Please find below my monthly Coast to Capital submission to The Local Weekly for July 2020:

I am pleased the Local Weekly is back in print and to once again have this opportunity to connect with the Coast. The past months have been challenging for us all, and especially for the most vulnerable in our community and those that serve them. Thanks to the informed and calm direction from our public health experts, the tireless work of our health care teams, food services, and service providers, and the commitments of our communities, we have to date been able to flatten the curve. Thanks to the Sunshine Coast Community Task Force, which came together and quickly established local resources for everything from food distribution to supports for isolated seniors.

The focus of the Federal Government has been to continue to support those in need. Among many important measures we have brought in, we are supporting employers to keep workers on the payroll through until the end of 2020 with the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, providing income replacement for those whose job was lost because of the pandemic through the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, and providing no-interest loans so business can keep their doors open through the Canadian Emergency Business Account.

We recently concluded the Safe Restart Agreement to provide billions in support for BC and our municipalities to cover costs of the items that will be most important to safely restart our economy, such as PPE, testing, childcare, and transit.

On July 3, I was honoured to participate in a virtual announcement of infrastructure investments by the governments of Canada and British Columbia through the Investing in Canada Plan. I am happy to announce that three successful recipients on the Sunshine Coast will be able to start work on long-awaited projects:

• Thanks to determined community efforts, the Halfmoon Bay-Coopers Green Hall Replacement will provide a larger and more functional space for community events.
• The Sechelt-Accessible Performance Space for Hackett Park will build a multi-use amphitheatre for outdoor concerts and performances, and serve as an exercise space and outdoor classroom.
• The Gibsons-White Tower Stormwater Pond involves the construction of additional storm water ponds at White Tower Park to intercept, treat and convey the storm water it receives from Upper Gibsons.

These investments will support economic recovery by creating jobs and provide a legacy of important community meeting places and green infrastructure. I look forward to celebrating these projects with each community during summer visits.

As the weather gets warmer and summer calls, we must continue our efforts to keep each other healthy. As Dr. Henry says – be kind, be calm and be safe.

Please reach out to us: 6367 Bruce Street, West Vancouver, V7W2G5 604-913-2660 [email protected]. Check our website for updates: www.patrickweiler.ca