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Julie Dzerowicz Member of Parliament
Davenport

Table of Contents 

Table of Contents:

  1. MP Letter
  2. Government Announcements and Updates
  3. Funding and Opportunities

Dear Davenport friends and neighbours,

This has been one of the most difficult weeks our country has experienced in a very long time. I want to begin by addressing the tragedy in a small town in British Columbia, something that has been weighing heavy on our hearts this week.

The news from Tumbler Ridge has shaken us all to our core. On Tuesday, a mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia claimed the lives of eight people — including five students, one education assistant, and two family members in a home. Twenty-seven others were injured. It is one of the deadliest mass shootings in Canadian history, and the worst school shooting our country has seen since the École Polytechnique tragedy in 1989.

Our hearts break for every family touched by this senseless violence. The residents of Davenport stand with British Columbia today — with the families who will never be the same, with the students and staff who witnessed the unthinkable, and with a community that must now find the strength to heal.

Prime Minister Carney cancelled his trip to the Munich Security Conference and travelled to Tumbler Ridge today, joined by the leaders of all federal parties — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet, NDP interim Leader Don Davies, and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May — as well as Governor General Mary Simon. Together, they attended a community vigil to honour the victims. As the Prime Minister said in the House of Commons: “To those families who have lost loved ones: we mourn with you. To those recovering from their injuries: we are praying for you.”

The flag on Parliament Hill is flying at half-mast for one week. This is a moment for all of us — as politicians, as parents, as Canadians — to put away the politics and simply be human. Time for questions will come. But for now, we grieve and we mourn together.

Parliament is Working Together

I know many of you have been hearing the speculation about a snap election. Let me put your minds at ease: that is not where our focus is. As PM Carney said clearly: “Of course we’re not. What we’re focused on is solutions for Canadians.”

In fact, the Prime Minister met recently with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to explore ways to work together. Canadians are asking us to do the hard work during these unpredictable and stressful times — and that is exactly what we are doing. The Conservatives have offered to fast-track bills on crime and trade, and we welcome that spirit of cooperation.

We have also asked the Conservatives to fast-track the Budget Implementation Act — because this is how we pay for and deliver the programs that Canadians need right now.

Budget 2025 is our government’s plan for how Canada navigates the world we are living in today. It is our roadmap for strengthening our economy, continuing to create good-paying jobs, and ensuring Canada’s long-term prosperity. It charts our path into the 21st-century economy — one that is sustainable, innovative, and built for the future. Passing the Budget Implementation Act means delivering the middle-class tax cut that will benefit 22 million Canadians, extending the National School Food Program to ensure our kids have access to healthy food at school, and implementing the new crime legislation I’ll talk about below.

Keeping Our Communities Safe

As part of this spirit of cooperation, we are asking the Conservatives to work with us to pass our public safety legislation. Police chiefs, mayors, and premiers across the country have been calling for it. This week, I was proud to see real progress. After months of delay at committee, Bill C-14 — the Bail and Sentencing Reform Act — finally cleared the Justice Committee in a marathon session that went past 1 a.m., and has been sent to the Senate. The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police has endorsed this bill because it reflects their own recommendations.

Here is what our crime and public safety legislation will do:

Bill C-9 (Combatting Hate Act): Enhances safety at public, religious, and cultural institutions and strengthens legal tools to prosecute hate propaganda, including the public display of terrorist or hate symbols.

Bill C-14 (Bail and Sentencing Reform): Tougher sentencing for violent and repeat offenders, and making it harder for dangerous individuals to get bail. Now headed to the Senate.

Bill C-16 (Protecting Victims Act): Combats gender-based violence, protects children from online exploitation, ensures patterns of abuse are taken into account in sentencing, and makes intimate partner murder first-degree murder.

Setting the Record Straight

I want to talk to you directly about something that deeply concerns me. This week, the Conservatives used their Opposition Day to push a motion built on a false narrative: that the federal government is somehow allowing criminals to claim asylum to avoid punishment.

