For decades, the cost of keeping a roof over the heads of Ontarians has skyrocketed. Rent prices in London–Fanshawe are getting higher and higher, and home ownership is increasingly out of reach for the average Londoner.

With wait-lists for affordable housing now running years long, people increasingly have to stay in unsafe situations just to keep a roof over their heads.

Government after government has failed to implement a comprehensive and future-proof affordable housing plan, and because of that, our friends, families, neighbours and communities are in the midst of a homelessness humanitarian crisis.

To bring about action to stem the rising tide of deaths among Londoners experiencing homelessness, The Forgotten 519, a local organizing group, began a hunger strike on the steps of city hall. The city of London has since stepped up to their call to action, but the province, as usual, is not listening to the needs of its people. Instead, we have a government that callously abandoned Ontario’s target of ending homelessness. It seems like this government needs a reminder that folks with low incomes, people on ODSP and OW, and adults with developmental disabilities also deserve safe, affordable places to live.

We need to build at least 1.5 million new homes over the next decade, crack down on housing speculation that has been driving up home prices, increase protections and supports for renters and first-time homebuyers.

We need the provincial government to get back to the business of funding and delivering affordable rental housing.

Will this government act urgently? Housing is a human right.

It’s an absolute honour and a pleasure to rise in this esteemed assembly and kick off my second term as MPP for Kitchener–Conestoga. I want to extend my sincerest appreciation to my constituents for putting their faith in me and this government, so that we may continue to build on the great work that we have done over the last four years.

On a local level, our government has prioritized Waterloo region by focusing on housing, long-term care, health care and hospital expansion, and we have supported small businesses, local infrastructure and public transit. I could list a number of projects that we’ve seen throughout Waterloo region over the last four years, but I just want to touch on a few:

—a brand new Wellesley Arena and community centre;

—the New Hamburg arena rehabilitation project;

—long-term-care investments which brought 136 new and 312 upgraded beds to Kitchener and St. Jacobs just this past year;

—the new House of Friendship ShelterCare facility and oneROOF youth housing expansion; and

—just before we wrapped up the last session in May, I was honoured to announce nearly $85 million in hospital funding for Waterloo region’s three hospitals, including a new planning grant for a new hospital.

Speaker, I’m excited to hit the ground running. I look forward to a productive term alongside my colleagues here in the Legislature, both new and returning, in service of the people of Ontario.

Merci, monsieur le Président, et félicitations sur votre élection comme Président.

Je veux remercier les citoyens de Carleton de m’avoir renouvelé leur confiance. C’est un honneur et un privilège d’être capable de continuer mon service aux constituants de Carleton à la 43^e session législative de l’Ontario avec Premier Ford.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and congratulations on your election.

I’d like to thank the people of Carleton for placing their trust in me once again this past election. It’s an honour and privilege for me to continue serving my constituents in the 43rd legislative session.

I’d also like to thank Premier Ford for his unwavering support for the people of Carleton and across Ontario.

We were elected on the promise of getting it done for Ontario, and that includes the great people of Carleton—building more schools for a growing province, lowering the gas tax, solving the housing crisis, supporting local fairs like the Richmond Fair and local organizations like the Osgoode Youth Association and Rural Ottawa South Support Services through provincial grants and hiring more essential care workers.

I look forward to working with our government over the next four years, and Premier Ford, to continue getting it done.

I am honoured to return to Queen’s Park for a second term to represent my home community of Toronto–St. Paul’s. I thank my campaign team, hundreds of volunteers, our donors, my mom, my partner, my closest friends and chosen family, staff—both local and central—my colleagues and every single voter who put their faith in me again or for the first time.

St. Paul’s, I promise to continue fighting for a just Ontario for all of us whether you voted for me or not. I will continue to advocate for real affordable housing, rent control for all buildings and an end to renovictions—too many of our people are being displaced through demovictions as well and are experiencing homelessness or contemplating MAID due to unlivable ODSP/OW rates that must be at least doubled.

I’ll continue to fight for more mental health, addictions, rare disease and eating disorders resources, as I know this pandemic, coupled with insufficient government supports, has exacerbated many of our physical and mental health challenges.

I will also advocate against hate of all stripes and for equity.

We are officially celebrating Emancipation Month this August, for the first time in Ontario’s history.

In St. Paul’s, at Spadina Museum, reimagined as Mrs. Pipkin’s Manor, I invite you all to witness and experience Dis/Mantle, an arts exhibit inspired by the efforts of Black abolitionists. I thank lead artists Gordon Shadrach, Umbereene, the Confronting Anti-Black Racism unit and Cheryl Blackman for their trailblazing work and relentless advocacy against anti-Black racism in the name of positive Black representation through arts, culture and economic development. Thank you for seeing us and for demanding others to see us too.

