We had caucus on Tuesday mornings then, not in the afternoon, and Bill would show up for caucus at the last minute with a bacon sandwich, heaped with bacon. Why ruin a sandwich with lettuce and tomato, right? I’ve been told on good authority that more than once, down in the cafeteria when he thought they weren’t moving fast enough, he went around the counter and made his own bacon sandwich. That was Bill. And do you know what? He would always make sure he got enough bacon on that sandwich. But he always brought a real perspective to the table in caucus—always—and you can rest assured that we learned a lot from Bill. As rural members, we learned something from Bill: that at caucus, you don’t have to be shy. You need to bring that rural perspective.

And then that same day, Tuesday, we sat in the afternoon and Bill would always get the first statement. He would get the first statement, and then he would be out of here like a rocket back to the riding to serve his people—or maybe down to the Bognor swamp to make another case of Billy Beer; I don’t know. But he would get out of here on Tuesdays.

He also had, as you mentioned, what I would consider to be—and I know people say it’s believed to be—the largest hockey jersey collection privately held in Canada. It’s amazing: 700, maybe 800 jerseys. But I know this: If it’s the biggest one in Canada, it’s the biggest one in the world, because there ain’t nobody else out there who loves hockey like we do.

So I got to visit Bill’s farm one time—you’re talking about a farmer. I went to see Bill at his farm, and when he wasn’t out fighting for the little guy and he wasn’t brewing down in the swamp, he loved it on that tractor. I showed up unannounced one day, and there’s Bill in his glory, shirtless. The sun was beating down; it must have been 107 degrees. And he was as happy as you-know-what, sitting on that tractor and cutting hay, because that’s where he wanted to be.

Talking about Bognor, Norm Sterling was telling me that Bill came in one time and apologized. He said, “I know I’m not supposed to do that. I’m not supposed to be going to those people directly, but I went to the liquor board and I said, ‘You’ve got to get a cooler for the beer in the liquor store in Bognor because they need cold beer just like you guys.’ But I apologize”—he actually apologized for doing it. But that was Bill Murdoch. He felt those people down in Bognor needed a cooler? They’re getting a cooler.

You talked about the Tombstones musicians. Bill couldn’t sing, but he was the manager of the band. Not only was it the Tombstones—and they built that music hall of fame, they started it—but they also used a retired hearse as their vehicle for driving around to shows.

I got to sing down in Keady one time. Bill called me down to come and do a fundraiser for him. So we’re down in Keady, and that’s when I first met Susan, his wife. So I got to sing at the fundraiser and I sang with Susan. And after, when we got back to Queen’s Park, I said to Bill, “How in the name of Sam Hill,” as they say, “did you ever land something like Susan?”—a beautiful, charming woman with the voice of a nightingale. I said, “Bill, how did you do it?” He just laughed at me: “Yak, that’s my secret.”

But you’ve got to know that a guy is comfortable in his own skin when, one day, Bill comes into the caucus and says, “Yak, take a look at this.” I say, “What?” He shows me a picture, and I said, “What is that, Bill?” “Well, that’s a picture of my colonoscopy. Don’t you think that it’s in good shape?” He shows me a picture—because that was Bill Murdoch. He was so comfortable in who Bill Murdoch was, he says, “Yak, have a look at this.”

I got a chance to speak to Bill before he died, and nothing had changed. He was still the same Bill Murdoch, the one we shake our heads at, but the one that, deep down, you just got to love. He stuck to his principles: the principles he came here with were the principles he left with, and the principles that he retained until the good Lord called him. Bill believed in his people, he believed in the little guy, and he believed that if you or me or anybody else has a chance to stand up for the little guy, that’s our job.

I want to thank the family—Susan and all of the family joining with us today. I know, Speaker, you listed—did you list everybody’s names? Yes, you did; thank you very much—because I was so enthralled with all of other stuff. I want to thank you all not only for being here today but for sharing this unique and wonderful man, not only with us but with all of the people of Ontario. We miss him dearly. He leaves a legacy that, I dare say, will never be repeated ever again. God bless Bill Murdoch. Rest in peace.

Applause.

If you seek it, you will find unanimous consent to allow members to make statements of remembrance of the late Ms. Phyllis Marion Boyd, with five minutes allotted to independent members as a group, five minutes allotted to His Majesty’s government and five minutes allotted to His Majesty’s loyal Opposition.

It’s an honour to rise today to pay tribute to Marion Boyd, who sadly passed away in October 2022 at the age of 76 and was MPP from London Centre from 1990 to 1999.

To describe Marion Boyd as anything less than a trailblazer would not be doing her justice. Born here in Toronto, Mrs. Boyd was a proud alumnus of Glendon College in my riding of Don Valley West, and it was at Glendon where she met her husband, Terry, as first-year students. Thank you, Terry and the rest of Marion’s family and friends, for being here today.

Mrs. Boyd was a proud feminist, organizer and believer in social justice, and it was those traits that resulted in her impressive and fruitful life. As an administrator at York University, she was successful in organizing the first union contract for faculty members. Afterwards she moved to London, where she served as the executive director of the London Battered Women’s Advocacy Clinic. In that role, and in many other projects, she fought tirelessly to support women facing abuse, a cause she would continue to fight for during and after her political career.

In 1990, she had a big win. She defeated sitting Premier David Peterson in a major upset and was immediately sworn into Premier Bob Rae’s cabinet where she would remain until the NDP government’s defeat in 1995. She was first appointed Minister of Education before serving as Minister of Community and Social Services, but of course she’s most well known for being the first woman to serve as Attorney General. For most of her time in cabinet, she also served concurrently as the minister responsible for women’s issues.

