I want to thank my honourable colleague from Carleton for the question and also for her strong advocacy when it comes to housing on behalf of her constituents.

I was in the member’s city last week, alongside my federal and municipal counterparts, to announce a $90-million housing investment across the city of Ottawa to support the construction of more than 270 units. These units will meet a variety of accessibility and affordability needs, ranging from studios to three-bedroom apartments.

I look forward to continuing our partnership with all levels of government, as well as the non-profit and private sectors, to ensure that all Ontarians, including the most vulnerable in our communities, have a safe place to call home.

To add to my previous answer: The funding will support five projects across the city of Ottawa, including the project that our government is supporting which is located at 159 Forward Avenue. This will be a four-storey building with a total of 49 units, 30 of which will be designated as affordable, and the remaining 19 will have rents that are on par or below average market rent. As I’ve said from day one, we’ll continue to do everything we can to support projects like this one, because they prioritize and support the most vulnerable.

With lack of supply and housing prices out of control for many Ontarians, we’ll continue to work, again, with all partners, all levels of government, to increase supply and support housing in every corner of our province.

I too would like to welcome everyone here to Queen’s Park. They’ve done so much work, Mr. Speaker, around the McIntyre Powder issue.

There are a lot of people that we need to recognize, but I want to recognize Ken Brezenski; he is here with his wife Luanne. They are also here to represent Ken’s father, Felix, who was exposed to McIntyre Powder for 27 years at McIntyre Mine. Felix passed in 1996.

It has been more than 40 years since McIntyre Powder has been used in Ontario mines, but for the thousands of miners who were exposed to the powder, it might as well have been yesterday. They were told by their employers that this powder would help protect them from lung disease and that they had to inhale it to continue working in the mines.

These 25,000 miners across northern Ontario didn’t have a choice. For them, their livelihoods depended on taking this powder, and it was supposed to keep them safe. Instead, this powder caused the very things it was supposed to prevent. The survivors have had to deal with the lingering effects—lung disease and Parkinson’s—while countless families have had to watch their loved ones suffer, helpless to do anything in relief.

Today, Mr. Speaker, there are more than 30 people here who have travelled from right across northern Ontario—family and friends who have had to watch their fathers, brothers and sons live this hell, including six miners here who experienced this themselves.

I also want to recognize miners like Isadore Commando, David St. Georges and thousands of others who didn’t live to see this day.

And Janice Martell, who I’m glad to have met and had the opportunity to listen to. Janice is the daughter of Elliot Lake miner, Jim Hobbs. Jim passed in 2017 after a 16-year battle with Parkinson’s. Janice, I don’t need to have met him to know how proud he would be of the fight that you have taken up.

Speaker, I also want to recognize my colleague across the floor, the member for Sudbury. His unwavering commitment to his constituents—and miners across northern Ontario—helped bring us to this day. I also want to thank our government House leader, the MPP for Markham–Stouffville, for his assistance and for his staff’s help as well.

Today’s apology is the next step in actions to support our miners. I’m proud to say, earlier this year, the Premier and our government declared Parkinson’s disease to be an occupational disease that is the result of work-related exposure to McIntyre Powder. As a result, miners who were exposed to McIntyre Powder and have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s are entitled to compensation without having to produce any evidence that their disease is work-related. For the miners and families here today, this means not only faster compensation but, equally as important, recognition that what businesses demanded these workers to do was wrong.

Speaker, I am proud that our government also funded the research that led us to this momentous occasion. And today is just a start—our government will continue to make investments to help identify and recognize occupational illnesses and support those who have been injured by exposure on the job, because anyone in Ontario who falls ill because of their job should have the confidence that they and their loved ones will be taken care of. That is why our government launched the first-ever review of our province’s occupational illness system to deliver lasting change for workers and their families. This review is being led by an independent research centre at St. Michael’s Hospital with the unparalleled expertise in studying complex health issues. Their work will lead to improved recognition of workplace diseases, a better understanding of the exposures that led to them and, most importantly, more days like today.

While we know that an apology will not bring your loved ones back, it will not ease the pain and sadness so many of you have faced—this tragedy should not have happened to you; it should not have happened to your loved ones—to each and every one of you, on behalf of the people of Ontario, we are truly sorry.

Today, Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to stand with me to honour and remember the victims of this tragedy. Thank you.

Applause.

Supplementary?

It’s great to have you here.

There being no further business, this House stands in recess until 3 p.m.

The House recessed from 1145 to 1500.

Report adopted.

