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HALIFAX, N.S. —

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced over $492 million to boost youth employment at an event in north-end Halifax on Tuesday morning.

The announcement took place at Common Good Solutions at 5557 Cunard St.

Trudeau said the funding would go toward "vital work," including training and boosting new Canadians' language skills.

He said about $17 million of the money would go to Nova Scotia projects, including about $1 million to Common Good Solutions.

The money, through the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy, will "help tens of thousands of young people across Canada who are facing barriers to employment," said a federal government news release issued after the event. "This funding will go to local and national projects that could help a single parent, a young person experiencing homelessness, visible minority groups, or a person living with disabilities gain the necessary skills to transition to the workforce."

Before the news conference, Trudeau chatted with members of the north-end community, including Rodney Small, director of the One North End Community Economic Development Society.

In introducing the funding, the prime minister talked briefly about Small's "rough start," his hard work to get a degree and now his job to help other young people. "It just goes to show how much a hand-up can mean in a young person's life."

Some of the other people on hand for the announcement were federal Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan, Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough, Halifax West MP Geoff Reagan and Halifax MP Andy Filmore, Sydney-Victoria MP Jaime Battiste and Sackville-Preston-Chezzetcook MP Darrell Samson.

Taking questions from reporters after the announcement, Trudeau mainly fielded queries about how the federal government was dealing with the COVID-19 virus.

He said that Canada has been following the recommendations of the World Health Organization in its approach and said he was confident that the strategy was "right for Canada."

The prime minister also said the federal government was working with other countries and the provinces to make sure Canadians are being kept save.

After his appearance in Halifax, Trudeau made a surprise visit to a citizenship ceremony at Acadia University in Wolfville.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau greets a new Canadian during a surprise appearance at a citizenship ceremony at Acadia university Tuesday afternoon. pic.twitter.com/M1alGL3l3D — Ian Fairclough (@iancfairclough) March 3, 2020

More to come