Would you like a summer job that combines the opportunity to explore Canada for free and a chance to practice speaking French? The Summer Work-Student Exchange is offering Kingston and the Islands students a unique life and job training experience that allows them to do this and more. The Summer Work-Student Exchange will place 850 students from across Canada, with jobs and host families outside their home provinces. Students will be paired in a way that allows them to travel to an area that uses Canada’s other official language. The program offers jobs in a wide variety of non-profit organizations that will be available to students, age 16 and 17, in francophone communities in either Quebec or Acadia. The program runs from July 2 to August 10. There is no cost to participants and travel to and from their host community is covered by the program.

WHERE DO YOU LIVE?

During their program, students live with the family of their exchange partner. Students are immersed in a different language and culture, both in their new home and in their job placements.

WHERE YOU WORK?

The jobs are all in non-profit organizations such as the YMCA and Habitat for Humanity. Students may work as administrative assistants for a community center, or as junior leaders at a day camp. Students are paid the minimum wage of the province they are sent to work in. All placements will require students to communicate with others in the other official language on a frequent basis.

The program has been run by the Council for Canadian Unity since 1998. It is funded by Canadian Heritage as part of the federal government’s youth employment strategy and supported by participating MPs.

As your Member of Parliament, I recognize the importance of investing taxpayers’ money effectively to improve our municipal infrastructure as part of a solid foundation for Canada’s 21^st Century economy and society.

The Canada-Ontario Infrastructure Program is a six-year federal-provincial-municipal partnership for investment in municipal infrastructure. It is expected to stimulate over $2 billion in capital investments in Ontario. The federal government’s $680.7-million share in the program will enhance the quality of life in our community through strategic projects that improve the environment and foster long-term economic growth.

The primary investment priority of the Canada-Ontario Infrastructure Program is green municipal infrastructure through projects such as water and wastewater management systems, solid waste management and recycling, and energy efficient buildings.

Other Program priorities include:

• local transportation infrastructure
• cultural and recreational infrastructure
• infrastructure supporting tourism
• rural and remote telecommunications
• high-speed Internet access for local public institutions
• affordable housing

Working cooperatively, the governments of Canada and Ontario will use a merit-based evaluation process to ensure that only the most beneficial proposals from municipalities are funded under the Program.

For more information, please visit: www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/ino-bni and www.SuperBuild.gov.on.ca