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Julie Dzerowicz Member of Parliament
Davenport

Table of Contents

  1. My Letter
  2. MP Report
  3. Federal Government Announcements
  4. Funding and Opportunities

Davenport Friends and Neighbours,

Another unbelievable week in the House of Commons. What a privilege it continues to be to serve you and to work hard on behalf of the amazing constituents of Davenport and on behalf of Canadians. There is TOO much to tell you and I can’t tell it all to you because … it would just be too much.  But of course it was a busy week in Ottawa and in Davenport, and here is what you need to know:

IT WAS A HISTORIC DAY IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS YESTERDAY! I had the honour of delivering the first-ever Statement in the House of Commons entirely in Spanish, marking Spanish Language Day  recognized by the UN and 21 countries around the world. Spanish is now the most widely spoken non-official language in Canada, connecting more than 1.7 million Canadians to their heritage. Three provinces and 14 cities have already proclaimed April 23 as Spanish Language Day; it is time to do so federally. I was proud to have the leaders of Canada Habla Español — Ericka Aguilera, Carolina Testa, and Susana Garay — who were recently honoured with Spain’s Order of Civil Merit, and the Ambassador of Spain, Alfredo Martinez Serrano, in the gallery. ¡Feliz Día del Idioma Español!

TOMORROW — Davenport Job Fair, rain or shine! Saturday, April 25, 1:00–5:00 PM at St. Mary’s Catholic Academy, 66 Dufferin Park Ave. Confirmed organizations include Service Canada, the Canadian Armed Forces, Toronto Police, Toronto Fire, two skilled trades unions, and many more from the public service, trades, finance, community services, hospitality and health. It’s open to everyone including youth, newcomers, and anyone looking to enter or transition within the workforce. Employment services will be on site to help with resumes and career navigation. See you tomorrow!

Regarding the current economy: our government has a plan and we will be announcing more support for Canadians next week! Statistics Canada reported earlier this week that annual inflation (otherwise also known as the general rise in prices) rose to 2.4% in March, driven largely by a spike in gas prices. The cause is global (of course) as the war in Iran has disrupted oil supply through the Strait of Hormuz, where about one-fifth of the world’s oil passes.

In plain terms, inflation is up because of instability abroad. Relief is already arriving: our federal government has suspended the Fuel Excise Tax on gasoline and diesel from April 20 through September 7, 2026: saving Canadians roughly 10 cents/litre on gas and 4 cents/litre on diesel.

On jobs: Canada added 14,000 jobs in March, bouncing back from February’s losses. The bright spot is wages: up 4.7% year-over-year to an average of $37.73/hour, the strongest growth since October 2024. Youth unemployment remains elevated, which is why Canada Summer Jobs has just opened with up to 100,000 opportunities nationwide (canada.ca/canadasummerjobs) and why our Job Fair tomorrow matters. The Fall Economic Statement will lay out more of our plan to keep helping Canadians through global uncertainty.

Canada-U.S. Relations back in the spotlight. July 1 marks the start of the Joint Review of CUSMA. Despite turbulence, 85% of Canada’s trade with the U.S. remains tariff-free: the lowest average tariff rate of any major U.S. trading partner. Our goal is to preserve and build on that advantage. In response to reports that the U.S. is seeking concessions as an “entry fee” before talks begin, Prime Minister Carney was clear on Wednesday:

“It’s not a case of the United States dictating the terms. We have a negotiation, we can come to a mutually successful outcome. It will take some time, and we will take the time.”

To support our strategy, the PM has announced a new Advisory Committee on Canada-U.S. Economic Relations, chaired by Minister Dominic LeBlanc, bringing together leaders from business, investment, trade and labour. Its first meeting is April 27.

Canada-Mexico Relations: In Ottawa, I met with Mexican Ambassador Carlos Joaquín González, and we had a very productive discussion on strengthening the Canada-Mexico relationship. The Ambassador will be leading an important trade mission to Canada in May, followed by women’s entrepreneurship visit in June. 

Bill C-22, the Lawful Access Act, is another priority moving through Parliament. Serious crime happening today on phones and apps has been increasing at rates that are much too high: child exploitation, trafficking, extortion, auto theft rings, foreign interference. Online child sexual exploitation cases rose 374% from 2014 to 2024, and 94% of 2024 cases led to no charges because police could not identify suspects.Canada is the only G7 and Five Eyes country without a modern lawful access framework, and this has to change. This bill does four things: allows police to ask telecoms one yes/no question, “do you service this number?” before pursuing further information; requires a court order before any personal subscriber information can be obtained; requires telecom companies to have the technical ability to respond to valid court orders; and enables cooperation with other countries on cross-border investigations.

Privacy is protected: no warrantless access, no backdoors, no direct police access to communications. Solicitor-client and medical information are explicitly protected, metadata retention is capped at one year, and a mandatory Parliamentary review is built in after three years. Senior law enforcement — the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Police Federation, the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, and Toronto Police Chief Demkiw — are urging passage. It is time to make a change. 

Billy Bishop & Little Norway Park:  On Thursday, the Ontario government tabled the Building Billy Bishop Airport Act, 2026. The bill, if passed, would let the Province replace the City in the airport’s tripartite agreement, take ownership of City-owned airport lands (with compensation), and allow up to approximately one-third of Little Norway Park to be expropriated.

The Province has said the expropriated portion would remain a park, but has provided no detail on what it would be used for. That is unacceptable. In my reading, it does not give the Province a general power to take over any Toronto park or any Toronto community. 

What this bill is not: an approval of any airport expansion. Davenport deserves the facts, and full transparency about what is actually proposed for public land. I will keep advocating for exactly that. 

The federal Minister of Transportation has also committed to meaningful consultations with all key stakeholders and community groups should there be a new plan for Billy Bishop Airport.

Arts Matters: This week, I also met with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Canadian Opera Company, and the National Ballet of Canada. At a moment when Canadians are asking big questions about who we are, our artists and cultural institutions are doing essential work — telling our stories, anchoring our communities, and representing Canada on the world stage. I will keep fighting for them in Ottawa.

Today I attended Minister Tim Hodgson’s keynote on Bay St on “One Year of Nation Building.” It was an outstanding speech. A couple of lines stuck with me:

“When the world changed, this generation of Canadians did not yearn for times past or languish in nostalgia. Instead, we got to work and built Canada Strong.”

“The privilege of economic strength is not something future generations of Canadians will automatically inherit, but something each generation must renew for the Canadians that will follow them.”

Have a great weekend, Davenport. And, as always, it is a true honour and pleasure to serve you, Davenport.

All my very best,

Julie Dzerowicz

Member of Parliament for Davenport

Chair, Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration

Chair, Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association

Chair, Toronto Caucus