On Parliament Hill

As the number of new COVID-19 cases appears to be on the decline, Canadians are hopeful that we will soon be able to start down the path toward a return to normalcy.

The coronavirus has changed the day-to-day lives of Provencher residents in many ways.

I wanted to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all Provencher residents and, in particular, to the front line and essential workers who have seen us through the difficulties of the past two months.

First of all, thank you to our health care workers: The doctors, nurses, healthcare aids, technicians and support staff, as well as those who work in pharmacies. Your tireless and selfless work is an inspiration to all Canadians.

Thank you to those who staff our nursing homes, and to our seniors for the sacrifices they have made. It is my prayer that you will be able to get out and see your loved ones soon.

Thank you to those businesses deemed essential, who remained open to serve Canadians. Thank you to their employees. And thank you to the truckers who kept us supplied.

Thank you to our farmers and those who work in the food processing sector for keeping us fed.

Thank you to our first responders for their consistently excellent work in our community.

Thank you to parents. Many saw huge changes to their family routines. Many had to take on the task of caring for children during the school day and schooling their kids, often while working from home themselves.

Thank you to teachers for keeping in touch with their students and providing work and supports for parents.

Thank you to kids for being so resilient and understanding. Abrupt changes to routine, having to share a parent with older siblings, missing out on seeing friends and not being able to go and play at the park are all big sacrifices.

Thank you to churches for being understanding and innovative during this time. You kept people’s faith and hope alive while protecting their physical health through practising social distancing.

Thank you to our local media for their timely and measured reporting. And thank you to my provincial and municipal counterparts for their tireless work, serving our communities.

Finally, to my staff and all those government employees who have stayed on to provide essential information and help Canadians access the benefits they need, thank you.