Her most famous moment, of course, was Bill 167, the Equality Rights Statute Amendment Act, which would have enshrined rights for same-sex couples similar to those of straight ones. While, regretfully, the Legislature voted against this proposed law, this bill was forward-thinking and one of the first of its kind in Ontario, in the country and in the whole world, and I commend Mrs. Boyd for taking the initiative to do what was right and stand up for the LGBTQ community even though this position was unpopular at the time. That kind of resolve is what inspires me and, I’m sure, many of us still sitting in the chamber today.

When the NDP government fell, Mrs. Boyd retained her seat and dutifully served as her party’s critic for justice and native issues until her loss following redistricting in 1999.

Today, we remember Marion Boyd for her tenacity, her spirit, her commitment to fighting for what is right, and I thank her friends and family for joining us here today to honour her and her illustrious life.

I appreciate the opportunity to rise in the Legislature today to give tribute on behalf of the government to former MPP Marion Boyd.

Now, Marion and I did not travel in the same political circles, as my friends across the aisle will understand. I didn’t know her well, but I came to respect her immensely. In preparing this tribute, I was reading her obituary the other day and some of the tributes that came out after her death last fall, and the quote that stuck to me was simply, “Marion’s life of service is a gift to be treasured.” We hear that a lot: life of service. We all do it. I get it, but when you read about her life and what she advocated for and how she led, Marion’s life truly was of service and a gift to be treasured.

When preparing this tribute as well, I don’t think anyone can say that her life wasn’t a commitment to community—London in particular—our province and our country. As was said, she ran provincially in 1985 as the NDP candidate and lost. She ran again in London North Centre in 1987 and lost. Persistent as she was, she ran for the NDP federally in London East during the 1988 free-trade election and lost. But in 1990, Ms. Boyd, through perseverance yet again, was successfully elected to the Legislature as the member for London Centre.

I remember this very well, Speaker, because I lived at that time in London Centre. And who was our MPP, but none other than—and actually a very good friend of mine—then-Premier David Peterson. So what was so significant about that night was, obviously, there was a change in government; a pretty big swing. And I remembered the then-Premier-elect saying, “I guess it wasn’t such a bad idea for an election after all.” I think somebody else was elected in that election, if I’m not mistaken, Speaker, but those of us in London were really taken aback by the defeat of the Premier in that seat, and a significant defeat it was. The upset sent shockwaves through the city and the province and, I can say, as a Tory knocking on doors in that election in that riding, which we knew we weren’t going to win, it was astounding. It was an amazing upset; it was an amazing victory. And her perseverance certainly showed the way.

As I said, I met her a few times—not a lot. But, again, when I did talk to her and when we did speak, she really wasn’t as partisan as you might think. She really cared about the community and we’ll hear, I’m sure, about the many things she advocated for.

As we all know, she was appointed Minister of Education on October 1, 1990, by then-Premier Bob Rae. While holding this position, Premier Rae decided to add the minister responsible for women’s issues to her portfolio in 1991. It was a great addition to her responsibilities as she was widely known as a feminist, which—okay. But forget that. I’d like to take the word “feminist” away. She advocated for things she truly believed in and was an organizer.

Before becoming an MPP, she was the executive director of the London Battered Women’s Advocacy Clinic—that I remember being on and sat on the committee—to end woman abuse. While holding the position of minister responsible for women’s issues, she led a campaign against domestic violence. In many ways, she was ahead of her time.

Back to politics: She became the Minister of Community and Social Services in 1991 and remained in that role until 1993, when she became, as was said, Ontario’s first female Attorney General, paving the way for future women to hold this position, such as Ministers Madeleine Meilleur and Caroline Mulroney. As well, Ms. Boyd was the first non-lawyer to hold that position—I don’t know if that ever happened before or since in this House, but I rather doubt it.

She was once quoted as saying, “So many people don’t have the same opportunities, yet when you get to know them as individuals they have just as much potential.” This must have been what Premier Rae and her colleagues experienced when they got to know Marion. I’ve been told from people who’ve sat in this House that at the time they saw her as a capable and well-respected leader.

After the 1995 election, Marion went on to serve as the MPP for London Centre until 1999. Impressively, she was one of only 17 NDP members who retained their seats in the 1995 provincial election and went on, while in opposition, to hold key positions within the NDP caucus, highlighting again her strong advocacy skills and leadership abilities.

As I wrap up, I’d like to take time to recognize her family members, who I’ll come up to and say hello to in a few minutes if you would allow me, please, and thank you for your attendance. After politics, I think everyone knows Marion continued her life of community service. In 2000, she was appointed chair of the Task Force on the Health Effects of Woman Abuse. She also served as a bencher on the Law Society of Upper Canada and as an adjudicator with the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.

Marion Boyd served her family, her constituents, her province and her country with excellence and distinction. God bless Marion Boyd. Her treasured gifts of service will be missed.

I recognize the member for Elgin–Middlesex–London.

I rise today to honour the life and legacy of my friend and mentor Marion Boyd: Ontario’s first woman—and first non-lawyer—Attorney General; former Minister of Education, Minister of Community and Social Services and minister responsible for women’s issues; a bencher at the Law Society of Upper Canada; a licensed lay worship leader in the United Church; and a lifelong champion for social justice.

It’s always a privilege for MPPs to pay tribute to those who came before us, but it is a rare opportunity to be able to publicly thank and celebrate a former MPP who had such a profound influence on my own life and my standing before you today.

Like many Ontarians, I first learned of Marion Boyd on September 6, 1990, when she gained fame as the NDP “giant-killer” who defeated former Liberal Premier David Peterson in the riding of London Centre. Shortly afterwards, I came to Queen’s Park myself, as a staffer in the NDP government, where I was in awe of and definitely intimidated by Marion Boyd. She was so strong, so principled, so competent, so inspiring, so clear-eyed and unwavering in her vision and commitment to social justice.

To many of us—and, I’m sure, to the leader of the official opposition—Marion was already a feminist icon when she arrived in office because of her remarkable record of advocacy and achievement as executive director of the London Battered Women’s Advocacy Centre.

