Stay informed with the LNN Daily Newsletter

Trudeau says military short-term solution to caring for seniors

Apr 23, 2020 | 10:38 AM

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the military will respond to provincial requests for assistance at long-term care facilities.

But he says the measure is a short-term solution and that Canada should not need soldiers to take care of seniors.

Trudeau says Canada is failing its parents and grandparents, and that it will need to look at how to care for such citizens better in the future.

The comments today follow requests by Ontario and Quebec on Wednesday for hundreds of soldiers to help long-term care facilities that have been hit hard by COVID-19.

The Canadian Armed Forces is now assessing what more it can provide to respond to these requests.

The military deployed 130 troops to help five long-term care facilities in Quebec last week.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 23, 2020.

The Canadian Press