Yes, and the Minister of Agriculture has said that of course they are, and that’s a good thing.

Speaker, I see that my time is running out, and I will sit down.

Madam Speaker, two weeks ago I had the pleasure of visiting the 50th anniversary of the Artisan Craft Show, featured in the historic Heintzman House, located in my riding of Thornhill. This annual craft show is a special tradition started by the Heintzman House auxiliary, and is now managed by a dedicated group of board members. The event showcases the diverse and creative talents of local artisans, and also features the historic, beautiful 19th-century heritage property.

The Heintzman House has an interesting history, built in 1798 by Empire Loyalists, then eventually purchased by Charles Theodore Heintzman of the Heintzman piano company—Heintzman piano, also known as the Steinway of the north. This brand of piano was a fixture in homes all across Canada. The Heintzman House has also been a venue for a seniors’ health club and high tea, Halloween events and its very special seasonal art shows.

Sadly, members of the board, including Bob Wilson, are no longer with us, but their memory lives on through the efforts of current members, including chair Ken Steinberg and previous ones like Roger Jones.

This Sunday evening, the Heintzman House hosts their family carol singalong, a favourite tradition for the community. By the way, Madam Speaker, we are fortunate to have a beautiful Heintzman upright piano right here at Queen’s Park. I discovered it last week. It plays at special events and is very much a part of this House, and I would be happy to show anyone interested at the break.

Madam Speaker, our community is grateful for the timeless privilege of the Heintzman House. Like a well-built piano, this House may have a few years on her, but she withstands the test of time and still looks pretty beautiful to me.

In Canada, a woman is murdered every 2.5 days—144 to 178 murders each year between 2015 and 2019—and in 2021, the rate of femicide was trending even higher across the country. Of the women murdered, 50% were killed by intimate partners and 26% by family members.

Halton Women’s Place is the shelter and support system in my own community for women fleeing abuse or in need of immediate assistance. They alone reported 2,200 crisis calls from the region in just 2021. This evidence shows that violence against women continues to be a serious problem, and while we all vigorously work to raise awareness and make changes, there is still so much more we need to do.

That is one of the reasons why November 25 has been declared the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and why the United Nations launched the international campaign from that day—16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence. It’s a time to break down barriers and work together to increase knowledge and end the cycle of violence against women and children.

It’s why I’ve introduced a motion, to be debated this Wednesday, to ensure that Ontario judges, crown attorneys, section 30 assessors and other professionals in the Family Court system have the knowledge they need to make their best judgment when dealing with child welfare.

I want to use my time today to talk about a matter that requires urgent and immediate attention, and that is school safety. The harsh reality is that there has been a rise in violence in our schools and on school property. This is a crisis. Phone calls and emails from residents, and meetings with school boards and trustees make clear that this is a pressing issue that demands immediate action from this government. In my own riding of Scarborough–Guildwood, I’ve got students in grade 8 who are afraid to go to high school.

I want you to hear what a grade 10 student from Woburn Collegiate wrote to me last week. He says, “You are probably aware of the recent tragedy that took place right on my school grounds a couple weeks back—unfortunately I witnessed that shooting, as a student no one should have to witness that kind of horrible incident.... Since the shooting took place, my school has been more unsafe with threats concerning students in my school and the lack of urgent attention, and many violent fights have taken place since.

“I think if you can sit down and talk face to face with not only a principal or a TDSB director but a student who witnessed this violence daily, you would have a better understanding on this issue of violence. As a leader in my community, many students have asked me to step up and fix this problem but I need” the assistance of this government “in doing so. Students are crying out for help and we must attend to this problem immediately.”

There it is, in the words of our students. The message to the minister is clear: Lives are hanging in the balance.

Speaker, the TDSB has asked to meet with the minister regarding this issue, and I urge him to do so immediately because lives are hanging in the balance of our youngest learners.

