Canada Highlights Budget 2026 Affordability Measures in Burlington: Groceries Benefit Up to C$679 and C$610.3 Million for Nutrition North
John Zerucelli, Canada's Secretary of State (Labour), met with the community food organization Food for Life in Burlington, Ontario, on November 9 to highlight the affordability measures in Budget 2026, titled Masters of our destiny. Employment and Social Development Canada issued the briefing release the same day.
The affordability measures include a one-time 50 percent increase to the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit for the 2026-27 benefit year, to be delivered in early 2027, providing up to C$339 for a single person without children and up to C$679 for a couple with two children. Nutrition North Canada will receive C$610.3 million over four years starting in 2027-28 to lower the cost of imported foods and support food harvesting in northern communities.
Other measures include a new refundable Canada Caregiver Credit expected to benefit an estimated 585,000 caregivers; a new Build Canada Workers Benefit expected to lift an estimated 240,000 people out of poverty; a long-term housing strategy providing nearly C$45 billion on a cash basis over 11 years, putting Canada on a path to end homelessness within 10 years; C$1.2 billion in 2027-28 to extend mental health, addictions, and home and community care agreements; and a C$2 billion National Heat Pump Rebate helping up to 820,000 households switch to heat pumps and retrofit homes, with related efficiency measures projected to reach up to one million homes and save Canadians more than C$1 billion a year on energy bills once fully implemented. First-time home buyers can save up to C$50,000 through the removal or reduction of the GST on new homes.
Zerucelli said Budget 2026 is focused on making life more affordable for Canadians, from groceries and housing to everyday costs, helping people save money, keep more of what they earn and get the support they need. Karina Gould, Member of Parliament for Burlington, said the budget puts more money back in the pockets of families and backs the workers who build the country. Karen Randell, Executive Director of Food for Life, said the organization sees neighbours working hard and stretching every dollar while still coming up short, and welcomed the federal budget's focus on affordability.
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said Budget 2026 keeps Canada on a path to balance day-to-day operating spending with revenues by 2027-28, a full year ahead of schedule, while keeping the deficit-to-GDP ratio on a declining path.
(Source: Employment and Social Development Canada)
Source: Employment and Social Development Canada
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：加拿大安大略省 Burlington 市中心 Brant Street。公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Brant Street in downtown Burlington, Ontario, Canada. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
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