Speaker, through to you the member: The city of Ottawa staff contacted our municipal service office yesterday regarding the spring flooding and requested that a Provincial Disaster Assessment Team be deployed to assess the impact. City staff noted to our ministry that the damage is localized, but it’s significant in some of the neighbourhoods around the Ottawa River. According to municipal staff, they’ve requested that the PDAT team come up. A meeting is scheduled with the city tomorrow.

As all members know, in the spring, there are going to be situations like we’re experiencing in Whitewater, in the member for Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke’s riding. My ministry office is available in all regions of the province to reach out when a provincial disaster team is required.

My question is for the Premier.

Climate change is beginning to have a real and measurable impact on how we live our lives.

In 2017, the city of Ottawa and communities along the Ottawa River were hit with flooding events that had not been seen in 50 years. Hundreds of residents were impacted, including in east Ottawa. Many lost their homes. In 2019, record levels of water returned, and this time only worse. Thousands of residents across the region were affected. The city declared a state of emergency, and the army had to be called in to protect critical infrastructure like water treatment facilities, and neighbourhoods.

After a few years of reprieve, generational flooding has returned to Ottawa. If not for the most recent events, this year would also be the worst flooding in 50 years.

Three generational floods in seven years—homeowners are tired, volunteers are burnt out, and this can’t keep on happening.

What actions is this government going to take to understand exactly what is happening, and, more importantly, what are they going to do to stop it and protect residents from its impacts?

My question is to the Premier.

The Conservative government’s Bill 124 was ruled unconstitutional by the court. Health care workers, the unions representing hundreds of thousands of workers and the general public know that Bill 124 is not only unconstitutional, but it is disrespectful and it specifically targets women-led professions like nursing. Nurses in Windsor-Essex are leaving my community and going to work in Detroit, Michigan, where they are better paid and more respected. Bill 124 continues to push more Canadian nurses to leave Ontario for work.

Speaker, it’s National Nursing Week, and nurses want to know why the Premier is targeting them and other women-led professions by suppressing their wages and appealing the Bill 124 court ruling.

The Premier posted a video for National Nursing Week, and he said, “Nurses are the foundation of our health care system, and I encourage everyone to take time this Nursing Week to thank our wonderful nurses for everything they do.”

To celebrate National Nursing Week, will the Premier stop fighting nurses in court and will he prove his proclaimed gratitude for them by repealing Bill 124 today—or is he just full of it?

Supplementary.

I have a question for the Minister of Energy.

I know that individuals and families in my community, along with people across Ontario, are looking for relief on their home energy costs. While natural gas rates are gradually coming down, the costs remain high, and people are still feeling the financial impact that global economic instability is causing to everyone.

When our government was first elected in 2018, we made a commitment to make life more affordable for Ontario’s families. We must make every effort to deliver on our commitment by providing more ways for Ontarians to take control of their energy bills and encourage energy conservation.

Speaker, can the minister please explain what actions our government is taking to make home heating more affordable and cleaner?

It’s encouraging to hear that our government has introduced yet another way for consumers to keep costs down, save money and take control of their energy bills.

While this is positive news, many individuals and families across our province are struggling with energy costs because of ongoing global economic instability. Our government must show respect for the people of Ontario by continuing to implement programs that offer choices and will help reduce the costs.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how the people of Ontario can benefit from the Clean Home Heating Initiative?

Thank you to the member for that question.

I would like to wish all nurses a happy Nursing Week.

I was actually at Centennial College yesterday and met with a class. It was their first day of nursing, so congratulations to all those new students who are entering the profession.

We’re seeing a record number of students entering into the nursing field because of some of the incentives that we’re offering, like the new Learn and Stay program, which the Minister of Health was acknowledging early on. This is 2,500 students who will have the opportunity for free tuition, to enter into the nursing profession, paramedic, lab tech—all their education covered, with a commitment to stay in their communities for two years.

