Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has again discussed the fallout from the protests and riots following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis.
He said he is watching what is happening south of the border "with horror and consternation."
Speaking in Ottawa this morning, he also highlighted the need to keep supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) up to match demand amid Canada's economic restart.
Trudeau said that being an “ally” to those who experience racism meant “taking a hard look at our existing system” and doing what is necessary to “fix them.”
“We have a responsibility to recognize the injustice in our lives and to take concrete action that reflects our solidarity towards other citizens,” he added.
The prime minister also repeated his recent remarks about Canada being a society where anti-black racism, “microaggressions” and unconscious racial bias exist.
Trudeau was asked about the protests in the US and President Donald Trump’s talk of deploying the military to stop unrest.
He paused a full 20 seconds, sighing and struggling to speak, before saying that despite watching the United States with dismay, Canadians must be aware of the challenges facing black Canadians and other minorities and take steps to address them.
Discussing the reopening of the economy across the country, he said each person’s experience will depend on which province and city they live in.
Trudeau said the federal government continues to work with provinces on getting in the necessary supplies of PPE.
He said his government is also funding four Canadian companies that could be working on “breakthrough solutions” for rapid COVID-19 testing.
Metabolic Insights, which is based in Kelowna, is one of the four firms.
Trudeau pointed out that over half the face shields acquired so far have been made by a Canadian company that expanded its workforce to contribute to the effort.
The federal government is in the market for hundreds of millions of pieces of gear, from gloves to gowns to ventilators.
The numbers on hand of most goods are ticking steadily up, though not for ventilators — as of May 26, only 203 had arrived out of the nearly 40,000 ordered.