St. Paul’s, I promise to continue fighting for a just Ontario for all of us, whether you voted for me or not. I will continue to advocate for real affordable housing, rent control for all buildings and an end to renovictions. Too many of our people are being displaced through demovictions as well and are experiencing homelessness or contemplating MAID due to unlivable ODSP/OW rates that must be at least doubled.

I will continue to fight for more mental health, addictions, rare disease and eating disorders resources, as I know this pandemic, coupled with insufficient government supports, has exacerbated many of our physical and mental health challenges.

I will always advocate against hate of all stripes and for equity. We are officially celebrating Emancipation Month this August for the first time in Ontario’s history, courtesy of a bill we all put forward. In St. Paul’s at Spadina Museum, reimagined as Mrs. Pipkin’s Manor, I invite you all to witness and experience Dis/Mantle, an arts exhibit inspired by the efforts of Black abolitionists. I thank lead artists Gordon Shadrach, Umbereene, the Confronting Anti-Black Racism unit and Cheryl Blackman for their trail-blazing work and relentless advocacy against anti-Black racism and in the name of positive representation through arts, culture and economic development. Thank you for seeing us and demanding that others see us too.

Bien sûr, je veux remercier les gens d’Ottawa–Vanier de m’avoir réélue une autre fois pour les représenter, mais aujourd’hui je veux saisir cette première opportunité qui m’est donnée de me lever devant l’Assemblée législative de l’Ontario pour rendre hommage à quelqu’un qui nous a quittés récemment, une personne admirable, une personne que l’on qualifiait de grande dame, et cette dame, c’est Gisèle Lalonde.

M^me Lalonde était et sera toujours une icône et un fort symbole de la résilience des Franco-Ontariens. Elle était passionnée et a manifesté sa passion pour notre belle culture francophone de plusieurs façons.

Le départ de Gisèle Lalonde a généré un mouvement de solidarité qui s’est propagé partout à travers la province et surtout dans ma circonscription d’Ottawa–Vanier, car, en effet, M^me Lalonde a marqué l’histoire de la communauté de Vanier lorsqu’elle est devenue sa première mairesse, dans le temps où Vanier était encore une ville. Son leadership exceptionnel dans la lutte pour conserver l’Hôpital Montfort, qui est aujourd’hui une institution reconnue pour son offre de soins exemplaires dans les deux langues officielles, lui vaut une reconnaissance éternelle de la part de la communauté franco-ontarienne.

Gisèle Lalonde est un exemple de persévérance, de détermination et de courage, et son sens de l’humour était contagieux et rassembleur. Elle a su nous inspirer et continuera à le faire.

Grâce à l’héritage de valeurs qu’elle nous laisse, nous nous souviendrons qu’il vaut la peine de se battre pour les choses auxquelles on croit.

Merci, Gisèle. Repose en paix.

I thank the members for their patience. I want to thank our staff at broadcast and recording services for reinstating the microphone service for all of us.

I’m going to invite the member for Toronto–St. Paul’s, if she wishes to do so, to redo her statement now that the microphones are working.

I rise today to [inaudible]. I am proud that our government passed the Emancipation Month Act in December 2021 to ensure people of African descent receive the recognition, justice, and access to opportunities they deserve.

Our goal is to eliminate discrimination by use of educational support systems while continuing to advance the importance of racial equity. To this end, our government has implemented initiatives like the Black—

Failure of sound system.

The House recessed from 1028 to 1058.

Our goal is to eliminate discrimination by use of educational support systems while continuing to advance the importance of racial equity. To this end, our government has implemented initiatives like the Ontario Black Youth Action Plan and the Racialized and Indigenous Support for Entrepreneurs Grant program. These are tangible examples that work toward eliminating race-based disparities and help remove economic barriers by providing funding, training and culturally relevant services to our Black community members.

On August 1, I had the honour to participate at the Emancipation Day ceremony at the Aurora town hall, hosted by the Aurora Black Caucus. I listened to the Black leaders of Aurora as they addressed our town. I recall the words of the president of the Aurora Black Caucus. Milton Hart said, “Black issues are not just Black issues ... they are Canadian issues.”

As I commence my work in the 43rd Parliament of Ontario, I remember Milton’s words—a great community leader. Black history is Canadian history.

