I rise today to speak on the matter of a private member’s bill concerning Garrett’s Legacy Act (Requirements for Movable Soccer Goals). This is a bill which I believe offers a reasonable and considered approach to an issue of significant importance.

The bill was introduced and named after a Napanee youngster, Garrett Mills, who died in a tragic mishap in the spring of 2017. While the bill has been presented in the House multiple times, it has not received royal assent, and I am happy to facilitate this conversation further into committee and the government. David Mills, Garrett’s father, knows nothing can bring his son back. However, he has said that getting the bill reintroduced and eventually passed will certainly help.

As a parent and as a grandmother, my heart and my condolences go to the Mills family. What happened six years ago was heart-wrenching, and together with the entire NDP caucus, we are keeping your family in our minds and in our hearts and in our prayers. We are sending you our love, and we hope that this tragedy never, ever occurs to another child in Ontario again.

Drawing from the rich history of dialogue in this chamber, I’m reminded of the words of Nelson Mandela, who once said, “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.” This sentiment is as relevant now as it was then, especially when we consider the safety of our children, the future of our province. This powerfully underscores the moral and societal obligation we have as adults to ensure the safety and well-being of our children at home, at school, within the community and especially in sports.

Garrett’s Legacy Act is a bill that is a response to a tragedy, a tragic accident that took the life of a young boy and a young child named Garrett Mills. His legacy, however, is one that can provide safety and assurance for all children who participate in the beloved sport of soccer across Ontario.

As we debate this bill, let us remember that at the heart of this legislative endeavour is the memory of a child whose life was cut far too short and the family who had the courage to turn their grief into advocacy. The bill’s main provision, which is to establish safety standards for movable soccer goals, is a reasonable step towards the goal of child safety. This is not an overly restrictive measure, nor does it impose burdensome regulations on sporting organizations. Rather, it asks us to take reasonable precautions to prevent avoidable accidents from happening again.

There are those who may argue that the measures proposed in this bill could prevent challenges to small sporting organizations. This is a fair concern, but cost does not always have to lead to a stalled process. While responsibility and accountability are the cornerstones of good governance, this bill encourages responsibility not just at the governmental level but also within our community organizations. It asks everyone to play their part in safeguarding our children.

It is vital—I cannot overstate this piece—to make sure that the government will be required to do their proper due diligence with the amateur and sporting non-profits across the province that maintain these facilities to ensure there’s no undue cost. While I recognize that the member opposite who is proposing this legislation cannot include funding in this type of legislation, I will publicly muse that it might be reasonable that the ministry commit to community consultation and consider a type of reserve or additional measures funding to offset any costs so that organizations or parks and recreation departments through municipalities can meet any new protocols.

Rules are only as strong as they are used and enforced, and if this chamber and ultimately the House moves forward to codify this bill into law, then we should be mindful of ensuring that, down the road, the ministry evaluates resources to ensure compliance and that the ministry checks in with our sports stakeholders across the province, the actors who are doing the work—who are often volunteers—of youth sports.

The importance of children and youth sports in Ontario cannot be overstated. Participating in sports provides a multitude of benefits, from fostering a healthy lifestyle and promoting physical development to teaching invaluable life skills such as teamwork, discipline and resilience. Sports serve as a platform for children and youth to learn about co-operation, leadership and the importance of setting and achieving goals.

Yet beyond the personal growth opportunity, youth sports play a crucial role in community building. They create bonds among children, families and community members, fostering a sense of unity and belonging. Youth sports is where my family grew many of our friendships, ones that last to this day. They provide a safe and constructive environment for children to engage with their peers, thereby promoting social inclusion and diversity.

Support for youth sports is not merely an investment in our children, but in the future of our society. It ensures that these beneficial experiences remain accessible to all, regardless of socio-economic status or geographic location. In doing so, we are fostering a healthier, more connected and more resilient future for generations to come. Therefore, it is our collective responsibility as parents, educators, community leaders and policy-makers to continue to champion and invest in youth sports in Canada. Our children deserve nothing less.

I am a former coach of youth sports. It is paramount that we do everything and anything possible to keep children safe when they are playing sports in the province of Ontario. This brings me to St. Catharines, a community that I’m kind of passionate about, and passionate about its youth sports—home to countless soccer fields, and as our Scottish community calls them, often a football field, where thousands of children play, grow and foster a love for the game. Sports are to be enjoyed.

We have great sporting leagues in my riding. The St. Catharines Jets Soccer Club, Garden City soccer club, the St. Catharines Minor Baseball Association, the St. Catharines Kiwanis aquatics club, St. Catharines Rowing Club, St. Catharines Falcons hockey, St. Catharines Junior Badgers. I’d best there stop there or I’ll take up all the time that is going to be remaining. The point is that, despite the rain, the heat or the early mornings, parents and their children show up every day eager to play and to improve. We owe it to them to make sure we do all we can to keep each and every child safe within all of our communities in Ontario.

These are examples of the vibrant youth sporting cultures we have in St. Catharines and, indeed, across Ontario. This culture, this spirit of sport, is something we want to encourage, support and, most importantly, safeguard. Through reasonable measures such as the ones proposed in Garrett’s Legacy Act, we can do just that.

In the face of potential challenges, let us also remember the creativity, the resilience and the commitment of the people of Ontario. We have seen it time and time again, how our communities rise to the challenge, and I am confident that they will rise to this one as well. Garrett’s Legacy Act is a reasonable, balanced approach to a critical issue. It seeks to protect our children, to ensure the joy of the sport is not marred by preventable tragedies. It invites us—as lawmakers, as community members and as Ontarians—to uphold our responsibility to our youngest citizens.

It is my hope that the ministry will follow up with consultation with the community, the volunteer and amateur sporting organizations to ensure that any measures enacted today will be met with the equally weighted support of our Ontario government to ensure costs are offset and goals can be reached.

I will be supporting this bill with the understanding that it is not just about movable soccer goalposts, but about the legacy we leave behind for our children, about the safe and vibrant sporting culture we want for them. Let us all in this House across Ontario please remember Garrett. Let us honour his family’s advocacy. Let us forever keep Garrett in our hearts and minds, across every soccer field, across every sporting event. Most of all, let his legacy be one of safety, care and love for the sport he played.