Report from Parliament Hill:
Advocating for constituents
Eric Melillo - Kenora Riding MP
Dear Constituents,
Lately I’ve been busy meeting with local business owners, volunteers, and community leaders across the Kenora riding.
I’ve had many valuable conversations with local tourism operators over the past few months. Recently, I had the chance to meet with some of them in-person in Dryden to reiterate my support.
Tourism operations are in a particularly precarious position during this crisis, due to high start-up and maintenance costs and their reliance on cross-border tourists. Their situation has been worsened by lack of clarity on re-opening dates and by the insufficient federal response.
Since this crisis began, I’ve been advocating for measures to support our tourism industry, including direct funding and grants from the federal government, as well as more concrete information about when we can expect the Canada-US border to re-open.
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I was also happy to speak to Grand Council Treaty 3 Ogichidaa Francis Kavanaugh about issues facing Indigenous constituents, including COVID-19 response, community policing, and support for First Nations businesses.
Additionally, I had a productive discussion with representatives from the Kenora District Services Board to discuss how the government can work to address housing security, homelessness, and technological divides that hinder access to social services.
The current crisis is having a disproportionate impact on our most vulnerable, underscoring the need for more infrastructure investments in our region. I look forward to continuing to collaborate with constituents, stakeholders, and my colleagues from all parties to get action on these important files.
I truly appreciate hearing from my constituents about issues that affect their lives. Your feedback helps me serve you better in Parliament.
As always, if there is anything my office can assist you with, or a cause you would like me to take up in Ottawa, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone at 807-468-2170 or by email at eric.melillo@parl.gc.ca.
