Thank you to all the front-line workers

I want to wish you and your loved ones a Happy New Year. May this year bring you happiness, good health and prosperity!

Being the voice of the people of Scarborough–Rouge Park is a great honour and responsibility that I take very seriously. I continue to be humbled and I am honoured to have the privilege to serve all of the people in our great riding.

It remains my goal to earn your trust and make you proud that I am your elected representative. As we begin this year, I want to thank all the front-line workers who have been our heroes throughout these times. I look forward to connecting with you soon to continue to build Scarborough-Rouge Park together.

State of Emergency

The government has issued a Stay-at-Home-Order, effective Thursday, January 14, requiring everyone to remain at home with exceptions for essential purposes, such as:

  • going to the grocery store or pharmacy
  • accessing health-care services
  • for exercise
  • for essential work

I encourage you to stay connected with your loved ones virtually during these tough times.

Vaccine Rollout

As of January 12, we have administered more than 144,000 vaccines in Ontario. We are making monumental strides in delivering and administering vaccinations across the province. Vaccinations of residents, staff and essential caregivers of long-term care homes are already underway. I have been in contact with the Ministry of Long-Term Care and our long-term care homes in Scarborough-Rouge Park to ensure that we are taking care of our seniors and health-care professionals during these challenging times.

Ontario Small Business Grant

I am excited to announce that the application for the Ontario Small Business Support Grant is now available. Eligible businesses are able to receive up to $20,000 due to the recent province-wide shutdown.

To receive the grant, a small business must:

  • be required to close or restrict services subject to the province-wide shutdown effective 12:01 a.m. on December 26.
  • have fewer than 100 employees at the enterprise level and experienced a minimum of 20 per cent revenue decline.
  • compare April 2020 to April 2019 revenues. New businesses established since April 2019 are also eligible provided they meet the other eligibility criteria.

Feel free to give me a call at 416-283-8448 or by email at vijay.thanigasalam@pc.ola.org to share your ideas on how we can make Scarborough–Rouge Park great for everyone.