This fund was promised in mid March to help Albertans affected by Covid-19 as an advance fund to the one put forward by the Federal Government that won't be accessible until April. To date, the Alberta relief website still states that the information on how to apply is coming soon. It feels like Mr Kenny is playing a game of dodgeball with us. Myself and many others have been self isolating due to illness, or looking after someone who is. We need this package yesterday.

This would stream line the entire process. There would be no need for EI claims (therefore no need for extra staff, which equals less chance of exposure), no need for OW reporting (again, more workers could be at home), no need for mortgage deferrals, bans on utility cut offs, student loan deferrals, ect, ect. ALL of these issues, and more, would no longer be a problem period. This would also address the concerns of people the current programs do not cover by giving the people who are left out allowences as well.

Many of us will not be re-hired after being laid off, mostly because of our age (and because of our higher wages compared to what our less experienced co-workers are receiving). Instead of us struggling with a lower income from EI (and perhaps welfare when EI runs out), allow "pre-seniors” to start receiving their OAS and GIS earlier. Our pension incomes would likely be significantly higher than EI benefits. Transitioning our vulnerable demographic into retirement and thereby “socially distancing” us from workplaces could also help reduce pressure on the health care system.

793 people died of CoV2 in Italy on March 21, surpassing its own record set only 1 day prior. The death toll & confirmed case count in Italy & places all over the world show no signs of abating. In Canada the number of deaths leapt by 50% overnight. China is one of the only countries thus far that has managed to curtail the spread of CoV2 & has done so by mounting a war-like effort against the virus. Without social intervention, CoV2 spreads at exponential rates. This does not simply mean "quickly", it means that the more it spreads, the more quickly it will spread. The humanitarian, personal, social & economic consequences also compound exponentially. Every day that we don't act costs us tenfold on the other end.The cost of inadequate or delayed action is a humanitarian & economic catastrophe.

We are entering the very rapid rising part of the epidemic curve. Social distancing measures needed to control this in the absence of increased testing capacity will be extreme. We are a week or so away from large numbers of COVID-19 cases entering our ERs and ICUs. Based on what has happened around the world, we know that ICUs will be overwhelmed, and our doctors will have to make decisions about who gets a ventilator, "which" person's life is worth more than another's. We do not want these decisions to have to be made. We need to reduce red tape for diagnostic testing so that highly skilled scientists from outside public health labs can contribute labour and resources.

The novel coronavirus COVID-19 is now a global pandemic with over 300,000 confirmed cases, and 13,000 dead.[1] In Italy, the country now hardest hit by the virus, the medical system has been crippled. So many people are critically ill that there simply aren't enough intensive care beds or ventilators to keep people struggling to breathe alive. Doctors have been left with the horrendous task of having to decide... who gets to live, and who is left to die, often alone.[2] Governments across Canada are closing schools, restaurants, and public facilities, and encouraging everyone to practice social isolation to curb the spread of the disease.[3] Many people are isolating and practicing social distancing during essential trips out to get groceries and medicine. But the stark reality is that too many people are simply not taking this threat seriously.[4] With the exception of essential services such as food, utilities and health care, everyone must stay home. An immediate national lockdown will make sure people take this threat seriously, and we have NO time to waste. Social distancing is our best defence against COVID-19. If we can "flatten the curve" and slow the spread of the virus, fewer people will need critical care all at once.[5] If not, the situation in Italy shows us what will happen: people will die by the thousands. Experts agree. Dr. Michael Warner, medical director of critical care at Michael Garron Hospital in Toronto, says Canada “should have enforced a mandatory lockdown from coast to coast a while ago”, and doctors at the Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster just wrote a dire letter to BC chief medical officer Dr Bonnie Henry, warning that we are on the same trajectory as Italy and that we “must close non-essential businesses, and enforce the critical need for social distancing so that the health care system is not overwhelmed.”[6,7,8,9] The lack of mass testing makes the true scale of the crisis in Canada unknown. This is the most critical moment for us to act, right now, while we still have a chance at preventing the virus from bringing our healthcare system to its knees. Sources: [1] Map of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Global Cases [John Hopkins University] https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6 [2] 'A generation has died': Italian province struggles to bury its coronavirus dead [Guardian] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/19/generation-has-died-italian-province-struggles-bury-coronavirus-dead [3] Coronavirus: Here's what's happening in Canada and around the world on Saturday [CBC] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/coronavirus-covid19-canada-world-march21-1.5505520 [4] "Call people out:" Dr. Bonnie Henry wants us to get serious about social distancing [Daily Hive] https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/dr-bonnie-henry-social-distancing-coronavirus [5] Flattening the Coronavirus Curve [New York Times] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/11/science/coronavirus-curve-mitigation-infection.html [6] Canada should be on lockdown to stop COVID-19 spread, doctor warns [CBC] https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1714164803998 [7] COVID-19: Doctors push for lockdown, warn B.C. could become like Italy [Vancouver Sun] https://vancouversun.com/news/covid-19-doctors-urge-b-c-government-to-take-more-drastic-measures/ [8] ‘We need to do more’: Fraser Health doctors send dire letter to Dr. Bonnie Henry [Abbotsford News] https://www.abbynews.com/news/we-need-to-do-more-fraser-health-doctors-send-to-dire-letter-to-dr-bonnie-henry/ [9] A letter to Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.'s provincial health officer, from doctors at the Royal Columbia Hospital in New Westminster https://www.scribd.com/document/452662584/Letter-from-doctors-1 https://www.scribd.com/document/452662585/Letter-from-doctors-2