A low-income senior contacted my office because she was trying to make an appointment to get her teeth looked after, but then she was told she doesn’t qualify anymore for the Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program. She was confused as to why she qualified before but no longer does. The feds tried to do the right thing by increasing payments to low-income seniors. They increased CPP payments by nowhere near enough, but enough to kick seniors out of provincial funding qualification. In this case, she has been kicked out because of about $224 per year. The province hasn’t adjusted the threshold, so she has been cut from the program. She was surprised to no longer qualify by less than 20 bucks a month. However, this government isn’t surprised. They know, and they’re fine to save a couple of bucks, because, ironically, getting them to spend money on real folks and do the right thing is like pulling teeth. Now she needs dentures, and she no longer qualifies for the program. There is no way she can ever afford this without coverage. She shared with my office that she came to Canada for the promise of a better life. She worked hard when she was younger and paid her taxes. She expected the government to fulfill their end of the bargain and care about her in her old age. She is having to fight tooth and nail for what she needs.

This government needs to adjust the threshold so that seniors who depend on the Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program aren’t being kicked out of it, and then after that, show some leadership and realize that dental care is health care and that teeth aren’t luxuries. The government knows that they have allowed the lowest-income seniors to be quietly booted out. While they keep saving money while choosing to drag their feet, they leave low-income seniors in pain and without dental care, when they had promised them that they would have it.

Shame on this government. Please fix this.

I want to rise today to speak about the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake and to congratulate them on their 60th anniversary.

This past Saturday, I got the chance to go with my beautiful wife, Rita, to see the opening night performance of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas at the Shaw. It was a wonderful show. I even had the privilege of meeting some of the talented cast members.

It all started in 1962, when the Shaw was founded, inspired by the life and works of George Bernard Shaw.

This year, in 2022, the Shaw is celebrating not only their 60th anniversary, but their biggest season yet, with 14 plays in three different theatres, as well as Outdoors @ The Shaw, and a series of concerts and outdoor events on the Festival Theatre grounds.

This has been a banner year for the Shaw. They have come back strong from COVID and shown the world they are one of the best destinations for theatre in Canada. Through their impressive fundraising achievements this year and community support, they continue to grow. The Shaw is a shining light for our arts and culture community in Niagara, and something that’s very, very important.

Throughout the entire pandemic, the Shaw has kept all 500 of their employees working. We need to thank Tim Jennings, all the staff, the actors, the board members and the volunteers for such a successful organization.

The Shaw Festival is truly remarkable. It’s a wonderful hub of culture and an important part of what makes our community and our heritage in Niagara so special.

And I want to thank the tourism minister and his wife for coming to the Shaw on Saturday night to help us celebrate our 60th anniversary.

Earlier this month, I was proud to host a very special event at Le Tréport in Mississauga to recognize and honour alumni from the Canadian national soccer team, including Dwayne De Rosario, a forward for the Mississauga MetroStars, and the Canadian national team’s all-time leading scorer, with 22 goals in 81 games from 1998 to 2015, and Carrie Serwetnyk from Mississauga, who was the first woman named to the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame. The leadership of these players helped build the game of soccer across Canada. The recent success of our national teams, from the women’s gold medal at the 2020 Olympics, to the men’s team finishing first in CONCACAF, is because of the foundation these players built, although the result in Qatar isn’t what we were hoping for.

I want to take a moment to thank special guests and good friends, including Dr. Nick Bontis, president of the Canadian Soccer Association; Bill Manning, president of Toronto FC; and Bob Iarusci, a former captain of the Canadian national team, who served as our MC that night.

Lastly, I want to thank our outreach director, Joanna Maio, who worked for months to organize this event—the first of its kind—together with our friend, Lucky Raso. We look forward to celebrate together at our next soccer alumni event, and I welcome the soccer world to Ontario as we host FIFA men’s World Cup matches for the first time in 2026.