Mr. Calandra moved first 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.

First reading agreed to.

First reading agreed to.

My question is back to the Minister of Health.

Elliot’s doctor won’t perform these services without a $20 e-transfer or a yearly subscription fee of $125.

Accessing public health care shouldn’t require e-transfers or credit cards. Those unable to pay could start avoiding their family doctor and wind up in emergency rooms.

What is your plan to ensure Ontarians can get the health care they deserve using only their OHIP card?

I’d like to welcome from the great riding of Carleton one of my constituents, Glenn van Gulik, who is here with the Salvation Army today. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Your committee begs to report the following bill, as amended:

Bill 26, An Act to amend various Acts in respect of post-secondary education / Projet de loi 26, Loi modifiant diverses lois en ce qui concerne l’éducation postsecondaire.

My question this morning is to the Minister of Infrastructure.

For too long, the previous Liberal government, propped up by the NDP, failed to make the investments that were needed in broadband infrastructure. In so many communities, such as my riding of Niagara West and rural communities across Ontario, the failure to make these investments meant that our people were not able to be connected to the jobs of today and tomorrow.

Broadband access isn’t just a requirement for participating in our economy; it’s a requirement for people to ensure that they’re able to access important social, community ties—as well as speaking with their family members.

Our government has made historic investments in this crucial infrastructure area.

I’m wondering if the Minister of Infrastructure would be able to explain to the House and to the people of my community what investments are being made to ensure that rural communities across Ontario are being connected, today and tomorrow.

For too long, the previous Liberal government, propped up by the NDP, ignored the needs of rural communities. Under the leadership of Premier Ford and this Ontario PC team, that is changing.

The minister spoke about some of the investments that are being made in communities such as mine. When I think of places like Kimbo, Winger, Grassie, St. Anns—small communities where historic investments are having a real impact in the lives of so many of my constituents—I know it’s important that this work continues.

Can the minister speak more about the important plan to ensure that each and every household in the province of Ontario is connected to modern, high-speed Internet?

The bill amends the Health Protection and Promotion Act to make the Chief Medical Officer of Health an officer of the assembly. It also specifies the manner in which the Chief Medical Officer of Health may be appointed or removed from office. The act is also amended to provide for the appointment of a select committee in the event of a declaration of an emergency under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act that relates to a public health event or pandemic or may have health impacts anywhere in Ontario. The mandate of the select committee consists of receiving advice from and providing advice to the Chief Medical Officer of Health with respect to the situation that gave rise to the declaration of emergency.

Yes, Speaker, very briefly. The legislation, if passed, would help clarify management structures, roles and responsibilities here at the Legislative Assembly.

Madame Gélinas moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 52, An Act to amend the Health Protection and Promotion Act with respect to the positions of Chief Medical Officer of Health and Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health and related matters / Projet de loi 52, Loi modifiant la Loi sur la protection et la promotion de la santé en ce qui concerne les postes de médecin-hygiéniste en chef et de médecin-hygiéniste en chef adjoint et des questions connexes.

Thank you very much to the member for the question.

As everyone knows, we are investing $159 billion over 10 years to build critical infrastructure across this province. Four billion dollars of that fund will be allocated to make sure that everybody in the province of Ontario, including our rural communities, will be connected.

We completed our reverse auction this summer. Eight Internet service providers have been selected to connect 266,000 homes. We have 40,000 to 60,000 more premises to connect. We are currently working on our last-mile strategy to make sure that everyone in Ontario has quick, easy and reliable access to high-speed Internet across the province.

How could a family quite possibly earn an income working from home or educate their child or reach their doctor at home without access?

We have 40,000 to 60,000 premises to go. We will not stop until every single one is connected.

Our plan is our Plan to Stay Open.

Our plan is to build two new medical schools in the province of Ontario, in Brampton, in Scarborough, the first new medical schools, frankly, that have happened since—wait for it—a previous Conservative government.

Our plan has been to work with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario to ensure that, as internationally educated graduates, medical practitioners have the opportunity to get their education reviewed, assessed and ultimately approved if they qualify. We are making the changes to make sure that individuals who want to practise medicine in the province of Ontario can continue to do so.

I will never suggest that what the member opposite is saying is appropriate.

But I will say, our family physicians have stepped up consistently to assist in the vaccine rollout and protect the people of Ontario.

We have a lot of guests here today. I’m going to share some of the introductions with the Minister of Labour.

