It’s an important question, again, from the member opposite. I know the Minister of Natural Resources, of course, has been working with his cabinet colleagues the Minister of Northern Development as well as the Minister of Mines and the member for Sault Ste. Marie to ensure our northern parts of the province are well serviced. In particular, we’ve seen a number of forest fire seasons that were very, very challenging.

Now, of course, the member knows that we have invested to ensure that our fleets of water bombers and fire equipment are available for the north, but we’re also doing it in partnership not only with other municipalities but with our partners both in Quebec and Manitoba. We all face very similar challenges. That’s why we have been working so closely with partners across the board.

But Ontario has made those investments. There are certainly more investments to make as we continue to see growth in northern Ontario—look, simple growth that had not existed with any other government because everybody else seemed to ignore northern Ontario. We understand how important it is to the economic vitality of the province of Ontario, and we’ll continue to make those important investments.

My question is to the Premier. Over the past half decade under your watch, my community and its hospitals in Niagara have struggled to keep pace with our health care needs. Policies like Bill 124 have contributed to a nursing and staff crisis month over month. Over the summer, Niagara Health had over 608 staff vacancies. I know that number has grown now. Even worse, those vacancies have more than doubled since November 2019, the month that your health care morale-killing policy, Bill 124, received royal assent.

The courts overturned Bill 124, Premier.

Premier, will you do the right thing and recognize your policies have worsened our health care staffing crisis?

I used to work in health care, and, let me tell you, you are not tricking the nurses on the front line. You are not tricking the seniors and parents that have to wait endlessly—

We see the receipts. We see the results, and the results are the results.

Premier, why do you still plan to appeal Bill 124 when it is clear your health care policies over the last half decade have led to a worsening of the staffing crisis in Niagara and straight across Ontario?

Thank you to the member for the question. In fact, we’ve increased the number of medical seats at Brock University. I hope you’ve had the opportunity to tour the university and see the amazing things that are happening at Brock University.

Mr. Speaker, in fact, this fall we saw a record number of applications at Ontario’s colleges and universities in the province: 25,000 students were applying for nursing programs at Ontario’s colleges and universities—world-class post-secondary education. We are seeing record numbers of students looking to join the profession, and we’ve already seen that the Council of Ontario Universities says that more than 13,000 students applied to university nursing programs this past year.

We’ve also seen changes to the Ministry of Health through the Ontario college of nurses, where we’ve seen a record number of 14,000 registered nurses this season.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There’s lots more to come.

Ma question s’adresse à la ministre des Affaires francophones. Dans le cadre de la mise en oeuvre de sa Stratégie de développement économique francophone, notre gouvernement a récemment annoncé qu’il financera quatre projets représentant une somme combinée de 500 000 $ pour soutenir l’entrepreneuriat francophone.

La francophonie ontarienne contribue à notre richesse culturelle et à notre croissance économique, et nous savons que l’avenir de la langue française est intimement lié à la prospérité des entreprises francophones.

Monsieur le Président, la ministre peut-elle nous en dire plus sur la façon dont le gouvernement élargit le soutien aux entreprises francophones?

La ministre peut-elle nous en dire plus sur les projets retenus cette année et sur le soutien que notre gouvernement leur apporte dans le cadre de cet investissement?

The supplementary question.

The member for Niagara West to reply.

Please start the clock. The next question.

There are floods and fires that keep happening in the north, and we need to be able to have good plans for First Nations and northern municipalities to protect towns and also the First Nations. Every year, communities in Kiiwetinoong evacuate because of forest fires that threaten everything. The Auditor General found that it took up to 11 hours to coordinate a response. That is unacceptable.

Ontario can do more to prepare and manage emergency responses to these annual forest fires. What is Ontario doing to improve forest fire responsiveness and planning for First Nations and communities in the north?

Thanks to the member opposite for the question. I appreciate the opportunity to respond to some of the information that is not accurate in the member opposite’s statement.

We know the importance of ensuring that investments continue, the types of investments that we’ve seen, including in three new hospitals in the Niagara region: the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital, the new Niagara south hospital and the Hotel Dieu Shaver hospital. We’ve seen two new palliative care expansions, 20 new palliative care beds being brought into our area. We’ve seen a new nursing program launch at Niagara College, as well as an expanded nursing program doubling the amount of nursing graduates from Brock University.

