Mr. Speaker, the Jessica Martel Memorial Foundation operates Jessie's House, a home for those fleeing domestic violence in my constituency.
Jessie's House opened this past May, after years of fundraising, and it could not have come at a more needed time. With the pandemic raging, domestic violence has increased, making spaces like Jessie's House crucial for survival. Unfortunately, due to economic conditions, charitable support has decreased dramatically.
Provincial government support and some federal support has been forthcoming, but it needs to access the wage subsidy to cover part of its estimated $60,000 monthly payroll. Jessie's House was denied the wage subsidy because it had not been open long enough. This is absurd. We need shelters like these now more than ever. They are only running at half capacity and are turning away those fleeing domestic violence for lack of support.
It is time for the government to immediately revisit the wage subsidy legislation to ensure that crucial shelters and other desperately needed services get the financial support they deserve.