Private Members Bill C-374 Passes Unanimously in the House of Commons

MP John Aldag’s bill to add Indigenous representation to the federal historic sites board passes through House of Commons unanimously

May 10, 2018 - Ottawa, Ontario

On Tuesday, Member of Parliament for Cloverdale—Langley City John Aldag’s private members bill, C-374, An Act to Amend the Historic Sites and Monuments Act (composition of the Board), passed unanimously at third reading in the House of Commons.

The bill, which would add much-needed Indigenous representation to the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, seeks to implement Call to Action 79(1) of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. The legislation would provide for First Nations, Metis and Inuit representation on the Board.

Bill C-374 has been sent to the Senate for consideration where it has been sponsored by the former Chief Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Senator Murray Sinclair.

While section 4(d) of the Historic Sites and Monuments Act currently provides for one representative from each province and territory, there is no formal representation of Indigenous peoples on the Board. The inclusion of Indigenous peoples on the HSMBC is necessary to continue breaking down the walls of exclusion which have historically existed between the federal government and Indigenous peoples in Canada.

Quotes

“Reconciliation with Indigenous peoples is a Canadian issue, and unanimous support for Bill C-374 is a proud reflection of this. I am honoured to have been able to bring this legislation forward to advance a small, but meaningful piece of reconciliation. The inclusion of Indigenous peoples on the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada will provide a fuller view of the ways in which we commemorate historic peoples, places, and events.”

– John Aldag, Member of Parliament for Cloverdale-Langley City

Quick Fact

• Bill C-374 received a royal recommendation dealing with remunerative aspects of the legislation. Bill C-374 is only the third private members bill to ever receive a royal recommendation.

For more information:

Kurtis Layden
Office of John Aldag, Member of Parliament
613-992-0884
john.aldag.a1@parl.gc.ca

✔︎ C-374 (Composition of the Board)

Bill

C-374: An Act to amend the Historic Sites and Monuments Act (composition of the Board).

Third Reading.

Vote

Yea.

Rationale

I proposed and supported this legislation in order to increase Indigenous representation on the Board to allow for more input and participation by key groups. 

Result

Passed.

Third Reading (Bill C-48)

Cloverdale Rodeo 2018

Downtown Langley Retail Business Development

Third Reading (Bill C-374)

Debate (Carbon Pricing - Opposition Motion)

MP Aldag Announces Over $415,000 In Funding To Create 159 Summer Jobs For Students In Cloverdale-Langley City

April 25, 2018 - Surrey, BC

A strong middle class and a growing economy depend on young Canadians getting the skills and work experience they need to succeed. That is why the Government of Canada has doubled the number of jobs created through the Canada Summer Jobs program since 2015, creating meaningful, paid work experience for almost 70,000 students per year.

Here in Cloverdale-Langley City, that means that 159 jobs have been approved for funding for local students. Today, John Aldag, Member of Parliament for Cloverdale-Langley City, on behalf of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, announced that the hiring season for Canada Summer Jobs 2018 has begun and employers in Surrey and Langley are now accepting applications.

Once again this summer, tens of thousands of students across Canada aged 15 to 30 will get a great job opportunity—all while earning money to help pay for next year’s tuition. The Government of Canada invites young Canadians to visit Canada.ca/Canada-Summer-Jobs to connect with employers who are hiring in their communities. This year, for the first time, students can search for employers by province or territory, municipality or postal code, so they can apply to employers in their community.

Additionally this year, more than 3,000 employers are first-time funding recipients, ensuring thousands of fresh new experiences for young Canadians. This year’s jobs fulfill five national priorities, designated by the Government of Canada, including:

• employers who intend to hire youth from underrepresented groups, including new immigrant youth and refugees, Indigenous youth, youth with disabilities and visible minorities;

• small businesses, in recognition of their contribution to the creation of jobs;

• organizations that support opportunities for official language minority communities;

• organizations that provide services and/or supports to the LGBTQ2 community; and

• organizations that provide opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and information and communications technology, particularly for women.

A summer job helps students gain new skills and valuable work experience while saving money for the school year ahead. Thanks to Canada Summer Jobs, young Canadians from across the country will be able to access thousands of job opportunities with small businesses, not-for-profit organizations and the public sector.

Quotes

“I am proud that the Canada Summer Jobs program is helping to create job opportunities for 159 youth in our community of Cloverdale-Langley City this summer. The experiences and skills that our young people will gain from the summer jobs will be valuable for their future careers."

– John Aldag, Member of Parliament for Cloverdale-Langley City
 

“Canada’s young people are not just the leaders of tomorrow—they are leaders today. That’s why our government is focused on ensuring more young Canadians get the skills and training they need to thrive. By helping more young Canadians get paid, meaningful work experience, we can ensure they have a fair shot at success.”

