Recently, I joined Minister Mulroney to announce that we are one step closer to getting shovels in the ground on the Yonge North subway extension. The new subway extension is going to bring some much-needed relief for not only Thornhill but the GTA and York region.

Madam Speaker, did you know that Thornhill was the original transit-oriented community? If we look back, as early as the 19th century, Thornhill served as a critical junction for transportation and was the natural pit stop for travellers moving north. This included American Loyalists who were fleeing American invasion during the War of 1812. And in 1885, Toronto’s first commuter railway, the Metropolitan radial railway York-Simcoe was opened in Thornhill and stopped right there. As a key stopping point for travellers, Thornhill became a hub for social and economic activity.

I’m so delighted that this historic legacy of Thornhill is able to continue through the Yonge North subway extension. This project will undoubtedly bolster the local economy, bring jobs, and eliminate so many of the buses on Yonge Street—helping reduce greenhouse emissions and congestion.

As a resident of the original transit-oriented community, I look forward to the new subway helping the people of Thornhill and Richmond Hill and future generations of those in York region get where they need to go in a faster and more efficient way.

May is the month of genocide remembrance for the Tamil community. As a young boy who survived the 21st century’s most brutal genocide, it is my honour to rise today to acknowledge Tamil Genocide Education Week, which will take place from May 12 to May 18 in Ontario, Canada, and across the world.

Bill 104, which I introduced in 2019, was passed unanimously in this Legislature in 2021, recognizing and marking the significance of educating about the Tamil genocide. The height of the genocide took place in May 2009, with the Mullivaikkal massacre.

Tragically, the Tamil people have faced systematic structural genocide since Sri Lanka’s independence, and it is still ongoing.

Mr. Speaker, recent events have revealed that the Sri Lankan state’s targeted destruction of places of worship and places of significance to Tamil people accounts to cultural genocide. These temples have been family deity temples for many of my constituents from Scarborough–Rouge Park and across Canada.

Tamil Canadians living in Ontario continue to experience the impacts of intergenerational trauma from the genocide, making the Tamil Genocide Education Week Act more important now than ever.

On May 18, the Tamil community around the world will come together to commemorate Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day.

I encourage everyone to learn about the Tamil Genocide, and together, we can say “Never again.”

Children and Youth in Care Day in Ontario is just around the corner, and I’d like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the efforts of young people and their stories and experiences. This year’s #ForgetMeNot campaign will highlight the stories of young people and their resilience in overcoming obstacles. Children and youth in Ontario’s child welfare system deserve to be recognized and celebrated. This campaign is another way to remind local communities and government service providers that young Ontarians deserve to have critical supports in place, which is why our government recently invested $170 million over the next three years for youth leaving care through the new Ready, Set, Go program.

Speaker, children and youth are the future of this great province and this country, and we need to ensure that they are equipped with the tools they need to be successful.

It is also important to recognize the hard work of all the children’s aid societies and their staff—in particular, a special shout-out to my local Children’s Aid Society of Sarnia-Lambton, led by their executive director, Dawn Flegel, who will be with us later today.

As part of the #ForgetMeNot campaign, the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies and Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada would like to invite all members to their reception today at 5 p.m. in room 228. I hope to see you all there.

Today is Ontario’s fourth annual Day of Action on Litter. The sad reality is that we should never have had to have a Day of Action on Litter, because littering is entirely preventable. Litter doesn’t happen by accident; it only happens because someone chooses to drop a coffee cup along the sidewalk or toss a pop can out the window as they’re travelling along a rural road. It doesn’t happen without the conscious decision by someone to do so.

Speaker, we can start by taking personal responsibility. Littering is one of those things that you might have already guessed I despise deeply. It’s something that as little children we were taught not to do, and something my wife, Vicky, and I have passed on to our children. I recall many times when our children would come home from school with candy wrappers in their pockets, because the last thing they were going to do was drop that wrapper on the ground.

Litter is not only a visible blight on this beautiful land we’ve been blessed with; it is very harmful to our environment and dangerous for pets that may consume it.

However, it is gratifying to see concerted community efforts and litter pickup days all across Ontario at this time of year to remove what has been deposited through the winter months. Having said that, it would be much better if it had never found its way onto our landscape at all.

We should all make a pledge to take our individual and collective responsibility seriously, because Ontario is not only ours to discover; it is ours to keep beautiful.

