MESSAGE FROM MARC G. SERRÉ YOUR NICKEL BELT MP  

August has wrapped up and summer is winding down! Wishing teachers, support staff, families, parents and youth in Nickel Belt – Greater Sudbury a safe start to the 2020-2021 academic year.

Continued collaboration and prioritizing the wellbeing of our communities has allowed our region to forge ahead and return to some sense of normalcy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you for your perseverance and to everyone making a difference. We are in this together!

Here is a glimpse of just some of the activities, outreach and work that took place in August.

MP SERRÉ IS WORKING HARD FOR NICKEL BELT – GREATER SUDBURY: 

• Coordination with constituency office staff to remain updated on the local concerns of Nickel Belt – Greater Sudbury residents
• Participates in regular caucus calls and in virtual House of Commons meetings
• MP Serré is spearheading a collaborative initiative with his MP colleagues to address the pressing needs of the local and national not-for-profit sector
• MP Serré had calls and meetings with various stakeholders, organizations, businesses and constituents from across Nickel Belt – Greater Sudbury
• MP Serré toured the Valleyview Community Church to further understand their development priorities and discover more about their needs-based initiatives
• MP Serré met with representatives from the CNIB to discuss support needed through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond
• MP Serré facilitated meetings with Nickel Belt – Greater Sudbury early learning and childcare stakeholders and the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development to discuss affordable, accessible and high-quality child care as part of the economic recovery post pandemic and beyond
• MP Serré facilitated meetings with local Nickel Belt – Greater Sudbury mayors and councilors and the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, to discuss municipal priorities in relation to housing, Service Canada and seniors
• MP Serré participated in the Fridays for Future climate strike with youth from Nickel Belt – Greater Sudbury to help bring awareness to Canada’s climate emergency and to honour Greta Thunberg’s 2-year anniversary of beginning her activism strikes
• MP Serré met with representatives from the Sudbury Community Legal Clinic to discuss funding shortfall concerns due to COVID-19
• MP Serré visited the A.Y. Jackson lookout in Onaping Falls to meet Canada Summer Jobs students and find out more about their hard work
• MP Serré met with Leigh Kitlar from Contact North regarding rural and remote broadband and how all levels of government can work together to ensure Nickel Belt – Greater Sudbury communities are connected for work, studies and pleasure
• MP Serré had a follow up meeting with YMCA North Eastern Ontario representatives to discuss their priorities and concerns
• MP Serré had a meeting with Jalee Pelissier and Philip Villeneuve regarding Muscular Dystrophy and the need for further advocacy concerning care and accessibility of medicines for all Canadians living with rare diseases

Funding opportunities announced that benefit our communities:

• MP Serré and colleague MP Lefebvre announced $39.7 million for local public transit to increase the efficiency and accessibility of services for the Nickel Belt – Greater Sudbury region. Full details here.
• MP Serré announced $1.5 million from FedNor to support the construction of a galvanizing plant in the City of North Bay that benefits all Northern Ontario. Details here.
• MP Serré announced $356,576 for the Warren Local Food and Farm Co-Operative which supports the increase of local food markets for remote communities. Details here.
• MP Serré made an announcement at Foothills Farms in Chelmsford concerning the creation of 216 positions in Nickel Belt – Greater Sudbury through the Canada Summer Jobs Program 2020 season totalling over $850,000 in funding and benefiting over 75 local organizations. Details here.
• MP Serré announced over $3.2 million for transit projects benefitting the City of Temiskaming Shores and Coleman Township. Details here.

Other important news: 

• MP Serré shares his concerns over the unwarranted aluminum tariffs imposed by the United States. Read his full statement here.
• The Federal government is investing $2B for provinces and territories through the Safe Return to Class Fund, to help everyone start the new school year with confidence.
• MP Serré shares his thoughts on the prorogation of Parliament. Read it here.
• MP Serré shared that Indigenous community-owned businesses and microbusinesses can now apply to the Indigenous Community Business Fund for COVID-19 support.
• MP Serré shared that the COVID-19 Community Resilience fund supporting projects like the renovations of hospitals, schools and more is now accepting applications.
• For a full up to date list of emergency economic response measures visit: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan.html
  
  

Timely and accurate information on COVID-19 can be found at:

marcserre.ca
https://mserre.liberal.ca

Government of Canada
https://www.canada.ca/…/d…/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html

Government of Ontario
https://covid-19.ontario.ca/index.html

World Health Organization (WHO)
https://www.who.int/emergen…/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Public Health Sudbury & District
https://www.phsd.ca/health-…/diseases-infections/coronavirus

North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit
https://www.myhealthunit.ca/en/health-topics/coronavirus.asp

 
TIPS ON STAYING SAFE AND HEALTHY

Physical distancing

Keep practicing physical distancing as your local government lifts public health measures. Physical distancing minimizes close contact with others in your community.

Things you can do to keep practising physical distancing are:

• avoiding crowded places
• reducing non-essential travel and trips out of your home
• keeping 2 metres away from others when outside of your home
• commuting outside of the busiest hours if you use public transit
• avoiding greetings that include physical contact, such as handshakes
• following your local public health guidance on the number of people that can gather in one place at one time

Continue to practise good hygiene

COVID-19 is a contagious disease. Proper hygiene practices will help lower your chance of getting it or spreading it to others. You should continue to do the following:

• wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol
• cough and sneeze into a tissue or the bend of your arm
• avoid touching your face with unwashed hands
• dispose of used tissues in a lined waste container and then wash your hands

Stay home and away from others if you’re feeling ill 

As local governments lift public health measures, you should continue to stay home and away from others if you have symptoms. If you start to develop symptoms of COVID-19, isolate yourself from others and contact your health care provider or local public health authority. Adjust your behaviours and routines based on their advice.

Wear a medical mask if you’re ill and will be in close contact with others or need to go out to access medical care. If a medical mask isn’t available, wear a non-medical mask or cloth face covering.

 Use of non-medical cloth masks or face coverings in community settings

http://www.phn-rsp.ca/sac-covid-ccs/wearing-masks-community-eng.php