MP’s REPORT: Welcome to 2018!

January 19, 2018 · 0 Comments

By Kyle Peterson, MP
Newmarket-Aurora

I hope that you were able to spend some time over the holidays with friends and loved ones and took the opportunity to reflect on 2017 and look forward to the coming year.
Kolton, Kash, Andrea and I enjoyed spending the holidays together here at home in Newmarket-Aurora. We had great fun ringing in the New Year at both the Town of Newmarket and Town of Aurora First Night events. Thank you to all the organizers, staff and volunteers who made it an excellent family celebration despite the frigid cold!
I was also pleased to attend Aurora’s 1st Menorah Lighting earlier in December in celebration of Hanukkah at Aurora’s Town Hall. It was a well-attended and wonderful celebration of hope and peace. Thank you to Rabbi Hecht for bringing our community together on this important occasion.
In early January, Neighbourhood Network celebrated its 10th anniversary. I was proud to play a small role in its founding by Belinda Stronach and Magna International. I was happy to attend the 10th anniversary celebration. Congratulations to all who work hard to continue to make this such a success. Please visit: www.neighbourhoodnetwork.org to get involved.
As we look towards 2018, I wanted to share with you some exciting opportunities that are part of our commitment to grow the economy, support the middle class and local businesses that are the engine of growth and innovation. Our plan is working – since coming into office, almost 700,000 jobs have been created by Canadians and Canada has the strongest economic growth in the G7. But we recognize that there is more hard work ahead of us, and we are moving forward with our plan to build a better economy for all.
Applications for Employers to participate in the 2018 Canada Summer Jobs program are now open and will be accepted until February 2, 2018. The CSJ provides funding to employers to help create valuable summer job opportunities for full-time students between the ages of 15 and 30, while strengthening local economies and communities across Canada.
The CSJ Program provides funding for not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers and small businesses with 50 or fewer employees. Not-for-profit organizations can receive up to 100% of the provincial/territorial minimum hourly wage, as well as employment-related costs. Public-sector employers and small businesses can receive up to 50% of the provincial/territorial minimum hourly wage.
In 2017, our community and many local youth benefitted significantly from this program. Newmarket-Aurora received $832,454, creating 264 positions with 87 employers. Through programs like this, our local students have the opportunity to gain valuable experience and learn new skills for their future careers. Employers interested in applying for the CSJ Program may contact my Constituency Office for more information or questions with the application process.
This past week, our Prime Minister announced the launch of the design phase of an exciting new initiative for youth across the country – the Canada Service Corps. The Canada Service Corps will be a new national youth service initiative that will provide our youth with more chances to serve their communities while gaining valuable skills and experience to position them for success in the future.
Canada Service Corps will be provided with $105 million up to March 2021, and will fund eligible projects that present opportunities for young Canadians to get in involved in service to communities.
Giving them meaningful opportunities to serve their communities will empower them to learn, grow and help build a better Canada by giving back.
The Canada Service Corps will be a program for youth, developed by youth. Youth between the ages of 15 and 30 are encouraged to share their thoughts on service and what it means to them, online at www.Canada.ca/canadaservicecorps.
In the coming weeks, I will be returning to Ottawa for the start of the Winter 2018 Parliamentary Session. I look forward to continuing to work hard for the residents of our community and to represent Newmarket-Aurora in the House of Commons.
As a reminder, you can reach out to my office and my staff at any time. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you need any information or assistance with Federal Matters. We are located at 16600 Bayview Avenue, Suite 202. You can reach us at Tel: 905-953-7515 or by email at Kyle.Peterson@parl.gc.ca