Hello everyone.

This morning, I am at the Biscotti & Cie café and restaurant in Chelsea, in the Outaouais region.

A few moments ago, I had the chance to speak with the owner, Manuela, about the challenges she is facing because of the pandemic.

In addition to Biscotti & Cie, Manuela also heads the Chelsea Pub and the Lofts du Village, a hotel project opening later this year.

Restaurants and tourism are obviously two of the sectors that have been hardest hit by the crisis.

And, like a lot of entrepreneurs across the country, Manuela had to slow down her business and make a number of changes to continue serving her customers.

At Biscotti & Cie, they changed their menu to make it easier to order take-out and put new protocols in place to protect their customers and employees.

But buying personal protective equipment and make delivery arrangements, on top of buying food, and paying bills and employees—it’s expensive.

All across the country, a lot of people are experiencing the same thing.

Business was going well and then, all of a sudden, the pandemic forced businesses and restaurants to close. Entrepreneurs had to delay or even cancel their plans and projects.

Our government understands how difficult this situation is, so we have created a number of programs to help people get through this crisis.

For example, Manuela used the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy to rehire close to 75 employees. And with the reopening of the Chelsea Pub’s patio and dining room, she thinks she may be able to rehire even more people.

Manuela is also benefitting from a rent reduction thanks to the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance.

Small business owners create jobs, fuel the growth of our economy, and enrich our communities. 

And our government is here for them when they need help the most.

As we start to reopen parts of the economy, our government will continue to be there to help Canadians get back on their feet.

And we’re making progress every day.

In April, we announced a $9-billion plan to help students and recent grads get through the crisis.

An important part of this plan was to create jobs for young people in sectors that need an extra hand and today, I have some good news to share.

We’re creating 500 green jobs and training opportunities for young people in STEM in the energy, forestry, mining, earth sciences, and clean technology sectors.

Ranging from six months to a year in length, these internships will give young people invaluable work experience and the chance to explore careers in the natural resource sector.

As life starts getting back to normal, our government will continue working with the provinces and territories to protect Canadians’ health and reopen the economy safely.

Yesterday, the Deputy Prime Minister and I met with the premiers during our 14th weekly meeting with the provinces and territories.

We discussed the federal government’s proposal to provide $14 billion to the provinces and territories to meet the most urgent COVID-19-related needs over the next six months.

This money could be used to create more childcare spaces, increase testing and contact tracing, and ensure that workplaces are safe.

We want to work with the provinces and territories to put these measures in place as quickly as possible.

We also talked about the mobile app that will notify users if they’ve been exposed to COVID-19. As I said yesterday, the app will first be tested in Ontario, but it will be available all across the country in the coming weeks.

Last night, the First Ministers, the Deputy Prime Minister, and I held our 14^th weekly call.

We talked about the Government’s proposal to provide $14 billion to address critical needs across the country over the coming six months.

This is money that could be used to offer more childcare spaces, increase testing and contact tracing, and keep people safe on the job.

We want to work with the provinces and territories to implement these measures as soon as possible and make sure we don’t lose the progress we’ve made.

We also talked about the upcoming launch of a new nationwide mobile app to provide notifications of exposure to COVID-19.

As I mentioned yesterday, we will soon begin testing the app in Ontario, but it will be available to everyone across the country in the coming weeks.

Canadians can count on our government to continue working with the provinces and territories to bring in the right measures to keep Canadians safe and healthy. 

I want to end today by reminding everyone that Sunday is Father’s Day.

This is always a special time to get together with family and enjoy the warm weather – two things we’ve been missing over the past few months.

All provinces and territories have started loosening some restrictions that probably make it easier to celebrate with dad this weekend.

As you start making plans, please be sure to follow the public health guidelines for your region.

This is the best way to keep you, your dad, and the whole family safe, and have a great time on Sunday.

And to all the dads out there – happy Father’s Day!

I want to end this morning by reminding everyone that Sunday is Father’s Day.

It is often an opportunity to enjoy the warm weather with family—two things we have missed these past few months.

The good news is that all of the provinces and territories have started lifting some restrictions and so a lot of people will be able to celebrate with their dads this weekend.

When making your plans, don’t forget to follow the public health guidelines for your region.

This is the best way to protect your health and the health of your loved ones.

And I want to wish all the dads listening this morning a very happy Father’s Day!