Madam Speaker, it is always a pleasure to speak on behalf of my constituents in Oshawa. I want to thank the Conservative team for tabling this motion as we look forward to the post-COVID era and the countless challenges that must be solved for Canada to build back stronger.
I first want to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on Canada's tourism industry and why the federal government must move to provide specific supports for those who work in tourism. The time for dithering is over, the time for uncertainty is over. There is no more time for platitudes or excuses. Canadians deserve a plan, they deserve certainty, and our country, now more than ever, needs action.
Today we are talking about specific supports for the workers hardest hit by the pandemic. In Oshawa, some of the hardest-hit people are those in the tourism and hospitality sectors. One of the hardest-hit subsectors of the tourism industry has been independent travel agents. For example, Tracy Turberfield, one of my local constituents, has not had access to any federal government support programs for her business throughout COVID-19. Between the lack of people travelling and the rigid eligibility requirements for government support, her business has ground to a halt.
Tracy has been hard at work for 15 years and does not want to see some utopian reimagination of the Canadian economy. What she needs and wants is an economic recovery that enables her to rebuild her company. Imagine being in Tracy's position, being asked to pay back commissions for trips cancelled due to the pandemic and a near halt to all travel, and yet the government has offered no direct support. How can she rebuild her business? How on earth is she supposed to contribute to our economic recovery? Tracy has even shared that between the pandemic restrictions and being left behind by the government, it has caused a huge toll on her mental health, a toll that could be mitigated by direct sector-targeted support for independent travel agents.
Another constituent left behind by the government is Amber Derby, a former employee at the Holiday Inn in downtown Oshawa. Despite support being provided to businesses in the hospitality industry, Amber was still laid off. The fact is that much of the funding made available to businesses has not trickled down to the workers. While it is important to ensure that businesses can stay afloat, workers and those who are the bedrock of our economy cannot be left behind.
Even now, despite looking to expand her skill set, for Amber the training programs available are just not affordable for her. The Prime Minister promised that no one would be left behind, yet Amber and hundreds of thousands of Canadians in the hospitality industry have endured just that, being left behind by the government. Like Tracy and many other Canadians, the effect of being left behind has had adverse consequences for Amber's mental health.
Another of the top tourist attractions in Oshawa is Parkwood Estate. The site is the former home of R.S. McLaughlin, the first president of General Motors Canada. It is one of the top venues for high-budget movie sets in Canada. The attraction is managed by its wonderful curator Samantha George, and it is still suffering from lack of visitors.
As any tourism expert will say, the presence of quality restaurants is key to any economy looking to attract visitors. Last week I had lunch at the Bulldog Pub & Grill, an Oshawa favourite, where I had a chance to speak to owners Julie and Victor. They have been trying their best to support their workers throughout the pandemic, but have not been able to qualify for government programs like the emergency wage subsidy since they bought the business mere months before the pandemic hit. They had no prior year's information available to qualify for the programs even though the business was a viable for more than a decade under the previous owners.
The government has to provide more flexibility to small and medium-sized businesses like the Bulldog so they can continue supporting the local economy, as well as employing workers who rely on the wages and tips from their jobs. With the government's incredibly slow procurement of rapid testing and rollout of vaccines, those working in tourism are going to continue needing help. If the government had done its job, perhaps workers in the tourism sector would not need support at this time, but that dream is not the reality. The government must act now to support those in these industries.
Another industry we have to talk about is the charitable sector. This is another sector the government must target with specific supports, as laid out in our motion.
In Oshawa, we are known for having one of the biggest hearts in the GTA. Our charities are busier than ever helping our communities and those in need.
For example, Lianne from the Back Door Mission right across the street from my constituency office in downtown Oshawa has been working hand in hand with Simcoe Street United Church to provide food, medical services and financial assistance to Oshawa's vulnerable. I was happy to drop by last week and donate some essential items.
Sherry Denesha from St. Vincent's Kitchen in downtown Oshawa wants to reopen and continue serving low-cost meals to the less fortunate. However, the pandemic has ground the kitchen's work to halt and it needs to $200,000 in funding to continue serving the less fortunate, as St. Vincent's has been doing for 30 years.
Rita Nave, just down the street at Simcoe Hall Settlement House, helps thousands of Oshawa residents every year with its food bank and after-school programs for kids.
Just last week, I attended the Coldest Night of the Year walk at the Oshawa Refuge Youth Outreach Centre, led by Clarence Keesman. The refuge has helped homeless youth and other low-income, at-risk youth since 1999 and its work has not stopped because of the pandemic.
We also have a strong history of supporting our military and our veterans in Oshawa. People like Brian Wilkins from the Oshawa Naval Veterans' Club and Mike Gimblett from the 420 Wing Oshawa provide an essential service to our veteran heroes. Because of the slow rollout of government funding for veterans, those who have stayed afloat are still hanging on by a thread but are in dire need.
These are people who define Oshawa for what it is: one of the most caring communities in Canada. They form the foundation of Oshawa. If the people working at these charities that provide life-saving assistance to our communities do not get the support they need, those who are at risk or have low incomes or anyone else who reaps the benefits of these great organizations may be forced to face a future without the necessary support.
With respect to our airlines, now that we are moving into the post-COVID era, it is expected that more Canadians will be looking to travel both domestically and internationally after travel restrictions at home and around the world are relaxed. Not only will this serve to boost the struggling tourism and airline sectors, it will also provide an opportunity for everyday Canadians to bring back some semblance of normalcy after living through a global pandemic that has been quite traumatic for many.
Ensuring that airlines can stay afloat through repayable loans is not just critical for the future of the Canadian economy, but also for the health of everyday Canadians. Travelling has been shown to be of significant benefit to both physical and mental health. For example, studies have shown that travel reduces the risk of heart attacks and heart disease and death. A recent Cornell University study found that merely planning travel increases overall happiness.
While these facts may seem a bit disconnected from the primary objective of building back a stronger economy, we also need to consider the impacts of support on the physical and mental health of Canadians. Providing repayable loans to airlines is a key to the recovery of the economy and thus, as well, the health of everyday Canadians.
I cannot end my speech without talking about the effects of this motion on women. If this motion is passed and the government adopts its provisions moving forward, it is obvious that the economy itself will benefit. However, in my eyes, one of the most critical aspects of the provisions in this motion would be its effect on women. Yesterday, we celebrated International Women's Day, and while it is good to look to the time and to celebrate the contributions of women in our world and our country and communities, it is also a time to reflect on the challenges women still face on a daily basis, challenges that have been amplified by COVID-19.
The sectors that this motion proposes for specific targeted support, mainly in tourism, hospitality and the charitable sector, are all heavily dominated by women in their respective workforces. Over 50% of employees in tourism are women, and 60% in hospitality and 80% in non-profits. These statistics show the disproportionate impacts of this pandemic on the economic status of women in Canada, making it all the more important that the government consider the interests of women from coast to coast to coast as we move forward with the economic recovery.
If the provisions of this motion are applied, the women who have been negatively impacted by the pandemic would receive greater support and the risk of their being left behind during the economic recovery would be dramatically reduced, especially for those working in the specific sectors mentioned in the motion.
