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Second reading debate deemed adjourned.

It’s an honour to rise today to share with the Ontario Legislature important news from Sarnia–Lambton. I’m extremely pleased to inform the members of this Legislature that Ontario’s Minister of Health recently appointed Dr. Karalyn Dueck as the new, permanent medical officer of health for the county of Lambton. Dr. Dueck previously served as the acting associate medical officer of health for the Middlesex-London health unit. She has also worked in public health roles in Peel and York region, and as a family physician in both Guelph and Bramalea.

Dr. Dueck’s appointment is key to helping the hard-working team at Lambton Public Health advance important public health programs and services that support the positive health and well-being of our community.

I’m extremely pleased to welcome Dr. Dueck into her new role. I look forward to working together with Dr. Dueck and the Lambton Public Health team in the coming weeks and months.

Congratulations, Dr. Dueck, and best wishes for a great future in your new role.

I rise today to recognize a great man who passed away on March 12, in his 99th year.

Arthur Boon was a skilled hockey and baseball player. He was invited to the Detroit Red Wings camp, and for many years he played senior A hockey in New Hamburg. He continued to play hockey every Sunday night until the age of 84. He was also a member of the Stratford Nationals in the Intercounty Baseball League, until a broken ankle ended his career. However, that did not stop him from playing slo-pitch until he was 71. He also coached minor baseball and was there to watch his sons, Art Jr. and Rick, play their games, and eventually his grandchildren.

Speaker, in addition to these sports accomplishments, and being a loving husband and father, he was also a World War II veteran. At the age of 15, Art signed up and eventually joined the 19th Canadian Army Field Regiment. His first action in the war was the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944. He would fight in many battles up the coast of France, through Belgium, Holland and eventually Germany.

After returning home, Art proudly served with the Perth Regiment, eventually retiring as chief warrant officer.

Art was given the Order of Military Merit, the Order of St. John and the French Legion of Honour.

For over 75 years, Art organized and played a major role in the Remembrance Day service in Stratford.

We owe a great debt to Art, his family, and his fellow veterans. We will remember them.

Merci beaucoup.

Speaker, I would like to take the opportunity to make the House aware of a very sad day in Timiskaming–Cochrane. Today at the Floyd Hembruff Civic Centre, people are about to pay their respects for the passing of Victor Lei. Victor was born in Timmins on August 24, 1994. He studied pharmacy at the University of Waterloo, gaining his doctor of pharmacy in 2018. He worked at the Guardian Pharmacy in Iroquois Falls. In northern Ontario, where we’re so short of primary health care, pharmacists are lifelines, and he was a true lifeline.

On Wednesday, March 22, while going home from work, at 28 years old, Victor lost his life on the Trans-Canada Highway. The accident is still under investigation. But we need to remember that the Trans-Canada Highway—for Victor, for us—is our main street.

I’d like to take the opportunity on behalf of everyone here in the House to pay our respects to Victor’s family, friends, his loved ones.

Thank you very much for your attention.

I never tire of saying that Brantford–Brant is home to world-class athletes.

Today in the House, I welcome champion marathoner Krista DuChene and her family.

Krista’s esteemed athletic career started with high school track and later being named the MVP for Ontario University Athletics top scorer for the University of Guelph hockey team.

In 2005, Krista was the first Canadian woman to cross the finish line at the Boston Marathon.

Krista won the Mississauga Marathon on Mother’s Day in 2009.

In April 2015, Krista raced in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, to become the first Canadian in 20 years to qualify for the Olympics in the women’s marathon. Her time of two hours, 29 minutes, 38 seconds was her second-fastest marathon.

Krista currently holds the record for the fastest 50-kilometre race in Canada for women, with a time of three hours, 22 minutes, 22 seconds.

Krista ran all six marathon majors: London, Boston, Berlin, Chicago, New York, and Tokyo. Tokyo was the last on the list for DuChene, and she finished in a stellar two hours, 38 minutes and 53 seconds—the only Canadian to break a record in that race.

Krista’s favourite quote is, “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast! And when I run I feel his pleasure.”

Krista, you make Brantford–Brant, Ontario and Canada proud.