Another interesting incentive we’re offering is the Community Commitment Program for Nurses, which was launched in June 2022 at selected hospitals in Ontario to address nursing shortages. In fact, in about 10 months, Windsor Regional Hospital has signed up over 200 nurses in this program. This program offers qualified nursing staff $25,000 to sign up and then serve at least two years in a designated community.

I have a quote from the CEO of Windsor Regional Hospital: “It has been hugely successful.”

“‘These government programs have really benefited us with recruiting,’ said Karen Riddell, Windsor Regional Hospital’s chief operating officer and chief nursing executive.

“‘We have another 111 graduates starting this summer. That’s a significant number.

“‘As the province expands these HR strategies, these are really important to maintaining our workforce.’”

That was from Karen Riddell of Windsor Regional Hospital in your riding.

Supplementary.

I want to thank the member from Carleton for being such a champion of those in the skilled trades. I remember being with the member and the local ironworkers at the ironworkers’ training centre in her riding and meeting two young female apprentices who really advocated for the government to improve washrooms and improve PPE for women. So I want to thank the member again.

Speaker, as the Premier and I often say, a career in the skilled trades is truly a career for life. That is why our government is investing more than $1.5 billion over the next several years to get more young people into the trades.

Today, I am pleased to be joined by Serjenka Paul, Malik D’Cruz, Alden Patterson and Abrahan Belisario, who are starting their careers in the skilled trades thanks to the innovative and game-changing future builders scholarship, powered by Scottie Barnes, in partnership with the Skilled Trades College of Canada.

Working with community leaders and role models like Scottie Barnes, we’re going to continue to get more people into the skilled trades.

This is why we’re changing our Employment Ontario system for those on social assistance, to ensure we’re now buying workboots, we’re buying uniforms, we’re buying transit passes. We’re sitting with those on social assistance to ensure they’re writing résumés properly and they know how to enter interviews, to ensure they can get meaningful employment. We’ve made a lot of changes to Employment Ontario throughout the province. In the three regions where we brought forward these changes, I’m proud to announce to the House today that 63,000 people have now gained meaningful employment, filling labour shortages—but most importantly, ensuring that people are providing more income, so they can build families, beyond these careers.

We’re going to continue working every single day for those on social assistance by lifting them up and removing barriers to get into in-demand careers.

In 2017, after the flooding, affected homeowners were able to apply for disaster recovery assistance for Ontarians to cover the cost of the cleanup, repair essential property and their basic expenses. After the flooding in 2019, residents were also afforded that opportunity, and I know it was greatly appreciated.

Unfortunately, after the devastating derecho in 2022 that blew down church steeples, ripped off barn roofs and damaged homes, this government did not offer Ottawa residents that same level of assistance. Many farmers are still reeling from that abandonment.

Now that the flood waters are slowly but surely starting to recede and, apparently, the disaster team from the province is in Ottawa, will this government ensure that affected homeowners in the national capital can apply for disaster assistance relief this time?

According to the member’s own municipal staff, the majority of the permanent homes located in the flood plains appear to have insurance that would cover any losses they receive.

I want to remind all members that the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians program is not to replace insurance; it’s a program that provides the minimum basic requirements as part of it. The member knows that.

As I said, a meeting is scheduled with the ministry and the municipality tomorrow.

Media reports to date suggest that it’s approximately 130 properties that may be impacted, largely in the West Carleton-March ward, which includes the Constance Bay area. This is something we’re going to continue to monitor. I want to assure the member that ministry officials have boots on the ground.

I thank the member opposite for her important question.

Since we were elected in 2018, road safety has been a top priority for our government. I just want to underline the fact that road safety is not a partisan issue. Our government has worked closely with members of the opposition caucus on these important measures because we want to do everything we can to protect our vulnerable road users.

Since September 2018, we’ve implemented important changes that will protect vulnerable road users. We’ve increased penalties for drivers who fail to yield for pedestrians at crosswalks, at crossovers and at school crossings. We’ve increased the maximum fine penalty for all general offences under the Highway Traffic Act.

