Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge the tireless and relentless work of two mothers who live in rural Carleton.

Cheri Nixon of Osgoode and Jennifer Bugden of Munster are among the many parents in rural Ottawa who have had the lives of their families—and their communities—turned upside down because the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority was unable to secure school bus contracts for thousands of students living in suburban and rural Ottawa. Now, many families are facing difficult circumstances. They have a commute into the city of at least an hour for work, but they are left with no way to get their children to school.

I am proud of Cheri Nixon and Jennifer Bugden for wanting to do something about the problem. They organized Facebook groups, started petitions and spoke with class, dignity and passion at my community barbecue on Saturday, September 9. They have stepped up to become valuable leaders in the community, joining me in the fight to get this situation resolved. They met with Minister Lecce in a Zoom call to make him fully aware of what families in rural Ottawa are facing.

In addition, Jennifer has been engaging with the community to reopen Munster Elementary School, which was shut down by the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board in 2015. The school’s closure put a village full of children on school buses while a beautiful and well-maintained building has sat empty, with the exception of some weekly community events that take place on some evenings.

Mr. Speaker, every riding and every community needs people like Cheri Nixon and Jennifer Bugden. The heart and soul they have transcend the villages they live in. What they have both accomplished in a short time sets an example of dedication, determination and selflessness. Right now, they are inspiring everyone, including their—

Speaker, I have the honour to present to you and to the House Karen McCrimmon, member for the electoral district of Kanata–Carleton, who has taken the oath and signed the roll and now claims the right to take her seat.

Thank you for the question from the great member of Carleton, a great friend indeed. The member is absolutely right. We’re in a housing supply crisis that we’ve never seen in this province ever, ever. That is why, on the first day of my job, I was joined by Mayor Vrbanovic and MP Chagger where we provided more residents of Kitchener an affordable place to call home at the historic St. Paul’s church.

Speaker, we are providing over $1.4 million to support the construction of 21 affordable housing units that will give seniors in their community a safe and affordable place to call home. Projects like St. Paul’s are exactly what we need to improve the housing crunch in Kitchener and, indeed, across this province. We all know there is much more work to be done. This government will keep cutting red tape, and we will keep working with all partners to get the job done. And yes, Speaker, we will succeed as we act, as we achieve and remain accountable to the people of Ontario.