Irene Mathyssen, elected alongside Marion in London–Fanshawe in 1990, remembers Marion’s incredible courage, integrity and leadership in the London community. Marion was at the table when the London Coordinating Committee to End Woman Abuse was established, Ontario’s first VAW coordinating committee. Marion worked tirelessly with the London Police Service to make London the first community to implement mandatory charging, raising local, provincial and national awareness of domestic violence as a criminal offence. Marion was there to march in London’s first Pride parade. She helped organize London’s first Take Back the Night march.

Here at Queen’s Park, Marion continued to make a difference for women, children and marginalized communities in this province, especially in her role as Attorney General. In 1992, the Morgentaler Clinic was firebombed. Death threats were made against doctors, and women seeking abortions were intimidated and harassed. As Attorney General, Marion worked immediately and closely with her cabinet colleague and then-health minister Frances Lankin to initiate and implement a legal injunction for no-protest zones around abortion clinics and hospitals that protected women’s access to health care until provincial legislation was passed in 2017. This was, her family told me, one of her proudest accomplishments.

Recalling that experience and their time together as MPPs, Frances Lankin describes Marion as brave, strong and tough, someone whose positions on issues were always carefully considered and well thought out.

Of course, Marion will forever be remembered for her courage in bringing forward Bill 167, legislation that prohibited discrimination against same-sex couples. Although the bill failed in a free vote, Marion paved the way for recognition of equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community and was delighted to be vindicated five years later by the Supreme Court ruling. I was here for Marion’s leadoff speech on that bill, in which she brilliantly referenced the Canadian family known to the world as representing the best in family values: Matthew Cuthbert; his sister, Marilla; and their adopted child, Anne Shirley. In using the example of Anne of Green Gables, Marion spoke to the obligation of recognizing that families come in many different forms and all are equally deserving of support. I knew in that moment that Marion was more than a feminist icon; she was also a kindred spirit.

After the 1995 election, I moved into Marion’s riding and was excited to become involved in her NDP riding association. I came to know her warmth and her kindness, her generosity and compassion, her deep connections with the NDP volunteers who had helped her through six campaigns, from her first three runs for office to her electoral successes in 1990 and 1995 to her final campaign in 1999.

Marion had a smile that could light up a room, often with a twinkle in her eye and an infectious, impish grin.

Another of her cabinet colleagues, Marilyn Churley, said, “Marion was a saint among us, but a saint with a wicked sense of humour and a lovely, sparkling laugh.”

Marion was also deeply committed to supporting and encouraging other women to stand for elected office, and I was a direct beneficiary of that when deciding to run for the school board in 2000. She said, of course, I should, and took out her chequebook to write me my first campaign donation. Although she had moved out of London by 2013 when the by-election was called in London West, she was one of the first people I talked to about running. Her confidence and steadfast support were instrumental in my decision.

Marion’s passion for social justice was matched only by her deeply held faith and her love of family. Family meant everything to Marion: her loving husband, Terry; and dear friend and confidant, Joseph Dunlop-Addley; her cherished daughter, Tina, who sadly passed away in 2017; her parents, and especially her mother, Dorothy, who Marion shared an apartment with in Toronto while serving at Queen’s Park; her siblings, their spouses and their children; and her large close-knit extended family circle. I want to welcome all of Marion’s family members and friends who have joined us today, and especially my own long-time friends Terry and Joseph.

On behalf of this Legislature, I offer our deepest condolences for your loss and our profound gratitude for Marion’s distinguished life of public service which made life better for so many Ontarians.

Applause.

Speaker, if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent to allow members to make statements in remembrance of the late Mr. Keith MacDonald, with five minutes allotted to His Majesty’s government, five minutes allotted to His Majesty’s loyal opposition and five minutes allotted to the independent members as a group.

We give thanks for the life and public service of Marion Boyd.

Today we are honoured to remember and pay tribute to a former member of our provincial Legislature, the late Mr. Keith McDonald, who was the MPP for Prince Edward–Lennox during the 34th Parliament.

Joining us in the Speaker’s gallery is Mr. McDonald’s granddaughter Monica Lindsay, and also in the Speaker’s gallery are David Warner, the Speaker during the 35th Parliament; Steve Gilchrist, the MPP for Scarborough East during the 36th and 37th Parliament; and Marilyn Churley, who was the member for Riverdale and also the member for Toronto–Danforth.

I recognize the Minister of Energy.

It’s always an honour to stand in this Legislature. Today, it is an honour to pay tribute on behalf of the official opposition to the late Keith MacDonald, a fellow deputy whip. Keith MacDonald, the former MPP for Prince Edward–Lennox, passed away March 30, 2021. He served in Ontario’s 34th Parliament between 1987 and 1990. In 1989, he was elected chairman of the eastern Ontario government caucus.

We are pleased today to be joined by his granddaughter Monica Lindsay; Karen Haslam, the MPP for Perth during the 35th Parliament; David Warner, the Speaker during the 35th Parliament; and also former parliamentarian Steve Gilchrist.

I had the pleasure to speak with Matt Ronan, Keith’s stepdaughter’s partner. Through this conversation and through his very gracious email, I gained greater appreciation and understanding of the incredible work and dedication that Mr. MacDonald provided throughout his political career and community involvement.

Speaker, I could not be as expressive on the life of a man whom I have never met, so I would like to read the very eloquent submission from his stepson-in-law Matt. Matt writes:

“Keith MacDonald was a farmer, an athlete and, as a lifelong politician, a fierce advocate for the people of Prince Edward county. A descendent of Loyalists, Keith farmed his land on the shore of Prince Edward county his entire life. Keith and his family ran the family farm on land that is now Sandbanks Provincial Park and ran a resort, Lakeland Lodge, on the same land.

