Mark Gerretsen
841 Princess St K7L 1G9 Kingston, ON, Canada

COVID is no joke. Dr Sharkawy is an infectious disease specialist at Toronto Western Hospital.

"This isn’t the year that I think anybody wanted, but our local health authority has done an incredible job, and right from the very beginning."

A silver lining to this lockdown is having more time to see these faces light up! (I’m in my neighborhood)

My Great Aunt Rudi recently died at the age of 92. She was childhood friends with Anne Frank but you would have never known because she rarely spoke of it. Here is her story. https://tinyurl.com/y863oy3n

My 2021 calendar will be mailed out in December! If you received one in the past, you are automatically on the list to receive it again. If you wish to be added to the list please, send me a direct message with your mailing address. (Only available for constituents of Kingston and the Islands)

Need to dispose of your live Christmas tree? Max will pick up your tree for a $10 donation to Martha's Table. Well done, Max! More information here https://globalnews.ca//kingston-teenager-collects-christ/

This November, we celebrate the 6th annual Indigenous Disability Awareness Month! This month, we celebrate the tremendous contributions that Indigenous Peoples living with disabilities make in our community. This month also gives us the opportunity to reflect on what additional steps we can take to build a more inclusive Canada by eliminating barriers that Indigenous Peoples with disabilities face. This is why the federal government will be moving forward with a Disability In...clusion Plan to address the challenges that people with disabilities face on a daily basis. Thank you to the British Columbia Aboriginal Network On Disability Society (BCANDS) for all the hard work that they do, day in and day out.

Instant karma is... A baseless attack ad that criticizes a government response to a pandemic while using an image of someone wearing a face mask upside down.

This weekend, the Queen's University Liberal Association and Ted Hsu made phone calls for the #LPCVirtual Weekend of Action! Thanks for all of your hard work!

Updates on the Third Crossing!

On #RemembranceDay, we pay tribute to those who have sacrificed their lives to defend our liberty and freedoms #LestWeForget.

Happy Diwali and Bandi Chhor Devas to all those who are celebrating! This day represents the triumph of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair. Although this pandemic has forced us to celebrate differently this year, we are reminded that a strong society is one that is inclusive, diverse, and compassionate.

Mrs. Ows' grade 5/6 class from St Martha's School learned to sign O'Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saw this and was just so impressed he insisted on meeting this remarkable group! On Monday we will be visiting the class virtually to take their questions!

Let's talk about Basic Income Guarantee - how it works, what it costs and why it is gaining so much popularity during Covid-19. Click "Get Reminder" to join the discussion Tuesday at 7PM!

No Canadian should ever be without a place to call home. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) provides a total of $1 billion to rapidly create up to 3,000 permanent new units of affordable housing across Canada! The RHI will be delivered under the National Housing Strategy (NHS) and is part of our plan to create jobs and support economic recovery, while eliminating chronic homelessness in Canada! For more information on identified municipalities under the Major Cities Stream, and how to apply for the Projects Stream, please visit: cmhc.ca/RapidHousing

This evening, the Queen's University Liberal Association and I caught up and played some trivia. We need to play again soon - I want a rematch!

This afternoon I met with local youth from the Boys and Girls Club of Kingston & Area to talk to them about my job as a Member of Parliament for their Virtual Youth Cabinet Event. We also discussed youth engagement in politics, basic income and how we can take better care of our environment! Thanks for having me!

Warning to all 80's children: Try watching this (volume up^^) without feeling incredibly nostalgic! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0eflYLkI4A

In Canada, we have among the most robust voting systems in the world run by non-partisan electoral officers who have faith in the resources they have to complete their jobs. Worries about voter fraud related to mail-in ballots is *not* one of their concerns.

Update on Canada - US border closure More info here: https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/services/covid/menu-eng.html

Thank you to the Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce for hosting their annual State of the City event this morning. Local businesses, including tourism, are what drives Kingston’s economy, so I was happy to discuss and take questions on how the federal government has been assisting businesses during this pandemic. Now more than ever, businesses in Kingston need to stick together, and the Kingston Chamber provides an avenue to network and work collaboratively in the community. To all businesses in Kingston, know that the federal government is here for you during these unprecedented times.

I am a member of this committee. We are currently studying how to deal with an election during a pandemic. This actually happened. In Canada, we have a robust electoral system run by non-partisan professionals. It's a shame they are being attacked by Members of Parliament like this.

This is a great quick watch on how debates could be so much better.

Tam advised parents and kids to maintain physical distancing while trick-or-treating outside, to stick to pre-packaged treats and to have hand sanitizer readily available.

My poor millennial staff getting beat by their 80’s child boss. Walk it off. Tomorrow is another day. #amongus

Turkey turned out great - super juicy and very tasty. . Highly recommend trying it on a rotisserie on the BBQ if you haven’t before! Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is International Pasta Day! To celebrate, we ordered take-out from The Italian Club. Take-out orders are available every week! Check out their FB Page www.facebook.com/ItaloClubYgk/

I was Mayor when we began the CN overpass on John Counter Blvd. It’s not easy building a four lane bridge on a swamp. Glad to see this project is almost complete and ready for use!

3 hours in and we are almost there! I’ve been taking the juices and injecting back into the turkey. Smells incredible!!

90 minutes into this adventure of cooking a turkey on a BBQ. Internal temperature starting to rise - I’ve had to keep the BBQ on the lowest setting. The good news is it smells great AND the apron Vanessa provided me with includes a holster for my beer!

Please continue to exercise caution.

October 24, 2020 is recognized Brain Cancer Awareness Day. This day means a lot to our family. #HatsForHope https://hatsforhopecanada.ca/

First time trying to cook a turkey on a BBQ...wish me luck! Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

With all the buzz around the new Borat movie, this is worth a watch.

Today’s numbers

Happy Birthday, Vanessa. There were fewer kids back then and we certainly looked like we had more energy!

If people decrease their rate of contact with others by 25 per cent to 35 per cent, the epidemic will come under control in most areas, the modelling states.

Thank you to VON Greater Kingston for organizing their Meals on Wheels and Diner's Club campaign. During these difficult times, no one should have to worry about food insecurity, so thank you for providing 4000 meals a month to those in need. October marks Community Support Service Month, and VON Greater Kingston is always seeking more volunteers, so if you would like to make an impact in our community, please reach out to them at any time!

Today marks #WorldPolioDay, where we celebrate the tremendous progress we have achieved toward global polio eradication while reminding the world that there is still work to be done! Today, only two countries have not stopped the circulation of poliovirus: Afghanistan and Pakistan. Canada will continue to be there as allies until we can eradicate Polio. #EndPolio #WorldPolioDay

"Both children trick or treating and people handing out candy should wear a face covering. A costume mask is not a substitute for a face covering and should not be worn over a face covering as it may make it difficult to breathe."

To all those that say I never have anything nice to say about the provincial government lead by Doug Ford, this is great news and I am delighted to see the province working collaboratively with the federal government to advance the technologies of tomorrow. Thank you, Mr. Ford.

This is non-partisan. Everyone should help find this person. PLEASE SHARE