Good morning. Let us pray.

Prières / Prayers.

Today we are honoured to remember and pay tribute to a former member of our provincial Legislature, the late Mr. Ron Hansen, who was the MPP for Lincoln during the 35th Parliament.

Joining us in the Speaker’s gallery is Mr. Hansen’s family: his son Marc Hansen; his daughter-in-law Catherine Burke; his granddaughter Mary Jane Hansen; his brother Robert A. Hansen; his sister-in-law Elaine Hunter; his nephew Rob Hansen, and his niece Rica Hansen; cousins Margaret Hansen and Janice Boyd; and his caregiver Korreen Bennett. Also with us in the Speaker’s gallery is Mr. David Warner, who was the Speaker during the 35th Parliament. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I recognize the member for Don Valley East.

Mr. Speaker, if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent to allow members to make statements in remembrance for the late Mr. Ron Hansen, with five minutes allotted to the independent members as a group, five minutes allotted to Her Majesty’s government and five minutes allotted to Her Majesty’s loyal opposition.

I rise today to pay tribute to the former MPP for Lincoln, Ron Hansen, a servant of the people of Ontario from 1990 to 1995 in the 35th Parliament of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

Ronald Cooper Hansen was born in Welland, Ontario, on May 27, 1943. He studied production planning at Erie County Technical Institute and stationary engineering at Niagara College, of which he was always a strong supporter.

He was a loving and devoted father to Marc, Chris and Eric; a grandfather to Amanda, Benjamin and Mary Jane; and a great-grandfather to Lucas; a long-time employee of General Motors in St. Catharines and a strong voice for workers; a servant of the people of Niagara; and a man of conviction, integrity and passion.

Ron enjoyed fishing, bowling, travelling, technology and photography. Prior to his election, he was a member of Greenpeace, Camrose International and helped found three local environmental action groups: Niagara Residents for Safe Toxic Waste Disposal, the Ontario Toxic Waste Research Coalition and Citizens for Modern Waste Management. He also helped with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Kingsway Bowling, Women’s Place, the community resources and action centre, the soup kitchen, community legal services, the co-op nursery, Niagara Peninsula Homes and the Niagara Regional Youth Home. He did all this while serving as an auxiliary OPP officer—a busy man.

Ron was elected to the Ontario Legislature in the general election of September 6, 1990, representing the former riding of Lincoln as the government member for the New Democratic Party.

I spoke with another former MPP for the riding of Lincoln, Phil Andrewes, who recalled the election night that Ron won. Now, Phil spoke very highly of Ron, though, as a Progressive Conservative, he would say that Ron was philosophically misguided. Apparently, the NDP campaign office was in a house at the end of Ontario Street in Beamsville, directly across from the PCs’ campaign office. The NDP had had little to no signs in the riding leading up to election night, and as the results came in at the PC headquarters, they saw that Ron had won. An hour after the results had been declared, the PC campaign manager and team decided to go across the road to congratulate Ron and his team, but when they showed up to congratulate him, apparently Ron didn’t know that he had won.

As the former Premier of Ontario and ambassador to the United Nations Bob Rae recalls, “Ron Hansen was a hard-working, caring and diligent servant of the people. All of us who served with him remember him with great affection.” This echoes the words of local constituents I spoke with from across the political spectrum. They all emphasized that he always listened, worked hard and wanted what was best for the area.

Ron was an MPP who was not afraid to represent local values and the concerns of his constituents, even if it meant breaking with government ranks. Ray Konkle, who served as the mayor of the town of Lincoln at the same time that Ron served as MPP for the riding of Lincoln, said that Ron could be like “a dog on a bone”—in a good way—when he got it into in his head that something had to change.

As an MPP of conviction, Ron faithfully and consistently shared the concerns of his constituents at Queen’s Park rather than compromising with the status quo. Ron voted his conscience on controversial issues. He presented petitions, promoting faith-based values and concerns, advocated for locally sourced government contracts and businesses and fiercely defended local farmers and community advocates against the interest of the political establishment. When Ron made a promise, he kept his word, and he was known for always getting back to his constituents, whether or not they agreed with him.