“Keith did not have children of his own to pass the farm that was in his family since approximately 1814. He sold the land to the Ontario government to extend the boundaries of Sandbanks Provincial Park in the 1970s. Working with the provincial park, Keith continued to farm his land until 2020.

“It was difficult for him to see the farm, his farmland, reforested, but I know he was proud that this land would be shared with all who visit. When walking the new provincial park trails in the Sandbanks, you can read the family history and their relationship with the land on the many historical plaques placed by the parks.

“Keith was a hard-working, scrappy athlete who excelled in sports. Despite his many medals and him being a member of the 1959 world championship Belleville McFarlands hockey team, Keith would always say that it was his drive and work ethic that earned him a position on championship teams and not his underlying talent.

“Keith was a grinder who took and gave beatings. By the time he was 70 he had his hips and knees replaced multiple times. He literally could not lift his arm more than halfway up because of the damage he had done to his shoulder. His doctor said it was like he was sewing into wet cardboard when he went to surgically repair it the last time. This did not stop Keith. He would simply find a way to get the job done.

“Loved by the fans and the teammates and despised by the opponents, Keith truly had the respect of them all.

“At one point, Keith was given the opportunity to join the Detroit Red Wings. While he loved hockey, he could not stray far from his farm and returned home to Prince Edward county.

“Prince Edward county was his life. Keith served the people of Prince Edward county and the Bay of Quinte for over 50 years. In that capacity, he was the same scrappy, hard-nosed person as he was in hockey and farming. As a representative of the people, he was tenacious in support and worked hard on their behalf. As MPP, he served with pride, and while he lost in the next election and the NDP rose to power in Ontario, he was not saddened to be coming home to his farm and the people of his county.

“He would go on serving the community after losing his first wife to cancer.

“Later in life, Keith married another well-known local politician, Eleanor Lindsay. Eleanor Toby Lindsay was the first female warden of the county and was an environmentalist who also fought hard to preserve the beauty that is Prince Edward county. Keith took pride in Eleanor’s accomplishments and always boasted of her passion for the county. Having no children of his own, Keith was welcomed into the family by Eleanor’s children, Jennifer and Jim Lindsay, and their partners, Matthew Ronan and Lisa Lindsay.

“Keith relished family dinners and always wanted to discuss and debate local politics. While he knew how to create the debate, he was more interested in hearing the views of his new family and was interested in getting the views of the younger generation. Soon after, Keith and Eleanor became grandparents of five and the family farm became the place for the grandchildren—Gavin and William Ronan; and Mallory, Monica and Max Lindsay—to explore and learn to interact with nature. He was very proud and supportive of his family.

“In late January 2021, Keith’s health declined, and he had a long stay at Belleville General Hospital, and the end was imminent. Keith was stubborn and would not pass away until he returned to his beloved Prince Edward county, where he passed away with his family by his side. He will be missed but not forgotten.

“In Keith MacDonald’s own words”—and Matt quotes—“‘I lost as many fights as I won, but I could go out there and help the team by playing my style and doing whatever I could, and I was going to do it.’”

Thank you, Matt, for sharing these words with us today, because they were definitely eloquent and well written.

As you can see, Speaker, Keith MacDonald was a giant of a man and so well loved by his family and community. It’s always a pleasure to be able to pay tribute to previous members of this Legislature. As you heard previously, we will also be those people, so it is always a great honour.

Thank you to the family for sharing Keith with the province of Ontario. It’s definitely a better place because of him. Thank you so much.

The member for Hamilton Mountain.

Point of order, Speaker.

I move that, in the opinion of this House, the Ministry of Education should continue its advocacy to education stakeholders in the province of Ontario, such as school boards, faculties of education and the Ontario College of Teachers to strengthen professional learning on mental health for educators and school staff, keeping in mind strategies to support mental health and well-being with a focus on social-emotional learning skills, mindfulness, outdoor learning and physical activity initiatives with advice from local health units and approaches that foster a welcoming, safe and inclusive environment.

Speaker, my motion presented today is geared towards enhancing community safety, reducing violent and aggressive behaviours, increasing mindfulness and facilitating resiliency amongst youth by providing them with adequate mental health supports and practices in schools. Ontario’s children and youth need more mental health supports to better succeed. With this motion, students will better be supported in school and will see increased energy levels, concentration and optimism, resulting in a better overall academic performance.

According to the Ontario Child Health Study from 2019, approximately one in five Ontario students between the ages of four to 17 years old meet the criteria of at least one mental health matter that they would like or need support for. From 2019 to 2021, the need for mental health supports for youth increased from 35% to 43%. That’s exactly why we need to bolster mental health supports for our students, and that’s simply what our government, led by Premier Ford, intends to do.

In my riding of Brampton East, we have hundreds of families that rely on school boards for support to do their part in raising the future of Ontario when there isn’t appropriate help readily accessible. It has long-term effects on the students and those around them. Many concerned parents have brought forward incidents of their child feeling isolated or stressed due to academic and social factors. Ontario has a diversified population of families, eager to work hard and establish a brighter tomorrow. Through hard work and sacrifice, these families should have peace of mind, knowing that adequate supports are available to help their children face mental health pressures.

Speaker, just under half of the students part of the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey report that, in the past year, there was a time where they wanted to talk to someone about a mental health problem but didn’t know who to turn to. We understand that students spend a great deal of their day at school and can naturally wish to turn to their teacher for support when struggling with mental health.

Our province’s teachers and education staff do an impeccable job of nurturing students and play a significant role in their development. They often go above and beyond their basic responsibilities, investing extra effort to understand each student’s unique needs and providing personalized support. They design engaging lessons, facilitate classroom discussions and encourage critical thinking and creativity. However, our educators are not trained mental health professionals.

Speaker, struggling with mental health can naturally lead to negative repercussions which can impact students’ lives and cause them to react drastically. This can be in the form of avoiding classes, having difficulty making friends and/or behaving differently with teachers and classmates. In more extreme situations, it can also lead to students acting out through violent acts and aggressive behaviours.