And we’ve introduced a new offence for careless driving causing death or bodily harm, with penalties that include fines, licence suspensions and imprisonment. This offence carries the longest prison term of any penalty in the Highway Traffic Act.

But this is not a one-and-done issue. It’s an ongoing priority, and we’re going to continue to work with Ontarians—

Our government introduced community safety zones around schools for this specific issue, to make sure that drivers take extra care when they are driving around our most vulnerable, our children. We have allowed municipalities to introduce this around schools, and we’re doing everything we can to support community safety zone implementation across Ontario. We understand that in 2021 alone, over 250,000 tickets were issued to vehicles that were captured by speed cameras that were noticing speeding in these community safety zones.

We’re going to continue to support our municipalities as they take the measures that they can to protect vulnerable road users, especially around schools, and we’re going to continue to do what we can to make sure that our roads are among the safest anywhere in North America.

My question is for the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

Ontario is currently facing a historic shortage of skilled workers across nearly every trade. Simply put, Ontario needs more workers. The numbers are staggering: It’s projected that 72,000 workers will be needed by 2027 in the construction sector alone. However, with so many unfilled jobs, it’s concerning that the average age of an apprentice is 29 years old. Young people need to be provided with the opportunities to launch into these well-paying and life-long careers.

Speaker, through you: Can the minister please explain how our government is supporting young people in gaining the skills they need to address our province’s overwhelming demand for skilled tradespeople?

Mr. Speaker, when speaking about getting more people into the skilled trades and how the labour shortage is hurting Ontario’s economic potential—we need to remove barriers for those who don’t currently have jobs but who want to work. Most people who are unemployed or receiving social assistance want to work.

Currently, there are nearly 700,000 people in Ontario who are on social assistance, many of whom are seeking employment. However, some of these individuals may need assistance with retraining and other supports so that their skills better match the jobs of today.

Our government must focus on implementing programs that provide practical help for individuals to secure a fulfilling career to support themselves and their families.

Through you, Mr. Speaker: Can the minister please explain how our government is supporting Ontarians in securing gainful work?

I can’t believe some of the lines of questioning we get from the New Democratic Party, given the fact that we’ve increased our Homelessness Prevention Program by $202 million—and in the city of Toronto, by an additional $48 million. We continue to work with our service managers, and we continue to work with the federal government.

It’s interesting that this member asks a question about a cost-shared program under the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit, as part of the National Housing Strategy. This member and his party refused to stand up for tenants and citizens in asking for our fair share of federal dollars. We’re being shortchanged $490 million by the federal government, and the NDP continue to sit on their hands.

Again, we put a plan in place that has seen, in the last two years, a record amount of purpose-built rental construction in our province, something that every community, no matter what corner of the province you’re in—we need more purpose-built rentals. What have we seen? Last year, 15,000 new purpose-built rental starts, and the year before, over 13,000—the highest we’ve seen since the mid-1980s. Again, we continue to work with our municipal partners, we continue to put a plan in place.

I want to remind this member—the NDP have sort of amnesia when they come to the House. Here’s a party that continues to vote against all of the housing support that we give. They want high fees, high taxes on our non-profits and our affordable housing—

I’m going to try, but first I want to thank the member from Hastings–Lennox and Addington for his amazing job and the important contributions he makes to our caucus.

It’s that time of year. Spring is finally here across northern Ontario. Leaders from across our vast region meet for an opportunity to discuss best practices every year—especially for the past five, under the leadership of this Premier, and the commitment from the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, to join municipal leaders and talk about the opportunities across northern Ontario. That was in full display in Thunder Bay. What a lineup: Ministers Surma, Clark, Dunlop, Lecce, Pirie, Smith, and, of course, what I fondly like to call the minister for Thunder Bay, our amazing parliamentary assistant, Kevin Holland. We made a direct pitch to the importance of business expansion and development—179 job placements, to the tune of $7.8 million. We’re on fire—

I made a bit of a pivot. There are so many beautiful small towns up there in northeastern Ontario, and they appreciate our community development tranche that we put into the NOHFC when we modernized it, to the tune of $5 million. We talked about Blind River and rehabilitating their curling club; the township of St. Joseph and rehabilitating a children’s library; Gore Bay and upgrading the harbourfront and making it more accessible. These are the things that matter to young families and retirees in our community—good, hard-working families who want a great quality of life. We remain committed to just that.

