Sudds: Summer work

I hope your summer is off to a good start and you managed to stay cool in the extreme heat we have experienced throughout July. 

The new school year is approaching in just a few weeks; hence, the Kanata Food Cupboard has launched its Back to School Program.

It is available for any family or student in Kanata that needs help with school supplies, including students attending JK/SK to Grade 12 as well as those attending post-secondary institutions. For details on how to apply and provide much needed support, please visit the Kanata Food Cupboard website.

Online survey now open

What do you believe are the most important issues facing our country right now? Please share your thoughts with me by completing a very short online survey. 

I read every response personally, and your feedback is valuable and appreciated.

Investigating the Rogers service outage

My colleagues on Parliament’s Standing Committee on Industry and Technology questioned top Rogers officials about their failure to communicate with the public and the Government of Canada during the July 8th Rogers outage – as well as their plan to avert such a crisis in the future. Follow along with the inquiry here.

Airport wait times improving

The desire for national and international travel has returned in full force, but airport and airline staffing levels have not. This is causing flights to be cancelled and delayed, and leaving many passengers frustrated.

That being said, the number of security screening officers at Toronto Pearson International Airport and Vancouver International Airport are now over 100 percent of summer target levels, and efforts to increase screening staff levels at all airports continue:

During the week of July 7-13, Canada’s airports continued to see about 80 percent of passengers screened by CATSA within 15 minutes, despite higher passenger numbers.

Only a small number of passengers – less than two per cent across all airports – are waiting more than 45 minutes to be screened.

Have you experienced flight delays, cancellations, or lost luggage issues during your travel? The Canadian Transportation Agency has developed a new information resource to help passengers know their rights, which is available here.

Working with the Oil & Gas Industry to Curb Emissions

We simply cannot ignore the fact that the oil and gas sector is Canada’s biggest emitter. It accounts for more than one-quarter of Canada’s total emissions — 179 million tonnes in 2020.

The federal government is proposing a variety of methods to drive down oil and gas sector emissions, from an industry-specific cap-and-trade system to a modified carbon pricing system to cap emissions. This is part of our goal to cut carbon emissions across all sectors by 45% by 2030.

Reducing carbon emissions makes economic sense; many Canadian oil and gas producers are already cutting emissions in order to become a cleaner, more competitive option for global customers.

Healthcare & Family Doctors

I know many residents struggle to be seen by a physician, whether because they lack a family doctor or due to emergency room closures. Emergency room volumes are currently higher than typical volumes, all while experiencing shortages of health workers, particularly nurses – with many patients having put off seeking care during the pandemic.

In response, the federal government has recently supplied the provinces with an extra $2B to overcome surgical backlogs and other healthcare strains. Now, the provinces must deliver results and demonstrate improvements to the healthcare system, including strengthening provincial health workforces.

COVID-19 Vaccine Bookings Open for Young Children & Second Boosters

Great news! Lower dose paediatric Moderna vaccines are now available for children aged six months to under five years. Additionally, the province of Ontario has expanded second booster eligibility. Ontarians aged 18 years and over can now receive their second booster. 

Appointments are available now through the provincial COVID-19 vaccination portal. More information about community vaccine clinics is available on Ottawa Public Health’s website.

Request a birthday card

Did you know? You can register to receive a birthday card from me on your special day! Visit my website to reserve yours.

Take a tour of Parliament

Free guided tours of Parliament are back! While Centre Block is closed for renovations, guided tours of the Parliament buildings are offered.

Tickets can be reserved online in advance.

Important dates

• Canada Child Benefit: August 19 & September 20
• Canada Pension Plan: August 29 & September 27
• Old Age Security: August 29 & September 27
• Canada Workers Benefit: October 5
• Veteran Disability Pension: August 30 & September 28
• Climate Action Incentive: October 15
• GST/HST Credit: October 5

View all available benefit dates at: JennaSuddsMP.ca/benefits

You can sign up for direct deposit to automatically receive benefits in your bank account. To do so, visit the Canada Revenue Agency website or call 1-800-959-8281.

Other upcoming dates

• Saturdays at Carp Farmers’ Market: Garlic Festival Month (August 6, 13, 20 & 27)
• Saturdays until October 29: Kanata Farmers Market
• August 1: Civic Holiday
• August 1: Emancipation Day
• August 9: International Day of the World’s Indigenous People
• August 12: International Youth Day
• August 15: National Acadian Day
• August 15: Feast of Assumption
• August 18: Krishna Janmashtami
• August 21: World Senior Citizen Day
• August 26: Women’s Equality Day
• August 28: Capital Pride Parade

Let’s keep in touch

I continue to update constituents on important government events and programs on my website. For details, please visit JennaSuddsMP.ca.

Again, please don’t hesitate to reach out by email at Jenna.Sudds@parl.gc.ca or by phone (613) 592-3469. I’d welcome your input and look forward to working together.