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.

Speaker, my question is to the Premier.

Recently, Grassy Narrows honoured the 20th anniversary of their visionary efforts to protect their homeland from industrial logging and mining. And yet, the Toronto Star reported that this government has granted thousands of gold mining claims and proposes to allow clear-cut logging on the area that Grassy Narrows is protecting.

To the Premier: When will this government stop the attacks on Grassy Narrows and start respecting the Grassy Narrows Indigenous protected area?

Grassy Narrows deserves safety and deserves a clear answer. Will the government finally withdraw Grassy Narrows territory from mining and logging? Yes or no?

I had a chance to sit with the chief of Grassy Narrows not that long ago, and we spoke about the opportunities in their communities—building much-needed infrastructure; having a shared vision for economic prosperity; coming to terms with a harsh reality that this government was the first to act on, by indexing the pensions from the mercury.

We don’t need to stand here and feel badly about the work that we do with Grassy Narrows. We continue to work with that community to ensure that they have the same opportunities that other Indigenous communities in the surrounding area have and want in forestry and mining and in their interests of protecting their land.

Grassy Narrows is in dire need of community-level infrastructure. We work very closely with them, and I’ve asked the chief—we’ve sat down together to ensure those shared priorities come about. In that community, there is a critical need for places and spaces for young people to go, and this is the kind of thing that we’re working on.

The Indigenous communities that share Treaty 3 land with Grassy Narrows are excited about opportunities both in mining, forestry, and local infrastructure—so that prosperity is a shared value and a shared opportunity, once and for all, in the Kenora district.

Thank you for that question.

In fact, to complement the investments that are being made in education that are looking to assist children while they’re in school, our government has also invested in community-based supports and services, with a 5% increase across the board for children and youth services. We’ve looked specifically at adding additional youth wellness hubs to provide those supports to individuals, and these supports are reducing the amount of times that people need to go to emergency rooms, which means that the ones who need the more acute care will have access to that.

And we’ve invested—one of the leading causes of issues for young people—and I don’t know those specific cases—is eating disorders. Those eating disorders lead to other complications, whether it be an addiction—so we’ve created the capacity, and we are continuing to create capacity to ensure that the gaps are filled and that young people have the treatment options available to them where and when they reside.

For instance, with the Solicitor General, we’re building mobile crisis intervention teams that are geared to providing supports and services to take individuals to crisis centres instead of taking them to hospitals, to emergency rooms.

With the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, we’re working—he’s doing incredible work, and he’s trying, through the new legislation, to build even more homes for individuals. He has invested $500 million annually for the Homelessness Prevention Program.

I have a quote from the CEO of Habitat for Humanity. He said, “This government’s proposal to exempt affordable housing from development charges will provide certainty to all affordable housing providers and enable us to build more homes.”

Mr. Speaker, we are going to make a difference and build a continuum of care and ensure that people are getting the supports they need where and when they need them.

Mr. Speaker, this is the first government—

Interjections.

Interjections.

Interjections.

The Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.

With winter upon us, more people will depend on our public transit systems for safe and reliable travel.

Public transit is a vital service for individuals and families in many regions of our province. While we know that our government has made significant transit investments, many of my constituents are looking for assurance that our government will continue to support our transit system during this period of economic uncertainty.

Can the Associate Minister of Transportation please explain what our government is doing to support our transit agencies as we ensure their continued operation?

Our government’s recent funding and historic multi-billion dollar transit expansion plan will continue to assist transit riders across our province.

Our transit system must continue to be responsive to our communities’ needs, now and in the future.

Can the Associate Minister of Transportation please explain what ongoing support our government is providing to our transit agencies?

My question is to the Premier.

Times are tough, and coping is hard for anyone. People also struggling with mental health issues are really up against it, with nowhere to turn and dangerous waiting lists.

The Auditor General basically said we were doing a terrible job with youth mental health back in 2018, and now, heading into 2023, we’re terribly beyond capacity and things are really bad.

Ashley is a young woman in my community who has spent too much time asking and waiting for help. She has a question for the Premier. She asks, “At Lakeridge Health, why is the wait time to see a psychiatrist over two years long? Why does it take a trip to the emergency room in active crisis to maybe be seen sooner? It always has to escalate. But all too often, folks in crisis are sent home from the ER and told to wait years.”

So my question is Ashley’s question: Why is the wait time to see a psychiatrist over two years’ long for youth in my community?

To the Premier: Eight thousand Ontarians with mental illness or disabilities are experiencing homelessness. And 216 people experiencing homelessness died on the streets of Toronto last year.

Two nights ago, I was speaking with a young man in front of a shelter. He had been beaten up. He had a broken rib and a broken cheekbone. He had been discharged from the hospital, and he was sleeping on the street in front of a shelter that had just been closed. I phoned shelter services to see if they had a bed, but there was nothing available. All the shelters in Toronto were full.

The Minister of Children, Community and Social Services has been boasting about a 5% increase to ODSP rates, which is actually an inflationary cut.

To the Premier: Are you not ashamed that your government’s destitution-level ODSP rates are leading to homelessness and death for Ontarians with mental illness and disabilities?

