I have a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to end sprawl and build climate-friendly cities.

“Whereas the government’s plan to address the housing crisis is one that favours sprawl development; and

“Whereas paving over the wetlands that protect us and the farmland that feeds us is fiscally and environmentally irresponsible; and

“Whereas we already have more than enough land within current urban boundaries available to build the housing we need, including 88,000 acres of land in the greater Golden Horseshoe alone; and

“Whereas we can address both the housing and climate crises by building infill missing middle and mid-rise housing in existing neighbourhoods;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly to amend the Planning Act to allow for fourplexes and four-storey walk-up apartment buildings in neighbourhoods and mid-rise on main streets and transit corridors as of right.”

I fully support this petition, will sign it and ask page Camilla to bring it to the table.

I have a petition here entitled “To Raise Social Assistance Rates.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Ontario’s social assistance rates are well below Canada’s official Market Basket Measure poverty line and woefully inadequate to cover the basic costs of food and rent;

“Whereas individuals on the Ontario Works program receive just $733 per month and individuals on the Ontario Disability Support Program receive just $1,169 per month, only 41% and 65% of the poverty line;

“Whereas the Ontario government has not increased social assistance rates since 2018, and Canada’s inflation rate in January 2022 was 5.1%, the highest rate in 30 years;

“Whereas the government of Canada recognized through the CERB program that a ‘basic income’ of $2,000 per month was the standard support required by individuals who lost their employment during the pandemic;

“We, the undersigned citizens of Ontario, petition the Legislative Assembly to increase social assistance rates to a base of $2,000 per month for those on Ontario Works, and to increase other programs accordingly.”

I support the petition. I will be affixing my signature and giving it to page Scarlett.

I would like to thank Colin and Helene Pick from Capreol in my riding for these petitions.

“Gas Prices....

“Whereas northern Ontario motorists continue to be subject to wild fluctuations in the price of gasoline; and

“Whereas the province could eliminate opportunistic price gouging and deliver fair, stable and predictable fuel prices; and

“Whereas five provinces and many US states already have some sort of gas price regulation; and

“Whereas jurisdictions with gas price regulation have seen an end to wild price fluctuations, a shrinking of price discrepancies between urban and rural communities and lower annualized gas prices;”

They petition the Legislative Assembly as follows:

“Mandate the Ontario Energy Board to monitor the price of gasoline across Ontario in order to reduce price volatility and unfair regional price differences while encouraging competition.”

I support this petition. I will affix my name to it and ask page Kennedy to bring it to the Clerk.

“Repeal Bill 124....

“Whereas Bill 124 removes the right of public employees to negotiate fair contracts;

“Whereas Bill 124 limits the wage increase in the broader public sector to a maximum of 1% per year at a time of unprecedented inflation;

“Whereas Ontario’s public servants have dealt with two years of unheralded difficulties in performing their duties to our province;

“Whereas those affected by Bill 124 are the people who teach us, care for us, make our hospitals and health care system work and protect the most vulnerable among us;

“Whereas the current provincial government is showing disrespect to public servants to keep taxes low for some of our country’s most profitable corporations;”

They petition the Legislative Assembly as follows:

“Immediately repeal Bill 124 and show respect for the public sector workers.”

I support this petition. I will affix my name to it and send it to the table with page Kennedy.

“Time to Care....

“Whereas quality care for the 78,000 residents of LTC homes is a priority for many Ontario families; and

“Whereas the provincial government does not provide adequate funding to ensure care and staffing levels in LTC homes to keep pace with residents’ increasing acuity and the growing number of residents with complex behaviours; and

“Whereas several Ontario coroner’s inquests into LTC homes deaths have recommended an increase in direct hands-on care for residents and staffing levels and the most reputable studies on this topic recommend 4.1 hours of direct care per day;”

They petition the Legislative Assembly as follows:

“To amend the LTC Homes Act ... for a legislated minimum care standard of four hours per resident per day, adjusted for acuity level and case mix” right now.