I’m pleased to recognize and welcome the mayor of the township of Centre Wellington, Shawn Watters, who is here at Queen’s Park today.

Welcome. It’s great to see you here from the riding of Wellington–Halton Hills.

I’d like to acknowledge Shannon Thornton, who is in the gallery with us today. Shannon has worked in my office for four and a half years—both in the constituency office and Queen’s Park. She’s leaving today, and she’s going on to Ontario Tech University.

Shannon, I want to wish you all the best in your new job at Ontario Tech University. Thank you for your service here at Queen’s Park.

I want to welcome a great Ontarian, someone who loves his province: the Honourable Justice Jack Grossman, retired from the Ontario Court of Justice of North York.

I want to recognize a few special guests in the Legislature this morning. The winners of the future builders scholarship powered by Scottie Barnes from the Skilled Trades College of Canada are with us here today. I want to welcome Serjenka Paul, Malik D’Cruz, Alden Patterson, Abrahan Belisario.

Congratulations on starting your exciting careers in the skilled trades, and welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’m very excited to introduce some special guests to the House. We’ve got some long-time New Democrats, dedicated volunteers and leaders and community builders in the House today.

Please welcome Dan Danielson, Bob Spencer, Ian Roberts, Paula Masterson, and Reshad Ahmed to the House.

I also have Tejas Dhebana, a wonderful intern who has joined us in our office.

Welcome to your House.

It’s my pleasure to introduce Darah Wiens and her two children, Deacon and Daytona, from Chippawa, Niagara Falls; Danielle Randall and her daughter Kennedy, from Fort Erie; and Jaena Randall.

Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’m also pleased to welcome the Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts to the chamber today, and members of Football Toronto and Football Ontario. There will be a reception in 228 at 11:45. Come by and see what I believe is the oldest professional trophy in the land on display.

It’s my pleasure to welcome Dana McKiel and representatives from Football Canada, Football Toronto and the Toronto Argonauts.

Dana, to you and your colleagues: It’s so good to see you here today.

It’s my pleasure this morning to welcome the members of the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects. They hosted a great breakfast this morning. I want to thank them for the important work they do in making our communities safe, resilient and inclusive.

I’d like to welcome students here today from Central Peel Secondary School in Brampton. These remarkable students took part in an international space competition at NASA. Out of 26,000 participants, these two teams from Central Peel placed first in their respective categories, and they’re the only Canadian teams to be recognized this year.

I’d like to introduce the students, up on my right: Kashyap Patel, Mashraful Choudhury, Ruhaim Ali, Mehtab Cheema, Anant Duggal, Tanvir Gahunia, Kushal Patel, Pragalva Sharma, Mahimn Patel, Deep Patel, Rehan Jaffar, and Neel Pathak.

They’re joined by their teachers: Kiranbir Sahota, Harbinder Sahota, and Simona Matei.

Congratulations and well done, guys.

Randall Marsh from Port Colborne is page captain today and has very proud family and friends from Niagara visiting in the members’ gallery: Scott and Deonna Marsh, Randall’s parents; Randall’s aunt Darah Wiens and her two children, Deacon and Daytona; his aunt Danielle Randall and her daughter Kennedy, from Fort Erie; and his cousin Jaena.

Welcome to Queen’s Park.

The member for Peterborough–Kawartha on a point of order.

It’s my honour and pleasure today to announce Joan Fisk, who is the executive officer for United Way Waterloo Region Communities and currently the chair of the college of business and economics advisory board at the University of Guelph. She has done wonderful things for our community, and I thank her for it.

I would like to welcome Manny and Roslyn from my office.

You’re not leaving today, but I’m glad that you’re part of our team. Welcome.

I will highlight what the Auditor General’s report on outpatient surgeries in Ontario emphasized—that the experience in other Canadian jurisdictions is that community surgical centres can treat 20% to 30% more patients within the same amount of time. Why are other Canadian jurisdictions doing it, and why is Ontario doing it more? Because we want people to get access to surgery and not sit in wait lines.

I want to give a big shout-out to the students from Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic High School. These amazing students, part of Beaverworx, FRC team 2609, were the champions at the FIRST Robotics world championship in Texas—the only Canadian team to compete in the finals.

Congratulations. You’ve made us proud.