My riding of Simcoe–Grey has a very diverse and dynamic economy and is home to many businesses that have made their mark on the national and international stage, companies such as Honda, Agnora, Reinhart Foods, MacLean Engineering, Blue Mountain Resort, MEDATech and Decast, just to name a few.

Today, I would like to highlight two impressive companies in Simcoe–Grey that are using innovation, science and technology to the benefit of the people of Ontario. The first company is Baxter Canada in Alliston, whose mission is to save and sustain lives. Operating since 1957, Baxter produces life-saving intravenous and dialysis solutions found throughout our hospitals and clinics in Ontario and around the world. Operating out of a state-of-the-art 180,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, Baxter Canada employs 430 people.

The second company I would like to highlight is Impossible Metals from Collingwood, Ontario. This is an exciting new start-up company that is led by Duntroon native Jason Gillham and his team of talented scientists and engineers. Impossible Metals builds underwater robotic vehicles to collect much-needed rare earth EV battery materials from the seabed without harming the environment. The metals they harvest from depths in excess of 5,000 metres are essential to help accelerate and enable Ontario’s and the world’s transition to more sustainable energy.

These are just two examples of companies that are working in Simcoe–Grey to move us forward in a sustainable way.

Can the Minister of the Environment lay out a guideline of what would be the parameters when this 30 days would be waived or not? It’s hard to have confidence when the government doesn’t lay out parameters of what they constitute is worthy of a waiver.

On April 11, on a beautiful, clear day on a straight stretch of highway, there was a head-on collision between two transport trucks. Our thoughts go out to the families. It was obvious—two transport trucks, no one else involved.

On April 18, a tractor-trailer in Englehart forced a school bus with students on it off the road into the ditch. The school bus had the right-of-way. The tractor-trailer driver fled the scene.

On April 22, just south of Englehart, on the Earlton overpass, a tractor-trailer driver passed another tractor-trailer on the overpass, and the person coming with their dash cam was forced off the road.

That’s three tractor-trailers, one tragic accident, two near misses in 11 days just outside one little town, and that’s happening all over on the 11 and 17.

The government needs to step in, make sure all drivers are properly trained, properly licensed and that the laws are enforced now.

These past few weeks have been a time of much celebration in my riding of Mississauga–Erin Mills. I was delighted to join my constituents on a number of occasions to observe Passover, Ramadan, Easter, Orthodox Easter, Vaisakhi and Eid al-Fitr celebrations. We have a diverse community in Mississauga with a variety of cultures and traditions. It is always a pleasure to join together for these wonderful occasions.

Something else to celebrate is our government’s investment in homelessness prevention. The government has announced an additional $202 million annually, beginning in 2023-24, under the Homelessness Prevention Program and Indigenous Supportive Housing Program.

On Friday, the MPPs of Peel region announced that Peel will be receiving $42.3 million for the initiative. This money will help those affected by homelessness and support community partners delivering supportive housing.

We know there is a serious housing affordability crisis in Mississauga and throughout Ontario right now. This investment will help solve some of these problems, but while we continue to work hard tackling the housing crisis, these investments will have a tangible short-term impact, helping some of our neighbours get back on their feet. For that, we all have reason to celebrate.

This Friday is the Day of Mourning for workers who have lost their lives through workplace accidents and workplace exposure to deadly chemicals. Unfortunately, this government, by distorting the function of the WSIB, has shown that it is not there for workers: claim suppression, refusing doctors’ assessments, bribery to deny that accidents have taken place, illegal cuts to the cost-of-living allowance, cutting support payments on the basis of fictitious jobs, and the return of billions of dollars to business that should have been available to support the far too many workers forced to live on ODSP because WSIB has denied their claims.

Recently, this government failed to reduce allowable levels of diesel exposure to what scientists have long recommended. Parents beware: Young people are vulnerable to permanent brain damage due to currently allowed rates of diesel exposure, and once harmed, they will have to fight tooth and nail for compensation. It doesn’t have to be this way.

This Friday, attend a Day of Mourning ceremony in your community, pay tribute to those who have died because of their jobs, and demand that the Ford government put the health and well-being of workers first. Nothing less is acceptable.

Each of us in this House and at every level of government must work to better protect women and girls escaping abusive relationships of intimate partner violence and coercive control.