As a passionate MPP, Ron was also a fierce advocate of local issues and concerns in Niagara. From his private member’s bill seeking to amend the Ontario Water Resources Act to promote responsible water usage, to advocating for local grape growers and pork producers—including my father—perhaps no other political issue demonstrated Ron’s passion than his fight to protect source water and tender-fruit lands in west Niagara in a battle against a proposed waste disposal facility that was successfully defeated—in fact, when I was speaking yesterday with former mayor Ray Konkle, he said that many of the rallies were actually held at his constituency office because he was right along Victoria Avenue, which was one of the truck routes for the toxic waste that would have been planned, so they were able to hold them in front of his constituency office.

He repeatedly championed the concerns of local residents in Niagara who opposed the proposal from the Ontario Waste Management Corp. to build a toxic waste facility in Lincoln.

In a question addressed to Ruth Anna Grier, the Minister of the Environment, during a heated session of question period on December 2, 1991, Ron noted that he had spent over $10,000 of his own money to fight the proposal as an active member of the Toxic Waste Research Coalition. Jim Bradley, the former MPP for St. Catharines, cited Ron’s integrity the same day in question period when he noted that the member for Lincoln was willing to lose his title as Chair of the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs to “exercise his right to vote against a government bill which in fact was bad for his constituents from his point of view.”

Ron’s fight to preserve source water and tender-fruit lands in the west Niagara area has helped to preserve the legacy of current greenbelt protections for prime agricultural and environmentally sensitive areas in Niagara to this day.

On November 28, shortly after stepping down as Chair of the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs over this matter of principle, Ron stood in this chamber and he said, “I have to take a look. Here at Queen’s Park I have not found one person who sits on this side of the House or that side of the House who voted for me in the last election.... I have told the people in my riding that I will take the message of what they want to Queen’s Park, not what Queen’s Park demands of my constituents.”

Speaker, I believe that the words of the MPP for Lincoln continue to speak to this assembly today and to serve as a humble reminder why each one of us is here: To perform the duties of a member honestly and justly, and to faithfully represent the people of our ridings in the best interests of all Ontarians.

Ron was a champion of the working people of Lincoln, and I know I speak for all the people of Lincoln, and Ontario, when I say that we all give thanks for the life and legacy of Ron Hansen.

I recognize the member from Niagara West.

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.

Good morning. It is a distinct honour to stand here today and pay tribute to a proud New Democrat and former member of provincial Parliament for Lincoln, Mr. Ron Hansen.

I am pleased to acknowledge many of Ron’s family and friends who are here with us today in the gallery: His son Marc; daughter-in-law Catherine; granddaughter Mary Jane; brother Robert; sister-in-law Elaine; Ron’s caregiver and very close friend, Korreen; niece Rica; cousin Margaret; cousin Janice; nephew Rob; and Mr. David Warner, former Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

Ron’s son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter are visiting all the way from Ireland this morning, and his cousin travelled from British Columbia, our fine west coast of Canada. Thank you all for taking this special trip, and welcome.

Ronald Cooper Hansen, born in 1943 in Welland, began his education journey at Niagara College, studying stationary engineering and production planning at Erie County Technical School. In true Niagara fashion, Ron worked for 35 years as a stationary engineer for General Motors in St. Catharines, and he served as the member of provincial Parliament for the riding of Lincoln from September 6, 1990, to June 7, 1995.

A large focus of grassroots groups and advocates in St. Catharines and Niagara is the need to have clean, waste-free spaces to live, work and play; spaces our children and our grandchildren can call home for generations to come.

Ron was an integral part of this local movement in the early days as a founding member of three environmental groups: Niagara Residents for Safe Toxic Waste Disposal; Ontario Toxic Waste Research Coalition; and Citizens for Modern Waste Management.

He put the minister’s feet to the fire in 1991, fighting against Ontario Waste Management Corp.’s plan to build a toxic waste facility in West Lincoln, and worked to explore progressive waste management strategies. Ron once presented a 720-foot-long petition in this House, containing more than 6,000 signatures of residents against the decade-long proposed waste plant. At a time where society was slow to modernize, Ron took hold of the situation and worked to produce modern waste systems.

Ron’s contributions did not stop there, as he was also active with Boy Scouts groups, Big Brothers of Niagara and an avid bowler at the Kingsway. He assisted in establishing important resources, such as Women’s Place, the community resources and action centre, the soup kitchen, community legal services, Niagara Peninsula Homes and the Niagara Regional Youth Home.

Ron’s enthusiasm to help his constituents was very, very clear. His commitment to serve those who needed it most was top priority. Ron’s initial efforts in establishing these support networks paved the way for the incredible work that these organizations do today, helping thousands of low-income, marginalized and vulnerable residents.