With this motion, our government, through the Ministry of Education, will be able to better equip and train our province’s educators with the appropriate resources they need to support students and help them overcome the mental health struggles that they may face.

A recent study conducted by the Toronto School Administrators’ Association reported that nearly three quarters of principals and vice-principals at Toronto schools are finding it increasingly difficult to manage student behaviour, with many of them expressing a concern about the rise in violence.

There is stigma amongst youth when it comes to talking about mental health, and instead of seeking help and support, youth tend to act out and express themselves in a manner with negative connotations. To address this concern and reduce the stigma, this advocacy campaign needs to be implemented to provide students with a safe space that they can feel heard.

Speaker, as many of you have heard, there are six schools in Mississauga and Brampton that were targets of online threats to “shoot them up.” While the Peel and Dufferin-Peel Catholic school boards and Peel Regional Police do a phenomenal job of protecting our families and loved ones, we need to take preventative approaches to reduce crime in schools by providing accessible mental health resources.

This past week, we had a concerned mother come into my constituency office with a heartbreaking but eye-opening story. Her son was physically bullied at school, but didn’t feel comfortable telling anybody about it and instead made the excuse of feeling sick and avoiding going to school. While at school, he was bullied and faced aggression from his bully, and he was physically injured as a result.

On the other side, when you look at the other side of the story, we have a bully that’s acting out violently by injuring another student, likely in response to unaddressed or unresolved feelings. With the support of mental health, maybe that can be solved as well. While our educators do an amazing job instilling knowledge and teaching students the curriculum, they’re not always equipped to identify and recognize distress signals and mental health concerns among students.

Speaker, I’m moving this motion today in response to the countless stories such as this that I’ve heard from concerned parents, to address the growing epidemic of students needing mental health supports in order to provide them with better, nurturing classroom environments.

The previous Liberal government, with the support of the NDP, failed to understand the severity of such instances and the need for sufficient in-school supports for students and staff. They failed to provide sufficient funding to school boards to ensure that all students had access to mental health supports and services that they needed and that there were enough mental health professionals accessible to provide that adequate support. I hope they now recognize this shortcoming and support this motion.

It’s critical to have educators and school staff equipped to handle various situations so they can embed mental health promotion into the education experience and help foster a safe and inclusive classroom environment. Simply put, our government gets it. That’s why we have already made strides in paving the way for better mental health resources for these students. Every year since 2018, we have consistently increased funding to support student mental health in Ontario. For the current school year alone, we invested $90 million, which is roughly five times the amount we initially invested in 2018, which is a nearly 555% increase.

In November 2022, the Ministry of Education conducted a consultation with community stakeholders to identify and highlight what’s happening in schools and the greater community in relation to mental health and to review the coordination of mental health resources and services in schools. Ultimately, this consultation led to the recommendation of embedding age-appropriate mental health learning and resources throughout the curriculum. Our government took prompt action on this issue, and in just five months, we executed a plan to integrate mental health learning and materials for grade 7 and 8 student curriculums. We also introduced mandatory learning on mental health literacy for grade 10 students, which will help cover key topics such as how to recognize signs of being overwhelmed or struggling, as well as how to access help when needed.

I would like to commend our Minister of Education, Minister Lecce, and his ministry team, as well as MPP Pierre for their dedication and action in delivering our government’s commitments to support students and help them succeed.

Speaker, an advocacy campaign like the one I’m moving today will not only continue to build our government’s priority of supporting the mental health and well-being of students and staff across the province but also act as a proactive and preventative measure to increase mindfulness, decrease violence and aggressive acts, facilitate resiliency and, ultimately, enhance community safety. It will also focus on providing educators with social-emotional learning practices that can be introduced into the classroom routine to promote mindfulness and facilitate a suitable learning environment. Finally, the campaign will focus on establishing healthy relations between educators, students and peers in order to foster healthy and welcoming inclusive classrooms.

Providing targeted training on mental health strategies such as social-emotional learning skills, mindfulness and physical activity initiatives will allow for educators to become well equipped with the tools and resources they require to support good student mental health and will allow them to become someone for struggling students to turn to and seek support from.

School Mental Health Ontario is an organization that focuses on supporting the mental health and well-being of students and is our province’s official school mental health implementation partner. In line with the motion being moved here today, they believe that to create a mentally healthy school, as a whole-school approach, which they ask to be adopted—which means that mental health promotion should be integrated into all aspects of the educational environment, curriculum and practices.

They also stated the following: “Schools are a critical part of the overall mental health care system in Ontario for children and youth. The role is focused on wellness promotion, prevention, and early intervention. The goal is to help young people flourish while reducing the number of students in need of intensive mental health supports.”

By focusing on wellness promotion, prevention and early intervention, our government can help schools better develop students, their skills and the resilience they need to maintain good mental health while also identifying and addressing issues before they become more serious. By prioritizing mental health training for educators and school staff through this campaign, we can ensure students in Ontario have access to the support they need to thrive both academically and socially. This advocacy campaign is catered to supporting students, which will lead to better outcomes in both the short and long term, including improved academic performance; stronger interpersonal relationships with peers, teachers and families; and better overall well-being.

In summary, the motion I am moving today is asking for this House to support the Ministry of Education in spearheading an advocacy campaign to encourage educators in implementing mental health practices in their classrooms and provide them with the appropriate resources to do so. This will result in mentally healthy classrooms and will facilitate academic student success which ultimately will lead to greater community safety.

To achieve this goal, the campaign will focus on key implementation strategies mentioned earlier which include: outdoor learning opportunities and emotional well-being practices that can be utilized for all grades; providing educators with social-emotional learning practices; and fostering welcoming and inclusive classroom environments. Together, we can make a difference and ensure that all students in Ontario have the tools they need to thrive.

