This bill has received Royal Assent and is, or will soon become, law.
Summary
This is from the published bill.
This enactment designates March 11th in each and every year as “Pandemic Observance Day”.
Elsewhere
All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.
Bill numbers are reused for different bills each new session. Perhaps you were looking for one of these other S-209s:
S-209 (2020)
An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Regulation Adapting the Canada Elections Act for the Purposes of a Referendum (voting age)
S-209 (2020)
An Act to amend the Department for Women and Gender Equality Act
S-209 (2015)
An Act to amend the Official Languages Act (communications with and services to the public)
S-209 (2013)
An Act to amend the Criminal Code (exception to mandatory minimum sentences for manslaughter and criminal negligence causing death)
Votes
April 17, 2024Passed 3rd reading and adoption of Bill S-209, An Act respecting Pandemic Observance Day
March 22, 2023Passed 2nd reading of Bill S-209, An Act respecting Pandemic Observance Day
This is a computer-generated summary of the speeches below.
Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.
Bill S-209 proposes to designate March 11 as "Pandemic Observance Day" annually across Canada. The aim is to remember the lives lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, honor frontline workers, and acknowledge the pandemic's impact on the population's health and mental health. The day is intended to be a time for reflection, assessment, and learning from the pandemic experience.
Conservative
Against pandemic observance day: The Conservatives do not support a pandemic observance day, feeling that it is premature and not what Canadians are asking for. They believe that the focus should be on addressing the issues exposed by the pandemic and learning from the mistakes made.
Government accountability: Members emphasized that the Liberal government needs to be held accountable for its actions during the pandemic, particularly the use of the Emergencies Act, which was deemed unjustified by the courts.
Meaningful action is needed: The Conservatives believe that real recovery and preparation require meaningful action, such as addressing manufacturing capabilities, supply chain reliance, healthcare strains, and labor shortages, rather than a symbolic day of observance.
Condemns divisive rhetoric: Members criticized the Prime Minister for using divisive rhetoric and discriminating against Canadians who made different choices regarding vaccination, rather than trying to unite the country.
NDP
Supporting pandemic observance day: The NDP supports Bill S-209 to establish a pandemic observance day to recognize the suffering endured during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Call for national long-term care standards: The NDP urges the Liberal government to fulfill its commitment to establish national standards for long-term care to prevent future deaths from preventable diseases in these facilities. They emphasize that no person in Canada should die in long-term care from a preventable disease.
Addressing systemic issues in care: The NDP highlights the ongoing crisis in the care economy, particularly the undervaluation and underpayment of care workers, who are disproportionately women, immigrants, and racialized individuals, and calls for improved working conditions and compensation.
Mental health and disability support: The NDP criticizes the Liberal government for withholding funding for mental health resources and delaying the implementation of the Canada Disability Benefit, exacerbating the challenges faced by vulnerable populations during the pandemic.
Bloc
Supports bill S-209: The Bloc Québécois supports Bill S-209, which designates March 11 as pandemic observance day, without any amendments. They stand with everyone affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec and Canada and offer condolences to the affected families.
Environmental perspective: The Bloc Québécois emphasizes the environmental factors contributing to pandemics, linking deforestation, industrial livestock production, and globalization to the increased spread of zoonotic diseases. They cite the documentary "The Pandemic Factory" as highlighting the role of environmental upheaval in driving epidemics and pandemics.
Vulnerable populations: The Bloc Québécois acknowledges the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on vulnerable members of society, including those living in isolation, poverty, and anxiety, and seniors, and the sacrifices made by young people. The party also highlights the essential role and sacrifices of often-overlooked frontline and essential workers, including health care workers and those in essential services.
Need for change: The Bloc Québécois argues for the need to preserve biodiversity to reduce the risks and impact of global warming and its effects on health, emphasizing that human and environmental fates are linked. They stress the urgency of changing current practices to avoid future pandemics and potential extinction, calling for courageous political action.
Liberal
Supporting pandemic observance day: The Liberal Party supports Bill S-209, which designates March 11 as pandemic observance day throughout Canada. This day aims to honor those who died from COVID-19, recognize frontline workers, and acknowledge the pandemic's impact on the health and mental well-being of Canadians.
Remembering the pandemic's impact: Establishing a pandemic observance day is crucial to remember the significant loss of life, the ongoing recovery from COVID-19, and the importance of applying public health measures. It serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of viruses and the duty to protect vulnerable populations.
Preparedness and learning: The bill emphasizes the need to learn from the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent future outbreaks and to apply scientific evidence in decision-making. It also highlights the importance of remembering the isolation and suffering experienced by many, especially the elderly.
A day for reflection: March 11 will serve to remind Canadians of the tragic events and the display of solidarity and empathy within communities. It will be a day to come together on what we have learned and how to collectively define a new way forward.
The time provided for the consideration of Private Members' Business has now expired and the order is dropped to the bottom of the order of precedence on the Order Paper.
It being 5:44 p.m., the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at third reading stage of Bill S-209 under Private Members' Business.
Call in the members.
Links & Sharing
(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)