Ron was a strong and vocal advocate for GO Transit service to the Niagara region—well, Ron, I’m happy to say we did it; almost three decades later, but we finally have regular GO Transit service that extends all the way to Niagara Falls.

An MPP under Bob Rae, Ron called for the establishment of a rural affairs ministry, citing the need for an effective voice for all of rural Ontario, a sector of advocacy that had gone by the wayside at that time. Ron wanted to establish ministry field officers as a liaison between the rural communities and policy-makers right here at Queen’s Park to talk about issues such as housing density, transportation and ambulance services. He recognized that rural communities had unique needs not being met by the conventional solutions applied to urban areas, something we can all keep in mind as MPPs even in 2022.

Ron was known for leading with his conscience, refusing to toe the party line. He asked bold questions and voted on bills in a way that reflected his personal values. Ron’s ideals and his willingness to fight against large corporations who didn’t care about the “little guys,” as he called them, is truly inspiring.

Ron Hansen passed away on March 9, 2022, at the age of 78. Not many people can say they served their community, served their province, as a member of provincial Parliament. It is a privilege to serve our constituents, and I know that Ron felt that joy as well.

To Ron, thank you for your dedicated service to the residents of Lincoln and for igniting that fight in all of us here at Queen’s Park.

Applause.

I recognize the member for St. Catharines.

It’s an honour to stand in this place and pay tribute to James “Jim” Ivan Pollock, who served in this Legislature as the member for Hastings–Peterborough from 1981 to 1990.

I would first like to thank his family for sharing him with the people of Ontario. We all know that it’s not just the person standing in the Legislature, it’s the family supporting him, especially coming from a farm.

It’s a privilege to be able to pay tribute and to research the lives of people who served here before and, in many cases, find common connections. Jim Pollock was a dairy farmer for the biggest part of his life, a profession that I also shared for 35 years. We have both seen many of the same sunrises and worked past many sunsets. Farmers are typically jacks of all trades and deal with whatever comes their way. A dairy farmer is always on call, a trait shared by people in public life, a trait that Jim shared with others not only as MPP but before that as reeve of Rawdon township and warden of Hastings county.

Jim married the love of his life, Jean, and took over the family farm when he was 23. That struck a chord with me too. My wife and I got married and bought the farm when I was 23, and I can relate to the struggles that they must have had in those years, and the joy. Because there’s nothing like raising kids on a family farm, and you only know that if you grew up on one.

During his provincial political career, he served as deputy whip and agriculture critic, among other duties—both roles that I have filled for my party. And I can tell you one thing: that farmers and party whips are eternal optimists.

As I was doing my research, I came upon a tweet from the Minister of Energy expressing his condolences on Jim’s passing. One of the comments mentioned something about Jim’s opposition to a mega landfill project in his area. That sparked my interest. A Conservative dairy farmer opposed to the creation of a mega landfill in his area: That really warmed my heart. I have some history with that. In fact, I found a statement from MPP Pollock on a resolution regarding the shipment of solid waste: “I just want to make a few comments on this resolution. I agree with the environment critic for our party when she says we can agree with the first part.... However, I do not particularly agree with the last line ... where they do not want it in northern Ontario. I can assure members we do not want it in eastern Ontario either. I do not know about western Ontario. Western Ontario can speak for itself. Anyway, we certainly do not want it in eastern Ontario.” That was spoken like a farmer: plain, direct, no-nonsense, but respectful of others and their opinions.

I never had the opportunity to meet Jim Pollock, but I wish I could have. I’m willing to bet that a handshake meant something to Jim Pollock.

Standing in this House is a privilege, especially for a farmer. It’s a special feeling for a farmer, one that I share with James Pollock. In his honour, I would like to share a few feelings that only a farmer can know: soil crumbling in your hand when it’s ready to plant; a beautiful summer day, a slight breeze, with the baler chugging bale after bale of perfect hay, hay that will still smell like summer when it’s fed months later; a late night calving a cow and the calf isn’t breathing—I don’t know how Jim did it, but this is how I do it. You usually tickle their nose with a piece of straw to start them to breathe, but if they don’t, you grab them and you swing them. And if that doesn’t work and you’re desperate, you hang them over a gate and pull really hard. When they gasp for air—and they don’t always do it, but when they gasp for air, that is one of the greatest feelings in the world. It was those feelings that Jim Pollock brought to this Legislature.

