As everyone knows, June is Seniors Month. It’s our annual opportunity to dedicate a month to that group of citizens that has reached a point in life where they can look back with a sense of pride on the many things they have accomplished.

But let’s be clear: The seniors of today aren’t just looking back; they’re looking forward. Our seniors, particularly those who still enjoy good health, are more active than any of the previous generations. Seniors are not sitting back with their feet up; they’re continuously engaging in and around their community, in ways that not only benefit themselves socially, but also provide benefits to their community.

I know when I do voluntary service awards every year, the majority of those receiving those awards are in fact seniors who, after contributing so much through their working lives, continue to be the driving forces in so many of our institutions, organizations and service clubs. I dare say that most of the service clubs that exist in our community could not operate or contribute the way they do without the involvement of our seniors.

I encourage everyone to visit one of the Seniors Active Living Centres in their ridings in the month of June and see what amazing things are taking place there to ensure that our seniors continue to be vital and engaged. In the month of June, as summer approaches, be sure not to just honour our seniors for what they have done for us, but celebrate them and celebrate with them, and be grateful for the gift that they are.

At the Back Door Mission, project Mission United brings health care and service agencies under one roof to help those who are unhoused and struggling. People who come to the mission need very real help and are at different stages of healing or hurting. The work done there is tremendous and compassionate, and it helps people on their journey to get the help they need or to have support that they’ve never found before.

I invited the minister for mental health and addictions to Oshawa, and I want to thank him for coming. I appreciate immeasurably that he came for hours to tour the mission, meet with and learn from front-line service providers and the medical team there. He saw the hub model in action.

What he didn’t see and couldn’t have seen is what we don’t have. We don’t have a system that will help people without financial means get from hurting through recovery to stability; 18 months is the wait-list for a bed for treatment.

The minister for mental health and addictions saw the value in the work done at the acute-care clinic that treats folks on-site so they don’t have to go to emergency rooms. But in our province, the ministry for mental health can’t pay for the health needs, and the doctors who serve so many homeless people without ID can’t be paid salary so they can continue to supply street wound care and addiction support. That doesn’t make sense.

We heard from victim services that survivors often have no affordable and supportive living opportunities, because it doesn’t exist, and they’re forced back into danger. CMHA Durham told us they have housing units available, but don’t have the subsidy. So we could have housing for more people in need, but agencies can’t afford it.

At Mission United, they have figured out how to work together to best support people living in poverty and on the street. I wish this Premier would acknowledge the crisis we’re facing and choose to heal and help our community, so people wouldn’t have to live on the streets and in pain.