No further business.

Oshawa has a very rich and awesome history when it comes to automotive. Since Sam McLaughlin dreamed of innovation in a vibrant motor city, Oshawa has been connected to the story of cars and innovation. We have stood in this Legislature and talked about the future of electric vehicles and the next chapter in Ontario’s automotive future.

Speaker, summer is auto season where I live. When the weather gets good, the parking lots fill up with classic cars and show-and-shine events. Today, I want to talk about the awesome classic cars and trucks and vehicles that celebrated together in Oshawa this past weekend. Oshawa was host to classic cars from far and wide. Friday was Kars on King downtown, and then, on Saturday and Sunday, it was our famous Autofest.

I would like to congratulate and appreciate the city of Oshawa and organizers of Kars on King, which was a roaring success. Neighbours and car fans lined the streets, filled patios and were almost as glad to see each other as the classic cars.

I would also like to applaud the Motor City Car Club for a successful weekend of Autofest. There were more than 1,000 cars, I estimate, that I counted down by the lake. It was a beautiful weekend to share, admire, reminisce and appreciate a great event, with more vehicle entries than we’ve seen in recent memories. Autofest has been happening in Oshawa since 1994, and, Speaker, if you or anyone else here missed it, everyone is invited next year.

I am honoured to recognize the successful inaugural season of our local Scarborough Shooting Stars, the eighth franchise within the Canadian Elite Basketball League. The Shooting Stars completed their debut season this summer, playing their home game at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre right here in my riding of Scarborough–Rouge Park. I’m so proud that they made it to a nail-biting championship this year. They fought hard to the end, coming just short to the Hamilton Honey Badgers. We were proud to have celebrities such as Drake and J. Cole rooting on our team alongside residents across Scarborough.

The Shooting Stars are uniting residents across Scarborough to catch a game and to root on our local team. They are also inspiring youth across my riding to get involved in sport, focusing on the amazing values of leadership, teamwork and discipline. This is having a real contribution within our community and is certainly bringing positive energy into Scarborough.

I’m looking forward to watching this team and their fan base behind it grow as we prepare for many seasons to come. I am sure this championship for Shooting Stars is right around the corner.

This past Saturday, I met with members of the Brant Curling Club to celebrate two grants from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, totalling just under $549,000, at their first annual fundraising golf tournament dinner. These grants were used to install new refrigeration equipment and insulate and clad the exterior of the ice shed. This will not only extend the life of the facility but also save thousands of dollars in energy costs annually and also help them remain viable and recover during the pandemic.

Pre-Confederation Scottish newcomers wanted to help alleviate the long Ontario winters with some kind of sporting activity and wondered if curling might be the way to do so. Well, they were right.

The Brant Curling Club is used by a variety of community organizations for meetings, celebrations, team-building events and fundraisers.

At one level, there appears to be little in common between the curling that came to Upper Canada in 1759 and today’s game. Then it was irons; now it’s granites. Then it was outdoors on natural ice; now it is indoors on artificial ice. But one thing that remains is the warmth and camaraderie that still exists, embodied in the Brant Curling Club’s tag line, “Where Friends Meet.”

I would like to give a big thanks to the Ontario Trillium Foundation. These grants will allow the Brant Curling Club to purchase state-of-the-art ice-making equipment, improve the appearance of the building, accommodate gatherings and serve our community better while maintaining their viability during the pandemic.

What can you do with an empty lot? A lot of people think nothing. But in Sudbury, the Five Cent City believes in making connections through community. So once a year, they take over a 40-by-80 parking lot and they bring the community together.

From the outside, it looks like a basketball event, because they have free-throw contests, they have three-on-three contests, they have slam-dunk contests. But in between, they talk about mental health. They talk about addictions. They talk about struggle and support. They talk about lived experience. They provide free haircuts. They have pizza and snacks, music and fun. And that’s what they can do with nothing. Can you imagine what we could do if mental health and addictions were properly funded across the province?

Tomorrow is International Overdose Awareness Day. Northern Ontario remains the hardest-hit. Thunder Bay district has the highest rate of overdose deaths in the province, more than four times the provincial average. Sudbury district has the second-highest opioid death rate, and northern Ontario’s mortality rate has more than doubled and we do not have enough help.

Tomorrow is international overdose day, and I’ve heard the Minister of Health is going to be in Sudbury. I am hopeful she is there to announce funding for Sudbury’s supervised consumption site, and I’m hopeful that she continues to announce funding across the province, particularly in northern Ontario. Because in the Five Cent City, we’re tired of saying, “Thanks for nothing.”