I support this petition. I will affix my name to it and ask my great page Kennedy to bring it to the Clerk.

It is truly a privilege to stand here and speak a few words of tribute to Mr. Edward Thomas Philip’s remarkable life and contributions. Edward passed away peacefully at Mackenzie Health hospital in Richmond Hill on January 31, 2022, at the age of 81.

I would like to extend my welcome to his family members, who were just introduced—Mr. Andrew Philip, who is here today, and another member of his family who couldn’t be here today, Ms. Audrey Philip—as we honour Edward and his years of service to Ontario.

Born in Montreal, Edward moved to Ontario and received his bachelor of arts and master of education degrees from the University of Ottawa, and a PhD from the University of Toronto.

He was a dedicated leader. Even before his time in politics, Edward led leadership training at the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.

Edward Thomas Philip’s political career was very successful as he first entered politics in 1975, representing the riding of Etobicoke–Rexdale. Edward was the chair of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, and he played a role in monitoring the Office of the Provincial Auditor, Management Board of Cabinet, the Ministry of Government Services, and the Ombudsman. Edward held important roles as the NDP critic for housing, rent review, government services, transportation and communications. He also held the position of deputy whip.

The public and Edward’s peers saw his passion translate into his work. As a condominium owner, he made condominium issues one of the strongest platforms for his political career. He would often have 10- to 15-hour days, with his Queen’s Park office flooded with phone messages from hundreds of people regarding housing-related concerns. He saw this as his responsibility and the responsibility of the office he held. Edward looked after all these people and desperately tried to ensure condominium owners were treated fairly.

Edward was a very hard-working and committed man to his province and saw the value of provincial politics. These were the issues that affected families directly, the things people spoke about around the dinner table, and the ones they thought about before they went to bed. He would say he wouldn’t enter other levels of politics because there are too many things to do provincially. Don’t we all know that?

Aside from his political career, Edward did not shy away from opportunities to make a difference. He was a freelance writer, broadcaster, former director of Mental Health Canada, and a member of the Ontario Association for Continuing Education and the Creative Education Foundations.

A creative man, Edward’s hobbies consisted of theatre and music.

Without a doubt, Edward lived a life full of extraordinary achievements. He was a very caring man whose legacy will continue to live on. I thank him for his service, and I extend my condolences to his family and loved ones.

May he rest in peace.

Point of order, the member for Barrie–Innisfil.

Today we are honoured to remember and pay tribute to a former member of our provincial Legislature, the late Mr. Ed Thomas Philip, who was the MPP for Etobicoke during the 30th, 31st, 32nd and 33rd Parliaments and the MPP for Etobicoke–Rexdale during the 34th and 35th Parliaments.

Joining us today in the Speaker’s gallery is Mr. Philips’s son, Andrew Philip. His daughter, Sarah Philip, and his former wife, Audrey Philip, are watching from home.

Also in the Speaker’s gallery is Mr. David Warner, who was Speaker of the Legislature during the 35th Parliament.

I recognize the member for Beaches–East York.

Thank you, Speaker. If you seek it, you will find unanimous consent to allow members to make statements in remembrance of the late Mr. Edward Thomas Philip, with five minutes allotted to the independent members as a group, five minutes allotted to His Majesty’s government, and five minutes allotted to His Majesty’s loyal opposition.

Ed Philip passed away peacefully on Monday, January 31, 2022, at the age of 81.

He was a five-term MPP with the NDP, from 1975 to 1995, for the riding of Etobicoke and later Etobicoke–Rexdale. He was a senior cabinet minister from 1990 to 1995 with the Rae government. Ed served as the Minister of Municipal Affairs, the Minister of Transportation, and the Minister of Industry, Trade and Technology. He was also the opposition critic for transportation, communications, housing, rent review, and government services. He held the position of deputy whip and chaired the Standing Committee on Administration of Justice.

He studied at the University of Ottawa, where he received a BA and a master’s of education and completed postgraduate work at the University of Toronto, at OISE.