In closing, once again I would like to thank his family for sacrificing themselves to allow him to come here. Every farmer I know wants to leave the farm a little bit better than they found it. Because of his family, Jim had the opportunity to not only leave the farm better, but his riding better and the province better. On all our behalf, thank you very much.

I’m honoured to rise today to pay tribute to a fellow member from eastern Ontario, the former member for Hastings–Peterborough, James Pollock. James—or Jim, as he was often referred to—passed away on October 28, 2021, at the age of 91. He is survived by his wife, Jean; his four children, Virginia, Lyle, Kevin and Heather; his two grandchildren; and is remembered by his beloved sisters, Patricia and Doris. I want to thank his family and Mr. Warner for being here today.

Born in Stirling, Ontario, about 20 kilometres north of Belleville, Jim grew up on his family dairy farm. At the age of 23, he took over the farm with his wife, Jean Wallace, and ran the farm until 2019, when he was 89 years old. An experienced farmer, Jim farmed dairy, beef and then cash crops.

He always had a sense of optimism. As a polio survivor, he often said that he was one of the lucky ones. Jim Pollock never took anything for granted, and he carried that with him throughout his life.

Jim was an active member of his church, the local masonic lodge, the Trent Valley Shriners Club and the Stirling Legion. He serves as a reminder to us that we are all here to work for our communities, big or small; that we are all here to work together to make Ontario a better place.

Jim was also a big fan of the show Jeopardy. He always made time for hosts Art Fleming and Alex Trebek, and in 2008 he got the chance to go to California for three tapings.

Jim had a long life of public service. Before serving in this chamber, he spent 13 years as a member of the Rawdon township council. In 1978, he was the warden of Hastings county and served on Hastings county council until 1981. Then he decided to run for the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario and went on to serve this House in the 32nd, 33rd and 34th Parliaments. MPP Pollock served on numerous committees and as the critic for natural resources during the David Peterson government. He often travelled around his riding and understood the value of talking to his constituents and how much their views mattered.

On behalf of all of my Ontario Liberal colleagues: Jim, may you rest in peace and thank you for your years of service.

Madame la Présidente, if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent to allow members to make statements in remembrance for the late Mr. James Pollock, with five minutes allotted to Her Majesty’s loyal opposition, five minutes allotted to the independent members as a group and five minutes allotted to Her Majesty’s government.

Thank you to the family and friends who have joined us today at Queen’s Park for this tribute for Mr. Hansen.

We are here today to honour, remember and pay tribute to a former member of our provincial Legislature, the late Mr. James Pollock, who was MPP for Hastings–Peterborough for the 32nd, 33rd and 34th Parliaments.

Joining us in the Speaker’s gallery is Mr. Pollock’s family: his children Kevin Pollock, Heather Pace and Virginia Warren; and his son-in-law Angus Warren. Also in the Speaker’s gallery is Mr. David Warner, Speaker during the 35th Parliament. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I recognize the member for Timiskaming–Cochrane

Today, I’d like to speak about returning to school, and I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak.

The achievement and well-being of children and youth are always at the forefront of my mind. I want to take the time today to give a shout-out and thank the organizations in the riding of Scarborough Centre, like Lights Out Basketball Academy, for their efforts and initiatives in getting our young minds prepared for greater success.

Lights Out Basketball Academy is an organization based at Ellesmere Community Centre and led by Coach Ken Wade, Coach Rogel, Coach Jerron and Coach Christian. They not only teach essential basketball skills to our kids, but they work hard in bringing positive differences into their lives.

Recently they have partnered with Adidas Canada to ensure that their players return to school with backpacks. Small gestures like these make such a difference and ensure that kids are going to school ready to learn and looking sharp.

To the students of Scarborough Centre: Even though I am no longer your school board trustee, you can rest assured that I will continue to advocate for you and have your back, to ensure you have the appropriate resources you need to succeed.

Our government has enacted a great plan, supported by historic investments in education, so you can have a safe, normal, enjoyable return to school, with the full range of extracurricular activities and supports you deserve. Best wishes for a happy and healthy return to school in the 2022-23 school year.

No further business, Speaker.

Today, I would like to recognize and congratulate Alex Mustakas, the founder and artistic director of the not-for-profit Drayton Entertainment in my riding of Perth–Wellington. Alex is an important and active member in our local community and someone who has done so much for one of our cultural industries in Ontario.