Nearly four years ago, I was honoured to be the first MPP in Brantford–Brant to go on a police ride-along with the Six Nations Police Service. Immediately after the introductions and pleasantries, I asked the Six Nations police officer behind the wheel of the cruiser, “So, where is the on-board computer?” His answer was swift and professional: “We do with what we have. Everything is verbal over radio communication.”

That fateful ride-along will be ingrained in my memory forever, Speaker, and that is what started a chain of events that led to Friday’s announcement. Our government announced more than $6 million to help First Nations police services across Ontario better protect their communities. That includes nearly $643,000 directly to Six Nations Police Service in my home riding of Brantford–Brant.

This investment, Speaker, is part of the First Nations policing modernization initiative and will be used to purchase new technology, including mobile workstations, body cameras and automated licence plate readers.

I would like to thank former Solicitor General Sylvia Jones and current Solicitor General Michael Kerzner for making this funding happen. And a particular shout-out to retired Six Nations Police Chief Glenn Lickers and current Six Nations Police Chief Darren Montour for your advocacy for not only Six Nations, but Indigenous police services across the province.

As an active-duty first responder myself, Speaker, my message to every Indigenous police officer across Ontario is: We’ve got your back.

I’d like to welcome to the House today, from Leading Influence, our chaplain, Charlie Lyons, and the national director of Leading Influence, Tim Schindel. Thank you for coming today.

I want to welcome Jessie Rodger, the executive director of Anova in London, and thank her for all the work she does to advocate for gender-based violence.

I’d like to welcome Laurie Hepburn, executive director of the Halton Women’s Place, today to mark the annual Wrapped in Courage event and thank her for her incredible work, and her team and all of the women here, who are working so hard and tirelessly to end gender-based violence.

I would like to welcome the Ontario Paramedic Association, which is at Queen’s Park. They’re in room 230, if you’re interested in having lunch with them today. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I would like to welcome back to Queen’s Park Clint Thomas, who is representing Bruce Power. They’re hosting a reception tonight at 5 o’clock in rooms 228 and 230. Welcome, Clint.

I just wanted to take the opportunity to welcome my friends Elena Ricci and Roberta Scott from the Ontario Paramedic Association, here with us today.

I’d like to welcome the northern representative of the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses. Jennifer Chamberlin is the executive director of the New Starts for Women shelter, which serves the Red Lake-Ear Falls district and Cat Lake, Deer Lake, Keewaywin, North Spirit Lake, Pikangikum, Poplar Hill and Sandy Lake First Nations. Meegwetch—thank you—for your work, and meegwetch for being here today.

I have three guests to welcome to the House today. The first one is Cyma Musarat, former Progressive Conservative candidate for Humber River–Black Creek. She’s also joined by two other politicians from Pakistan: Mahnish Rehman and Sobia Ahmed. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

It is my great pleasure to introduce the women from Women’s Habitat of Etobicoke: Carla Neto, who is the executive director; Alicia Whyte, who is the manager of programs and client services; and Lina Almanzan, who is director of philanthropy, resources and systems. I just want to say thank you for everything you do for the women of our community.

Today, I would like to welcome the cement industry: from the Cement Association of Canada, Adam Auer, Steve Morrissey and Martha Murray; from St. Marys Cement, Filiberto Ruiz and Bill Asselstine; from Lafarge Canada, David Redfern and Rob Cumming; from Lehigh Cement Co., Nick Papanicolaou; from Concrete Ontario, Bart Kanters and Andy Wallgren; and from Ash Grove in Mississauga–Lakeshore, Marie Glenn and Richard Sluce. I welcome you all tonight to the dining room to see them.

Kennedy Dabner is our page captain today. Kennedy’s father, Jamie Dabner, and Kennedy’s grandmother, Val Kennedy, are in the gallery with us. A proud day for them and for Kennedy.

I would also like to recognize Melanie Ducharme in the gallery; she’s the executive director of the Pavilion Women’s Centre in Temiskaming Shores and a newly elected councillor in the city of Temiskaming Shores. Welcome.