--- Personal & family incomes have jumped because of hard work  

The bump in income during the Covid-induced recession last year reflects the hard work so many Canadians put in since the pandemic first hit. For example, in the past year, I participated in four teams from different organizations which jumped to work when the crisis hit.  

     The Bulletin team decamped the office and set up at home to keep the newspaper publishing (as did the Pontiac Journal and West Quebec Post teams).

Second, at APICA, our ad hoc "economic crisis committee" met very frequently, staying in constant contact for weeks as Aylmer businesses were ‘turning on a dime’ every other day.  

At the provincial level, the Quebec Community Newspaper Association helped Quebec City reach minority-language communities across the province with an incredible Covid information campaign. 

      Finally, our industry's team at the "Consortium of minority community media" doubled down with its research to advise both government agencies tasked with assisting these publishers and radio broadcasters. As with so many others in Aylmer, these tasks meant plenty of extra work – and financial benefits all around.

Since today is financial year-end report time, Canada’s economists are seeing the real picture of the national economy -- and local ones too.

Aylmer's concentration of government workers has meant plenty of work, keeping all the areas of ministerial responsibility functioning properly. These Aylmer public servants help actual people on the ground, millions of them, and this also translates into higher income for the Aylmer economy.

Look at Quebec’s health care system! Quebec's mammoth effort to hire over 8,000 health care workers when the pandemic first hit, translates into a lot of income re-injected into the local economy. Our housing market is an easy example; when families have more money coming in, they buy homes, renovate them (making the rising price of lumber a Covid joke). Aylmer doesn’t have enough service providers, from chimney sweeps, accountants, designers, and veterinarians to deck-builders, stone masons, or even writers. There is now room for new ones, all this with an economic result of "just fantastic!"

The Bulletin's new 2021 annual business directory, delivered to every home in February, contains the highest number of new businesses in its history!  Small businesses – and folks specializing in something they love – are growing our economy and helping everyone. 

Canada's bank economists were saying just this week that between all the new small businesses and the massive hire in the public sector (hospitals, seniors' residences, etc.), the resulting higher personal incomes, especially in Quebec, support an optimistic mid-term projection, even for the Outaouais economy. March 29, Quebec announced another 5,000 public service positions to be filled immediately. This is a relief to the short-staffed hospitals and a boost to family income. 

Aylmer deserves this good news – because we've helped create it!