Letter of Support from the Armenian National Committee of Canada Western Region to British Columbia Premier Jon Horgan

Hon. John Horgan

Premier of British Columbia

Parliament Buildings

Victoria, BC V8V 1X4

March 23, 2020

Dear Premier Horgan:

On behalf of the Armenian National Committee of Canada – Western Region, we are writing to you today to thank you for your service and leadership, especially in this time of worldwide crisis, and to offer our help and support regarding the unprecedented situation surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak.

British Columbians and all Canadians are facing an extremely difficult and unpredictable situation. It is only through helping each other that we will overcome this dangerous threat to our health and safety.

We are deeply grateful for all the targeted actions that the provincial and federal governments are taking during these tough times to alleviate the financial and moral burden for all Canadians and to ensure that they are staying healthy.  Today’s substantial announcements of immediate financial relief for British Columbians, such as the $1000 emergency benefit, will be a much-needed lifeline for many individuals, families and businesses.

We recognize that the outbreak of COVID-19 is placing enormous pressure on your government, on your extremely capable Ministers of Health and Finance, and on countless others as you try to reach out to all British Columbians to ensure that they stay healthy and informed of all the decisions that the government is making to help them. We want you and our government to know that we are here to help in any capacity that we can.

The Armenian National Committee of Canada, in cooperation with our local community centres and affiliated organizations has already started a nationwide campaign, including in BC, to provide a helpline to reach out to our community members and to keep them updated on the latest developments.

We also want to reiterate the importance of supporting not-for-profit organizations that play a central role in providing services to Canadians. The more financially sustainable and strong not-for-profit organizations are, the stronger and safer is our society. We are hopeful that our government’s  COVID-19 Action Plan will also allocate funds to help these organizations that do so much for the betterment of Canadian society.

For a recent local example, our community centre and church, as a Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH), has sponsored and supported over 140 refugees (primarily from Syria) over the past five years, and helped them quickly integrate into the fabric of this great province.

Premier Horgan, once again, thank you for your service to British Columbia and to Canada. We are confident that we will overcome this challenge together.

Sincerely,

Chairman

Armenian National Committee of Canada – Western Region

(604) 617-6866

anc.canadawest@gmail.com

cc:       Hon. Carole James, Minister of Finance and Deputy Premier

Hon. Adrian Dix, Minister of Health