Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister speaks with provincial and territorial counterparts

March 5, 2021 - Ottawa, Ontario - Department of Finance Canada

Today, the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, met virtually with provincial and territorial Finance Ministers. This was the eleventh call chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister.

The Deputy Prime Minister opened the meeting with a discussion of how on-the-ground vaccine rollout is progressing in each jurisdiction, acknowledging its importance in determining what will happen in Canada’s economy. The Deputy Prime Minister noted that with vaccine shipments ramping up, Finance Ministers should begin doing forward thinking about how Canada will look once COVID-19 is under control.

The Deputy Prime Minister cited recent data on Canada’s economic performance and that this is a cause for optimism about the year ahead. She credited Canadians’ hard work and effective government supports for helping bring about these encouraging results. The Deputy Prime Minister noted that the virus still poses a serious risk to Canadians, that we are not out of the woods yet, and fiscal support remains necessary.

Finance Ministers addressed ongoing conversations around the Canada Health Transfer, timelines for vaccine rollout, and the importance of ongoing supports to protect jobs.

Finance Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to continue working together.