Speaker, through you: Clearly, the associate minister and this government are standing behind a plan that is coming up short.

The CMHA indicates that a quarter of Ontarians are seeking mental health support; that’s one in four.

Jordan Thomas of the London Centre for Trauma Therapy said, “We’ve seen ... a lot of depression, a lot of hopelessness, a lack of vitality, a loss of ... optimism about the future.”

Will this government increase funding and expand OHIP coverage so Ontarians get the mental health care that they need?

My question is for the Minister of Transportation. Winter storms have a significant impact on the people and the economy of the north. We’re just at the start of this winter season, and we’ve already seen the impact a major snowfall can have on our roads. Road safety is an important concern for northern and Indigenous communities, especially during the winter months.

A few weeks ago, I was pleased to have my motion passed in this House, calling for improved standards for clearing snow on Highways 11 and 17. Can the Minister of Transportation please explain what our government is doing to act on that motion to make roads in northern Ontario safer during the winter months?

Speaker, can the Minister of Transportation please tell us what further actions our government is undertaking to help prevent northern highway closures during winter months?

One of my constituents—I’ll call her Elle—is 15 and suffers from an eating disorder. Like many in Ontario, she doesn’t have a family doctor, but she has been referred to the eating disorder clinic at CHEO.

However, the clinic is overwhelmed and unable to find her a spot. She doesn’t eat for days, but she’s not sick enough to be admitted to an overcrowded hospital. Her father worries she needs to be dying before anyone will help her.

Elle and her parents are desperate for help. Will this government finally act to ensure that mental and physical health care is available for children like Elle when they need it?

I’m surprised—we are investing $525 million in new annualized funding each and every year in the province of Ontario to provide the supports to everyone across the province of Ontario, including Hamilton.

Mr. Speaker, I’m always surprised when I hear the opposition speaking about the lack of investments by our government. When we came here, we came as a government with all kinds of shortages as a result of previous government decisions, whether it was the Liberals deciding to spend $10 million for 127 people to get eating disorder help in the United States, or the NDP cutting 15% of the mental health beds in the province of Ontario—under their leadership, 9,645 hospital beds shut down. They created a doctor shortage by capping medical school enrolment. They said no to more acute mental health care and cut $53 million from Ontario’s psychiatric hospitals. And they voted no over and over again every time we’ve tried to make investments to improve the situation in the province. So I don’t understand why it is—

This is the first government that actually created a portfolio so that there is someone who has their eye on investments that are made across the government.

Mr. Speaker, our investments are being made in each and every aspect, and when you start with so many issues that have to be addressed—we’re addressing eating disorders. We’re addressing virtual care supports that came up as a result of a two-and-a-half-year pandemic. We’re investing in the Far North and providing land-based healing to Indigenous communities to ensure that they get the appropriate care where and when they need it. We’re investing in withdrawal management, which is something that’s direly needed everywhere across the province. We’ve opened up addiction treatment beds—7,000 treatment spots have been opened under this government, in addition to what is already here.

Mr. Speaker, we have a plan. We have a Roadmap to Wellness that ensures that investments are being made where and when they’re needed so that people get the support—

Interjections.

The $3.8 billion over 10 years is looking at investing in the different periods of time during the lifespan to ensure that the supports are there. Since 2019, $130 million has gone to children and youth mental health services. The road map slates another $170 million to be spent over the next three years.

Of the $194 million that we invested during the pandemic-related emergency funding, additional funds were put into children and youth supports and our Step Up Step Down programs. We’ve invested for youth wellness camps. We’ve invested in One Stop Talk virtual walk-in supports, as well as—

Thank you to the member for Thunder Bay–Atikokan for his great question, and also for introducing his motion, which reminds us that there’s always more we can do to make our roads in the north safer.

It’s no secret that the winter months can be challenging for drivers, especially those in northern Ontario. We heard loud and clear from northern Ontarians and members on both sides of this House about the need to improve northern road safety, and we acted.

Our government is the first to create a new level of service that requires Highways 11 and 17 in the north to be cleared within 12 hours after a winter storm. That is four hours faster than the previous standard. Ontario has a nation-leading standard in place when it comes to winter maintenance and we are ensuring that it stays that way.

In northern Ontario specifically, our government is installing an additional 14 road weather information stations, including eight along Highways 11 and 17, to help our contractors prepare and respond faster to winter weather events.

As part of our five-year plan to improve the rest area network, we have also completed six major rehabilitations of rest stops across the north, including at the Manitoba border. There will always be exceptional circumstances following a winter storm, but our government is taking action to ensure that our northern highways remain open and safe following every winter weather event.

Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.

