Thanks, Jocelyn.
There are a couple of specific points I've made in other committees. I think my first committee was probably with Peter, when I was much younger.
In Saskatchewan, for example, our infrastructure deficit before COVID-19 was $57 million. What kind of economic driver could that be for 11 different communities in Saskatchewan, if that deficit were met just in its current reality? What could it look like if we planned those infrastructure measures to future-proof situations like this?
We already have friendship centres that are literally testing sites in northern Saskatchewan. If we actually purpose-built and purposely drove infrastructure investment on the ground, using networks that exist, whether it's the Y or friendship centres or whatever, it's automatic investment in, for our case, 97 communities across Canada. The majority already own their properties.
When it comes to the reality of what we deal with every day, I will quote a young person who responded to the youth survey we put out, who said, “As a former young person in care, it's extremely hard because I don't have a family to go home to. My foster parents can't take me, and I am currently stuck in a shelter for the remainder of this crisis.” That's just one small reality that we hear 97 times in 97 communities all over the country.
When we come here, we are not just talking about the economy; we're talking about how Canada is investing. We are seeing people die. It is not just about the future economy. It is literally about how we can help the economy but also keep people alive.