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BNEWS EFFORTS BEING TAKEN 10 MAKE CANADIAN ECONOMY MORE COMPETITIVE: ANAND Continued from page 9 ing and building trades. ipport the pro- cessing and settlement of new permanent residents to Canada as part of the 2023-25 Immigration Lev- els Plan, the government has committed $1.6 billion over six years and $315 million in ongoing new funding. To address ongoing ap- plication backlogs, speed up processing and allow r skilled newcomers to fill critical labour gaps more quickly, the govern- ment has committed an additional $50 million in 2022-23 for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Other highlights from the economic statement include: + $4 billion over six years, starting next year, to automatically issue ad- vance payments of the Canada Workers Benefit to people who qualified for the benefit the previ- ous year. * $962.2 million over eight years, with $121.1 million ongoing, to mod- fe the National Re- search Council's scientif- ic infrastructure and help continue to propel Cana- a deat Y -1 million over three wears for the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy which will help Canadians gain valuable skills and work experience. + $26.3 million over five years to protect workers by taki stronger ac- tions to enforce the Cana- dian Labour Code through orders, fines and prosecutions of non-com- pliant employer: + $1.28 billion over six years and $55.4 million each year after that to speed up the approval of natural resource and en- orev Project Ss. ‘he government is al- so woke to lower cred- it card transaction fees for small businesses. "We are seeking to make the Canadian econ- omy as competitive as possible," said Anand. "This is building on work we've done to date." Not everyone is happy with the economic state- mo mservative Leader Pierre Poilievre argued before parliament that the $30.6 billion in new spending announced in the economic statement will only drive up infla- n. Gj He argued the spend- ing announcement should have been matched with an equal number of budgetary cuts. Anand said the eco- nomic statement repre- sents fiscal prudence, which she says is neces- sary in times of economic uncertainty. "Canada has a triple AAA credit rating, it has the strongest growth in the G7 this year and the lowest net debt and defi- cit GDP ratios in the G7," said Anand. "So, we have a strong economy, but we need to be fiscally prudent going forward. This plan pro- vides for limited spend- ing to assist the most vul- erable in our country white atthe same timeen- suring that the economic erowth current fly w inder- way continues." The economic sta ment noted the projected deficit for 2022-23 is now $36.4 billion, which is sig- nificantly less than the $52.8 billion forecast in the 2022 budget. ans an idea about what they can expect next year. Itnoted a survey of pri- vate sector economists was conducted in Septem- ber 2022 and their an- swers indicate the Cana- dian economy will see a period of subdued growth. Real GDP growth is projected to be just above zero for the next several quarters and as a result the unemployment rate is expected to increase from the current 5.2 per cent to 6.3 per cent by the end of At the time of the sur- vey (September) forecast- ers said there was a roughly 40 per cent chance of a recession in 2023; however, since that period financial m: have shown considerable volatility and it is now unclear how much growth in Canada will SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT INSIDEHALTON.COM When John Rafauli established WeMove- It.com, he couldn’t have imagined that 11 years later he would be a hoard specialist with most of his business geared to assisting with hoarding and estate clean-out. “In the beginning we did strictly moving. Our focus has change says Rai While moving the contents of someone’s home requires a high level of care, assisting with a hoarding situation or the clearing out of a property fter a death, requires care on the next level, according to Rafauli. In the event of a death, family members get caught up in the sentiment and find it difficult to deal with sorting through a lifetime of collected items. The WeMove-Itcom team collects cherished items such as family photos, jewellery, cash and personal items and gives them to the family. WeMove-It.com will host an online auction for items the family wishes to sell, otherwise items are donated and recycled whenever possible. ttgee as the team works with the client to minimize the emotional impact. “We don’t just go in and throw everything away,” Rafauli explains, adding that when the work is done the client is happy. That work includes deep cleaning, junk removal, ripping out carpets and laying new floors as well as repairs and renovations. Rafauli works with trusted contractors to help return homes to a liveable state. Before taking on a job, there is a site visit, assessment and free estimate. It’s also Hoard and estate specialists important that Rafauli makes a positive connection with the client when dealing with a hoard or estate service. Although social workers are often involved, he can be the first to offer assistance to the client and their family. His team works alongside clients during the cleanup while providing personal assistance to reduce their stress and anxiety. His reputation as a hoard specialist has resulted in referrals through Halton and Niagara Region social North York General Hospital, and Mississauga’s fire department. The goal is to give the client a clean and safe home, a place where they can entertain again. For some it has been years, even decades since they’ve had family and friends visit. “Every day is a new situation,” says Rafauli. There are some sad situations, he admits, like when a spouse has died and the survivor has been overwhelmed and unable to cope with the property, family heirlooms and other possessions. This can also lead to hoarding. Helping clients remediate their hoard situation and returning their home to a liveable state is rewarding, Rafauli says. Our team will ensure confidentially and a caring conversation. WeMove-It.com offers free estimates in Halton, Peel and Niagara regions as well as Hamilton and Toronto areas. To book a consultation call 1-844-866- 8348 and for more details visit www. ‘WeMove-It.com Z z F Z q 3 z 3 a g woo"uoyEYyapIsUt