The member for Toronto–St. Paul’s and the member for Brampton North will come to order.

The next question.

Supplementary question? The member for Ottawa West–Nepean.

A mother from my community wrote to me recently. Her daughter was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder. In October of last year, they got a referral for SickKids. Over a year later, they are still waiting for that appointment.

They are far from alone. Tens of thousands of kids are on wait-lists for mental health services that can take up to two and a half years.

Speaker, my question is to the Premier. How long will the children of this province have to wait before they can get the health care service that they need?

This time, it was me.

Order. Stop the clock. The member for Hamilton Mountain will come to order. The member for Kitchener–Conestoga will come to order.

Restart the clock. The member for Beaches–East York has the floor.

Once again, I’ll ask the member for Kitchener–Conestoga to come to order.

The Premier to respond.

Interjections.

Start the clock. Next question.

Thanks for the question. Let me be perfectly clear, as we have been the whole time, talking about this opportunity to build homes for Ontarians: Wetlands are not going anywhere in Ontario. We are going to continue to protect this important part of our province.

We are also going to build 1.5 million homes over 10 years. We are also going to make sure that those homes are protected from flooding and any other natural disasters. We are going to get the job done, Mr. Speaker, both on the home front and on the ecology front, and Ontario is going to be the better for it.

I want to thank my former colleague from the city of Toronto. We spent a lot of time together, and I have a great deal of respect.

Mr. Speaker, you’ve got to look at the total greenbelt. We’ve added 2,000 acres more. Since I’ve taken office, the greenbelt has expanded. But what I suggest to the member from Beaches–East York: Sit down; speak to your colleagues about why you changed it 17 times. You changed it 17 times.

We need housing. There are people in the gallery, there are people right here who are still renting. They’re renting. We need to build homes. We need to build 1.5 million homes. We have 300,000 people showing up every single year. Are we going put them in cardboard boxes? Are we going put them in mud huts? No. They want a home. They want an affordable home—

Interjection.

Interjections.

Thank you to the member from Brampton West for his question. I had the honour of presenting the Minister’s Lifetime Achievement Award to two outstanding leaders who continue to make a lasting difference in Ontario’s public colleges. The 2022 recipients are Anne Sado, the former president of George Brown College—Anne was also the first female president of a college—and MaryLynn West-Moynes, former president and CEO of Georgian College, and also my former boss, so I know first-hand the amazing leadership that MaryLynn provides to Georgian College.

These two exceptional women deserve recognition for their hard work, dedication and contributions on advancing Ontario’s colleges. By acting as ambassadors of the college system, they have made a lasting mark on post-secondary education in our province. It was truly an honour to present them with the lifetime achievement awards.

My question is to the Premier. First I’d like to thank the Premier for this lovely gesture of the inaugural speeches that the new members received. That’s a point I’m giving you, but now I’m going to have to take away that point in my question.

I may sound like a broken record here, but I need to, because I’m hearing from all my residents, and actually, all your residents, about—what? The greenbelt. Because the government has misread the room on the greenbelt. You really have. The greenbelt is full of—

Interjection.

Interjections.

We know the greenbelt is full of wetlands and watersheds, areas that protect our province from devastating flooding by absorbing stormwater. As we see more and more natural disasters come our way as a result of climate change—we know what’s going on in Brazil right now; we know what has gone on out west, out east—we should be trying to conserve these areas for all Ontarians. If we pave over them, it puts people at financial and physical risk. The average basement flood is $43,000.

My question to the Premier: Do you believe that the choice to open up the greenbelt for development puts Ontario at risk for more flooding? If not, please explain.

I know all of us here care about farmers. We’ve heard that over and over again: how they feed us every day, how hard they work. Many of us here are connected to farmers and the farming community—

Interjections.

So my question is, why would we remove Ontario’s only agricultural preserve, Duffins Rouge, if we care so much about farmers and farmland and eating? Will you be able to sleep at night knowing that you bulldozed over our last agriculture preserve?

Interjection.

Once again, thank you for that question. Eating disorders are something that are very pronounced that we’ve noticed over the pandemic, and it’s something we need to look at. This is something that we believe is as a result of isolation, the school disruption and social media exposure. These are things that are impacting on children and youth.

In December 2021, $8.1 million went to support specialized care for children and youth with these eating disorders. We opened seven beds at CHEO, five at SickKids, two at McMaster Children’s Hospital. This is in addition to $11.1 million annualized for eating disorder services: 20 treatment spaces in underserved communities like Sudbury, North Bay and Sault Ste. Marie; 10 new pediatric beds in North York and Southlake; 16 new spaces in Peterborough and Kingston.

