SPRING HAS ARRIVED!
On May 22nd, Canadians will be celebrating Victoria Day. Summer is right around the corner, and now is the time to plan for those who want to take a vacation. I am looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible in the riding this summer
AUTISM
In honour of World Autism Awareness Day, I wanted to highlight the great work of Autism Nova Scotia Bedford-Sackville – a volunteer-run chapter of Autism Nova Scotia. Their dedication and commitment to our community has been instrumental to the wellbeing and development of autistic people and their families.
Under the leadership of Cynthia Carroll, Autism Nova Scotia Bedford-Sackville has provided support to people with autism and their families by ensuring they are able to access the resources and services the need in a timely manner. Today, I encourage all to show their gratitude to the volunteers and support workers that have devoted themselves to advocating for those on the autism spectrum.
To learn more about Autism Nova Scotia, visit their website at: Autism Nova Scotia.
NEXUS
The US Customs and Boarder Protection and the Canadian Border Services Agency have announced that the NEXUS enrolment centre at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) will reopen on March 27th. Travellers can now book their interviews by visiting: Booking your NEXUS interview at a Canadian airport enrolment centre (cbsa-asfc.gc.ca)
PASSPORTS
It was announced in February that Service Canada has virtually eliminated its backlog on passport applications. Now, Service Canada has introduced a new passport status tracker to allow Canadians to check the status of their passport application through a new online self-serve portal instead of having to phone a call centre.
Last year, call centres received over 15 million calls – 70% of which were estimated to from Canadian inquiring about their application status. Not only is this tool easy to use, but it will streamline the passport process, making it more flexible and capable of serving Canadians effectively for years to come. To learn more about the new Passport Application Status Checker, please visit: How to check the status of your passport application – Canada.ca
GROCERY REBATE
Global inflation has made many aspects of life more expensive, and our government knows how higher prices on essential goods are causing undue stress towards Canadians and their pocketbooks.
The one-time Grocery Rebate proposed in the 2023 Budget seeks to provide $2.5 billion in targeted inflation relief to an estimated 11 million low- and modest income Canadians and their families.
Eligible couples with two children may be eligible for up $467; single Canadians without children with up to an extra of $234; and seniors with an extra $225 on average. I look forward to sharing more details soon!
AZTEK SOLAR LTD.
Last month, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs, visited our riding and while he was in Sackville, he stopped at AZTEK SOLAR LTD. to highlight the important work they’re doing to offer renewable and sustainable energy to our residential and commercial consumers.
To accelerate our government’s efforts, Budget 2023 proposes to introduce a 15% refundable tax credit for eligible investments in:
• Non-emitting electricity generation systems: wind, concentrated solar, solar photovoltaic, hydro, wave, tidal, nuclear
• Abated natural gas-fired electricity generation (which would be subject to an emissions intensity threshold compatible with a net-zero grid by 2035)
• Stationary electricity storage systems that do not use fossil fuels in operation, such as batteries, pumped hydroelectric storage, and compressed air storage
• Equipment for the transmission of electricity between provinces and territories.
It is my understanding that new projects and the refurbishment of existing facilities will be eligible for funds.
To learn more, please visit: budget.canada.ca