These are the types of investments that, under the leadership of Premier Ford and this team, we are making in Niagara to ensure that each and every patient in our region has access to the world-class care that they deserve. The opposition had years to make that happen with the Liberals and they didn’t—

Interjections.

This question is to the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. There is a growing interest in geological carbon capture and storage to safely store carbon dioxide in deep bedrock formations. Storing carbon dioxide deep underground is one way of reducing the impact of greenhouse gases from high-emitting sources like heavy industrial activity.

In response to evolving energy needs and priorities, Ontario’s businesses have been interested in pursuing new underground storage opportunities. According to a discussion paper posted by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, there is a potential for enabling carbon storage in Ontario. Several areas throughout our province might have the right mix of geological conditions for storage capabilities.

Speaker, can the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry please elaborate further on carbon storage technology and its environmental and economical benefits?

Exploring the implementation of carbon storage is certainly a significant step in helping to reduce Ontario’s greenhouse gas emissions and in producing low-carbon hydrogen. Along with environmental benefits that can be achieved, this technology also provides opportunities to increase Ontario’s competitiveness and supports job creation. Ontarians are counting on our government to implement measures that will help support economic growth and productivity, while ensuring environmental protection.

Speaker, can the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry please elaborate on what action this government is taking to enable underground geological storage of carbon as we move forward?

The member for Kitchener–Conestoga will come to order.

The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to reply.

My question is for the Premier. Thousands of people in communities across Ontario attended rallies this weekend calling on the Premier to keep his promise not to touch the greenbelt. My favourite chant was, “No to housing in the greenbelt, yes to housing in my backyard.”

The government’s own Housing Affordability Task Force said there is no need to develop the greenbelt. There is plenty of land already approved for development to build the homes that people need. The Premier himself has said, “I’ve heard it loud and clear” that “people don’t want me touching the greenbelt. We won’t touch the greenbelt.”

Speaker, the people are speaking out loud and clear right now. So the question is, will the Premier listen to the people who don’t want him to touch the greenbelt, or will he listen to land speculators who want to pave over the people’s greenbelt?

Interjection.

If we want to solve the housing crisis, let’s end exclusionary zoning and build affordable homes where people want to live, in the communities they want to live in and close to where they work. The question is, will the Premier put people before speculators and repeal Bill 23?

So, here’s what we know, Speaker: Our per capita housing supply lags behind our G7 and our Canadian peers, who we compete with for jobs and investment. Today, our province is nearly 1.3 million homes, rented or owned, short of that G7 average. That’s why we’re in the middle of a housing crisis.

The University of Ottawa-based smart prosperity centre found that Ontario’s pre-existing shortage is already 471,000 homes in 2021. We need over an additional million homes just to get to that average of other G7 countries and our Canadian peers. And then, as has been noted this morning, we already know that we’re going to have an influx of new immigration who we want to welcome to our province—probably 60% of that half a million new Canadians are going to come here. That’s why we’re putting forward policies, procedures, bills, regulations to get shovels in the ground.

I am not going to stand here like the member for Guelph, the leader of the Green Party, and defend the status quo. He opposes building homes, he opposes getting things done and he opposes the realization of the dream of home ownership for a generation of Ontarians.

My question is to the Premier. Last week, the Auditor General reported that the P3 contracts used to build Ottawa’s LRT resulted in more problems and less accountability. The same companies contracted in Ottawa through these shady P3s are responsible for the expensive Eglinton Crosstown P3 mess that has frustrated my community in St. Paul’s for over a decade. My community needs accountability from this government more than ever. They need assurance that the Ottawa LRT fiasco won’t repeat itself on Eglinton.

My question is to the Premier: Why are the Premier, the minister and Metrolinx choosing to conceal, instead of answer to the public—the people paying for the actual project—how long this latest Eglinton LRT delay really is going to be?

I want to thank my colleague the member for Sarnia–Lambton for that important question and for his hard work on behalf of his constituents.

Carbon storage is a technology that involves injecting carbon dioxide into deep underground rock formations for permanent storage. You take the carbon dioxide emitted from power plants, steel mills or any other industrial process that you can think of and capture it. Instead of having the carbon dioxide released into the air, this process ensures that it never gets a chance to be released in the air.

