More than 8 million vaccines expected by end of March

One year ago, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic, forever changing the course of our lives. In remembrance of the victims of COVID-19 and the significant economic and social impacts of the pandemic, the Prime Minister announced that March 11 was to be a National Day of Observance for COVID-19.

We joined together to honour those we have lost, pay tribute to health-care and essential workers who have put themselves at risk to keep Canadians safe and healthy, and thank those who have made sacrifices over the past year to keep each of us, our loved ones and our community safe.

Vaccine Update

In March, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada will be receiving at least 1 million doses a week from Pfizer between March 22 and May 10. This new delivery schedule has been shared with provinces and territories so that they can gather the resources needed to vaccinate people as quickly as possible when it’s time.

Along with the three other vaccines we’ve approved, Canada is now expected to receive more than 8 million vaccines by the end of March, putting us on track to have enough vaccines for every Canadian who wants one by the end of September. To date, more than 3.4 million vaccine doses have been administered to Canadians.

Although there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, we must continue doing everything we can to stop new COVID-19 outbreaks. This means practising physical distancing, washing our hands, using the COVID Alert app and avoiding all non-essential travel. Better days are coming and we will get there together.

For the latest information on vaccines, visit my website at: GaryAnandasangaree.LibParl.ca/

Mental Health

One of the major impacts of this pandemic is the extraordinary toll it has taken on our collective mental health.

To help Canadians through this difficult time, our government created the Wellness Together Canada Portal. The portal, available online at ca.portal.gs provides an array of free, virtual resources including mental health tools, one-on-one counselling, and self-guided courses to support Canadians. To date, more than 1 million Canadians have accessed the Wellness Together Canada Portal and taken part in 2.9 million distinct online sessions.

As we continue to feel the impacts of the pandemic, it’s important to take care of ourselves and check in on our loved ones.

Remember that it’s OK to ask for help.

Rouge Park Advisory Committee

Parks Canada has now launched the nomination process for the Rouge National Urban Park Advisory Committee. This committee will provide recommendations, knowledge and guidance to the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change through RNUP’s Field Unit Superintendent regarding management of the park and the implementation of the RNUP Management Plan.

The Advisory Committee also provides a forum for ongoing collaboration and strong relationships between Parks Canada and Indigenous and other partners, local governments and jurisdictions, and the public. The deadline to apply is Friday, April 23.

For more information and to apply online, please visit: pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/on/rouge/info/comite-committee

Community Support

Until it is safe to meet again in person, my team will continue to provide virtual support to residents. If you need assistance with any federal services, contact us at 416-283-1414 or via email at Gary.Anand@parl.gc.ca.