I do want to start with Janice Hobbs Martell. Her father, Jim Hobbs, is the inspiration for the McIntyre Powder Project. Janice is joined by Elaine Hobbs, Jim’s wife of 55 years. Their eldest daughter Charlene was not able to be here, but Jim’s children Linda Demers, Janice Hobbs Martell, Jim Hobbs Jr., and his son-in-law Len Demers are here, as well as two of Jim’s granddaughters, Jessica Rogers and Mackenzie Hobbs. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Max Plouffe is here, along with his wife, Jeannette, and Gary Zarichney is here with his wife Pauline and his daughter Rose.

I’ll finish off the final two. Representing the David St-Georges family, Chantal Bryce and Rachel St-Georges are the daughters of David St-Georges, and David’s son-in-law John Bryce is here as well. And representing the O’Neil Rochon family, Carole Rochon Legault is the daughter of O’Neil and Anita Rochon, and Carole is here with her husband, Mike Legault.

Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Responses? I recognize the member for Sudbury.

Before I begin, Speaker, I want to thank you for the opportunity for the guests to use the Speaker’s gallery. There are a couple of the members who had mobility issues, but they all wanted to stand together, so I’m very thankful to you and your office for opening the entire gallery to them.

Speaker, today is November 30, an important day in Ontario mining: 79 years ago today, despite expert evidence recommending against its use at the time, the Ontario government of the day sanctioned the first use of McIntyre aluminum powder for use on Ontario mine workers. During the 36 years that it was used, more than 25,000 Ontario mine workers, primarily in uranium and gold mines, were forced to breathe the finely ground aluminum dust known as McIntyre Powder.

Before the start of each and every shift, the doors of the dry, the mining change room, were sealed shut, the ventilation would be turned off and a mist of fine aluminum dust was pumped inside. The dust would make the air turn black. Locked into the room, the workers were told to breathe deeply so the dust would coat their lungs, so the dust would protect them, and if the workers refused, they were fired.

I want to share the voice of two of these workers. During a press conference we held, Ed Graham said, “I put old shirt rags over my face to avoid the aluminum dust, but a supervisor caught me and told me to take that rag off my face. I asked the supervisor about the aluminum dust and was told, ‘Keep asking questions like that and you won’t be here very long.’”

Bill Ferguson also said, “At the start of each shift they would line our lungs with that aluminum dust before we went underground. The theory was that the silica and rock dust wouldn’t stick to your lungs and you’d cough up the aluminum at the end of your shift, but that didn’t work. They sprayed me with that for 18 years.”

For 36 years, Speaker, mining workers like Ed and Bill were told that breathing aluminum powder would protect them from harm, but instead many miners experienced immediate and long-term health effects, and it simply wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair to the 25,000 Ontario mine workers who were forced to breathe McIntyre aluminum powder. It wasn’t fair to their loved ones, to their wives, to their children, to their fathers, to their mothers, to their friends and their fishing buddies. It simply wasn’t fair.

And so, today we are here, united as members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, 79 years after the first use of McIntyre aluminum powder, 36 years after its final use, and we are here to tell you that we are sorry.

Nous sommes désolés. L’utilisation de la poudre McIntyre a été sanctionné par le gouvernement de l’Ontario. Ce n’était pas juste pour les 25 000 mineurs Ontariens. Ce n’était pas juste pour leurs amis et pour leurs familles. Nous sommes désolés.

We are sorry that between 1943 and 1979, more than 25,000 Ontario mine workers were forced to breathe McIntyre aluminum powder. We are sorry that the use of McIntyre powder was supported and sanctioned by the Ontario government of the day. We are sorry this happened to people who dedicated their lives and their work to the betterment of our province.

Speaker, when I began, I said today is November 30. This is an important day in Ontario mining because today, 79 years after the Ontario government sanctioned the first use of McIntyre aluminum powder, I am proud to join with all members of the Legislative Assembly from all parties. Together, on November 30, 2022, an important day in Ontario mining, we offer an apology on behalf of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to all miners, to mine workers, their friends and their families. We are very, truly sorry. Nous sommes vraiment désolés.

Applause.

I want to thank the Minister of Labour for his statement and apology, and we all need to thank the member from Sudbury for his tireless advocacy to shed light on this tragedy. We’ve all seen him in this House and in his community advocating for victims and their families, and to educate the public on what happened, so thank you.

Today is a new chapter, hopefully one that brings more attention and some closure for victims and families. We also need to thank the volunteers from the McIntyre Powder Project for all their work to educate the public and to document the extensive health issues that have affected miners and their families.