Earlier this year, Alex was presented with the Meritorious Service Medal by the Governor General of Canada. The medal recognizes Canadians for outstanding contributions in any field. Alex received the medal for his lifelong commitment to making the performing arts affordable and accessible to those in Ontario and beyond.

Alex has achieved a truly formidable feat, building Drayton Entertainment from the ground up, operating theatres at seven locations across southern Ontario. I had the pleasure of meeting with Alex and seeing a couple of their performances earlier this year, which I greatly enjoyed.

In addition to Alex’s Meritorious Service Medal, his work with Drayton Entertainment has gained him and the organization six Lieutenant Governor’s awards for the arts, a prestigious honour bestowed on arts organizations that exemplify outstanding private sector and community support. The team at Drayton Entertainment was able to do this with an unorthodox but promising business model: one that’s fiscally responsible, utilizes strong networks and gives back to the community.

Some of the organization’s good work includes annual donations of over 2,000 tickets to more than 750 charities, aiding them in their own fundraising efforts. And unlike many other organizations, Drayton Entertainment relies on volunteers, with over 30,000 hours of volunteer activity per year.

I want to congratulate Alex again. Under your guidance, I know Drayton Entertainment will continue to be very successful for years to come.

It is my honour today, again, to rise in tribute to the late James “Jim” Pollock. Mr. Pollock served this House on behalf of his constituents in the then riding of Hastings–Peterborough from April 1981 to July 1990. He was successful in three elections, including the very tough swing election of 1987, which only brought 16 PC members to this House—although Pollock actually increased his margin of victory.

Jim Pollock was born and raised on a dairy farm in Stirling, Ontario, which he took over from his parents in 1953, the same year he married his wife, Jean. Together they farmed for 66 years and were married for 68, raising four children: Virginia, Lyle, Kevin and Heather. He had a great sense of humour and optimism, which translated into a strong sense of community and a belief in community service. As was his style, that belief was translated into action through his engagement with his church, the AOTS, Masonic Lodge, Trent Valley Shriners and Stirling Legion. He was a charter member of the Rawdon township volunteer fire department and a member of the local conservation authority.

On top of all that, or perhaps as a result of it, he decided to step into municipal politics, starting with the council of the township of Rawdon for 13 years. During that time, he rose amongst his peers to serve as reeve for six years and eventually sitting as the warden of Hastings county and a member of Hastings county council until 1981.

While he was still actively farming, he turned his attention to provincial politics. He won the Conservative nomination for Hastings–Peterborough, and as I said before, was elected three times to the Ontario Legislature. He always worked to help the small towns and communities in his riding, and he and his wife Jean tried very hard to attend every milestone anniversary and birthday party to bring greetings from the province. Jean was very much an integral part of his team and a strong partner to Jim every step of the way.

Jim has been referred to by many that knew him as a good upstanding man with a strong moral compass and a heart for the people he served. Jim was well-known for working with all government parties, including when he was in opposition. His sole focus was on the issues of his constituents in the riding, and he was not looking to gain favour or power. He was determined to get the job done.

After being re-elected in 1985, Pollock was named the eastern Ontario critic for agriculture, and in 1987 became the party’s natural resources critic. Agricultural issues were very important to him. He raised the issue for his region of the expanding population of deer. It was affecting the apple farmers. He was said to have brought in the damaged branches of some apple trees to this assembly to stress and to demonstrate that concern. He also worked hard to resolve issues around invasive species, specifically the zebra mussels in the Trent canal system.

Following his service in government, he remained active in his community and continued farming for almost another 30 years—although he did switch from dairy to beef and eventually to cash crops—continuing into his late eighties. I didn’t personally have the pleasure of knowing Mr. Pollock, but I do know several who knew him and worked with him, and it appears that Jim had a lasting impression on all those who knew him.

I found this quote from long-time provincial colleague MPP Norm Sterling: “During my 34 years as an MPP in the Legislature, I never met a more sincere, hard-working politician than Jim Pollock. I am proud to say that Jim and I were close friends, often sharing a story or talking about his constituents’ problems. Jim and Jean have given much of their lives to all of us. I will always remember his smile and good deeds to our province. We will miss him very much.”

