Ottawa is betting that billions of taxpayer dollars spent on steel, asphalt and concrete will secure Canada’s economic future and prosperity. Through the $51 billion Build Communities Strong fund, the federal government is paying for roads, bridges, water systems and transit to boost productivity and attract capital from Europe and Asia.

As the shovels hit the ground from Halifax to Vancouver, Canadians should be asking themselves: What good does it do to build a stronger country if we are not building healthier Canadians?

The fund’s $5 billion allocation for health infrastructure is welcome news, as many of our hospitals and long-term care homes across the country are showing severe signs of aging, and modern care centres are much needed. But pouring concrete for new facilities is not the same as building a healthy population.

A ribbon-cutting at a modern hospital does not guarantee you see a family doctor when you need one, keep a rural emergency department open overnight, or shorten the wait for a knee replacement keeping someone off the job or robbing a retiree of independence.

Correctional Services Canada is reopening prison farms. But in B.C., where it has no such programs, a wife and her late husband, who killed a man in a botched holdup, started Emma’s Acres, a unique prison farm she hopes to see expanded.

OTTAWA - A timeline of events regarding the Canada Student Service Grant program, based on public documents, events and statements from cabinet ministers, government officials, and WE Charity:

March 6, 2020: WE Charity staff prepare a concept paper on service learning for public servants at Employment and Social Development Canada.

April 5: Finance Minister Bill Morneau and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau talk over the phone about how to help students whose summer job and volunteer opportunities were vanishing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Finance Department officials are tasked with considering options the next morning.

April 7: Small Business Minister Mary Ng and WE co-founder Craig Kielburger have an introductory phone call in which Ng asks WE to send what it calls a ``pre-established proposal'' to help young people launch businesses.

Fact Check

Having problems with the form?Contact Us Directly |