This is why I was so pleased that, last fall, this House unanimously passed my motion for Ontario to consult about passing Keira’s Law in our province. This would require continuing education seminars for judges and other legal professionals in our Family Courts so that they have the knowledge they need about IPV and coercive control. Last week, our federal counterparts moved forward as the Senate passed Keira’s Law for federal judges.

However, for women in Ontario this is not enough. We need to act in Ontario as well, as Family Courts reside in our hands, provincially—not federally. Intimate partner violence and coercive control are insidious forms of abuse that have devastating effects on victims and their families. From November 26, 2021, to November 25, 2022, 52 women in Ontario died as a result of femicide. We must do everything in our power to end this kind of violence and ensure that those who perpetrate it are held accountable by law. Together, we can make a real difference in the lives of women and girls in Ontario.

Yes, that’s a good question. I applaud the member. That’s a very good question. A number of parameters: If there is outstanding public concern that is substantiated. We’ve had ERO postings—measures and permissions are still subject to our duty to post on the Environmental Registry of Ontario, and issue decisions.

Something I would add: This government has reduced the backlog from the previous government significantly—by 95%, in fact. That ability for massive projects still exists, and I think, again, public. If, in the opinion of officials—I don’t want to presuppose what a deputy or what an ADM or director within my ministry may or may not say, but, on numerous occasions, they recommend or flag a number of challenges.

Again, I would go back to what is done within the EA process where it’s a living piece, where they’re back and forth with proponents. Once that’s complete, on every process I’ve seen, all the conditions have been met—it’s, again, just waiving the sitting on the hands. I think it is a very important piece, giving the minister the ability to do so.

It’s my pleasure to rise today to highlight some important health care investments our government is making in my riding of Perth–Wellington. Recently, I announced, on behalf of Minister Jones, that our government is supporting our doctors working after hours in our hospitals through the Hospital On-Call Coverage Program. Stratford General Hospital will be receiving more than $2.3 million. Groves Memorial hospital will be receiving $1.2 million under the program.

In December, I was pleased to announce that Palmerston and District Hospital was approved for new MRI operating funding which totals over $1 million. Many in my rural communities currently travel to large urban centres for critical MRI services. This funding will ensure my constituents can access care closer to home in a more timely fashion.

There’s more, Speaker. The Minister of Health has provided Perth County Paramedic Services with over $187,000 to help provide wraparound supports through its mobile integrated health team. This funding is ensuring people in my riding are getting the right care in the right place.

There’s still more, Speaker. Last spring, our government launched the Learn and Stay program. As members know, this program covers the cost of tuition, books and other educational expenses for nurses in exchange for them practising in rural and northern communities. I’m pleased to share this program has helped the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance recruit and retain 16 new nurses. This is great news.

There’s more work to be done, but I am proud to be part of a government that is building a strong rural health care system.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent that, notwithstanding standing order 45(b)(iv), the time for debate on opposition day motion number 4 be apportioned as follows: 54 minutes to each of the recognized parties and 12 minutes to the independent members as a group.

That concludes our members’ statements for this morning.

This month has been one of celebration, remembrance and prayer in my riding of Brampton East and for Ontarians across the province. Over the last 30 days, members of the Hindu community celebrated Hanuman Jayanti to commemorate the birth of the Hindu deity Hanuman. The Christian community celebrated Easter to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ through prayer and gatherings with their loved ones. The Jewish community observed Passover in remembrance and recognition of the community’s strength, bravery and resilience. The Tamil communities celebrated Puthandu, the harvest festival which marks the beginning of the new year, as per the Tamil and Thai calendars. The Sikh community is celebrating Vaisakhi, marking the beginning of the harvest season in Punjab and the day the order of the Khalsa was created. And members of the Muslim community just celebrated Eid-Ul-Fitr to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Ontario is home to many individuals from diverse, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. I am proud to celebrate our province’s multiculturalism and diversity. We’re lucky to live in such a cultural mosaic that brings people together in such a joyful and united manner. I look forward to continuing to celebrate and honour the diversity of our province as cultural events take place throughout the coming months and year.