Again to the Premier: My office is working with three families facing similar struggles. Each of them has a child who is self-harming and has made multiple suicide attempts and is violent at home. These families have been told that their children’s needs are too complex for community program options, but they can’t get in-patient care. One family has been waiting months to hear about a placement in Hamilton or Niagara. The second family is waiting to go on a wait-list, if a residential treatment option can be found. The third child was placed in a group home and is now using and living on the street.

Will this government commit to providing appropriate treatment options in London for children with some of the highest mental health needs?

That member works really hard for the people of Scarborough, and I thank him for that question.

I’m very happy to inform that member that yesterday we announced that we are allocating up to $505 million so that municipalities can keep local transit systems alive and deliver safe, reliable transit services to the hard-working riders across this province, including those in Scarborough. We heard from our municipal partners, and we are stepping up to the plate once again with historic funding delivered through phase 4 of the Safe Restart Agreement. For instance, nearly $348 million is now being given to the city of Toronto to support the TTC. This is on top of the $1.2 billion we’ve already committed to the city and the TTC through prior Safe Restart funding.

Speaker, improving the transit network isn’t just about laying down track or providing discounts and more options to pay. It requires supporting transit agencies so that hard-working people can get from point A to point B and do it seamlessly.

This is just the beginning. With this funding, we’re making sure that we protect transit. We’re getting it done for commuters in this province.

These most recent investments will make sure we boost ridership in Scarborough, as well as around the province, to ensure that riders get reliably and safely to wherever it is they need to go.

It’s unfortunate that the NDP and the Liberals voted against our previous Safe Restart funding, and given their track record, they’d probably say no to the recent $505 million.

However, unlike the opposition, we will continue to say yes to building world-class transit, yes to connecting the grid, yes to supporting transit agencies. Speaker, this is the only government that’s going to get it done for commuters in Ontario.

Order.

There is a lot going on at the moment.

Start the clock.

The member for Niagara West, next question.

First of all, the government House leader.

The division bells rang from 1202 to 1207.

On December 7, 2022, Mr. Calandra moved third reading of Bill 51, An Act to amend the Legislative Assembly Act.

All those in favour of the motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk.

Be it resolved that the bill do now pass and be entitled as in the motion.

Third reading agreed to.

Deferred vote on the motion that the question now be put on the motion for third reading of the following bill:

Bill 39, An Act to amend the City of Toronto Act, 2006 and the Municipal Act, 2001 and to enact the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve Repeal Act, 2022 / Projet de loi 39, Loi visant à modifier la Loi de 2006 sur la cité de Toronto et la Loi de 2001 sur les municipalités et à édicter la Loi de 2022 abrogeant la Loi sur la Réserve agricole de Duffins-Rouge.

The division bells rang from 1212 to 1213.

On December 7, 2022, Ms. Khanjin moved that the question be now put.

All those in favour of Ms. Khanjin’s motion, please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk.

Mr. Clark has moved third reading of Bill 39, An Act to amend the City of Toronto Act, 2006 and the Municipal Act, 2001 and to enact the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve Repeal Act, 2022. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? I heard some noes.

All those in favour of the motion will please say “aye.”

All those opposed will please say “nay.”

In my opinion, the ayes have it.

Call in the members. This will be a five-minute bell.

The division bells rang from 1216 to 1217.

All those in favour of the motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk.

Be it resolved that the bill do now pass and be entitled as in the motion.

Third reading agreed to.

Call in the members. This is another five-minute bell.

The division bells rang from 1221 to 1222.

All those in favour, please rise and remain standing until recognized by the Clerk.

Second reading negatived.

On a point of order, Speaker, I’d like to correct my record, and I have a few words I’d like to say after that.

On December 6, in my late show—I’d like to correct my record for Hansard.

For Hansard, the sentence starts, “The review added 21 urban river valleys, and 17 removals were approved, totalling”—I meant to say, “138 acres.”

Then, I made another mistake. I said, “Remember, you guys are opening up”—and I meant to say, “11,000 acres.”

Then another mistake—this is unbelievable, how many mistakes I made in this: “In the 2017 plan, we expanded by 9,000 hectares,” which is actually, I meant to say, “more than 22,000 acres.”

Kevin Modeste is a welcoming, smart person here in this Legislature—incredible knowledge, but the best thing about Kevin is he’s got the biggest heart. I’m so glad to have spent some time with Kevin. I didn’t want to have to do it by coming to the opposition lobby, but it was worth it, and I just want to thank him so much and really wish him well.

And yesterday, when I had the opportunity to hold the floor for a bit and talk about us being a family—there’s another part of our family, which is the people who work here: the table, the Sergeant-at-Arms, all the constables, everybody who works in this place. There are some of them who were here before any of us got here, and they’re going to be here after we’re not here anymore, because it goes past any of us. We owe them a great debt for the things that they do every day to keep us informed, to keep us safe, to keep us organized and to keep us in order. I’m very, very thankful for that, and Speaker, you’re their boss, and we’re very thankful for you. Merry Christmas.

I just wanted to give an introduction to Dr. David Jacobs, who is here today, and thank him for all the incredible work he does as a medical professional and for everyone across this province. Thank you for joining us.

Deferred vote on the motion for third reading of the following bill:

Bill 51, An Act to amend the Legislative Assembly Act / Projet de loi 51, Loi modifiant la Loi sur l’Assemblée législative.

The ayes are 76; the nays are 31.