He was an active New Democrat since the founding convention, which took place on October 7 to 9, 1961, and his father was an active member of the CCF.

Prior to becoming an MPP, Ed was responsible for leadership training at the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.

When I found out that I had the honour of reading a eulogy for Ed, I reached out to people who knew him.

His former wife, Audrey, talked about their twins, Andrew and Sarah. Sarah, she said, is now in Ottawa and will be a social worker by the summer. Andrew is looking into a career in Web development. He is with us in the House today. Welcome, Andrew.

Ed is also fondly remembered by his brother and sister-in-law, Fred and Barbara.

Ed loved his children very much and was extremely proud of them.

Audrey said that being an MPP was very important for Ed, not for the value of being a politician, but for introducing legislation that could benefit constituents.

He worked seven days a week, woke up early, went to the gym. His days were a whirlwind of activity completely dedicated to serving his community.

Former MPP Gilles Bisson served with Ed in this Legislature from 1990 to 1995. He said that Ed was respected by everyone in the House and was a very positive and kind person.

Former MPP Rosario Marchese also served with Ed from 1990 to 1995. He said that Ed was extremely committed to his constituency and that he worked non-stop.

And the current Speaker of the House, who I believe is the only serving MPP who served with Ed, from 1990 to 1995, said that when he was first elected—and the Speaker was 27 at the time—he was Ed’s critic and that Ed was very courteous and polite to him, and he really appreciated that very much as a new MPP.

Mr. Philip, as housing critic during the 1990s, brought in legislation to protect condo owners. A condominium magazine wrote that he was a condo owner since 1973, introduced 12 private members’ bills dealing with condominium issues, and he was a member of the Etobicoke Condominium Association. He wanted to see property managers licensed and bonded, and he insisted that condominium homes were overtaxed. He tabled authoritative research that showed that residential condominiums within the residential property class were over-assessed, and the Liberal government of the day therefore reduced property taxes for residential condominium owners Ontario-wide and enhanced fairness for condo owners. This was the first private member’s bill passed in this House by a member of the NDP. Rosario Marchese took on this work, bringing forward condo legislation four years in a row. And I’m hoping that I can build on this legacy, as last year I brought forward a condo bill to provide greater protection to condo owners and renters. In reading Ed’s story, I do see a number of parallels. I am hoping that I can build on the legacy that Ed had here. As well as the condo issue, I’ve also done graduate work at OISE.

I reached out to Stephen Lewis, who was the leader of the NDP when Ed was first elected—and I’ll say that Stephen Lewis was one of the greatest orators in this House, and his words are just so magical here. He said:

“Ed ... was one of the most conscientious members imaginable. He never set any responsibility aside. He hunkered down in every circumstance and met every expectation.

“And that was the point. No expectation was too demanding or too minor. Whether a serious debate was looming in the House, or careful preparation for question period was required, or he was faced with a tangled constituency problem, Ed would disappear into his office and emerge hours later with an answer or solution intact. He did it every time. Over and over again. Ad infinitum.

“His devotion to duty was unfailing.

“What’s more, self-promotion was never part of Ed’s character. He was earnest, self-effacing, kind, and forever decent. He was one of those rare people for whom the word ‘malice’ had no meaning.

“He brought a quiet dignity to the practice of politics.”

I’ll leave the last word to Ed. He said that working as an MPP was “not like work.”

I want to thank Ed’s family for being here and for all the sacrifices you’ve made over the years. We all know—everyone in this House knows—that our families have to make sacrifices so that we can serve our constituents, so thank you for those sacrifices, and thank you for doing me the honour of reading you this eulogy for Ed.

I recognize the member for Etobicoke–Lakeshore.

Thank you, and on behalf of the assembly, I thank the members who have joined us today for those tributes. I hope that you enjoy the rest of your day here at Queen’s Park.

Today we are honoured to remember and pay tribute to a former member of our provincial Legislature, the late Mr. Alan William Pope, who was the MPP for Cochrane South during the 31st, 32nd, 33rd and 34th Parliaments.