Mr. Speaker, I’m pleased to give this assembly an update with regard to a key piece of infrastructure in the riding of Essex. I’m speaking of course of Highway 3, which stretches from the southeast corner of the riding, near Kingsville, to the northwest corner of the riding, arriving eventually at the international crossing between Ontario and Michigan. I’m pleased to state that the government’s commitment to widen this highway to four lanes is ongoing and in full progress.

The four-lane expansion will make travelling safer for thousands of commuters who rely on Highway 3 for safe transportation. In addition, approximately 1,500 trucks per week, from food producers to greenhouse growers in the Kingsville area, rely on this key piece of infrastructure to reach the international border and markets in the United States.

Essex county residents are very pleased with this four-lane expansion and are looking forward to the completion of this key piece of infrastructure.

That concludes our members’ statements for this morning.

I recognize that everyone is enthusiastic about the visitors, just as I am. The prolonged standing ovation is eating into the time that we’re going to have. We only have a minute and forty-five seconds, and a number of members want to introduce guests. So if we could just keep the ovations to a minimum from now on, I think we’d all appreciate it.

Start the clock. Member from London North Centre.

I would like to thank some of my constituents here: Milton Hart and his son Matthew. Milton is the president of the Aurora Black Caucus, who I mentioned in my member’s statement today. Thank you for being here.

I’d like to introduce two members of my team, Jess Tan and Dianne Dance, who are both here at Queen’s Park in the members’ gallery. Welcome to Queen’s Park and thanks for your good work.

Applause.

Mr. Speaker, congratulations on your role as Speaker.

I would like to introduce Natalie, who is returning as a page from the great riding of Etobicoke–Lakeshore. Welcome, and I hope you have a great week here.

As a Steelworker, I’m very pleased to introduce two amazing Steelworkers. We have Will Foresi from USW Local 7135, Steel Car; and Sylvia Boyce, the Steelworkers District 6 health, safety and environment coordinator. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

My question is to the Minister of Health. Bowmanville, Kingston, Ottawa, Toronto, Alexandria, Brampton, Clinton, London, Listowel, Wingham, Perth, Kitchener, Waterloo, Chesley, Red Lake, Kenora: Does the Minister of Health not believe that closed ERs and critical health bed warnings in these communities constitute a crisis?

Thank you, Speaker, and congratulations on your re-election.

It gives me great pleasure to introduce my brother, James Kernaghan, and his sons Darragh Kernaghan and Tiarnan Kernaghan, who recently celebrated a birthday. Unfortunately, Shauna and Ronan could not join us today. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

It is a profound privilege to be able to address this Legislature once more as the re-elected member for the great constituency of Eglinton–Lawrence. I am humbled by the opportunity to serve my constituents and the people of Ontario again, and I am extremely grateful to my dedicated campaign team and volunteers.

As we all know, our summers in Ontario are too short. While the people’s business calls us back to the Legislature for the remainder of the summer, I have enjoyed the opportunity in June and July to meet with many people in Eglinton–Lawrence and attend community events. As part of Toronto, of course, Eglinton–Lawrence is a community of diversity: diversity of culture, language and backgrounds, and these past weeks I have really had the pleasure of celebrating all that Eglinton–Lawrence has to offer.

For example, I was inspired at graduations in June celebrating the future of our province with graduates from Dante Alighieri and the Yorkdale Adult Learning Centre. I attended the Columbus Centre for a Ballo Liscio and Sagra della Salsiccia, both of which involved lively outdoor dancing, and I attended the 110th anniversary of the lawn bowling and croquet club and also local barbeques such as those put on by the Shermount condominium.

I thank the organizers for including me in their celebrations, and I look forward to serving the people of Eglinton–Lawrence and thank them for putting their faith in me once more.

I’d like to introduce Zoe Bystrov from the riding of Barrie–Innisfil and the founder of Youth for Lake Simcoe. Welcome, Zoe.

Applause.

Mr. Speaker, welcome back. I’d like to introduce the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation’s president, Karen Littlewood, and OSSTF legislative observer Paul Kossta, who are here with us today.

Also, I’d like to welcome Matthew Sawaya, Leo Lacroix, Frida Evans and Lourdes David—volunteers from my campaign. Thanks so much for being here. Welcome to Queen’s Park, everyone.

Applause.

I am pleased to welcome from Durham today: Trevor Hume; Greg Rowden; Larry Reynolds; Glenn Baswick; Cearra Howey; Scott Howey; Randy Farmer; Cris Douglas; Karey Anne Large; and my wife of 35 years, Kathy McCarthy.

Applause.