Last week, on the 31st Independence Day of Ukraine, I was honoured to join the Premier, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, and the Ukrainian ambassador, Yuliya Kovaliv, at the Lighthouse Artspace in Toronto for a special preview of the incredible new exhibit titled Ukraine: Land of the Brave, which will soon open as part of the Bloor West Village Ukrainian Festival, from September 15 to 18. I want to encourage all members to visit. Proceeds will support the purchase of medical and evacuation vehicles in Ukraine.

I want to thank the Mississauga companies, like Musket Transport and Cyclone Manufacturing, that have worked together to send humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

I also want to thank Ontarians, including many in my own community, who have welcomed Ukrainian refugees into their homes and into their communities—over 25,000 in the last six months. While I can’t name all of them here, I do want to thank the Sheridan Park Family Church for helping to collect donations of food, clothing and other supplies for refugee families now staying in local hotels. They will join a vibrant Ukrainian Canadian community in Mississauga that has an incredible, positive impact on Ontario—from athletes, like the Toronto Maple Leafs legend Johnny Bower to entrepreneurs like Igor Antonoff, a long-time resident of Port Credit. Ontarians will always welcome refugees, and our government will always ensure they have access to the resources and services they need.

Once again, happy independence day. Slava Ukraini.

It’s an honour rise in the Legislature today to share the great news of another important investment in Sarnia–Lambton by this government of Ontario.

Sarnia–Lambton’s Lambton College has developed an international reputation as one of the best applied research post-secondary institutions anywhere in Canada. Last Friday, on behalf of the Ministry of Colleges and Universities, I had the honour of announcing that the government of Ontario will be supporting another important research project at Lambton College by investing nearly $600,000 in the Lambton Water Centre research project at the college.

Water is such a vital resource for everything we do in Ontario. As a province, we are blessed with access to an abundance of fresh water. And because of that, the Lambton Water Centre at Lambton College has been leading research into how companies of all sizes can develop, improve, optimize and enhance our water-related technologies. This large investment by the government of Ontario in Lambton College will be used to support research operations, including equipping college facilities with the latest technology, and supporting researchers to attract and retain the top research talent.

This is great news from the government of Ontario. By supporting groundbreaking research at Lambton College, our government is helping to advance new discoveries and innovation, and foster new business and career opportunities in Lambton county.

I might also add, I had the opportunity and the privilege Sunday last to introduce the Solicitor General, Michael Kerzner, to the Lambton College Fire School, another renowned facility in Lambton county as well.

Thank you again, Mr. Speaker, for the time.

Good morning, Mr. Speaker. I am always proud to rise in this beautiful chamber to speak about Beaches–East York.

I recently attended a picnic organized by Pegasus Community Project. After a two-year hiatus, it was a great chance to reconnect. For those who don’t know this organization, Pegasus is a grassroots group founded in 1994 by Marie Perrotta, along with a small group of women, to help adults with developmental disabilities who were finishing school and had few options for continuing to learn and to adopt adult roles in their community.

Along with its daily programs, Pegasus boasts its annual inspirational film festival, a yearly fashion show and the Pegasus Shoppe, a social enterprise community thrift shop with proceeds that directly support the Pegasus project and employ present Pegasus participants. Mr. Speaker, it’s an incredible space.

Pegasus is evolving to meet the needs of aging participants experiencing difficult challenges. Opportunities to expand programming depend on funding from every level of government as well as private sponsorship. Unfortunately, two of the organization’s beloved members passed away earlier this year, and a memorial fund for Gavin Moore Burns has been set up specifically to fund programs for aging participants.

One of my critic roles is that of seniors and accessibility, with the goal of helping both seniors and people with disabilities stay independent, active and socially connected. Support must include all members of our population.

We’ve seen critical cuts to health care, a decline in autism services, mental health supports diminish, and support for important organizations like Pegasus become a rare find. We have an obligation to make sure that they and others are able to survive and thrive.

I’d like to introduce Christopher Dopking. He’s the principal of Emmanuel Christian school in Madoc, Ontario, from my riding. Welcome.

The spirit of Uganda is in this House today, I’m excited to tell you, Speaker. The Kamengo Cultural Troupe arrived just moments ago. They are Chris Mutebi, Brian Muluuta, Pauline Nakamanya, Sharif Ssenkumba, Deo Kakande and their incredible manager, Jimmy Sebulime. In honour of Emancipation Month, they’re going to be performing in rooms 228 and 230 after question period. I invite all members to come.

Speaker, I want to thank you personally for your help and the help of the assembly protocol for helping our friends get here.

Happy Emancipation Month, everybody.