My question is for the Minister of Colleges and Universities.

Ontario’s labour shortage is at a crisis point, particularly in the skilled trades. The impact that the shortage of workers is having on our province is reflected in the number of job vacancies, as well as in the supply chain challenges and higher prices for services.

We know that building a stronger Ontario where people and businesses can thrive starts with our youth. By strengthening and investing in our skilled trades and apprenticeship system, we can ensure that Ontario’s younger generation will be best prepared for the jobs of today and tomorrow.

Can the minister please explain what our government is doing to increase the number of skilled trade workers?

While it’s great to hear how our government is prioritizing the skilled trades, it’s important to recognize that opportunities have not been equal for all Ontarians who are interested in this sector. The stigma that has developed around being a tradesperson remains a barrier that many individuals, particularly young women, have encountered in trying to pursue a career in this field. In 2021, women represented less than 4% of workers in automotive and construction skilled trades.

Our government must address the ongoing labour shortage across our province by recognizing and supporting the vital role that women have in building a stronger Ontario.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is creating better conditions for women to enter and succeed in the trades?

Paul, a tenant in my riding, was saved from homelessness thanks to the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit. This subsidy was supposed to last until spring 2024, but after the government slashed funds to this program, the funds are now set to run out by the end of the month in Toronto.

Will this government properly fund this program to keep individuals and families from ending up on the streets?

The government must take responsibility for the out-of-control cost of rent right now. There is an immediate solution, and it’s called rent control. Tenants don’t have time to wait for a market adjustment. They need relief right now.

Will this government support the NDP’s call to bring back rent control right now?

Thank you very much. The supplementary question.

Thank you to the member for that great question.

Growing up in a family of plumbers, I witnessed first-hand the importance of tradespeople and the value that they contribute to the local community.

Our government is committed to addressing labour shortages head-on, and that starts with post-secondary education. That is why we continue to advocate and promote our Ontario colleges’ skilled trades and apprenticeship programs across the province. To further enhance opportunities for college students to enter the workforce with job-ready skills, our government expanded the degrees that colleges can offer to now include new, three-year degrees and more four-year degrees in applied areas of study. Our government also invested $60 million of funding to support Ontario’s first micro-credentials strategy and expanded OSAP to ensure that they are eligible, to help workers retain and upgrade their skills.

As Ontario faces a growing labour shortage in the skilled trades, we are making the necessary adjustments for students to enter skilled trades programs, because when you have a job in the trades, you have a reliable career for life.

My question is for the Minister of Indigenous Affairs and Northern Development.

For so long under the previous Liberal government, so many opportunities to foster economic growth across northern Ontario were lost or ignored. The strengths, the assets and the abilities found in so many of our rural, remote and Indigenous communities were ignored. As a result, their full potential has never been realized.

Our government must respect the people of northern Ontario, and we must implement solutions that will allow all Ontarians to have more opportunities to create and expand their economic potential. Our government must continue to invest in programs and projects that will help keep northern Ontario competitive and current.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is supporting prosperity and opportunities in northern Ontario?

It’s encouraging that our government is supporting common sense measures that will continue to build prosperity across northern Ontario. Many communities across the north are eager to take advantage of these opportunities that will help create jobs and expand business operations.

Our government must continue to work with our northern partners to build a stronger Ontario. The people across the north are counting on our government to deliver on our commitment to invest in key priorities that are relevant and important to their communities.

Can the minister please expand on how our government is continuing to invest in projects that will strengthen communities in northern Ontario?