And from Tom Deline, the current mayor of Centre Hastings and another past warden of Hastings county, when he was asked about his memory just a couple of days ago: “Jim Pollock, in my mind, was a man of the old school where a handshake was your word and you stood by it. He was a true gentleman who worked tirelessly for the municipality within the county of Hastings. Jim attended the wedding of my wife and myself, and we had the pleasure of seeing him at our wardens’ banquets and annual past wardens’ get-togethers which helped maintain those close friendships. His wife, Jean, was his biggest asset and supporter. He will be greatly missed.”

Jim Pollock was a farmer, a father, a volunteer and a public servant. We are grateful for all that he was and all that he gave to his family, to his community and to this province. Speaker, we lost Jim Pollock on October 28, 2021. He will be missed.

Applause.

I want to thank the family members of Mr. Pollock for joining us today for these tributes. I also wish to all the guests who joined us today at Queen’s Park a good rest of your day. Thank you.

Orders of the day.

The House recessed from 0937 to 1015.

This week, we recognized Overdose Awareness Day. In 2021, 560 people died from an overdose. That is the highest number of drug poisoning deaths ever recorded in Toronto. Acute drug toxicity is the current number one cause of death for youth in Ontario aged 15 to 24. Ontario has an opioid crisis.

These are the words of Zoë Dodd, a leader in the work to save people’s lives. This is what she says: “The US and Canada have now been in a devastating drug poisoning crisis for a decade. This isn’t happening like this anywhere else in the world. These deaths are preventable. This crisis will end when we truly shift as a society.”

To the workers leading change on this crisis’s front lines, you have been to too many funerals. To the families who have lost people to drug overdose, I am so sorry.

International Overdose Awareness Day is a day for us to remember those whom we’ve lost and to continue to advocate for better solutions.

That means listening to health professionals who see clean and safe supply as a way to stop people dying from toxic street drugs. It means permitting and funding opioid consumption sites like the one in Kensington, so people can safely use; it means increasing funding to mental health treatment and addiction treatment that’s been proven to work; and building more permanent supportive housing.

This is a complicated crisis, and compassion and kindness are needed to address it.

C’est toujours un honneur de se lever en Chambre pour représenter les bonnes gens de Mushkegowuk–Baie James.

The community of Kashechewan is facing a nursing crisis at their nursing station, which is their only medical facility. It’s their lifeline. They currently have two nurses manning the station, when usually they have nine—and even 12, prior to the pandemic. They are open for emergency-only cases. Basic medical care is not an option—no prenatal services, no regular checkups. Being proactive and preventative for health issues such as complications with diabetes is not an option. They deserve better.

The entire province is facing a nursing shortage, but these communities have even greater challenges, and things need to be addressed. These are fly-in communities with no road access, no access to nearby hospitals or ER departments. There is a surge of COVID that has threatened the community. Funding is heavily needed in these communities in order to hire proper staff, to get specialists and doctors in and out of the communities for clinics and consultations to give them the medical attention they deserve.

Finally, a long-term recruitment and retention plan needs to be developed with the First Nations and Inuit health branch, Indigenous Services Canada and the provincial government to ensure adequate and accessible health care for all northern communities facing these issues.

Today, September 1, the people of Slovakia are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Slovakian constitution of 1992. For me, as someone who was born in the capital city of Bratislava and traces her paternal routes to this beautiful country, it is a day of pride and celebration.

The signing of the constitution de facto established Slovakia as an independent and sovereign country and was a direct consequence of the events of the peaceful, non-violent and student-led velvet revolution, which took place in Czechoslovakia in 1989 and resulted in the ousting of the communist regime.

Slovakia today is a developed country of 5.4 million, with an advanced, high-income economy, a strong stance on civil liberties, democratic governance, universal health care and free education.

Led by Zuzana Čaputová, the country’s first female president, Slovakia is a member of the EU, NATO, UN and the Council of Europe. Being home to eight UNESCO heritage sites, Slovakia boasts the largest number of castles per capita in the world, situated within its picturesque and mountainous landscapes.

An interesting fact to note, Mr. Speaker: Did you know that many of Ontario’s Jaguar, Land Rover and Kia vehicles are imported from this largest-per-capita car producer, which manufactures over one million passenger vehicles per year?

I am proud to be among the 72,000-strong Slovakian diaspora in Canada, in good company with politician Tim Hudak, sports journalist George Gross and hockey player Natalie Babonyová.

Dear colleagues, please join me in wishing our Slovakian Canadian friends a Šťastný Deň Ústavy Slovenskej republiky.

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.