Mr. Speaker, the only ones saying no, really, are the opposition. We are saying yes to improving the health care system. We’ve been doing that since day one.

It’s about building an integrated system. That’s why we started with Ontario health teams. We’ve grown the system. We’ve added new nurses. We’ve added 58,000 new and upgraded long-term-care beds, 27,000 additional health care workers in long-term care alone. We’re adding new medical schools in Toronto. We’re expanding in Brampton and, of course, in Durham, Speaker.

But ultimately, what Bill 7 is about, and what the opposition refuses to acknowledge, is that when somebody is being discharged from a hospital, somebody who is already on the long-term-care wait-list—these are people who want to be in a long-term-care home—experts, doctors and medical professionals all will agree that the best place for somebody to get that care is in a long-term-care home. I’m going to continue, as all of us will on this side and Conservatives on that side of the House, to fight for those seniors who want to be in long-term care and who want better care.

It gives me great pleasure to recognize a significant anniversary coming up in two weeks for one of Canada’s oldest and storied regiments in the Canadian Armed Forces. Durham region’s own Ontario Regiment will celebrate its 156th anniversary on September 14, 2022, making Oshawa’s regiment among the oldest continuously serving reserve militia units in Canada and one of the most senior armoured regiments in the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps.

Having first originated in 1866 in Whitby, Ontario, as the 34th Ontario Battalion of Infantry then redesigned as the Ontario Regiment in 1900, the Ont Rs or “black cats” have heroically served Canadians and citizens of the world through various military campaigns.

The unit fought with distinction in several theatres during World War II, beginning with the Allied Invasion of Sicily in July 1943 through to the Italian campaign of the war, seeing action in the fierce Liri Valley and on to Ortona. Most notably, in 1945 the unit entered the northwest European theatre, where it fought with distinction in the Dutch campaign, winning honours at Arnhem.

Along with many battle honours, a significant number of the regiment’s soldiers have volunteered for active duty with NATO in Germany, United Nations missions in Cyprus and Bosnia, the Golan Heights, Cambodia, the former Yugoslavia and, most recently, the NATO-led engagement in Afghanistan.

I’m proud to offer congratulations to the unit’s Honorary Colonel Robert Chapman; Honorary Lieutenant Colonel Nancy Shaw; incoming Commanding Officer of the Ont Rs, Lieutenant Colonel Christian Caron; the officers and soldiers.

Faithful and Prepared—Fidelis et Paratus.

To the Premier: Yesterday, the government confirmed that they would be saying no to the front-line workers and families who say Bill 7 will be devastating for them.

Forcing seniors to pay steep fees and move hundreds of kilometres away from loved ones is not a solution to our health care crisis.

Will the government do the right thing, pull Bill 7, and start listening to the front-line workers and families who can give us the real solutions to the health care crisis?

I am now going to ask our legislative pages to assemble.

It is my pleasure and honour to introduce this group of legislative pages: from the riding of Wellington–Halton Hills, Prassan Aggarwal; from Toronto Centre, Ying Ying Chen; from Vaughan–Woodbridge, Liliana Commisso; from Don Valley West, Daniyal Elahi; from Hamilton Centre, Juliet Finley; from Etobicoke North, Malcolm Greene; from Mississauga–Malton, Zara Hameed; from Markham–Unionville, Evan Hu; from Beaches–East York, Sunder Looman; from Scarborough–Guildwood, Sharmin Nanabawa; from Spadina–Fort York, Arushi Nath; from Etobicoke–Lakeshore, Apollo Noronha; from Pickering–Uxbridge, Autumn Roberts; from Parkdale–High Park, Quaid Saitua-Rippell; from Don Valley North, Norah Symington; from Davenport, Lucas Yin; and from the riding of Thornhill, Sophie Shengyue Zhang.

Please join me in welcoming this group of legislative pages.

Applause.

I would very much like to welcome Sophie Shengyue Zhang, a new page here at the Legislature, from my riding of Thornhill. She is a student at Glen Shields Public School. Welcome, Sophie.

I would like to welcome the parents of page Daniyal Elahi: Dr. Mehboob Elahi and his wife, Saadia Elahi. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’d like to welcome to the House Herbert Maguire and Leslie Thurston, who are Ontarians on disability; Rita DeBiasi, who worked 34 years as a PSW and now is on disability; and Meike Pfeffer, who is a social worker with Seeds of Hope, an organization which helps people experiencing homelessness in the city of Toronto. Welcome to the House.

I’d like to introduce my good friend Matt Richter from Parry Sound–Muskoka, who is in the members’ gallery. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’d like to welcome someone who is here today: a friend to many in the House, the remarkable, the talented Brian Patterson.