In November 2021, we invested another $5.8 million in SickKids hospital, easing access to treatment by expanding their outpatient eating disorder program.

Mr. Speaker, our government is taking this issue very seriously. Our children are our future and we need to invest to ensure that children get the support they need, where and when they need it in the province.

Studies from leading health experts reveal that mental health issues can start early in our young learners, particularly from the age of 15 onward. According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, these students are more likely to experience mental health illness and substance-use disorders than any other group.

We know that mental health education can empower students with the knowledge, skills and tools they need to assist in navigating their own mental health, often saving lives.

Speaker, through you to the Minister of Education: How will our government commit to supporting mental health education in schools?

Thank you again to the member for the question.

The remarkable and inspiring graduates of Ontario’s world-class colleges show how our colleges are preparing students with the skills, the knowledge and experience they need to have rewarding careers, supporting the workforce of today and tomorrow.

The Premier’s Awards for Ontario College Graduates recognize individuals who have not only demonstrated outstanding achievement within their college experience but who have also made significant social and economic contributions to their communities and beyond. Their incredible achievements—from developing career-training programs for young Black professionals to adding Canada’s Indigenous communities to Google Maps and Google Earth—are helping to strengthen our economy and make very real and tangible differences in the lives of Ontarians. The recipients of the Premier’s Awards for Ontario College Graduates are perfect examples of the potential our college students have and why we should all have confidence in every student’s future.

Speaker, college students are making a lasting impact, and we are so proud of what these incredible young Ontarians are accomplishing.

Speaker, over the past few months, we have had numerous tragic and terrifying incidents in high schools, including a number of incidents in schools across Scarborough.

Students are experiencing immense difficulty, especially after the two and half years of virtual learning. With the lack of extracurricular activities, students, families and teachers are all worried. They’re scared. They’re worried about these students’ mental health; I know the minister just spoke about it. These students are dealing with trauma and anxiety.

We’ve even had stabbings and shootings in our schools, resulting in multiple deaths in Scarborough.

These students don’t want to hear about the Roadmap to Wellness or the numbers—those are great, but we need real action in these schools. They want to know what resources are in place for our youth in schools and in our communities to ensure their safety and well-being.

The Minister of Northern Development and Minister of Indigenous Affairs.

I want to thank the member for Flamborough–Glanbrook for this question.

I think the first principle of ensuring children catch up is that kids remain in class.

I’m so pleased that 73% of CUPE members endorsed our deal that will provide stability for families, for children, and for education workers in the province of Ontario.

Part of our plan to catch up is very much based on the principle that literacy and numeracy are foundational skills to ensure we increase graduation rates and create better links to better-paying jobs. That is our mission as a government—ensuring young people remain aspirational and bold, and that they’re able to achieve their full potential. That’s why we launched the largest tutoring program in Canada.

In addition to that, we also recognize that reading is an important skill set. We saw that the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s Right to Read report suggests the former Liberal government’s curriculum was outdated and didn’t follow the evidence, the science of reading. We reformed our language curriculum, and we’re ensuring that every child in kindergarten through to grade 2 gets a screening assessment, so that we improve their reading and we give them the support they need to succeed in our economy.

Since 2017-18, from the former Liberal government—we increased funding in mental health in a significant way. They were spending about $16 million to $18 million per year; we’re now spending $90 million, a 400% increase in expenditure to improve outcomes for children. This year, there is $10 million more.

We increased mandated learning for the first time in Canada in mental health, from kindergarten all the way to grade 8. We were the first jurisdiction in the country to do that.

We also recognize that there’s a role for public health nurses—a critical role within our schools. It’s why we nearly doubled them, providing mental health support.

I want to assure the member from Burlington that we will move forward with her motion to strengthen mental health promotion, save lives, and improve the lives of all children in this province.

I think we all, in this Legislature, are deeply concerned about the violence taking place near or at schools in this province and, frankly, across the country. We share the resolve to confront the violence with investment, with staffing and support for our schools, for our children and for our staff.

In addition to increasing funding—a roughly 420% increase in supports—we also have targeted community-based organizations.

The Pinball Clemons Foundation, for example, is being supported to help racialized children with sport and after-school programs.

We’ve also ensured the Canadian Tamil Academy supports intergenerational trauma with mental health supports—and the Muslim Association of Canada, with new targeted supports for students and for staff dealing with mental health and bullying.

We’ve doubled the Black graduation program, an amazing program that helps ensure higher success rates for racialized children.

We have funded the Child Development Institute to support children with behavioural issues—and we’ve massively increased Kids Help Phone.

The member from Burlington has introduced a motion to call on the government to do more; I assure the member that we will, in the interest of saving lives, protecting children, and preventing violence in our schools.