January 28
Community Update
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Dear Friends,
This week marks one year since Canada's first reported coronavirus case. As I reflect back on the past year, I am incredibly grateful for how members of our community continue to support each other through various programs and initiatives.
Last week, my colleagues and I in the Scarborough Caucus met with community representatives for five hours. This meeting allows the caucus to tailor its presentation to the Prime Minister and Finance Minister regarding Budget 2021 around issues important to our community, such as transit, housing and the environment. Thank you to all who participated.
I invite you to join the conversation and share your views about how to best grow Canada's economy by clicking the link below.
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Tamil Heritage Month &
Thai Pongal
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Happy Tamil Heritage Month! Last week, I joined my Liberal colleagues in celebrating the contributions Tamil Canadians have made to our community and country.
I wish everyone celebrating Thai Pongal a joyous occasion.
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Speech in the House of Commons
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I was pleased to share my thoughts about the Fall Economic Statement, with particular emphasis on the Canada Child Benefit and Canadian supply chains.
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Vaccine Rollout Information
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All levels of government are working closely to ensure all Canadians have access to a vaccine. The federal government is covering the cost of vaccines so they are free for Canadians.
As of January 21, the Government of Canada has delivered 411,650 vaccine doses to the province of Ontario. As of January 25, the province of Ontario has administered 286,110 vaccine doses.
Priority for early COVID-19 vaccination will be given to the following populations:
- residents and staff of shared living settings who provide care for seniors
- adults 70 years of age and older, with order of priority:
- beginning with adults 80 years of age and older
- decreasing the age limit by 5-year increments to age 70 years as supply becomes available
- health care workers who have direct contact with patients, including:
- those who work in health care settings
- personal support workers
- adults in Indigenous communities
Ontario has its own three-phased vaccine distribution rollout plan. For more information, click here. |
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New Weekly Pop-up Testing in Scarborough Village
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The Scarborough Health Network now offers walk-in COVID-19 testing every Thursday from 9:00am-6:00 pm at Scarborough Village Recreation Centre. COVID-19 testing will continue to be provided at the Milliken Park Community Centre every Wednesday from 9:00-4:00 pm.
Additional pop-up locations are regularly announced, please refer to the link at the bottom of this section for more information.
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The application for the Canada Summer Jobs 2021 will close on Friday, January 29, 2021. Not-for-profit organizations and public- and private-sector employers with 50 or fewer full-time employees can apply for funding.
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What We Give: Video Conversation with Dr. Schiffer
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I had an insightful conversation with Dr. Jeffrey Schiffer, the Executive Director of Native Child and Family Services of Toronto, about how his organization is supporting Indigenous community members in Scarborough-Guildwood.
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The Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) gives income support to employed and self-employed individuals who are directly affected by COVID-19 and are not entitled to Employment Insurance (EI) benefits. Please note that recipients will be obliged to account for any benefits received in their 2020 income tax return.
If you are eligible for the CRB, you can receive $1,000 ($900 after taxes) for a 2-week period. Individuals are required to re-apply every 2 weeks.
You may apply up to a total of 13 eligibility periods (26 weeks) between September 27, 2020 and September 25, 2021.
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Claiming Government of Canada Benefits on your 2020 Tax Return
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Starting in early January 2021 and no later than March 10, 2021, you will begin receiving T4A slips from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). You can also access the T4A slips by logging into your CRA My Account.
The T4A is virtually identical to the T4 slips Canadians usually receive, but rather than employment income, they provide the amounts of COVID-19 emergency and recovery benefits received from the CRA in 2020. |
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Claiming a Deduction for Home Office Expenses
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As stated by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, “People should not be planning non-essential travel or vacation travel outside of the country. We could be bringing in new measures that significantly impede your ability to return to Canada at any given moment without warning.”
The Government of Canada reminds Canadians to avoid non-essential travel and all cruise ship travel outside of Canada until further notice. The restriction on all discretionary travel at the Canada-U.S. border has been extended until February 21, 2021. This applies to all foreign nationals with some exceptions for immediate family members.
All air passengers five years of age or older, including Canadians, will be required to show a negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours prior to boarding their scheduled departure to Canada. Contact your local health authorities to find out where you can get a PCR test.
Travelers returning to Canada are required to quarantine or self-isolate for 14 days. This is mandatory. Also, please note that anyone who flies to the United States for non-essential reasons and returns to Canada will have to quarantine for 14 days too.
For further information and a list of exemptions, consult the Travel restrictions, exemptions, and advice page.
For more travel advice and information, click here.
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Important Immigration Information
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Check out the links below to find out how COVID-19 is affecting TRVs, citizenship applications, passport renewals, and other files:
- Click here to find out how COVID-19 is affecting immigration, refugees, citizenship and passport services:
- Click here for updates on Permanent Residence applications
- Click here for updates on your citizenship application
- Click here for updates from Passport Canada:
- Click here for updates on Refugees, asylum claimants, sponsors and PRRA applications
- Potential travellers who have specific cases can consult with the CBSA's Border Information Services here
- Click here for updates on TRV, student's permit and foreign workers
- Even if you have an approved visitor visa or eTA, you may not be approved to travel at this time or guaranteed entry to Canada.
- As of July 1, 2020, IRCC is processing all online visitor visa and eTA applications, so you can be ready to travel when the restrictions are lifted
- Quarantine requirements
- When visitors arrive in Canada by air, land or sea, border services will assess your health before you leave the port of entry.
- If you're a foreign national, and you have symptoms of COVID-19, you won't be allowed to enter Canada.
- You must have a plan to quarantine for 14 days when you arrive in Canada, including
- A place to stay
- How you'll get to your destination
- How you'll get your groceries
- Accessing essential services and medical care
- This plan is mandatory, even if you have no symptoms.
- If you don't have a plan, you should not travel to Canada. Otherwise, you will not be allowed to enter the country.
- The penalties for not following your quarantine plan once you're in the country can include
- A fine of up to $750,000
- 6 months of jail time
- Being found inadmissible, removed from Canada and banned from entering for 1 year
- Only people who provide essential services, for example truck drivers who regularly cross the border to maintain the flow of goods, are exempt from the quarantine requirements.
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Who's Hiring in Scarborough
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The East Scarborough Storefront has compiled this week's list of all the available jobs in Scarborough.
All jobs are with Scarborough-based employers and vary from retail to social sector employment opportunities.
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Lending a hand to the Muslim Welfare Centre- one of the organizations which provides food access to our community (picture taken before the pandemic)
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The East Scarborough Storefront has created a list with information about all the organizations in our community who are currently offering food services and hot meals.
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The Government of Canada is inviting you to send a valentine to thank our veterans in long-term care homes for their service.
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Scarborough Community Organization Event
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Join the Scarborough Community Renewal Organization for their next “Our Scarborough” – featuring speaker Dolf DeJong.
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I invite you to read my most recent interviews here:
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My staff and I are embracing video chatting as we work remotely to continue serving you. You can reach us at 416-283-1226 or john.mckay.c1@parl.gc.ca.
Our constituency office continues to be closed, but our services remain available to you by phone or email.
If you require assistance on matters relating to the federal government or departments (Citizenship and Immigration, Canada Revenue Agency, CPP/OAS), please contact my office by phone at 416-283-1226 or by email at John.McKay.c1@parl.gc.ca. We will return all calls and emails
Citizenship and Immigration is not assisting people via telephone. However they can be reached through their web form.
If this is the first update you have seen, and you would like to be included on all future communications, please click here.
Sincerely,
Hon. John McKay, P.C.,
Member of Parliament for Scarborough-Guildwood
To view all previous issues of my email updates, click here
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