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?

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.

I just want to take a moment and recognize a few friends who are here with us from India: Bakhvinder Singh, Gurmeet Kaur, Amrit Cheema and Arshdeep Virk. Welcome to the Legislature.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Just rising in accordance with standing order 59 just to remind members, of course, that we will be returning on Tuesday, February 21, and, as I always do, I very much look forward to contacting the opposition House leaders and working closely to let them know what business will be coming ahead.

On behalf of the government, I also just want to congratulate and thank Kevin Modeste for his exceptional work here on behalf of you, but on behalf of all of the House. It is a very, very difficult job, a very, very difficult task being in the House leader’s office—even more difficult, I would suggest, being in the opposition House leader’s office, and he has done an exceptionally good job of doing it. To his wife, Shawna, and his daughters, Reya and Riley, congratulations; your dad has done an extraordinarily good job and we congratulate him and wish him all the best in the future.

Also, I just want to, again, Speaker, thank you for what was a wonderful reception last evening. I know that many members had a great time. It was very, very nice to see everybody back after a couple of years’ hiatus.

To all of my colleagues on all sides of the House: Thank you for what was a very, very productive session—more great work on behalf of the people of the province of Ontario by all members on all sides of the House.

And of course, to the wonderful staff here, who have done extraordinary work in keeping this place going—we’ve said it before: not only the only Legislature that continued to sit during COVID in person, a testament to their hard work, but bringing us back strong and working very hard for us. We all thank you very much for your hard work.

Applause.

Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario entered the chamber of the Legislative Assembly and took her seat upon the throne.

On behalf of the official opposition, I’d also like to take a moment. I’ve spoken about Kevin already. The one thing that no one has said yet is Kevin has got the most amazing sense of humour. Sometimes there are some people in this place who want to make me cry, but he always makes me laugh.

And I would also like to recognize everyone who works here, who works for the people of Ontario. Everyone who works here does something that we couldn’t operate if they weren’t here. Lots of times, we’re here at night and someone comes to clean the office. The people in the cafeteria, once again—I couldn’t survive without the cafeteria. But it’s an incredible place.

So on behalf of the official opposition, I would like to wish everyone joyeux Noël, merry Christmas and, for my Dutch friends, prettige kerstdagen.

This will be a long one.

I would like to invite everybody to go to a celebration in room 230. Emancipation Month Canada will be there, celebrating the one-year anniversary of the first bill in Ontario history that was co-sponsored by members of all four parties with seats in the House. I want to give a special shout-out to MPPs Khanjin, Hunter and Lindo for being a part of that, and I hope you can all go in and wish Emancipation Month Canada well today.

I’d also like to take a moment, as well, on behalf of the entire Green caucus, to thank Kevin Modeste. When we came here in 2018, I had no idea how this Legislature worked, and in the spirit of cross-party co-operation, Kevin was an invaluable guide to me and my team in helping us navigate this place.

I also just want to take a moment to thank all the staff, as well. To the table, custodial services, security and everyone else: Thank you for the great work you do.

And a special shout-out to Jackie, who sat right in front of me for the last few years, for the great work you’ve done. I wish you well in your retirement.

—the sector to ensure that the supports are there for the people who need the supports where and when they need them.

I won’t take lessons from the NDP, who cut—

Interjections.

Building hospitals is a priority for the people of Ontario.

I want to thank the member from Niagara West for his hard work in helping to build key health care infrastructure in the Niagara region.

In our most recent market update, we are advancing on the construction of our hospitals—which includes the South Niagara Hospital project. Once completed, the South Niagara Hospital will be a full acute-care hospital with a state-of-the-art, 24/7 emergency department with diagnostic, therapeutic and surgical service. This is in addition to expanding the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Grimsby—which, by the way, was the very first hospital that our government announced when we were elected in 2018. I’m very excited that we’re making progress on these two projects.

In Brampton, we’re building a new hospital, which will include a 24/7 emergency department.

In southwestern Ontario, we’re moving forward with the widening of Highway 3 from Essex to Leamington.

And in Durham region, the Grandview children’s treatment centre in Ajax is under construction.

There will be lots more to share in the year 2023.

Niagara region is one of Ontario’s fastest-growing regions. Many new Canadians and new families are moving to our beautiful region, and we also have a rapidly aging population. Combined together, these two factors are obviously placing a great deal of pressure on our local health care facilities. Unfortunately, we saw the former Liberal government cancel not once but twice the new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital.

My question to the Minister of Infrastructure: Could she please provide an update to this House about what critical infrastructure investments are being made in health care in the Niagara region?

Addressing the infrastructure needs of our province today is an investment in our future prosperity and in the needs of so many new Canadians.

For too long, communities across this province were neglected by the previous Liberal government, and crucial infrastructure in so many communities fell by the wayside. Key infrastructure requests were delayed, ignored or passed over.

I know that our government is committed to building the infrastructure that is needed in each and every sector and every community of our province.

My question, through you, Speaker: Could the minister provide more information to this House about the investments that are being made in communities across Ontario?