– The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour

Quick Facts

• Not-for-profit employers are eligible to receive funding for up to 100% of the minimum hourly wage. Small businesses with 50 or fewer employees and public-sector employers can receive up to 50 percent of the minimum hourly wage.

• Canada Summer Jobs is part of the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy. Since 2005, the Youth Employment Strategy has helped over 900,000 young people gain the skills and work experience they need to find and keep good-quality jobs.

• Each year, the Government invests over $330 million in the Youth Employment Strategy. Budget 2016 announced an additional investment of $339 million over three years. This was followed by an additional investment of $395.5 million over three years in Budget 2017. These investments are helping:

  • more than 33,000 vulnerable youth develop the skills they need to find work or go back to school;

  • create 15,000 new green jobs for young Canadians; and

  • provide over 1,600 new employment opportunities for youth in the heritage sector.

• In 2017, the Government of Canada helped create nearly 70,000 summer job opportunities for students, which is double the number of jobs created through CSJ in 2015.

• Budget 2018 announced an investment of $448.5 million over five years to the Youth Employment Strategy. This funding will support the continued doubling of the number of Canada Summer Jobs opportunities in 2019.

For more information:

Gunraj Gill
Office of John Aldag, Member of Parliament
778.245.0030
john.aldag.a1@parl.gc.ca

✔︎ C-55 (Oceans Protection)

Bill

C-55: An Act to amend the Oceans Act and the Canada Petroleum Resources Act..

Third Reading.

Vote

Yea.

Rationale

Our government made a commitment to increase the proportion of Canada’s marine and coastal areas that are protected to 5% this year and 10% by 2020. This legislation is a part of our plan to reach these targets. The proposed amendments would shorten the time required to put protection in place and allow interim protection measures for sensitive marine areas. Currently, there is no protection until there is full protection.

Result

Passed.

MP John Aldag's Funding for Canadians with Disabilities

April 4, 2018 – Surrey, BC

The Government of Canada launches funding opportunity to improve participation of Canadians with disabilities in the Surrey & Langley community.
 
Today, John Aldag Member of Parliament for Cloverdale-Langley City on behalf of the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, encouraged not-for-profit and Indigenous organizations, municipalities and territorial governments to apply for funding for retrofit, renovation or new construction projects of accessible facilities or venues through the 2018 Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF) call for concepts (CFC) for mid-sized projects.
 
Through the Enabling Accessibility Fund, the Government of Canada is taking action to ensure Canadians with disabilities have access to services and programs that will help them participate fully in their community and in the labour market.
 
The EAF mid-sized CFC provides contribution funding to organizations for projects that help improve and make Canadian facilities and venues more accessible for people with disabilities. As a result of the projects, eligible organizations must offer or plan to offer services and programs that support the social and labour market integration needs of people with disabilities. Financial contributions between $350,000 and $1 million will be provided through the current CFC for each successful retrofit, renovation or construction project.
 
The CFC follows a two-step application approach. First, applicants are invited to submit their project concepts. Then, applicants whose project concepts are successful will be asked to submit a detailed proposal at a later date.
 
Eligible applicants have until May 24, 2018, to submit their project concept application online at https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/funding.html or by mail or email.   

“Our communities are stronger and everyone benefits when all members of society are included. The Enabling Accessibility Fund aims to do just that, and plays an important role in making sure that Canadians of all abilities are fully included in their workplaces and communities. I encourage eligible organizations to put forward projects that will help create spaces that are accessible to all.”

- The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities

“The Government of Canada is committed to reducing barriers for Canadians with disabilities and ensuring that everyone has equal access and opportunity. The Enabling Accessibility Fund supports organizations across Canada that improve accessibility and enable Canadians with disabilities to participate fully in society.”

- John Aldag, MP Cloverdale-Langley Cit

Quick Fact

• Since the creation of the Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF) in 2007, the Government of Canada has funded over 3,000 projects, helping Canadians gain access to their communities’ programs, services and workplaces.
• Starting in 2018–19, the EAF grants and contributions budget will grow to $20.65 million, as Budget 2017 provided $77 million ($70 million in grant and contribution funding and $7 million in operational funding) over 10 years to expand the activities of the EAF and support more small and mid-sized projects, including youth‑driven proposals, aimed at improving accessibility in Canadian communities and workplaces.
• This is the Government of Canada’s second funding opportunity for mid-sized projects under the EAF. The mid-sized projects component was launched in 2010 and since then, has undergone changes to better suit the needs of applicants, including making the objective and parameters of the CFC more precise.

Associated Links

Enabling Accessibly Fund

For more information:

Carly Haugen
Constituency Assistant
Office of John Aldag, Member of Parliament
604-5757-6595
john.aldag.a1@parl.gc.ca

Annabelle Archambault
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities
819-934-1122 / TTY: 1-866-702-6967
annabelle.archambault@canada.ca
 
Media Relations Office
Employment and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559
media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
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