Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise virtually in the House of Commons this morning on behalf of my constituents here on Treaty 1 territory, the homeland of the Métis nation, to highlight the many commitments our government has made to support Canadians as we continue to fight against COVID-19.
Our government knew that we needed to provide immediate support to Canadians as our country grappled with the most serious public health crisis and economic crisis of our lifetime. Within a matter of weeks, our government introduced the Canada emergency response benefit, the CERB, which provided direct and immediate income support of $2,000 per month to those who had suddenly lost their jobs. The CERB provided over 277,000 Manitobans with money so that they could make their rent or mortgage payments and put food on the table. Now, as we transition away from CERB, our government continues to support Canadians with an improved EI benefit that provides $500 per week for those who continue to look for work.
Canadians should not have to choose between their livelihoods and their health, and that is why we introduced a national sick leave benefit. We also announced a caregiver benefit for parents who need to take time off to care for a child or a loved one.
I know that these benefits have been absolutely critical to many families in my communities. I know many parents have had to make difficult decisions regarding their employment, and women in particular have faced the brunt of these difficult choices. The numbers we have seen are shocking. Women's participation in the workforce has dropped to levels we have not seen since the 1980s. Canada's economic recovery will not be complete without a strong return to work for women across the country. To achieve this, we have committed to a national child care strategy so that parents will have access to quality, accessible and affordable child care as they return to their jobs.
During this difficult time, many of my constituents have emailed, phoned and sent letters regarding key policies they wished to see in the Speech from the Throne. Thanks to their thoughtful feedback, our government has made strong commitments to establishing national pharmacare, increasing old age security, supporting family reunification and many important initiatives that would have a significant and positive impact here in Manitoba and across the country.
I know that all members of the House will agree when I say that Canadians have truly risen to the occasion and supported one another in amazing ways in the last six months, and Manitobans are no exception. Let me take this moment to recognize the selfless efforts of our front-line health care workers in Manitoba, who have worked tirelessly under the most difficult of circumstances. I also want to recognize essential workers, such as our truck drivers and grocery store clerks, who have stepped up when we needed them most.
I want to take a moment to give a special mention to the folks at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg. It has been at the forefront of incredibly important work to protect the health of Canadians, including developing the first Canadian COVID test on January 15, providing testing regimes for remote northern communities, and conducting essential research support for vaccine and therapeutic development.
We have often heard the proverb that it takes a village. During COVID, we have seen it come to life in my community of Winnipeg South. Mosques, churches, temples and local organizations here have exemplified what it means to be a community and have come together to take care of those most in need.
We know that the devastation facing our small-businesses community has been among the biggest challenges our country has faced through this pandemic. Small businesses are the backbone of the Manitoba economy, providing thousands of jobs in every corner of the province. Our government recognizes this, and has committed to supporting SMEs through a number of initiatives. Early on, we provided the emergency wage subsidy, which covered 75% of a worker's wages so that businesses could continue to keep their employees on the payroll. Not only have we made this program more flexible, we have also announced that we will be extending it to next summer so that businesses can plan ahead.
Other federal support programs have also been critical to the vitality of our businesses, including the Canada emergency business account loan program, which has provided $40,000 in interest-free loans to qualifying businesses to help them bridge to the other side of the pandemic.
For businesses that have been unable to access these programs, Western Economic Diversification and our regional development agencies across Canada have been critical in helping us provide direct support to SMEs.
In May, the government earmarked approximately $1 billion to the regional relief and recovery fund, RRRF, which was designed specifically to aid small businesses that may have fallen through the cracks and were unable to access other business programs. In my home province of Manitoba, the RRRF has supported 85 different businesses, with a total funding of over $8.4 million. Just last week, our Minister of Economic Development announced an additional investment of $600 million to the regional relief and recovery program so we can continue to support small businesses and help them weather this time of economic uncertainty.
This is a very difficult time for so many, and our priority remains protecting people and saving lives. At the same time, we cannot forget that when it comes to protecting people there is another crisis on the horizon that will create even more health and economic disruption than COVID-19. I am, of course, speaking of the climate crisis. Nowhere is the climate crisis felt more strongly than in the disruptions to our water cycle and our freshwater systems.
Decades of public opinion surveys record that Canadians feel no resource is more important than fresh, clean water to our economy, health and well-being. I am delighted the Government of Canada cemented its commitment, in the Speech from the Throne, to create a Canada Water Agency to work with provinces, territories, municipalities, indigenous governments and stakeholders to better manage and protect our precious freshwater resources. I am especially pleased and honoured that the Minister of Environment and Climate Change has asked me to lead this effort.
As Canadians, we are fortunate to have over two million lakes and rivers: approximately 20% of the world's freshwater. Our waterways support fisheries, tourism, shipping and navigation, and so many other industries. They are crucial for aquatic ecosystems and wetland habitats, which are vital for many plants and animals.
An important part of keeping our freshwater resources protected and well managed includes improving deteriorating water quality. To this end, in 2017 we invested $70.5 million in the Great Lakes and the Lake Winnipeg basin. Over five years, $44.84 million was provided to the Great Lakes protection initiative in order to address the most significant environmental challenges affecting the Great Lakes: water quality and ecosystem health. For the Lake Winnipeg basin, $25.8 million was allocated to address the increasing challenge of nutrient pollution and toxic algae in restoring the health of Canada's sixth great lake.
In this era of climate instability, flooding has had a major impact on communities and the public treasury. The government has paid out more in disaster assistance in the last 10 years than in the last 40 years. The Manitoba flood of 2011 alone saw more than 7,000 people displaced from their homes, critical infrastructure destroyed, and 70 states of emergency declared in local communities, resulting in a $1-billion impact to the Manitoba economy.
To address these flooding and water challenges, the Speech from the Throne commits the Government of Canada to make investments in the Canada Water Agency, as well as in major water infrastructure to better manage and protect our waterways for the benefit of the environment, the economy and future generations.
Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic has been the most serious health and economic crisis our community has faced in generations. In Manitoba, as well as in communities across the country, we have seen Canadians come together and work together in extraordinary ways to help one another through these difficult times. There has been unprecedented co-operation among the provinces, territories and the federal government. Canadians want to see that co-operation continue, and they want to see all parties in the House work together to help meet the challenge of COVID-19 and build a better Canada when the pandemic subsides. Let us not disappoint them.