Our Doctors and nurses deserve our support and they are not only going to be dealing with Covid-19 but also with regular health problems (injuries and illnesses). People with EMR, OFA3, or 80AWFA should be asked to do some emergency basic training ASAP. In the sector of Adventure Tourism; mountain guides, ski patrollers, marine guides, river guides etc., certainly have essential training and skills to offer if/when/where the system is ready for this untapped and poised resource. Also, it's worth mentioning that many people in Adventure Tourism also have Class 4, 3, or 2 Drivers licences and might be wanted for emergency transport.

The University of Ottawa has given non-international students less than five days notice to move out, pack their things and leave campus as a result of the ongoing pandemic around COVID-19. In her address to students, UOttawa Provost and VP Academic Affairs, Jill Scott says that the University is doing this "to protect our students, and the most vulnerable members of the Ottawa community from the risk of COVID-19 infection." What she fails to acknowledge is that those most vulnerable will most likely be those who are unable to find shelter on such short notice or enough money to buy food or store and move their things. Not all students have the luxury of having someone like a relative whose residence they can stay at or who can help them move on such short notice. Further, the University has been facing a mental health crisis recently; resulting in several student deaths on campus, this will only serve to increase the stress facing many of those with mental health issues. We are asking the University to follow the example of multiple jurisdictions like France, the province of Ontario and even President Donald Trump who have all halted evictions for the unforeseeable future due to the virus because of the risk it would cause to these residents once out on the street. Students should not be treated as different from other tenants, they deserve an eviction freeze too.

Climate change isn't a mysterious force, it's a whole bunch of known forces happening all at once, more and more with no chance to recover. Literally death from a thousand cuts with billions of lives. Entire sectors are being wiped out, and what we need to realize is that there is no "after Corona Virus", there will be something else, and then something else on and on. When we say climate emergency, we mean act now. Acting now means rapidly shifting our economy. We don't have time to nickel and dime who gets helped and who doesn't. The super rich got us into this mess, and it's their turn to bail everyone else out for a change. Every Canadian deserves to not have to panic about money while the government makes the rapid changes necessary to shore up our health care and social services infrastructure, and shift our economy away from fossil fuels immediately without leaving anyone behind. We can see what terrible damage slashing social services and ignoring the warnings of experts can bring, and now we know that no one is safe from the consequences.

A lot of these at risk youth have already lived a life of trauma and fear for there own safety. Right now we have a safe space and resource centre and support system with active programming to empower them to have a better chance at being functioning citizens as well as many of them have fallen through the cracks of the system and haven’t been helped when they should have been

Based on recent research and considering a conservative estimate, the prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is 4% in Canada. That means that 200,000 British Columbians have FASD. That is 4 times the amount of Autism. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is among the leading causes of cognitive and developmental disability among children in Canada. The effects of prenatal alcohol exposure are vast and varied, but without supports, individuals with FASD can have profound issues with education, daily functioning, mental health, addiction, and social functioning. When unsupported for their disability, rates of FASD are higher in vulnerable populations, including those involved in the child welfare and justice systems. Interventions can have a profound impact on outcomes, however, in BC there are limited to no specialized services for this population. In Ontario, their specialized services funding has been expanded to include families caring for a child or young adult affect by FASD. We challenge the BC government to revisit their FASD strategic plan, look to other provinces, bring together a roundtable of experts, advocates, family members, and individuals with FASD, and recommit funding to finally support the needs of those affected by FASD. All our children deserve better than what they are given for a disability they did not ask to be born with !

Imagine leaving your home to travel abroad to visit after a death in the family, only to find the doors slammed shut behind you by a global pandemic. Imagine flights being cancelled, borders being closed, and panic rising all around you. Imagine living through that isolated, alone, without even the support of a Canadian consulate or embassy. It may sound like a nightmare, but for dozens of Canadians, it's the frightening reality right now. Stranded in Iran as a major pandemic gets underway, these Canadians are trapped and alone - and they need our help. Canadian officials have the power to negotiate a flight to Iran to collect Canadian citizens and bring them home. But so far they have refused. We understand the need to manage resources. But we also understand the moral imperative to look out for each other in times of crisis. Imagine it was you in that situation. Imagine if you were counting on your government, but knew that the only way those politicians would help was if thousands of Canadians spent just 30 seconds signing a petition and making their voice heard. Imagine it - and then be that voice. Let's bring them home.