It is good to be back in this great House, and it is my sincere pleasure to share some great news to come out of my home riding of Brantford–Brant. Earlier this month, the Six Nations Chiefs secured the men’s senior lacrosse Canadian championship by winning the Mann Cup in New Westminster, BC, winning the best-of-seven-games championship series. On behalf of the government of Ontario, I congratulate the Six Nations Chiefs on this momentous win.

The “Creator’s game” is what the Haudenosaunee people have called the sport of lacrosse since the earliest of times, long before European contact.

Lacrosse has been used by some First Nations people as a social gathering, as exercise, and even to settle disputes among neighbours. But there is no dispute here; the Six Nations Chiefs are the Canadian men’s lacrosse champions, and they have made the Haudenosaunee people, Brantford–Brant and Ontario proud.

Today is September 26, 2023. It has been 315 days since Bill 21, the Till Death Do Us Part Act, passed second reading in this chamber. For nearly a year, seniors across Ontario have continued to be separated from their spouses while this government sits on a solution that could reunite older adult couples during their last years.

The new minister will be visiting Fairview Mennonite this Friday; there are five couples separated in this one home.

Over the summer break, I organized meetings with senior Jim McLeod to hear directly from seniors who are separated from their spouses, as well as their families and academics. They told me of the heartbreak they’re experiencing, the severe impacts to everyone’s mental health and the negative health impacts caused by isolation.

This week, I’m sending a letter to every mayor in Ontario asking them to bring motions forward to their res-pective municipal councils in support of the Till Death Do Us Part Act. Their support will help us keep attention on Bill 21, so that it will finally be called to the Standing Committee on Social Policy, one step closer to royal assent.

There is no good reason why the Ford government is stalling Bill 21 at committee. Nova Scotia passed similar legislation, the Life Partners in Long-term Care Act, in just 11 days. Let’s work together and get it done for all of Ontario’s seniors and the generations of older adults to come. It is time.

It’s an honour to rise once again in the Ontario Legislature. I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome all the members of the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce who have come to Queen’s Park yesterday and today for a number of meetings with members of all sides of the Legislature and cabinet ministers, and to share the good news of Sarnia–Lambton and what’s going on every day. Our community has a long history of innovation and collaboration when it comes to solving big issues. From energy to agriculture, manufacturing to Bay Street, the people and businesses of Sarnia–Lambton are working together to build a better future.

Mr. Speaker, more than 40 members of the chamber are joining us at Queen’s Park today, including Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce chair Nicole Crosby and chamber president Carrie McEachran. Please join me in welcoming the chamber members today.

I’d like to remind all members of the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce reception today from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in rooms 228 and 230. See you all there.

This weekend, I had the honour of joining the incredible men and women of the Canadian Paramedic Memorial Foundation as they took part in their annual Tour Paramedic Ride in Niagara Falls. The foundation is on a mission to pay tribute to the unwavering dedication and ultimate sacrifices made by civilian and military paramedics in Canada who have lost their lives while serving on the front lines. For me, it was shocking to learn that no monument or memorial existed. The ride has successfully raised $800,000, which directly contributes to the realization of a national monument in Ottawa.

This year, over 50 cyclists rode over 350 kilometres through southern Ontario to honour 54 fallen paramedics. They are working hard to build a monument to honour the lives lost but also the mental and emotional toll the job takes on EMS, Ornge ambulance and military paramedics.

There is no denying that every Canadian will, at some point, be touched by the invaluable service of our paramedics, and for that we must honour them for their service.

The ride goes beyond fundraising; it extends its support to those battling mental health challenges and their families. It recognizes that the toll of this vital profession is not only physical but also emotional.

The ride and the Canadian Paramedic Memorial Foundation are a representation of our collective appreciation for these brave individuals who rush to our aid during a crisis like COVID-19. They honour the fallen, they support the living, and they forge a legacy of gratitude and honour for generations to come.

There were thousands of people at Queen’s Park to welcome us back on our first day of this session. They were out in force, covering the lawns, and they were here with the Ontario Health Coalition to defend public health care and public delivery of health services.

Public health care is worth defending. This government finds billions for the things and fancy friends that matter to them, but they won’t put the money into health care. This government can spin it, but they know we are under-funding our hospitals. We’re losing nurses to private agen-cies and across the border because Bill 124 wouldn’t allow hospitals and the public sector to pay their staff and health care heroes what was fair. Instead, hospitals were made to watch as private, for-profit nursing agencies bribed their nurses away. The hospitals have been held hostage and made to pay agency rates, all the while forbidden by this government from paying their own staff what they would want to.