Mr. Speaker, mining has, and always continues to be, a critical and noble profession that keeps the wheels of our economy moving. The profession of mining has come a long way, including with safety standards, but it continues to be a dangerous profession. For centuries, men and women have worked in mines, being exposed to various risks to not only put food on the table and support their families, but to support the economy, their province and the country. Unfortunately, like we have seen with this case of aluminum powder inhalation, many of the advances in safety we see today have come due to the tragic loss and suffering of people that have come before us.

Tens of thousands of miners, and many who did not work in the mining industry, have been exposed to the McIntyre aluminum dust, from 1943 to 1980. Many suffered severe health challenges as a result. Men and women going to work, just doing as they were instructed to inhale this dust, just wanted to put in a good day’s work and return to their family safely. They thought they were doing what was right to protect themselves, and that was what they were told if they didn’t know. The tragic reality is that we did not do enough to ensure their safety, both in the short term and the long term. I can’t imagine the suffering that many families went through.

This apology today is a good step towards positive change to occupational disease or injury, and I wish every success in the government’s efforts to improve occupational safety for the workers that make our society prosperous. We need workers, Mr. Speaker, and we need to do everything in our power to ensure that they are safe at work. Every employer’s ultimate goal should be to send their employees safe home every day, every night to their families and to their children, that they’re able to grow up surrounded by loving, healthy family members who take care of them.

I want to say that we will remember all the victims. We thank everyone who is here with us today, and those who are not with us. As elected officials, we have a duty. We have a duty to put in the work, to do the research, to discern the truth, to explain it to people and to put the safety of our workers at the top of our priority list before tragedy strikes and not after.

Applause.

Point of order.

Thank you. Responses?

Members will please rise.

The House observed a moment’s silence.

I believe this is the last time I’ll be reading this petition in the assembly. I want to thank Janice Hobbs Martell for all of her work and for arranging for the apology today. None of this would have happened without her, Speaker.

The petition is entitled a petition “For an Official Statement of Apology on Behalf of the” Legislative Assembly “of Ontario to the McIntyre Powder Project Miners.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas over 25,000 Ontario mine workers were subjected by their employers to mandatory, non-consensual inhalation of finely ground aluminum dust known as ‘McIntyre Powder’ between 1943 and 1979, as a scientifically unproven industrial medical treatment for the lung disease silicosis; and

“Whereas the government of Ontario supported and sanctioned the McIntyre Powder aluminum prophylaxis program despite the availability of safe and proven alternatives to effective silicosis prevention measures such as improved dust control and ventilation, and also despite expert evidence from the international scientific and medical community as early as 1946 that recommended against the use of McIntyre Powder treatments; and

“Whereas the miners who were forced to inhale McIntyre Powder experienced distress, immediate and long-term health effects from their experiences and exposures associated with aluminum inhalation treatments, as documented through their participation in the McIntyre Powder Project;

“We, the undersigned, petition the government of Ontario to provide an official statement of apology to the McIntyre Powder Project miners.”

I support this petition, as do all of my colleagues. I’ll sign it on behalf of all of us, Speaker.

Interruption.

Applause.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas from electric and hybrid vehicles to barbecues, the government is supporting the development of homegrown supply chains, creating the next generation of products and returning Ontario to its rightful place as” Canada’s workshop; and

“Whereas low-carbon steel production has become critical for jurisdictions to compete for manufacturing investments as businesses look to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their supply chain. These investments support the creation of new jobs and economic growth as steel producers, automakers and other industries transform their operations; and

“Whereas critical minerals in” northern Ontario “will drive electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing in” southern Ontario, “where Ontario’s automotive sector is poised for resurgence as the industry continues its large-scale transformation; and

“Whereas the government’s plan will help Ontario become a North American leader in building the vehicles of the future; and

Whereas Ontario will build the next generation of vehicles “by securing auto production mandates to build electric and hybrid vehicles; and

“Whereas Ontario invested $1.5 million through the Regional Development Program to support an $18.5-million investment by auto parts manufacturer Ventra Group to create the Flex-Ion Battery Innovation Centre in Windsor; and

Whereas $250,000 has been invested “to support the development of two new battery production lines at the Electra Battery Materials Corp.’s future Battery Materials Park near Cobalt;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To urge all members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to continue to invest in the manufacturing sector that will contribute to the economic success of the province” of Ontario.

I fully endorse this petition, will sign my name to it and give it to page Nicholas to take to the table.