The greatest challenge we have in our hospitals right now—indeed, in our health care system—is not having enough people to care for those people who need care. There is a health care human resources crisis in Ontario, and what it means is, we’re not fully using our operating room capacity, we still have emergency room closures, and the surgical backlog from the pandemic persists, all because our hospitals are desperate for nurses, doctors and other front-liners.

Bill 60, as it stands, risks setting up a parallel for-profit system that is only going to make it harder for our hospitals to retain and recruit the people they need to clear that surgical backlog. It will pit patients’ interests against the interests of shareholders. If we’re going to effectively cure the backlog and reduce wait times, Bill 60 must be amended.

Il existe une crise des ressources humaines dans le secteur de la santé en Ontario. Les temps d’attente restent élevés et l’arriéré chirurgical dû à la pandémie persiste parce que nos hôpitaux ont désespérément besoin d’infirmières, de médecins et d’autres travailleurs de première ligne.

Le projet de loi 60, dans sa forme actuelle, risque de mettre en place un système parallèle privé. Cela ne fera que compliquer la tâche de nos hôpitaux, qui auront du mal à recruter les personnes dont ils ont besoin pour résorber l’arriéré—

We have with us in the Speaker’s gallery today Mr. Luca Zelioli, consul general of Italy in Toronto. Please join me in warmly welcoming our guest to the assembly today.

Joining us today from the Ontario Motor Coach Association we have Vince Accardi, Shawn Gerry, Brian Denny, John Temple, Doug Badder and Ray Cherry. Welcome to the Legislature.

I would like to welcome Evan Dickson, Kourtney Adamson, Steve McEachen, James McVeety and Jamie Di Laudo, who are here with the Ontario Road Builders’ Association. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I would also like to welcome representatives from the Ontario Road Builders’ Association and the Ontario Asphalt Pavement Council who are in the chamber today and attending meetings throughout the day. I’ll be meeting with them this afternoon.

Thank you for the important work you do throughout our province to keep building Ontario. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Speaker, I’m delighted to introduce some special people, entrepreneurs and doctors from the riding of York Centre: Dr. Lew Pliamm, Mr. Alaa Tamous, and Dr. Robert Cooper and his wife, Mrs. Simone Cooper.

My question is to the Minister of Health.

Yesterday, the Minister of Health defended her government’s recent decision to make seniors wait longer between eye exams. She claimed that cancelling eye exams for seniors is “actually going to increase care” for people with ocular diseases. She claimed that their planned reductions in care will give “better access” to eye exams.

Through you, Speaker: Could the minister explain how making seniors wait longer leads to better care?

At the risk of being repetitive here, on behalf of the government, I would like to welcome the Ontario Road Builders’ Association and the Ontario Asphalt Pavement Council. I value their work with the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

And a special shout-out to my good friend Michael McSweeney—thank you for being here.

It’s my pleasure to welcome Fanshawe College today. They’re going to be hosting us in room 228, so please make your way there after question period.

I’m delighted to welcome a group of political science students from the University of Toronto today. They are our future, and I’m delighted that they’re here to witness democracy in action.

I, too, would like to welcome representatives from the Ontario Road Builders’ Association and the Ontario Asphalt Pavement Council; specifically, Mark Mallett, Doubra Ambaiowei, Steve Manolis, Matt Powell and Alfredo Maggio, who I’ll be meeting with later today. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Speaker, I wish a warm welcome to David Colle of Green Infrastructure Partners, Peter Hamstra of Dufferin Construction, Andrew Hurd of the Ontario Road Builders’ Association, Rick Tamburro of Miller Group, and Steve Smith of Roto-Mill. Thank you so much for being here with us today.

I’d like to welcome representatives from the Ontario Road Builders’ Association and the Ontario Asphalt Pavement Council from across this province to Queen’s Park today. We’re looking forward to meeting with them.

With us we have Brianna Puigmarti, Ivan Levac from R.W. Tomlinson, Lisa Laronde from Powell Contracting Ltd., Mac Carmichael from Green Infrastructure Partners Inc. and, perhaps, one of my most favourite constituents, Michael McSweeney.