Mr. Pope’s family and friends are watching the tributes from home this afternoon, including his wife, Linda Fillion-Pope; his son, David Pope; and his daughter-in-law, Kirstin Danielson.

Joining us in the Speaker’s gallery is Mr. David Warner, Speaker during the 35th Parliament.

I’ll recognize the member for Timiskaming–Cochrane.

I’m pleased to stand here today to pay tribute to Mr. Alan William Pope, member of provincial Parliament for Cochrane South from 1977 to 1990.

Born in Ayr, Scotland, Alan Pope attended Timmins High School and Waterloo Lutheran University, and he graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School.

During his time in government, he held many prominent cabinet positions, including Minister of Natural Resources, Minister of Health, Attorney General, minister for French language services, and Justice secretary.

By the public and his peers, he was seen as a man with a strong presence, a formidable work ethic and dedicated mindset. These are the characteristics that drove Alan’s perseverance and led him to success.

From his early days as president of the national Young Progressive Conservatives in 1969, to getting his feet wet in municipal politics in Timmins in 1973, he took the daring leap into politics sooner than many of us here did. That could be why one of the first things people noticed about Mr. Pope’s political career is the youthful energy he had during his time in office—an energy that never seemed to go away. One local paper described Alan as the “disarmingly youthful chap” who became Minister of Natural Resources. He put this energy into everything he did, but that youthful spirit didn’t stop him from having to make the hard decisions or standing up for what he believed in. As he became a veteran member in government and his party, he developed a reputation by his peers as someone who would always speak his mind and stand up for what he thought was right. If you wanted something sugar-coated, Alan wasn’t the guy to ask. He was the real deal.

After leaving politics, he continued to serve his community. He spearheaded the funding and building of the Timmins and District Hospital, and he pushed forward the development of the Gillies Lake Conservation Area and many other projects. He cared deeply about his community and the people he served.

He was a man who had a passion for the outdoors and his family. He loved dearly his wife, Linda; his son, David; and his beloved grandchildren, Beatrice and Theodore.

Thank you, Alan, for your service.

And thank you to everyone here and his family for allowing me to do this tribute to him today.

It’s an honour, on behalf of the official opposition, to pay tribute to Mr. Alan William Pope, who was born on August 2, 1945, in Ayr, Scotland. He passed away unexpectedly on July 8, 2022, from complications of open-heart surgery, with his wife, Linda, and son, David, by his side. He also leaves behind his daughter-in-law, Kirstin, and his beloved grandchildren, Beatrice and Theodore.

He graduated from Waterloo Lutheran—now Wilfrid Laurier—and then Osgoode Hall to start his legal career.

He was elected as an alderman for the city of Timmins, and he was subsequently elected in the Ontario Legislature in 1977, then again in 1981, again in 1985 and again in 1987.

But his first taste of the political arena was when he was elected as the president of the Young Progressive Conservatives. He was a partisan to the core. He also ran for the leadership of the Progressive Conservatives, and he exhibited some typical northern Ontario tendencies. He rallied against the machine, against the establishment, which at that time was the Big Blue Machine. The Big Blue Machine, if you’ll recall, in those years was sputtering a bit; it wasn’t quite the machine it used to be.

I didn’t have the opportunity to meet Mr. Pope, so I called someone who did know him—and some of you know him as well—another former member from that area. Mr. Pope represented Cochrane South—which, at the time, represented Timmins as well. Mr. Gilles Bisson succeeded Alan Pope. He never ran against him, but he succeeded him. I called Gilles and asked what Mr. Pope was like. Despite all his ministerial positions, Alan was known as a constituency guy. He was a great constituency guy. Gilles was once at an event where Alan was working the room, and Gilles thought to himself, “If he doesn’t come to my table and shake my hand, I’m not going to vote for him.” And then he thought, “Wait a second. I’m not going to vote for him anyway.” But he was so good at treating everyone with respect, and it was a testament to his character.

