Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure, and Communities Dominic LeBlanc held the 34th call with Canada’s provincial and territorial premiers to discuss their ongoing collaboration to end the COVID-19 pandemic and get the job done on the vaccine rollout.
The Prime Minister welcomed Premiers Tim Houston and Heather Stefanson to the First Ministers’ table, as well as the new Chair of the Council of the Federation, Premier John Horgan. The Prime Minister looked forward to working closely with all premiers, as Canada finishes the fight against COVID-19. He also expressed his deep concern about the devastating floods and landslides in British Columbia, and reiterated that the federal government is ready to support the province as British Columbians face this difficult situation.
The Prime Minister provided a brief update on the government’s priorities following the federal election. Highlighting the recent early learning and child care agreement with Alberta, he indicated that he looked forward to working with premiers from other provinces and territories on implementing $10‑a‑day child care for families across the country and advancing other shared priorities important to Canadians. First Ministers also discussed the way forward to improve health care for Canadians.
First Ministers continued their discussions on the COVID-19 situation. The Prime Minister noted that thanks to collective efforts of provinces, territories, and the federal government, Canada has had one of the best COVID-19 responses in the world, with over 85 per cent of eligible Canadians fully vaccinated. But the fight is not over. First Ministers agreed that that the key to moving beyond this pandemic is ensuring that as many Canadians as possible, including children, get vaccinated. The Prime Minister updated premiers on paediatric vaccines, noting that Pfizer has confirmed it will quickly deliver 2.9 million doses once Health Canada has made a regulatory decision. This will provide enough vaccines to administer first doses for all children between five and eleven years of age in Canada. Premiers noted that provinces and territories are ready to vaccinate children as quickly as possible. First Ministers also discussed booster doses and therapeutics, as well as the importance of continuing to address vaccine hesitancy.
First Ministers also discussed the border with the United States. The Prime Minister noted the reopening of the border last week with the U.S. and engaged premiers on further potential adjustments to ensure measures are aligned across the country. The Prime Minister also highlighted his upcoming engagement with President Biden at the North American Leaders’ Summit, and First Ministers reiterated the importance of protecting integrated supply chains between Canada and the U.S.
First Ministers reiterated their commitment to a collaborative approach to ending the COVID-19 pandemic.