I rise today to commemorate a hero in my community. Gerry Saxton passed away suddenly last week in his 18th year of service with the St. Catharines fire department. Sadly, Gerry succumbed to injuries he received in the line of duty.

Gerry was a husband, a father, a neighbour, a first responder, and he was also my dear friend. As I would tell anyone that asked, Gerry was a true Merrittonian. He must have coached soccer and played street hockey with half the kids in Merritton. He had an incredible work ethic. Everyone that met him instantly loved him.

As much as Gerry was devoted to his community, he loved his family the most. He was a loving husband of 29 years to Lorraine and a proud father of four.

A special thank-you to the St. Catharines fire department and the professional firefighters’ association, IAFF Local 485. Thank you to all the firefighters that came from across Ontario to celebrate Gerry’s life last week.

I will always remember Gerry as the best part of my community, that person who always encouraged others to do the things that they found difficult. I will miss him, and I know everyone he touched feels the same way.

Thank you, Gerry. You were a phenomenal firefighter. We honour you, and we will forever show our gratitude for our time we spent with you.

Lundi était la journée internationale des bénévoles. Nous avons eu l’opportunité de reconnaître plusieurs bénévoles dans toutes les circonscriptions de la province de l’Ontario lors d’une cérémonie virtuelle la semaine dernière.

C’est grâce à plusieurs de ces bénévoles que nous avons eu la chance de participer à plusieurs activités comme les parades de Noël, les illuminations d’arbres de Noël, les programmes de distribution d’habits de neige, et la distribution de cadeaux de Noël pour les familles moins favorisées. Donc, j’aimerais dire merci à ces bénévoles pour leur travail incroyable.

Sur une autre note, hier nous avons eu la visite de plusieurs membres des équipes des bureaux de députés de la province. C’était une belle opportunité pour nous et pour eux de se rencontrer entre collègues et de faire connaissance.

Merci à notre premier ministre d’avoir pris le temps de rencontrer ces gens et de les remercier pour leur travail.

À ces personnes qui travaillent à représenter les députés et qui sont à l’avant-plan pour servir les résidents de la province de l’Ontario, j’aimerais les remercier pour le travail formidable qu’ils font, jour après jour.

Je termine en souhaitant un joyeux temps des fêtes à tous les membres de l’équipe, aux employés de l’Assemblée législative, à mes collègues députés, ainsi qu’à tous les résidents de notre belle province de l’Ontario. Joyeuses fêtes.

Good morning. Growing concerns from parents are being shared with me about the underfunding of our public schools. Church Street, Nelson Mandela and Lord Dufferin public schools take in students from across the Church Wellesley Village, Bay Cloverhill, Regent Park, Moss Park and other communities in the downtown east of Toronto.

Parents like Ines, Murshida and Shifani are telling me how our schools need more supervisors, education workers, special-needs assistants, guidance counsellors and social workers in schools to provide additional supports for their students.

Speaker, the response to violence in schools is not more police officers. Instead, the Premier should invest in the social determinants of health, which are exactly the same as the social determinants of safety: housing, education, food insecurity, early childhood development.

This government needs to invest in high-quality publicly funded education. This government needs to invest in meeting their own standards by reducing class sizes. This government needs to invest in funding existing schools so that they are well maintained. This government needs to invest in helping students living in poverty and to lifting them out of poverty.

This government needs to do all of that and more, but they need to do this by keeping our children, our teachers and their families safe by investing in education and not in bringing more police officers back to schools.

Good morning, Speaker. As we approach the end of the year and the holiday season, I wanted to highlight some of the great initiatives that our government has taken since being re-elected with a larger majority back in June.

We passed Bill 7, More Beds, Better Care Act, to protect vulnerable and elderly people in our community. Bill 7 frees up hospital beds so that people waiting for surgeries can get them sooner. It eases pressure on crowded emergency departments by admitting patients sooner.

We passed Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act, in order to support new homebuyers, the younger generation and new immigrants to Canada. Bill 23 will lead our province towards our goal of building 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years and towards resolving our housing supply crisis.

We passed Bill 26, Strengthens Post-secondary Institutions and Students Act. Bill 26 will protect students and strengthen supports for post-secondary students reporting sexual violence and harassment.

Our government also passed Bill 36, the fall economic statement. Bill 36 will increase ODSP payments by 5%, increase the monthly earnings exemption of ODSP recipients from $200 to $1,000, double the guaranteed annual income supplements for low-income seniors and extend relief at the pumps by cutting the gas tax by 5.7 cents a litre.

I want to thank the people of Oakville for re-electing me with an even larger plurality of the vote in 2018. It’s the greatest honour of my life, and I want to wish all the people of Oakville, all the members of the assembly and all the legislative staff a very merry Christmas and happy holidays.

First, I would like to introduce Ema MacAulay, who is the page captain for the day. She comes from the beautiful riding of Sudbury.

Second, I would like to introduce a good friend of ours, Michael Squarzolo, who is the president of Sudbury Professional Fire Fighters Association, as well as Jeff Wicklander, vice-president from Sudbury. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’d like to give a very warm welcome to my legislative assistant, Jeremy Istead; his wife, Marian Kelly; and his parents, Diane and Paul Istead. Welcome to the Legislature.