And then as these new resources are implemented, our ministry, supported by the PA, has been working very hard to make sure that these resources are available for grade 7 and 8 students and teachers as well as they revise the grade 10 curriculum to include mental health literacy.

As I mentioned before, most mental health issues developed between the ages of 15 to 24 during the COVID pandemic, and through this motion we’ll be able to better support them.

If you seek it, I’m sure you will find unanimous consent to see the clock at 6.

It’s an honour to rise today to pay tribute to Keith MacDonald. Born July 18, 1927, Keith MacDonald was elected to the Ontario Legislature on September 10, 1987. Mr. MacDonald proudly served the riding of Prince Edward–Lennox until 1990. He brought the voice of the rural community right here to Queen’s Park under the Liberal Party of Ontario. During his term, he was named deputy government whip and served on two standing committees.

Mr. MacDonald was not only an MPP, but also a lifetime farmer and a member of the Cattlemen’s Association of Ontario. He raised cattle and crops all over Prince Edward county. Mr. MacDonald attended his final cattle auction in Hoards Station in January 2021.

What is also clear is his love for sports. As a youth, Mr. MacDonald was actively involved in baseball, softball, tennis and hockey. His participation in hockey continued as he managed and sponsored teams. Mr. MacDonald was a referee for the Ontario Hockey Association for many years. As a player, he rose to prominence locally as a member of the Belleville McFarlands hockey club that captured the Allan Cup in a seven-game series contested in Kelowna, British Columbia, and then the world championship the following year in Prague. He is lovingly memorialized at the Prince Edward County Sports Hall of Fame, where he was the first approved member.

Mr. MacDonald’s long history of community involvement includes terms as councillor, deputy reeve and reeve of Hallowell township, as well as warden of Prince Edward county. He was a tireless public servant and aimed to serve his community well. I’m sure he is remembered as fondly in Prince Edward county as he is here at Queen’s Park.

Keith MacDonald passed away peacefully at Hospice Prince Edward, Picton, on Saturday, March 27, 2021, at the age of 93. At the end of his long life, surrounded by his loved ones, I hope he was proud of all he accomplished for his community and of his years of public service, both in this chamber and outside of it.

Thank you to Monica Lindsay, Keith MacDonald’s granddaughter, who is here today; Karen Haslam, MPP for Perth during the 35th Parliament; former MPP for Toronto–Danforth Marilyn Churley; former MPP for Scarborough East Steve Gilchrist; and David Warner, Speaker during the 35th Parliament, for joining us here today at Queen’s Park to remember and pay tribute to the wonderful life and legacy of Keith MacDonald.

Applause.

The member for Beaches–East York.

Further debate?

I’m happy to have the opportunity to rise in the House today to speak to this motion put forward by the member for Brampton East, which deals with mental health in education. This is a subject which I know concerns many people in Ontario: parents, teachers, education workers, administrators and mental health professionals are all raising the alarm about the need to address the mental health crisis among our children.

It’s one of the top things I hear as the education critic for the official opposition. Wherever I go in the province, people are telling me about how kids are not okay, how they’re dealing with high levels of anxiety and depression. My inbox is full of stories.

We know from a report earlier this year by People for Education that 59% of our students in Ontario are depressed about the future and 39% report that the pandemic has made their mental health worse. This is something I also have personal experience with. All three of my children experienced mental health challenges during the last three years and one of them is still dealing with very high levels of anxiety.

Mental health is something we should all be talking about much more. It wasn’t discussed at all when I was a child, within my family or at school. I grew up in a Dutch Calvinist family and community, and as I’m sure the member for Timiskaming–Cochrane would agree, Dutch people can be very, very blunt. But that was not true when it came to expressing our emotions. We were expected to stiff-upper-lip our way through everything. Depression and anxiety were never things that were acknowledged, let alone mental illness.

And that’s despite the fact that anxiety is something I’ve struggled with my whole life. I’ve had to put in a lot work as an adult to learn to identify the signs and symptoms of anxiety and strategies for dealing with it.

Thankfully things are pretty different now than when I was growing up. One of the interesting things about virtual school—which my children participated in for a full year—is that, as parents, we actually got a glimpse into what happens during the school day, and my husband and I could see how every single day, the teachers incorporated mental health and wellness information and activities into the day, including having children identify their emotions and talking about strategies for coping with various feelings.

Last week, there was an open house at my youngest kids’ school for Education Week and I got to visit their classrooms. And I noticed that in both rooms there was a space set up for self-regulation.

In my son’s class, it was called the “chill zone” and there were little canvas chairs to hang out in, a stack of books and some posters on the wall with information on self-regulation and strategies for grounding; the “nervous thermometer” to identify how anxious you’re feeling and various options for coping skills with options for movement, like squeezing something, shredding something or using a fidget toy; sensory options like a soft blanket or sitting in a bean bag chair; and processing options like writing in a journal, drawing or talking to someone you trust.

My daughter’s classroom had lists on the wall of coping skills with different options for at home, like calling a friend, listening to songs or hanging out with your pet, and options for school like deep breathing, taking a minute to go to your happy place or chatting with your teacher or another trusted adult.

I was so glad to see these, Speaker, and I’m so grateful for the work that teachers and education workers do every single day to support our kids, to help them to understand their mental health, and help them to cope with challenges.

I am happy to support anything that makes it easier for teachers and education workers in this important work of supporting our kids, whether it’s more instruction on children’s mental health in teachers’ college, professional development for teachers and education workers, or resources provided by local public health units.

But I think it’s also important to acknowledge in this House, Speaker, that talking about mental health and teaching and encouraging kids to adopt strategies is only step one. There are often times when mental health requires more than just self-awareness, more than just coping strategies, and more than just talking to a teacher or a friend. There are also times when mental health requires dedicated mental health support from a professional.

