Ayer’s Cliff, QC, August 4, 2020 –Marie-Claude Bibeau, the Member of Parliament for Compton–Stanstead and Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced on Tuesday that her riding willreceive$821 992 fromthe Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) program. This year’s CSJ funding will be shared between 114 organizations in her riding, including community and cultural groups, municipalities and small businesses.

For this announcement, which took place nearthe shores of Lake Massawippi, MinisterBibeau was accompanied by representatives of four Ayer’s Clifforganizations that will benefit from this significant federal support. To allow for physical distancing and givethe many recipient organizations in the riding a way to participate, the announcement was also live-streamed on Facebook.

In addition to helping to create 210high-quality jobs for local youth aged 15 to 30, Canada Summer Jobs is helping organizations and SMEs address their labour shortages, while limiting their financial burden. Knowing that employers have had to deal with a very different labour market this summer, the Government ofCanada has made temporary changes to the programin response to the situation created by the pandemic. This year, for instance, theprogramgives all employers a wage subsidyequivalentto 100% of their young participants’ minimum hourly wage.

“We had numerous youths in our region who decided to roll back their sleeves this summer and who contributed to the exceptional collective effort that was necessary due to the pandemic. Thanks to the Canada Summer Jobs Program, many organizations and businesses received the help they needed to continue and adapt their activities; notably those working for the benefit of children, seniors, food security and the environment,”said Minister Bibeau.

“Fortunately, with the support of Canada Summer Jobs which has been granted to us, we have succeeded inproviding high quality and entertaining onlineservices to our campers with special needs. The array of activities offered through a virtual camp allowsthem to feel like they are at camp, in the comfort of their own home! It gives our campers remote access and a connection to the camp during this unstable time, helping certainly to create memories,communicate with fellow campers and, above all, bring joy to every family” explains Jed Richman, Interim General Manager of Camp Massawippi.

For Everblue Massawippi, an organization dedicated to the protection of Lake Massawippi, these investments have been crucial. According to Executive Director Michèle Gérin "the program is no less than a question of survival for the lake associations. The Canada Summer Jobs youthare often the only employees an organization can afford. This year at Massawippi Beach, their presence was critical giventhe extraordinary boating traffic generated by the pandemic. Without them, services would have been cut in half. They are really on thefront line.”

“With 11 years experience as day campcounsellorsand coordinators, I can attest to the help this grant brings to the Ayer's Cliff camp as well asthe regional impact our camp has in helpingthe villages around the lake provide aday campservice. Our day camp is geared towards physical activity and the outdoors, with a special vocation for respecting nature and the ecosystem around the shores of Lake Massawippi," summarizes Vincent Monneret of Camp Youhou.

A full list of allrecipient organizations in Compton—Stanstead for 2020is available in Appendix A.

Annexe A_Liste des employeurs bénéficiaires du programme EÉC 2020

Quick Facts

-The list of job postings for the 2020 season is available online at https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/youth.-This year’s budget of $821 992 is over $42,000 more than Compton—Stanstead received last year.

-Since last year, the program has been expanded, and student status is no longer required to be eligible for the federal subsidy.

-Canada Summer Jobs aligns with the objectives set out inthe renewed Youth Employment Strategy, which was announced by the government in Budget 2018. The purpose of this five-year strategy is to ensure that youth, including those who face unique barriers, achieve their full potential in an evolving labour market.

-The Government of Canada’s Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) is an Employment and Social Development Canada-led horizontal initiative involving 11federal departments and agencies.

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For media enquiries, please contact:

Kimberly Luce

Constituency Assistant

Office of the Hon. Marie-Claude Bibeau, MP for Compton-Stanstead

Cell: 819-571-8926