Something else in the discussion with Gilles and Mr. Pope—he told Gilles that he knew he was going to win his first election when the previous member no longer was willing to sometimes look people in the eye on the street. That’s a valuable lesson to all of us and something that Gilles learned and something that Gilles taught me. Always look people in the eye, even if they don’t agree with you, because you represent them. That was very good advice.

During his tenure as MPP, he spearheaded the building of the Timmins and District Hospital and the Gillies Lake Conservation Area and many other projects in his area—as we all do.

He decided not to run in the 1990 election. As we did the research—when the Bob Rae government was elected, the Bob Rae government appointed Alan Pope to negotiate on a First Nations issue with First Nations and the federal government, on behalf of the NDP government and on behalf of the people of Ontario. I stated at the start that Alan Pope was a partisan. He was an example of an open partisan who was also a statesman, because his first love was the province of Ontario. That was identified, and that is a goal I hope we can all live up to. That is the testament of a statesman—when you are trusted by all sides, and you are asked to do the negotiations on behalf of a government that does not hold your political views and knows it very well. That is a testament to the quality of a statesman, and that was Alan Pope.

It’s an incredible honour to be able to say thank you to his family, in his memory. May we all live up to the bar that Mr. Pope set.

Point of order.

Today I rise to recognize and honour the passing of our former legislator and colleague of this House, Alan William Pope, who left us this past summer at the age of 75. Alan served as the provincial member for Cochrane South from 1977 to 1990, for the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.

While I did have the pleasure to meet Alan a few years ago at a caucus retreat in Timmins, I spent some time trying to learn a bit more about his life. In doing so, I noted the recurring themes of determination, grit and vocation—determination on behalf of his principles, a vocation to his constituents and the people of the north.

It would be fair to refer to Alan as a king of the north. He always brought a northern Ontario lens to the issues being debated at Queen’s Park.

Speaker, as a fellow northerner proudly representing the people of Sault Ste. Marie, I am particularly humbled to deliver this tribute on behalf of Alan.

Northerners can sometimes be referred to as stubborn. We can sometimes be referred to as having a bit of a chip on our shoulders. It is incumbent upon us to fiercely fight for our constituents, because in ages past we’ve not always felt that Queen’s Park represented us to the same extent as those living in the south. Alan William Pope exemplified this. He fought like a lion for his constituents, as a member of provincial Parliament, as a parliamentary assistant, and as a member of the executive council. To quote him in short, “I hope that people will look on me as someone who is going to fight....”

Perhaps it was his heritage that bred the fight in him. Alan was born in Ayr, Scotland in 1945 and was raised in Timmins. Following his education at Timmins High School, he went on to complete post-secondary studies at Waterloo Lutheran University, now Wilfrid Laurier University, and then Osgoode Hall Law School. He was a barrister and a solicitor and president of the National Young Progressive Conservatives from 1969 to 1971.

Like a number of members of this Parliament, his elected life began in municipal politics, being elected as an alderman in the city of Timmins in 1973.

He was first elected as the member of provincial Parliament for Cochrane South in 1977, and he served at Queen’s Park until 1990. He rose quickly through the ranks under Premier Davis and Premier Miller. His journey in government began as a parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Culture and Recreation. The following year, he was appointed parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations. In 1979, he was appointed to cabinet first as a Minister without Portfolio and then as the Minister of Natural Resources.

To provide this House with a glimpse of the character of Alan Pope, I would like to share a brief quote from a 1981 article in the Globe and Mail:

“The Waterloo-Lutheran and Osgoode Hall graduate is tall, but not imposingly so.

“He has a presence at the podium.

“Part of that presence is a smile that hesitates, then devastates his audience....

“Some of his effect is generated by a strong voice.

“But the eyes have it.

“They gleam dark, yet are as arrestingly bright as the sun on a frozen, northern” Ontario “lake.”

I could continue, Speaker, but I hope this quote speaks to the effect that his personage had on those whom he met.

Rick Morgan, the then executive vice-president of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, said this: “He’s the kind of person prepared to make things happen.”