The strategy is allowing us to develop a self-sustaining sector in Ontario, create local jobs and attract investments, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. I think all of us in this House, whether you’re on this side or that side, agree that we need to do our part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect the environment.

This ambitious plan that we have announced as part of the Less Red Tape, Stronger Ontario Act will help our efforts to reduce Ontario’s emissions and cut red tape for businesses and industry, while safeguarding the people of Ontario and our environment.

Minister of Transportation.

There’s a lot of conversation taking place at this end of the chamber and it’s making it difficult to hear the member who actually has the floor.

Interjections.

My question is to the Premier. Former mayors of Toronto have called Bill 39 an “attack on one of the essential tenets of our local democracy and” with it “a fundamental democratic mechanism: majority rule.”

The mayors also note that with the integrity and the well-being of Ontarians on the line, people are organizing for a historic showdown. The title of this fight is “Citizens versus the provincial government.”

Interjections.

Speaker, homelessness is an extremely important and complex issue that impacts Ontarians. Last week, I was speaking with Jasmin from LAMP Community Health Centre in my riding of Etobicoke–Lakeshore. We discussed the challenges that are faced by individuals and families experiencing unsheltered homelessness, and how they become all the more heightened during the winter months.

While it is essential that assistance and programs are available to meet urgent needs, there must also be new solutions and coordination of services to support Ontario’s most vulnerable people. Across this province, there are many individuals and families whose physical, mental and social well-being are at risk because they need access to resources and local supports.

Speaker, can the Associate Minister of Housing please explain what our government is doing to provide vulnerable Ontarians with the support they need?

Our government must provide assistance to individuals whose health and safety might be at risk because of the cold. Can the Associate Minister of Housing provide details about support systems and programs available to those needing shelter?

The member opposite did a member’s statement acting like Bill 39 was passed in the Legislature. The bill is in committee. In fact, I think the opposition only mustered up three amendments to the whole bill. So never underestimate the NDP to do the least amount of work possible.

Again, Speaker, I support Mayor Tory. Mayor Tory’s request for this amendment to the strong-mayors legislation is something our government supports, because we want to ensure that Mayor Tory, who received a strong democratic city-wide mandate in the October 24 election—he wants to get shovels in the ground, and he wants to support our goal to build 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years, unlike the NDP, Speaker, who won’t even utter the words “home ownership” in the Legislature. Shame on you.

I want to thank my honourable colleague for this very important question and for all the great work she does in her community.

Speaker, I want to point out that Ontario, under this government, is the primary funder of all homelessness programs, with 86% of the funding coming directly from the province. Earlier this year, we developed a new Homelessness Prevention Program to simplify and streamline operations to allow service managers to help more people find a home and spend less time on paperwork. We also increased this program by $25 million this year, bringing the total close to half a billion dollars annually.

Speaker, I recently visited Scott Mission here in Toronto and the Ottawa Mission before heading north to visit Urban Abbey and Grace Place in Thunder Bay to see first-hand the great work that’s being done to support those who are facing housing challenges.

Mr. Speaker, I’ll say it again: We will continue to be there and we will work with all partners to make sure we don’t leave any Ontarian behind.

Speaker, I would like to point out that a few municipalities across our province have opened up warming centres for those who are looking for a place to stay, and we need to continue to work together to be there for all those in need of support. I encourage Ontarians who need more information, or assistance, to dial 311.

Speaker, this government will simply not leave anyone behind. We’ll continue to work with our partners, like the Salvation Army, amongst others, to ensure that every Ontarian has a warm and safe place this winter season.

My question is to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Last Thursday, we heard from 18 witnesses about Bill 39. Fourteen of those 18 witnesses spoke against the bill. They represent the overwhelming public outcry against this government’s unprecedented attack on local democracy. The Association of Municipalities of Ontario made this very point, saying, “Bill 39 will disenfranchise elected councillors and potentially destabilize and undermine the authority of municipal government.”

AMO is not alone in its understanding of this matter. It has been expressed clearly and repeatedly by countless media outlets, leading scholars, political commentators, and others who care about democracy and good government. Minister, will you listen to Ontarians and withdraw Bill 39?