May 8, 2020 – Ottawa, Ontario

We know that Canadian workers across numerous industrial sectors are facing economic hardship and uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government of Canada is committed to supporting workers in these industries as it continues to fight COVID-19. Just as scientific and health expertise inform actions on public health, expertise from key industries inform government actions to promote innovation, economic inclusion and growth.  

Today, the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced the new Industry Strategy Council, chaired by Monique Leroux—a strong business leader with a distinguished career in Canadian finance. This council will serve as an advisory board to assess the scope and depth of COVID-19’s impact on industries and inform government’s understanding of specific sectoral pressures. By enlisting senior business leaders, the Council will build on Canada’s strong partnerships between government and industry, notably the Economic Strategy Tables, to support Canadians and their jobs.

This proactive and strategic approach is designed to bring the private sector to the table to directly share its perspective on the scope of the challenges being faced across industries.