I would also like to welcome the Toronto Professional Firefighters to the House today, and a special shout-out to John Blair, John Maclachlan and James Wenger.

It’s an honour to rise in the House to speak to my motion tabled earlier today that would require Ontario schools to include mental health literacy in the curriculum as a requirement for graduation.

Since 2019, I’ve been advocating to have mental health education included in the public school curriculum, working closely alongside Minister Lecce. I’m incredibly grateful for his assistance in making this happen. This is a topic that is close to my heart, and we have an opportunity to do right by our children and future generations.

Mental health issues start early, and young people aged 15 to 24 are more likely to experience mental illness or substance-use disorders than any other age group. COVID-19 has impacted all students, with many facing new vulnerabilities.

The introduction of mandatory mental health education delivered directly and intentionally to Ontario students complements our government’s unprecedented investments in student mental health supports. Developing literacy is what schools do best, and mental health literacy can be taught, just like any other subject, including math, English or physical health education.

Mental health education empowers students with the knowledge, skills and tools they need to navigate their mental health before getting to crisis, reducing health care costs and the strain on our health care system and saving lives.

I rise to introduce Craig Thompson, president and executive producer of Ballinran Entertainment, who is here for film day in Ontario, Speaker.

I would like to inform the House that the following documents have been tabled:

—the 2021-22 annual report of the French Language Services Commissioner, from the Office of the Ombudsman of Ontario; and

—a report entitled Operation of the Environmental Bill of Rights, 1993, from the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario.

I’d like to welcome, from the Canadian Manufacturing Coalition: Robert Cattle, Ryan Levins, Dave Cherniak and Rahul Duggar. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Christmas is the season where we can pause and reflect on all the good from the past year that will provide us with hope for the coming year. As I pause and reflect, I’d like to share some things that I hope will be found in the stockings of some of my friends:

—for J. Murray Jones, the now-retired mayor of my home community and longest-serving warden of Peterborough county, a gift card from the classic car mechanic so Ruby will run smoothly enough this summer that he and Anne can enjoy some long drives throughout God’s country;

—for Mayor Carolyn Amyotte, a very simple request, photo radar;

—for Mayor Jim Martin, a very large excavator to dig a big hole, big enough for 128 beds on Smith Drive;

—for Mayor Senis, a round table filled with friends who enjoy the southern part of Lakefield;

—for Mayor Terry Lambshead, a season void of LDD moths so all of us can enjoy hikes throughout some of Ontario’s most beautiful foliage;

—for Mayor Heather Watson, the long-awaited high-speed broadband to be completed on time, eliminating the last dial-up in our township;

—for Mayor Leal, 11 paddles to be shared with his council so they can move the canoe smoothly through the Otonabee River, even when they hit the rapids; and finally

—for Chief Keith Knott, a return to good health so that all of Peterborough county can enjoy the wisdom and experience that he has brought to Curve Lake for so long.

From my family to yours, however you celebrate, Merry Christmas.

I would like to welcome all Cambridge firefighters here today, who I’ll be meeting with at 1 o’clock, and I’d also like to welcome John Holman here today.

It is my distinct pleasure to welcome the former MP for Waterloo, my mentor, Walter McLean, and his son, Ian McLean, who is the president of the chamber of commerce. Welcome to Queen’s Park today.

Applause.

In addition, two wonderful firefighters from Waterloo: Brett Gibson and Adam Overgaard. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’d like to welcome Ayrton Potter and the Kingston Professional Firefighters Association to the Ontario Legislature today.

I too would like to welcome all the firefighters here at Queen’s Park today, with a special shout-out to Colin Hunter and Chris Boehmer from the Guelph Professional Fire Fighters Association. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’d like to welcome Cynthia Lynch, managing director of FilmOntario, and Jane Tattersall, senior vice-president of Post Toronto and partner with Formosa Group. I’m going to do my best “Alistair:” Alistair Hepburn, executive director of ACTRA Toronto.

And I’d also like to welcome the Hillcrest Community School choir, who will be performing over the lunch hour, led by their amazing music teacher, Ms. Jamie Roblin, and a special shout-out to Dalia, who is one of the star singers in that choir.

We are joined today by the Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association. Sitting in the members’ gallery, we have president Greg Horton and secretary-treasurer Bob McCutcheon. Mr. Speaker, these are the everyday heroes serving and protecting our families and our communities and our province. On behalf of the government of Ontario, Premier Ford, the Solicitor General and all MPPs—on behalf of Ontario, we say thank you.

It gives me great pleasure to introduce Chris Slota from St. Catharines, vice-president of Local 485, and Ryan Madill, St. Catharines president and—may I say—he ran against me in the last provincial election. But we’ve been good friends since then, right, Ryan?

Also, I’ve got one more. I’ve got Leona McAusland from Orillia, and I look forward to meeting with you later on this afternoon. Thank you for coming.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to welcome to the Ontario Legislature the Ottawa Professional Fire Fighters’ Association. I look forward to meeting with Doug McLennan, David André and Malcolm Todd later today.

Page Max Weatherhead is a page captain today and his parents, Sharon Navarro and Brian Weatherhead, are in the audience today. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Also Mike Tucker, Bob Brandon and John Hanlan from the Whitby Professional Firefighters: Welcome to Queen’s Park.