Friday, April 10, 2020 3 Brooklin Town Crier Ryan Turnbull, Member of Parliament, Whitby Federal Government Taking Decisive Action to Support Canadians A Message from Your Local Member of Parliament Dear Friends, From the very beginning, the number one priority of the Federal Government has been the health and safety of Canadians and the economic stability of Canadian businesses. The entire government is focused on defeating COVID-19 and effectively responding to the economic hardship caused by this pandemic. I want to thank the dedicated frontline staff. Our doctors, nurses, hospital workers, first responders, farmers, truck drivers, grocery workers, postal workers, and so many more who are playing critical roles during this time. Thank you for your dedication and service. I also want to thank the many hundreds of people in our community who have contacted my office with questions or concerns. I take your views and concerns very seriously, and you can be assured that I convey them in my daily conversations with caucus colleagues, members of Cabinet, and the Prime Minister. In these extraordinary times, no Canadian should have to worry about paying their bills or putting food on the table. The House of Commons recently passed Canada's Economic Response Plan. You can get the most updated information about COVID-19 and Canada's economic response at: Canada.ca/coronavirus. Some of the measures included in our Economic Response Plan are: The Canada Emergency Response Benefit to provide $2000 per month to Canadians who lose income due to COVID-19 for a period of 4 months. The application for the CERB will be available starting Monday April 6, 2020. Provide a special payment under the GST credit to low and modest income families. Provide a temporary wage subsidy of 75% for three months to eligible employers, including small businesses and non-profits. The new Canada Emergency Business Account to help provide interest-free loans to small businesses and not-for-profits. Introduce a pause on the repayments of Canada Student Loans for six months. Extend the tax filing deadline for individuals to June 1, and allow all taxpayers to defer, until after August 31, 2020, the payment of any income tax amounts that are owing on or after today and before September 2020. In adherence to physical distancing, our entire team is working remotely and are working around the clock for the people of Whitby. If we can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us. We can be reached at 905-665-8182 or Ryan.Turnbull@parl.gc.ca. If you are able, please stay home as much as possible. This will save lives by slowing the spread of the virus and protect our doctors, nurses and first responders on the frontlines. Our daily decisions and actions matter more than ever. We are asking for everyone to strictly comply with the advice and directives set by our world-class public health professionals. Wishing you and your loved ones health and wellness at this challenging time! Don Mitchell, Mayor of Whitby Heed the messaging I will start with one clarification. Our park signage says: "Closed" and "No Trespassing". This follows the direction given by the Province as part of its emergency measures. However, they did make an exception which allows you (and your leashed pet) to walk through a park or on a trail. But you cannot stay in the park or use any of the park amenities. And you must always stay at least 6 feet away from anyone not in your household. It is good for all of us to get fresh air and exercise and to say hello to others doing the same. This is an unprecedented public health crisis that is not going to end soon. We must stay healthy in all ways - including our mental health. Visit our site If you have questions or concerns or need support - please go to Whitby. ca and find our Covid-19 link. That will help you locate trusted sources of information. Our council and staff are here to help in every way we can. There are so many needs. So please contact us. If we cannot fix the problem, we can connect you with the people who can. To those generous volunteers, like Durham/Whitby Caremongers, who help our most vulnerable manage their daily challenges, we cannot thank you enough. The core message from all governments is to stay safe by self-distancing and following Public Health guidelines on hygiene. This is something we all can do as residents and something that is critically important. Why? Because this coronavirus is new. It is not a flu. It is more transmissible. A recent article in The Diplomat referenced a person in South Korea who refused a test and went on to infect 37 more people. The Provinces recently released Covid-19 modelling that makes it clear that we must act and act now. It's serious It is also more fatal. Though the most severe outcomes generally involve older adults, it can be serious at any age. It attacks the lungs and we have over 5,000 children with asthma in Durham Region. You can have it without knowing. It requires constant vigilance - which means a lot of testing and tracing. Building that capacity takes time. We should all be proud of the strong and decisive leadership of Premier Ford and Prime Minister Trudeau and their governments and the support of the Opposition as well. Noone is playing politics with this, which is a message to all of us of how serious it is. They are delivering the resources we need to get this under control. Their messaging is strong and consistent. We, at the Town and Region, are adding resources to support them, including bylaw resources to enforce the emergency measures. It is a team effort at all levels. Our health care workers and emergency responders are daily heroes and our health care system is strong. But it needs time. Our scientists and doctors - nationally and globally - learn more about this "novel" virus every day. They will find a way to protect us but they need time. This is going to take a while. We cannot change that. But we can change our own behaviours and help beat this thing. Sp, stay safe every day. Self-distance and follow the advice of our Public Health experts. We need you to do your part.