Mr. Speaker, I’m honoured to rise and speak in the memory of Mr. Ron Hansen. Though he is a man who I never had the privilege of meeting, it is incredibly clear that his career reveals so many important lessons that all of us would do well to heed.

Born in Welland on May 27, 1943, Mr. Hansen was not a career politician—not at all, and to me, this was one of his most admirable attributes. He worked as a stationary engineer for General Motors for 35 years. Throughout his life, it is clear that he was devoted to service and activism, with participation in important organizations such as Greenpeace, Boy Scouts, Big Brothers and the Camrose International Institute, an educational organization promoting conservation over consumerism. As though this was not enough, he served as an auxiliary officer in the Ontario Provincial Police as well.

Public service is not just about the things that we do for this generation. It is about the things that we do for future generations, and in this regard there is no doubt that Mr. Hansen’s action to protect the environment was exemplary. He was a staunch advocate for the environment. In addition to his membership in Greenpeace, he was also founder of not one, not two, but three environmental groups, including Niagara Residents for Safe Toxic Waste Disposal, the Ontario Toxic Waste Research Coalition and the Citizens for Modern Waste Management. Additionally, he travelled all around the world, speaking about toxic waste management. His work in this Legislature, which I will touch on shortly, continued this work as well.

Mr. Hansen would later come to be nominated as the candidate for the New Democratic Party and to be successful in the general election in 1990. He had the honour of being member of provincial Parliament in the riding of Lincoln from 1990 to 1995.

As MPP, Mr. Hansen was known for voting with his conscience and not along party lines. This highlights another lesson that can be taken from his life of service—that he wasn’t afraid to speak truth to power.

Ron was the only MPP to speak up against the Ontario Waste Management Corp.’s plan to build a toxic waste treatment plant in Lincoln. While all three major parties seemed to support the proposal made by that crown corporation, Ron was instrumental in shedding light on what was truly going on in the riding. He brought multiple petitions into the Legislature signed by thousands of residents standing against the proposed toxic waste plant. He explained that it would threaten farmland, waterways and the fruit belt. He is an inspiration.

He represented and fought for his riding even when he had to go that route alone. He educated and inspired those around him. Make no mistake about it, he made a difference. It is what we all should aspire to do during our time in this Parliament.

Mr. Hansen passed away this year on March 9 at the age of 78 and will be missed by his many children, siblings, nieces, nephews, extended family and many friends. Today we honour his memory, and we thank him for his legacy. May he rest in eternal peace.

First, I would like to acknowledge the Clerks, who have been so supportive of me as a rookie MPP. They literally reminded me that it’s my turn to speak now.

On this last day of the legislative week, we have the special opportunity to look ahead with anticipation to a long weekend, because this Monday is Labour Day. For some people, this may be an opportunity for rest. For the residents in Don Valley East, it is anything but, because we will be a beehive of community activity.

For example, the residents of Flemingdon’s Sunny Glenway community will be hosting an enormous outdoor community fun fair that will include a barbecue, live music, a magic show and a variety of activities for children.

The Canadian Community Services Organization, supported by the North Toronto Cluster of Churches and East York Town Centre, will hold a back-to-school event in which they deliver somewhere between 500 and 600 backpacks, for free, along with kits of personal protective equipment. Families across the riding will enjoy the warm company of friends and family.

But we mustn’t lose sight of the bigger picture. I invite all of us to remember and celebrate what Labour Day is all about. It is about honouring workers and about all those people who fought for us to secure better rights, higher wages and safer working conditions. We’ve come a long way, but there is still farther to go. In the midst of a pandemic, the people of Ontario still need 10 paid sick days. They mustn’t have their wages capped to 1% by Bill 124, and they need to believe that their workplace is safe.

To everyone in this Legislature, in Don Valley East and across our great province, I wish you a safe, happy, restful and inspiring Labour Day weekend.