Government’s Quebec lieutenant makes local stop during fact-finding mission
Honoré-Mercier MP Pablo Rodriguez – who is the Liberal government’s lieutenant for Quebec – was in Ottawa on a fact-finding mission on July 29 to hear about pressing local needs which have arisen since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic more than four months ago.
“Families, workers and businesses in Laval are sticking together closely during this pandemic and this economic crisis,” said Rodriguez, who was accompanied for part of the tour by Vimy Liberal MP Annie Koutrakis.
Here to help
“Since the very beginning, we are here to help them with the salary subsidy, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) the intervention of the Armed Forces and now also the Red Cross. I am currently doing the lieutenant’s tour across Quebec and today I am in Laval to take the pulse, to understand what is working well and what is not working as well.”
In a statement following his visit, Rodriguez noted that working from home, as many parents now must during the COVID-19 lockdown, has become “quite a challenge. It is particularly true when you take care of a child who has an intellectual disability.” He also noted the innovative methods that many businesses in Laval are not introducing to deal with COVID-19.
Concerns expressed
“In Laval, I heard many concerns, but also many good ideas and solutions,” Rodriguez added. “All of this will be helping us to adapt our programs in order to support more families and more businesses. Our government will continue to be there for you.”
“It was great having the opportunity to tour my riding with Pablo Rodriguez, our government leader in the House of Commons, who makes everything happen in the parliament,” said Koutrakis.
“As you know, our government has provided about $250 billion of direct aid to Canadians, 90 per cent of all aid provided by all governments in Canada. I am very proud and it was very satisfying to see in person some of the tremendous amount of good that the over 70 programs that we rolled out have done in such a short time.
Pleased by visit: Koutrakis
“Our economy and employment are now growing very rapidly while we are controlling the virus,” she added. “Our government has been very open to ideas and has been very flexible in how we have structured the many aid programs and I think that our response represents the best of what government should be.”
During the visit, Rodriguez made stops at several organizations and businesses in Laval. At the Halte de L’Orchidbleue on de la Concorde Blvd. West he met with the group’s director Silvana Sousa. She explained to him the organization’s activities, which consist primarily of providing assistance to intellectually disabled individuals 12 years of age and older, as well as their parents.
A stop at ALPA
Next on the agenda was a stop at the Association Lavalloise des personnes aidantes (ALPA) on le Corbusier Blvd. ALPA executive-director France Boisclair provided Rodriguez with information on subsidies ALPA has received from the federal government. Some of the aid has helped ALPA produce a video that persons with Alzheimer’s and other types of problems and their caregivers can access to learn more about the help they can receive.
Rodriguez also made a stop at Alco Prévention Canada, a company that produces tools and equipment to detect the presence of alcohol in the body and that recently decided to also produce products and gear that will be useful in the ongoing efforts to combat COVID-19.
New tech at ALCO
ALCO is now producing a tool which uses ultraviolet light to help destroy viruses and other germs that settle on surfaces that many people come into conctact with such as cell phones, keys, jewellery and cosmetic containers.In addition to helping sterilize such objects, ALCO’s UV PLUS disinfecting unit can also be used to recharge cell phones wirelessly. As well, it includes an aromatherapy function to which aroma oils can be added. The unit has three different uses in all.
