Thank you all for being here this morning. It’s great to be here at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology.
Glad to be joined by Minister Bains, whose work is supporting Canadian innovation and science,
and MPs Jennifer O’Connell, Celina Caesar-Chavannes and Mark Holland, all of whom are incredible advocates
for this region. And might I just add congratulations to Mark as well. We’ve announced this morning
he will be our new chief government whip as well.
(Cheers & applause)
Now I just got to meet with some fantastic young people who showed me the work they’re doing
in the automotive engineering program;
things like testing aerodynamics in a wind tunnel, which I got to help out with today,
well, at least not hinder too much.
It’s this kind of technology that makes the Automotive Centre of Excellence here at UOIT a world-class facility.
Everything from cars to bicycles to drones are tested here,
developing the best quality and performance possible.
And our government is committed to supporting work like this that creates economic growth
and produces real results.
That’s why today we’re announcing that the federal government is investing
nearly nine-and-a-half million dollars to support innovation and training here at the centre.
(Cheers & applause)
I am really proud of this announcement because this funding will support cutting-edge capabilities,
like a simulated moving road so researchers can continue to create cleaner, safer technology
for Canadians to use every day.
Supporting this project means new, energy efficient products that are going to deliver better results
while reducing pollution.
This project is a smart choice, which is why it has support from the private sector through groups like
Magna and Multimatic Engineering.
Today’s investment isn’t just about keeping our research competitive.
It’s also about creating good jobs for Canadians.
This commitment will almost double the workforce
at the Automotive Centre of Excellence, creating well-paying, skilled full-time jobs.
As a government we’re taking action to support our resilient Canadian workers throughout the auto sector.
With smart investments that keep our industry competitive on the world stage,
we’re protecting jobs and creating new employment for people like the students here today.
People are always saying that our young people are the leaders of tomorrow,
but the fact is that they’re actually the leaders of today.
They are already making discoveries that are helping to improve the lives of Canadians
and they’re already working to improve the health of their communities.
Which means that when we’re investing in young Canadians,
we’re helping to make our country more innovative and more prosperous,
and we are determined to help our students gain the skills and the
training they need to fill the jobs of today and tomorrow.
Here at an institute of technology it’s clear that opportunities in fields like artificial
intelligence and cyber security are growing every day.
That’s why we created almost 60,000 co-op and work integrated learning placements for students in science,
technology, engineering and math.
But as every studentand parent knows, getting a job in a field like engineering means going to college or university
and that’s expensive.
So, to make post-secondary education easier to afford for our youth and their families, we increased
Canada student grants by 50 percent.
Everyone should be able to have a post-secondary education
no matter how much money their parents make.
One of the greatest things about college and university is that it’s a place to meet people who have a whole
range of experiences that might be different from your own.
For example, some people are balancing the demands
of a family with their school work and many students attend part-time.
We get that.
So we increased the eligibility for Canada student grants for people with dependent kids
and for folks studying part-time.
And once people graduate
they might not have their textbooks anymore, but a lot of people still have their student debts.
It can be a heavy burden.
That’s why we changed the Repayment Assistance Program so no graduate will have to repay their Canada
student loan until they’re making at least $25,000 a year.
Our youth…
(Applause)
… our youth, at the beginning of their careers, are an engine of innovation and economic growth.
Wherever I go in our country, I see workers of all ages innovating and helping to ensure
that Canada is competitive on the world stage.
It’s thanks to the hard work of the middle
class that Canada enjoys prosperity and our future is even brighter.
So at the start of a new school year, let me say this to all our students: we are right
here supporting you as you study and work hard.
Thank you for the world you are busy building and innovating and thank you all for being here today.
Thank you.
(Applause)