And this is where I find myself incredibly frustrated as a parent. As I mentioned, I have a child who is currently experiencing mental health challenges. I’m going to try to talk about this in a way that doesn’t breach my child’s privacy or right to confidentiality, but last week, my child was in a state of crisis, experiencing incredibly high anxiety and stress. And I sat with them, reminding them to try all of the strategies that we’ve learned, and nothing was helping, Speaker.

My child is experiencing a mental health challenge that simple deep breathing won’t fix, but unfortunately, we have been entirely on our own as parents to find and fight for help for this child. And I know as well that despite my frustration at being forced to fight for my child, my partner and I are pretty privileged in the resources that we have when it comes to fighting for our child. My child and other children in Ontario deserve support.

It is important to talk about mental health with kids, it is important to give them strategies, but it is also absolutely imperative that we provide them with the necessary supports and resources around them to help them when they need it. And sadly, that is just not happening in Ontario right now. We are failing our kids. Half of schools have no access to mental health resources, and less than one in 10 have regularly scheduled access.

After three years of historic disruptions on a global scale, we are only spending 27 cents per day per child on supports for children’s mental health. That’s not enough, and it’s leaving our kids with nowhere to turn. We need to at least make sure that every single school in the province has regularly scheduled access to at least one qualified mental health professional.

Le problème est plus sévère pour les écoles francophones qui ont, en plus, la difficulté de trouver des professionnels en santé mentale francophones, surtout quand les salaires sont plus bas pour des professionnels qui travaillent au sein de nos conseils scolaires francophones. Le Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est a un seul psychologue et six positions qui sont vacantes. Une des positions a été vacante depuis sept ans. Il faut absolument que le gouvernement mette en place des solutions pour adresser la pénurie de main-d’oeuvre dans le système d’éducation francophone.

It’s also important to acknowledge, Speaker, that the mental health of teachers and education workers is suffering. I hear regularly about the toll that the pandemic and the working conditions within our schools, along with the disrespect shown by the government with Bill 124, is taking on our teachers and education workers. They are experiencing incredibly high levels of burnout and stress. Many teachers and education workers are ending up on long-term leaves due to stress, anxiety and depression. We’re seeing an increase in the number of resignations and early retirements.

The Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario would normally have three resignations in a school year. This year, they’ve had 28 so far, and there are still two months in the school year. In the Peel District School Board, there have been more resignations than retirements this year for the first time ever.

If we want to make sure that there are caring adults in the classroom and in our schools to support our kids, then we need to look after the mental health of workers as well. And that means that we have to look at the question of why everyone’s mental health is struggling, Speaker. Because yes, mental health challenges are a constant feature of human life and a normal one that we should talk about and work to address all the time. But we are also in a moment where the mental health of our students, teachers and education workers is particularly struggling, and we also need to ask why that is.

There’s a parable that’s often attributed to Desmond Tutu, although I don’t know whether he actually told it or not, about a village where a child is seen floating by in the water, struggling to breathe. The villagers rush in to save the child and provide artificial respiration. While they’re doing that, there are another two children in the water, and so they rush to save those ones too. And as they’re saving those children, there are more and more children coming, and it’s all hands on deck to save the children. And finally, one villager stops to ask, “Why are these children in the river? We need to go upstream to figure that out.”

When we ask that question, we discover that many of the factors that are contributing to mental health challenges among kids, teachers and education workers are actually within our control as legislators:

—crowded classrooms;

—the lack of focused attention from teachers who are trying to juggle 35 or more students in one classroom;

—seven or more teachers in a single year, because there aren’t enough full-time teachers and occasional teachers;

—kids with disabilities or special education needs who aren’t getting the supports they need, the supports that they’ve been promised

—barriers to accessibility that prevent some kids from participating fully;

—exclusions that prevent some kids from participating at all;

—high levels of violence in schools that result from kids lashing out because of the lack of support.

For teachers and education workers, it’s the moral injury of doing your best every day to meet the needs of the children you look after, but falling short because the expectations and conditions are unreasonable. It’s the expectation of handling a grade 4 class with 20 kids, 13 of whom have an IEP, and two of whom have severe autism, all by yourself, with no support personnel, as happened to one Ottawa teacher who is now on leave. It’s being the only full-time EA in a school of 800 kids, running from room to room all day, triaging who has the greatest emergency, like an EA in Toronto last month. It’s being sent to school in Kevlar as the solution to violence.

Looking beyond the education system, it’s going to school hungry because your mom, on ODSP, can’t afford food. It’s sleeping in a hotel or shelter night after night because you can’t find affordable housing, and then trying to focus in school. It’s kids absorbing the stress of parents worrying about the cost of living, low wages and long waits for health care.

If we truly want to look after and protect the well-being and mental health of our children, then we need to start investing in our public education system, providing affordable housing, livable incomes and good health care, so that our province is a place where everyone can thrive and where everyone gets the mental health care they need, when they need it.

Further debate?

I want to thank the member for Brampton East for sharing his time with me today and for bringing this important motion forward. I’d also like to thank the member from Ottawa West–Nepean for sharing her personal story, her children’s story, and also for sharing some of the ideas and some of the things that I certainly believe in—and we believe in, as well—that we need to do.

The mental health of students has become a pressing issue in our educational system, with three quarters of recently surveyed principals and vice-principals of Toronto schools finding it increasingly difficult to manage student behavior. With the increasing pressures of academic performance, coupled with personal challenges, it’s essential to prioritize the well-being of our young learners. To achieve this, the Ministry of Education should continue the work they’re doing, working with stakeholders to improve the professional learning opportunities for educators and school staff, and encouraging and facilitating the opportunity to focus on social-emotional learning skills and mindfulness, while also working with the community sector to ensure a seamless delivery of additional care, when and where appropriate.