A reading of his elected life speaks to his expertise and knowledge of the files he was elected and appointed to execute. After four years as Minister of Natural Resources, he was appointed to various cabinet positions, including Minister of Health, Attorney General, minister for French language services, and Justice secretary.

As Minister of Natural Resources, Alan thrived on fighting steadfastly for northern and rural issues and showed his deep commitment to the land and to the people of the province, all while honing his fishing skills.

As Minister of Health, he architected the building of a new hospital for northeastern Ontario, leading to the now standing Timmins and District Hospital.

In 1985, Alan took the plunge into leading politics at the top and ran for leader to replace Frank Miller. He’s known for his now-famous keynote speech, where he abandoned traditional podium form and stood and spoke from the convention floor, where he was most comfortable, being a man of the people.

Alan was spirited, with a keen mind and a dry sense of humour. He held to his unwavering dedication and commitment to the people of the north. He never compromised on his principles and convictions on the issues and policies that mattered most.

In choosing not to seek re-election in 1990, he noted, “When you add it all up, it’s time to take a break from politics, reassess my future, refine my personal philosophy, perhaps write a book and certainly pursue a law career,” which he ultimately did do in Timmins.

While they could not be here today, I understand that Mr. Pope’s family, including his wife, Linda, and his son David, are watching from home in Calgary right now. To Linda, David and his family and friends, I say thank you. Thank you for sharing with this provincial Parliament and this great province the life and dedication of Alan.

In closing, Speaker, those who knew Alan personally are saddened to know he’s gone and are proud to have known him and to have had the pleasure of his company. He will be missed.

May he rest in peace.

Applause.

About five hours ago, when I spoke to this bill, we talked about the fact that Ontario is without question the best place in the world to call home. But there are two things that are in the way: fast, increasing demand and a lack of supply of homes.

This bill, if passed, will help our government with local decision-making powers. That’s what this really is all about. It’s to get these homes built faster so that in areas like Barrie–Innisfil, where there is such a huge demand for employees—there is an equal demand for housing, and there are so many impediments in the way of building those houses today. This bill, the Better Municipal Governance Act, is intended to speed up the process of building the hundreds of thousands of homes we need each and every year.

I’ll next recognize the member for Sault Ste. Marie.

Resuming the debate adjourned on November 22, 2022, on the motion for second 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.

I want to thank the Minister of Economic Development. He often comes to Barrie and meets with our local manufacturers.

When speaking to this bill, I talked about Linamar transportation, and the minister is very familiar with Linamar transportation and has done a lot of work with them. Something I mentioned in this Legislature that they have trouble with is, when they’re trying to recruit workers, oftentimes the impediment is trying to find attainable housing in the community that they’re trying to bring the workers into. So I want to ask the minister how this bill and all of what we’re doing to build more housing is going to help the manufacturing sectors and employers like Linamar transportation with attracting more of those workers.

Next question?

Further debate?

Thank you for the compliment of my two terms as mayor of the city of North Bay. One of the real joys of my life was being mayor of our hometown.

I congratulate Mayor Peter Chirico and the 10 new councillors in the city of North Bay and all of the new mayors and councillors—the entire 11 mayors in my riding.

I can say that we really look forward to this Better Municipal Governance Act. The whole purpose of it is to address the housing supply crisis by working specifically with our municipal partners on our shared provincial-municipal priorities. I think that the whole goal is to build a million and a half new homes over 10 years, and this will be a critical piece in that puzzle of getting these million and a half homes built.

I listened intently this morning to the minister’s speech. He mentioned that he was a former mayor of North Bay—a very popular mayor, I would say.

As a former mayor, does he agree that we should abandon the basic democratic principle of 50% plus one? Under this new act, with the strong mayors, there are occasions when a mayor only needs 30% of council. I was once a municipal councillor as well, and I’m very firm on making representative government 50% plus one. If a mayor can’t get half his council to agree, perhaps the mayor isn’t on the right track. What are the former mayor of North Bay’s views on the abandonment of the 50%-plus-one principle for municipal government?