This is simply not true — and it is dangerous. This kind of rhetoric does not make anyone safer. What it does is stoke fear and fuel anti-immigrant sentiment in a country that has always been strengthened by its diversity and its commitment to fairness.  This misleading narrative risks dividing Canadians at a time when we need to be united.

I rose in the House to push back. I spoke from the heart — as the daughter of immigrant parents who fled poverty, war, and discrimination to find safety in Canada. And I spoke from the evidence — as the Chair of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration. The facts are clear: under Canadian law, individuals convicted of serious crimes are already ineligible to seek refugee protection. Criminal matters always take precedence over immigration matters. Making a refugee claim does not exempt anyone from the consequences of their actions. Expert testimony at our committee confirmed this, and in the first nine months of 2025, less than 1% of refugee claims were fraudulent.

I urged all Members to work collaboratively to strengthen our criminal justice system — not to play political games with the security of Canadians or the dignity of newcomers to our country.

National Strategy on Men’s and Boys’ Health

After months of travelling across our country, our Minister of Health heard a message loud and clear: men and boys are in trouble in Canada.

The numbers are sobering. Men are 3 times more likely to die by suicide and develop gambling problems. 80% of violent crimes are committed by men. From 2015 to 2022, the percentage of young men reporting very good or excellent mental health dropped from 74% to just 52%. The cost of living, global conflicts, and daily pressures are taking a heavy toll — and young people are carrying heavy burdens.

To build Canada strong, we need the full participation of everyone in our society. When we talk about health in this country, we cannot leave men and boys out of the conversation.

That is why in 2026 we will launch the first-ever National Strategy on Men’s and Boys’ Health, addressing mental health, addictions, and the unique challenges they face. Communities thrive when families are strong, when citizens are healthy, and when everyone feels supported. I look forward to working with my colleague, the Minister of Health, on this important initiative.

Funding for National Women’s Organizations

Our government announced $15.5 million to strengthen national women’s organizations across Canada. This includes $14.5 million distributed through the Canadian Women’s Foundation to support organizations working on justice, leadership, gender-based violence, and sexual and reproductive health and rights, plus up to $1 million to the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women.

I encourage all eligible national women’s organizations in Davenport and across Canada to apply — the deadline is February 16th. Advancing women’s equality is fundamental to building a strong and fair Canada.

Canada’s New Auto Strategy

PM Carney announced a bold new auto strategy to transform our industry and reduce our reliance on both gas-powered vehicles and the U.S. market.

The strategy invests $3 billion to help our auto sector adapt and grow, while meeting our climate commitments. It includes a $2.3 billion EV Affordability Program offering incentives of up to $5,000 for battery electric vehicles (starting February 16th!), $1.5 billion for charging infrastructure across Canada, and support for up to 66,000 workers including displaced auto workers.

 Canada’s auto sector supports over 500,000 jobs — and we are positioning our country to become a global leader in electric vehicle production.

National Kindness Week — February 15 to 21

I want to close this week’s update with something that feels more important than ever.

We are living through a time of extraordinary change. Trade wars are reshaping our economy. Global alliances are being tested. A community in British Columbia is suffering unbearable loss. And every day, so many of us are carrying worry, grief, and uncertainty that we don’t always talk about.

Next week is National Kindness Week — honouring a movement started by the late Ottawa Rabbi Reuven Bulka, who believed that even the smallest acts of kindness can change someone’s day, and over time, change the world.

So here is my ask to you, Davenport: this week, do one kind thing you wouldn’t normally do. Lend a hand to a neighbour. Volunteer an hour of your time. Donate something you no longer need to someone who does. Check in on a friend who has been quiet. Or simply look someone in the eye and smile — because you never know who is carrying a weight they haven’t shared.

In times like these, kindness is not a small thing. It is how we hold each other together.

Results from last week’s survey: 

Have a wonderful weekend, Davenport! As always, it’s a true pleasure and honour to serve you.

 And let’s keep cheering our athletes on the world  stage at the Olympics in Milano Cortina making us proud from coast to coast to coast! 

Julie Dzerowicz

Member of Parliament for Davenport

Chair, Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration

Chair, Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association

Chair, Toronto Caucus