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Julie Dzerowicz Member of Parliament
Davenport

Dear Davenport Neighbours,

Happy Spring! I am loving the brightness of the days and the warmth of the sun. Yes, the winter season is having a last hurrah, but I can feel spring is just around the corner. 

As always, there is so much to tell you. I feel strongly that you should have access to everything we are doing at the federal level – because it is all impacting our everyday lives and it’s all moving so quickly.

Canada Hits 2% of GDP on Defence – A Historic Milestone

This week, NATO confirmed that Canada has reached the 2% of GDP defence spending target for the first time since the fall of the Berlin Wall. This is a promise made and a promise kept. Our government has invested more than $63 billion in defence this fiscal year – the largest year-over-year increase in defence spending in generations.

I am enormously proud of this achievement. The Carney government was elected not only to protect our economy and prosperity but to protect our sovereignty – from coast to coast to coast. In today’s world, that means investing seriously in our Canadian Armed Forces, our Arctic presence, and our ability to stand with our allies.

Critically, these investments are also fuelling our economy. We are using Canadian materials, creating Canadian jobs, and building Canadian industrial capacity. Canada’s defence sector supports over 81,000 jobs and contributes nearly $10 billion to GDP nationwide.

In my past letters, I have spoken about the Defence, Security and Resilience Bank (DSRB). Before you read my next point, here is a refresher on what it is:

Link: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1006878/ontario-launches-bid-to-make-toronto-home-to-defence-security-and-resilience-bank

I remain a big champion for this initiative. Canada continues to work with like-minded partners to establish this new multilateral financial institution to mobilize private capital for collective security. I am pushing hard for its headquarters to be in Canada – and if Canada is selected, for Toronto to be the global centre for defence finance. This would be a massive honour for our city and a significant economic driver, elevating Toronto on the world stage.

An Update on Billy Bishop Airport

I know many of you have questions about the future of Billy Bishop Airport, especially with Premier Ford’s recent announcements. I want to give you a clear picture of where things stand and, more importantly, reassure you.

First, your 23 federal Toronto MPs are the biggest champions for this city. We care deeply about Toronto, about our waterfront, and about how our communities evolve. Irrespective of what anyone else says, there is a process that must be followed – and we are going to follow it.

Here’s what you need to know: Billy Bishop Airport is governed by a tripartite agreement between the federal government, the City of Toronto, and PortsToronto. Any major change requires the unanimous agreement of all three parties. If the province passes legislation to replace the city in this agreement, the tripartite will need to be formally renegotiated. That process, combined with the required federal regulatory and environmental approvals, will realistically take one to two years to unfold.

The federal government has made a firm commitment that there must be meaningful consultations with community groups and key stakeholders before anything changes. That is not optional – it is a requirement.

I also want to address the runway expansion you may have heard about. Transport Canada requires that the runway end safety areas be extended to meet international safety standards by a 2027 deadline. This safety upgrade – which all Toronto MPs support – has nothing to do with allowing larger planes or more planes. It is about meeting safety standards for the operations that already exist. 

The federal government is committed to following the process, rules, always making sure Davenport and all of Toronto has a voice in any decisions about our waterfront’s future.

More Support for Post-Secondary Students

Our federal government is stepping in to support our students. This week, Minister Hajdu announced that the 40% increase to Canada Student Grants and the increased Canada Student Loan limit of $300 per week (up from $210) will be extended for the 2026–27 academic year. Approximately 571,000 students will benefit from the larger grants and 422,000 from the increased loan limit. We are investing close to $1.2 billion in student financial aid this year alone.

While post-secondary education is a provincial responsibility, it was disappointing to see the province of Ontario cut grant support to students and increase the loan burden. The federal government is filling that gap. For more information, click the button: 

More Information: Canada Student Loan Assistance Program canada.ca/student-financial-assistance.

Budget 2025 Implementation Act Receives Royal Assent

Bill C-15, the Budget Implementation Act, 2025, No. 1, received Royal Assent on March 26. This is the step that turns Budget 2025 from a plan on paper into action. Budget 2025 is our federal government’s roadmap for charting a course through an incredibly uncertain world – it is our plan for building a strong, resilient Canadian economy and a sovereign country.

For Davenport families, this means Ottawa now has the legislative authority to begin rolling out investments in housing (including Build Canada Homes to double the pace of affordable home building): Transit; the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit to help with rising costs: the National School Food Program, and enhanced tax incentives to boost business investment and R&D. It also creates a new Financial Crimes Agency and delivers the Productivity Super-Deduction for businesses. Not every initiative is fully funded or finished yet – some still require regulations and program design – but the legislative foundation is now in place.

Bill C-12: Strengthening Our Immigration System and Borders

Bill C-12, the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act, received Royal Assent on March 26 and is now law. The legislation strengthens our immigration and asylum systems while giving law enforcement new tools to secure our borders, combat transnational organized crime, illegal fentanyl trafficking, and financial crimes.

Key measures include new asylum eligibility rules to protect the system from sudden surges in claims, expanded authority for the Canada Border Services Agency to examine export goods, enhanced information-sharing across government, and an expanded national security role for the Canadian Coast Guard. For full details: canada.ca news release.

Federal Minimum Wage Goes Up April 1

Starting April 1, 2026, the federal minimum wage rises to $18.15 per hour – a 21% cumulative increase since the standalone federal minimum wage was introduced in 2021. This protects thousands of workers in federally regulated sectors like banking, telecommunications, and transportation.

While the federal rate directly covers federally regulated workers, it sends an important signal – and Ontario (and other sectors) should take note. Ontario’s current minimum wage is $17.60, lower than the new federal floor. The increase complements other new affordability measures like the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit and the Food Security Fund, which are helping bring down the cost of everyday essentials for families across the country.

New Legislation to Protect Our Democracy

This week the government introduced Bill C-25, the Strong and Free Elections Act, with amendments to the Canada Elections Act to protect our elections from foreign interference, disinformation, and emerging digital threats. This legislation directly responds to recommendations from Justice Hogue’s Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference, which I followed closely and which underscored just how serious these threats are to our democracy.

The bill makes election interference offences enforceable year-round (not just during campaigns), bans untraceable political donations via cryptocurrency and prepaid cards, criminalizes the use of deepfakes to impersonate candidates, significantly increases penalties for violations, and requires political parties to protect members’ personal data. The government is also investing $31.5 million to enhance Global Affairs Canada’s Rapid Response Mechanism for detecting foreign information threats.

As many of you know, tackling disinformation and protecting the integrity of our democratic institutions is something I care about deeply. As Justice Hogue herself said: foreign interference must be addressed, but the thing that worries her most is the impact of disinformation on our democracy. I couldn’t agree more. For more details: Strong and Free Elections Act.

Whew!  Well that is a wrap for this week.  Have a great weekend! And, as always, it is a true honour and pleasure to serve you, Davenport!

My very best regards,

 Julie Dzerowicz

Member of Parliament for Davenport

Chair, Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration

Chair, Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association

Chair, Toronto Caucus