This Friday, April 28, is the international Day of Mourning. It’s a point of pride for my community because the Day of Mourning was started in Sudbury in 1983. It was Steelworkers and CUPE members who noticed that there was a procession for a firefighter who had died, and they wanted that recognition for every worker who has been killed, injured, or who has suffered occupational disease. They chose April 28 because that was the day in 1914 that the workers’ compensation act received third reading.

Good ideas can’t be contained—1983, in Sudbury; 1984, the Canadian Labour Congress; 1989, the AFL-CIO; and in 1991, Canada recognized the international Day of Mourning for the first time. A great idea that started in Sudbury, the Day of Mourning, or Workers’ Memorial Day, is now celebrated in more than 100 countries around the world; we simply stopped counting after 100.

We recognize the Day of Mourning by wearing arm bands or pins with the canary in the coal mine or by holding flags at half-mast.

But most people remember the Day of Mourning because of the moment of silence. The moment of silence is reflective of the slogan of the Day of Mourning: “Remember the Dead, Fight for the Living.”

I challenge all members of the House, when the moment of silence is finished, to never be silent again when it comes to health and safety for workers in the workplace.

Last week was National Volunteer Appreciation Week. Volunteers are the most important resource this province has, and our communities would grind to a halt without them. I want to give a huge shout-out to the Hagersville Lions Club, who recently wrapped up a fundraiser called Chase the Ace. Chase the Ace is a progressive raffle in which participants purchase a ticket for a chance to win in the weekly jackpot, but also a progressive jackpot. Every Thursday, people lined up at the Hagersville Legion to purchase tickets. Each week, the number of tickets sold grew along with the jackpot.

Speaker, 45 weeks of Catch the Ace in Hagersville; 45 weeks of a few dozen Lions Club members along with the Legion, members of the chamber of commerce and Hagersville Rocks gave up their time, not only on Thursdays, but for preparation ahead of time as well. Jackpot hopefuls came from as far as the United States, Nova Scotia, Alberta and British Columbia. In week 45, an astounding 152,000 tickets were sold. In the end, it was 83-year-old Richard Marshall who caught the ace, a commercial fisherman his whole life who reeled in over $2 million. The West Haldimand Hospital and Healthcare Foundation gets an infusion of $1.4 million, the local food bank about $1 million and the Lions will retain about $550,000.

Lion Dan Matten said the 45 weeks was simply extraordinary and an entire community effort. For those missing the excitement of Catch the Ace, no worries. The Community Support Centre Haldimand Norfolk has already started a new round each Thursday at the Caledonia Legion. Best of luck to all.

I’m pleased to share that 10 organizations within the region of Durham recently received approximately $908,000 from the Resilient Communities Fund through the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

In Whitby, the Charles H. Best Diabetes Centre received a substantive grant to help them continue to deliver their outstanding programs and services to hard-working families across the region and in outlying areas.

Nearby, in Oshawa, Catholic Family Services of Durham received $141,000 to continue to provide help, hope and healing to individuals, couples and families.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation has invested $200 million through the Resilient Communities Fund to support the delivery of community-based initiatives throughout the region of Durham. What’s clear is that countless residents within the town of Whitby and other parts of the region of Durham rely on their services and programs every day.

Our government is lifting Durham residents up, providing them with a hand up through these investments, while building healthy and vibrant communities.

I’m very excited to welcome students who are here from Liceo Giambattista Vico in Sulmona, Abruzzo, Italy. They are with us today. They just wrote a book, Voci d’Abruzzo. It helps to commemorate the story of Italian immigrants to this country and to the United States. Voices of Abruzzo honours their incredible legacy of sacrifice. Welcome to Queen’s Park. Benvenuto.

I’d like to welcome a good friend and school trustee for Willowdale, Dr. Pei, to the Legislature this morning.

I’d like to introduce my constituent and friend Michau van Speyk.

I’d like to recognize Mr. Robert—Bob—Stanley, in the gallery here, former executive director of the party and a great friend to everyone on this side of the House. Welcome, Bob.

I’ll continue if there are no objections.

I’m very happy to introduce my good friends, Ganapathy Raveendran and his spouse, Ruby Yogadasan, president of Yugam Radio and Media Inc. They have promoted Tamil arts and culture for many, many years in our community. Also, Mr. Speaker, they celebrated a milestone birthday—70th birthday—last week. Welcome to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.