cent compared to last year, proving that Canadian businesses and non-profits want to hire more students and our investment provided the extra help to make those jobs a reality.  In fact, it’s particularly because of the strong private sector interest that we were able to exceed our original targets.  Here in Ontario, the Canada Summer Jobs program will provide work for about 31,000 students.  That’s nearly the size of the entire program for all of Canada last year.

And right here at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, it means jobs for 20 students who will have the opportunity to apply the skills they’ve learned in school, just like Sophie Leblanc who I got to meet earlier.

Here in Ontario, the Canada Summer Jobs program will provide work for about 31,000 students. That’s nearly the size of the program for the whole country last year. Right here at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, 20 students will have a chance to apply the knowledge they’ve acquired in school.

As exciting as this news is, we’ll have to remember, this isn’t just good news for a program, it’s good news for Canadians, for young people who now have more support in making that sometimes tricky transition from school to the workforce. For employers who get the staff they need to help grow their businesses.  And it’s good news for families because a good summer job makes it easier for students to save for their education.

As Minister Mihychuk said, we’re investing in young people to ensure a better future for all Canadians.  Today’s announcement is yet another important step along the way.