Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

Salaberry-Suroît MP Claude DeBellefeuille says the Canada Summer Jobs envelope allocated to the riding once again falls short of the demand.

In a letter to applicants within the current Salaberry-Suroît riding, DeBellefeuille announced that the available funds for this season have been pegged at $812,000. She points out this represents only a slight increase over the $806,791 that was allocated in 2024.

DeBellefeuille expressed her disappointment, noting that the federal government’s allotment for the program does not meet the funding requests made for 2025, which total $1,179,179.

“It is the region’s young people who will suffer, as they will be deprived of many job opportunities,” DeBellefeuille lamented, while pointing out she disagrees with the decision. “We are currently making representations to inform the minister responsible of the needs within our communities,” she concluded.

Local businesses and organizations who responded to the program can expect to receive a notification soon regarding the status of their application.

According to Employment and Social Development Canada, last year’s funding helped to create 161 summer positions with 88 different businesses and organizations in Salaberry-Suroît.

In the neighbouring riding of Chateauguay-Lacolle, 68 businesses and organizations received a share of $752,091, which led to the creation of 204 jobs.

Across Quebec, at least 14,620 jobs were created through the Canada Summer Jobs program last year at a cost of $61,612,035. The program covers between 50 to 100 per cent of wages for full time employees for up to 16 weeks.