And of course, when we look at a continuum of care, which is something that we all understand based on the Roadmap to Wellness, and the importance of delivering a seamless level of care on a continuum of care basis, to ensure that we can deal with the issues, whether it be in the classroom at school or where additional services and supports are required that there is a seamless hand-off to the appropriate service providers to be able to look at those more complex cases, teachers and other education workers are in a unique position. We need to understand that and to appreciate the importance of how they can influence the mental health of their students. They interact with them daily and can identify the signs of emotional distress, helping students cope and develop healthy habits.

I don’t know how many times I’ve heard stories of young people with eating disorders not being identified in the classroom or even by their parents. So the education and providing those supports to be able to understand the needs of the youth are obviously extremely important because they lead to, then, providing the supports where and when those supports are necessary.

Teachers interact every day with these children, and they can identify the signs of emotional distress. This will help students cope and develop healthy habits. However, we know that teachers often don’t have the resources, the training or supports necessary to address the mental health needs of their students. By providing teachers and other education workers with the appropriate resources, we can create safe and supportive spaces where students can find peace and learn the resiliency skills that will carry them through whatever challenges they may face.

We’ve all heard the statistic that 70% of the mental health and addictions issues we see in adulthood could have been identified, and there could have been supports for individuals so that they wouldn’t carry them into adulthood. Well, that is part of why this is so important.

One crucial resource that teachers require, I believe, is mindfulness practices. Mindfulness practices such as meditation and deep breathing exercises have been proven to reduce stress and anxiety while improving concentration and overall well-being. Mindfulness can be easily integrated into the daily routine, and teachers can create a calming space in their classrooms for students to practise. While this may not be enough, it is the beginning.

I can tell you, having been in India just recently, looking at the system of yoga and meditation, that by introducing it into the classroom for just a half hour a day, they were able to reduce violence by 30%. I thought that maybe was unique to the culture, but I’ve also seen similar statistics out of California, where schools that had high rates of violence within them started utilizing a half hour of mindfulness and yoga as part of their curriculum. They also saw a 30% drop in violence in schools. These practices, I believe and we believe, can create an environment where students can develop resilience and emotional intelligence.

Moreover, teachers and education workers require access to a range of mental health resources beyond mindfulness practices. A review of the physical education and health curriculum to include active and outdoor learning practices would also allow us to integrate components of land- and water-based healing practised for generations by Indigenous communities across the province. We know that these do work; we’ve seen them utilized in Indigenous communities, and we’re also seeing, by introducing them into the system, how they’re impacting children and youth.

Just recently, I was in Kenora with Kenora Chiefs Advisory, and I had the opportunity to visit Strecker Farm in Kenora. Over 3,000 children every single year are going through a program there with equine therapy, with art therapy, with activities that are providing them with all they need to change their lives and improve their lives.

Building resiliency requires a multi-faceted approach, and teachers must be equipped with the necessary resources to support their students. This is why this is so important. We need to work towards creating an environment where the children have each and every type of support necessary. We can’t keep doing the same thing over and over again, thinking that somehow we’re going to get a different result. We need to look at other jurisdictions where we see positive growth in the children and youth by utilizing systems that may seem strange to us but actually are working because they have elements that are necessary for the development of a child, many of which wouldn’t otherwise be there in an environment other than a school.

Mental health awareness programs can help teachers and other education workers identify the signs of distress and provide students with the necessary resources in the school or the community setting.

Now, I said it: We need to have that connecting piece, and where I believe as a parent—and having been now the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions—we sometimes fall is that connecting piece between the education system and the actual community-based services. There has to be better communication. There has to be a continuum of care where those children are able to get the supports outside of the classroom where and when they need them.

We know that many of the issues that children face each and every day can’t be resolved within the school confines. They need to include family. They need to have complete supports for individuals—and children can see each other, speak to each other and understand what those needs are. This is how the problem will get resolved, and this is why we’re working towards that.

Findings from the 2021 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey indicate 42% of students reported there was a time in the past year where they wanted to reach out and talk to someone about a mental health concern but were unsure of whom they could turn to. Providing all education staff, including teachers and administrators, tools and resources they require to support good mental health will ultimately lead to the academic, social and emotional success of students. This is something that I know is true—again, as the minister meeting with different organizations and young people, the number of times I hear that the young person doesn’t know where to turn.

As a matter of fact, just recently this past weekend, I was at the Kids Help Phone walk in Vaughan–Woodbridge, and I had the opportunity to speak to some of the children. You know, it’s incredible that a Kids Help Phone line spoke to 16 million children in the course of one year across Canada. The statistics are staggering. These kids need support. These kids need an outlet. They need that connecting piece. And the more we can do as a government to create those connections I believe will make a huge difference in their lives. We can’t do this in a silo. We can’t allow the system to continue functioning the way it is. We need to break those silos and build those connecting pieces, and that requires building stronger partnerships with our community children and youth mental health providers.

When it comes to dealing with the diverse and complex mental health needs of our young people, we want to build their social-emotional learning and resiliency in appropriate settings and ensure they also have access to the continuum of care that we’re building here in the province of Ontario. It’s important that students in need of mental health supports are able to get those supports easily, and teachers and other education workers engaged with them will require supports to be able to do that kind of work with students so that they can get the support they need in the community sector. Those outside supports can be critical through transition periods, over the summer and changing schools.

Investing in mental health resources for teachers and all education workers is an investment in our children’s future, and it’s an investment we as a government believe in. By prioritizing mental health, we create an environment where students can flourish academically, emotionally and socially. Mental health resources help students develop the resilience, empathy and the emotional intelligence necessary to succeed academically and in life. We need to equip those teachers, as I said, with the necessary resources and empower them to create a safe and supportive space that fosters emotional well-being.

With this motion, I believe our government is building on the work that the Minister of Education has been doing to better equip and train our province’s educators with the appropriate resources they need to support students and help them overcome the mental health struggles that children face each and every day.