NOTES FOR REMARKS BY PRIME MINISTER JEAN CHRÉTIEN

March 4, 2003
Vancouver, British Columbia

Minister Bradshaw, everyone who has worked with you on the homelessness issue knows about your passion and your commitment to help those who are without a secure place to live. I believe I can speak on behalf of the many people who appreciate the leadership you have shown.

I would also like to recognize the support of other colleagues, who have worked hard in their communities – Hedy Fry, Stephen Owen, Sophia Leung, Joe Peschisolido, Herb Dhaliwal and David Anderson.

The Province of British Columbia is also a key partner in our efforts to address homelessness and many other social and economic issues, including those we have been addressing through the Vancouver Agreement.

And a special thank you to Covenant House Vancouver for inviting us here today.

As many of you know, homelessness has a thousand faces in Canada. It affects people of all ages, gender, ethnicity, and background. It does not discriminate. Each person has his or her own story to tell – often a sad one – about the life journey that has taken them to the streets.

Some have become disconnected from their families and friends. Others are fleeing a life of abuse and addiction. Still others are suffering from physical and psychological hardships. Every case should be met with our caring. And hope for a better tomorrow.

The journey off the streets toward self-sufficiency is different for each person. Our duty is to provide security, support, and respect along the way. Addressing the issue of homelessness means helping people, one individual at a time, with dignity and respect.

As Minister Bradshaw mentioned, the Government of Canada is investing $405 million dollars over the next three years to continue our efforts to reduce and prevent homelessness. We know that these dollars will make a difference in the lives of Canada’s homeless people – among our most vulnerable citizens – because the dollars are going to the front line people, the grassroots organizations like Covenant House, who work with homeless people every day.

It is in this way, through partnership, that the Government of Canada is making a difference. We give communities the tools and resources they need to identify problems, find solutions, and put them in place.

Front line groups provide vital services that help homeless people feel less alone. Together, we help them get the help they need so they regain their sense of belonging. Together, we let them know that they are part of a community that cares about who they are and where their life journey might take them next.

The Supporting Communities Partnership Initiative has been our model for addressing homelessness.

It allows all those working to combat the issue – service providers, communities, non-profit organizations, the private sector, and all levels of government – to pool their knowledge, build a plan, and work cooperatively to get results. It’s about finding local solutions to local challenges.

Canadians can be proud of this innovative and successful approach. It has made a difference in thousands of lives and has been recognized internationally. This community-based model was nominated as a Best Practice in the U.N.-Habitat 2002 International Awards. These awards are given to initiatives that have made an outstanding contribution to improving the quality of life in cities and communities around the world.

This government is committed to creative approaches to empower communities. In the coming weeks we will be exploring, with partners, how the federal government can contribute to neighbourhood revitalisation. We will learn from successful experiments focussed on poverty reduction such as the Vibrant Communities Initiative co-sponsored by the Caledon Institute.

Last fall, in the Speech from the Throne, my government laid out our plan to make this country The Canada We Want – a world leader in innovation and learning, with world-class cities and healthy communities. Last month, we presented a budget for this plan.

And let me tell you, in this plan, the quality of life of Canada’s communities and cities is front and centre. In addition to the funding we have announced today to help Canada’s homeless people, we are also investing in affordable housing. We are extending support for the Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program to renovate existing housing. And we are providing funding to stimulate construction of more affordable rental accommodation.

Our budget also included measures to help Aboriginal People living in urban centres and increases to the National Child Benefit to help more low-income families. Support for child care initiatives will allow parents to explore work and study options knowing that their children are in quality care surroundings.

These measures and others complement the support we announced today. Together, they reinforce the social safety net that protects each one of us. While strengthening our communities and making the quality of life in Canada the best it can be.

As a country, Canada has been fortunate. We are one of the wealthiest nations in the world. But we need to ensure that all Canadians have an opportunity to benefit from that good fortune, especially the most vulnerable in our society.

Covenant House Vancouver is a great success. It is providing food, shelter, clothing and counselling to as many as a thousand street youth here. Its programs focus on outreach, walk-in support, recreational services, job readiness and life skills -- all key elements to helping homeless youth find themselves and the road to self-sufficiency.

I am happy to be here today on behalf of all Canadians to thank you for this hard work. For putting a human face and helping hands to the values we share as Canadians.

We will continue to support your work and that of other community groups combatting homelessness.

We will continue to work with all levels of government to ensure that our efforts are effective and help those most in need.

And we will seek to strengthen our partnership with the private sector and with social, community and voluntary organizations.

But, most of all, we will continue to depend on the efforts of front-line workers and volunteers along with the efforts of homeless people themselves to make it all happen.

You have shown us that together, we can make a difference.

Thank you.

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