I’m rising this morning to talk about a subject that’s on our minds a lot in this House, and that is mental health, particularly youth mental health.

Speaker, I had occasion, recently, to meet with a bunch of parents who are very concerned with the mental health of their children in high school. We’ve just lived through a difficult two and a half years of folks having to learn on their own. What I’m hearing from parents and what I’m hearing from high school students is that many don’t feel a sense of belonging; many are feeling they’re in a difficult place. And I don’t want to trivialize that. I don’t want to tell people that things are going to be better overnight. But what I do want to tell people is that in Ottawa, we have community services to help people with their mental health.

Next Friday, on May 26, at 4 p.m., at 464 Metcalfe Street, we’re going to be bringing together community providers who will give youth opportunities to volunteer, opportunities to plug into services, to feel like they belong.

So I invite you: If you want to plug into your community more, if you want to make your community a better place—or if you already are—join me and other community mental health advocates to find out about who you can meet, where you can belong, because you are loved for who you are. We need to make our province a better place, and we’re having an argument about that in this building. But on the way there, the services that our grandparents fought for—you deserve a right to access them, to make our festivals great, to make our athletics great, to make our arts community great.

Youth, we need your help, so join me on May 26. I can’t wait to see you.

I’d like to welcome members from the youth civic engagement initiative organized by the women’s focus group organization. They’ve joined us here today to gain some insight on the functions and structure of our great Legislature. It’s great to see them here—and all the youth they brought with them. They will be hosting a reception for us in room 228, and all are welcome to join.

I would like to introduce—and thank you for coming—wonderful youth from Thornhill: Nicholas Chernyakhovsky, Eric Dobre, Jaian Dhebar, Ethan Ulman, Delan Mete, Denis Averbukh, Noa Fishbain, Jonathan Yagudaev, Abdul Wajid Ishaq, and Alan Annenkov.

I would also very much like to thank a faithful provincial servant from the Ministry of the Attorney General, Mr. Peter Dewar.