Sudbury Board of Health supports continuing CERB

The Sudbury board of health has endorsed a motion asking the Government of Canada to continue providing the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) into "a basic income for all Canadians during the COVID-19 Pandemic and beyond."

The motion was passed with no opposition during the regular September meeting of the Public Health Sudbury and Districts board, which was held online via Skype with staff and board members joining from home or individual offices. The motion comes just 10 days before the CERB benefit is expected to end on September 27, 2020.

The motion is asking that the CERB benefit be evolved into some form of a guaranteed basic income for financially challenged citizens. 

In a pre-meeting briefing note provided to board chair René Lapierre, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Penny Sutcliffe commented on the overall health benefit of a guaranteed income. 

"The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected Canadians with lower income or other marginality. The Federal Government’s temporary financial relief for vulnerable Canadians, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), has assisted some vulnerable Canadians. 

"It presents an opportunity upon which to expand to create a basic income guarantee, ensuring long lasting opportunities for health equity among vulnerable Canadians," said Sutcliffe. 

Sutcliffe's memo also said that income alone is the single strongest predictor of health, and health improves at every step up the income ladder.

"Populations living in low income are disproportionately affected by virtually all physical and mental health problems and challenges. Nearly 21,000 people or 12.8 per cent of the Greater Sudbury population live in poverty," Sutcliffe said in the memo.

Sutcliffe said the pandemic has created widespread negative economic impacts which increased the level and depth of poverty across Canada.

"The CERB and other measures have provided financial relief for many but did not apply to all Canadians, leaving many still vulnerable to the negative consequences of poverty including inadequate or unstable housing, food insecurity, and poorer mental and physical health," Sutcliffe said.  

The position taken by the board was essentially an endorsement of similar resolutions taken by other public health boards across Ontario. This included letters to the prime minister, the deputy prime minister and the minister of finance from the Porcupine Health Unit; Peterborough Public Health; Haliburton, Kawartha and Pine Ridge District Health Unit; Renfrew County and District Health Unit; and Chatham-Kent Public Health. 

The board members who approved the motion included Randy Hazlett, Jeffery Huska, Bill Leduc,  Glenda Massicotte, Paul Myre, Ken Noland, Jacqueline Paquin, Mark Signoretti, Natalie Tessier, Carolyn Thain and board chair Lapierre.

Lapierre asked the meeting if anyone was opposed to the motion. He said if there was, a formal vote would be taken. There was silence.

"Hearing none on the screen and seeing nothing in the dialogue box, I will declare that this motion has passed," said Lapierre.