Despite the government nonsense, people are paying with their credit cards for health care. They’re getting hit with surprise fees and charges and getting stuck with the bill. This government isn’t preventing or remedying these unfair, often predatory, situations.

This government has friends and family making bucketloads of money from privatization. More and more of our public health care dollars are flying out the door, and they aren’t going to better patient outcomes. The profit margins aren’t shortening wait times, they aren’t opening the Minden emergency room back up, and they aren’t helping seniors cover their dental that this government refuses to cover anymore.

I was proud to stand with health care defenders yesterday—and every day. And I invite the government members to take their hands out of people’s pockets, their heads out of their offices and come outside to meet real people when they come to see us.

Last month, I had the great honour to speak at the Hollywood Independent Music Awards, at the historic Avalon in Los Angeles, to celebrate the achievements of outstanding young artists from Ontario and around the world. I was thrilled to be able to present an award for best original recording to Neena Rose from Hamilton, for her song FYWO, and the award for best Latin pop/rock song to Ben Anthony Lavoz from Toronto, for the song Kan Can. Shylah Ray Sunshine, an Algonquin native from Ontario, was named best female vocalist of the year.

I want to thank Brent Harvey again for everything he does to help independent singers and songwriters who don’t have the resources of a major record label. Brent serves as executive producer of the Hollywood Music in Media Awards. Four years ago, when six Ontario artists were nominated, I was proud to recognize them right here in our chamber.

I also want to thank my friend Tina Cole, well known in Hollywood as Mama Swag, for everything she does to develop and mentor young Ontario artists. Earlier this month, at the 2023 Mississauga Music Awards, Tina was named industry person of the year, a well-deserved honour.

Again, I want to thank Tina and Brent, and on behalf of all the members, I want to congratulate Neena and Ben.

We are so proud of you, and we can’t wait to see what you do next. Congratulations.

I’m very proud to rise today to share how the government of Ontario, in partnership with the Nature Conservancy of Canada, is protecting our flora and fauna and expanding nature preserves all across Ontario, just like in my own Hastings–Lennox and Addington’s Napanee plain.

The Napanee plain is a unique formation of alvars, wetlands and karst formations. For those who don’t know those terms, alvars have thin or almost no soil covering over a limestone shelf, and by their nature are home to hundreds of rare plant and animal species due to the seasonal variability.

Karst caves and crevices are created when water erodes that limestone underpinning the alvar. Karst ecosystems, like alvars, also support a huge variety of rare plants and animals in some very unique habitats.

I grew up playing in alvar and karst formations. I was fascinated by the breadth of wildlife in that cracked limestone and the huge number of fossils in the exposed limestone sheets.

I’m thrilled to say that the Napanee plain has recently been expanded by 81 hectares to include the Stoco Karst Forest. This new nature preserve provides a natural buffer for the nearby Stoco Fen Provincial Park; a 350-hectare reserve class provincial park located east of Tweed. By connecting with this large forest, we will preserve and sustain some wide-ranging animals like black bear or moose. The expansion will also help to provide flood protection and natural water purification for downstream rural residents and even communities such as Belleville or Deseronto.

I want to express my appreciation to the Minister of Environment, Conservations and Parks for the support of these projects.

I think you can tell I spend too much time on Instagram when I was about to start this by saying, “This is a shout-out post,” when I’m actually doing a member’s statement—but it’s a shout-out member’s statement.

When I was 15, I did my 40 hours of community service at a place called Pride Stables, which now actually happens to be in my riding. Pride Stables is part of the Central Ontario Developmental Riding Program, so it is a stable that is part of an organization that seeks to give a therapeutic riding experience to people with disabilities, both mental and physical, and predominantly children with disabilities.

In the summer, they run something called Camp Pride, which is a fully integrated day camp. You can have children with disabilities and children without disabilities attending the same camp, which is a huge asset for parents wanting to keep their kids together. I saw on social media over the summer that they were having a hard time getting enough volunteers, and I decided, “Well, I am in charge of my own schedule,” so I spent a week volunteering for the Camp Pride riding camp. It was a wonderful experience.

In my personal life, I don’t have cause to spend a lot of time with kids, full stop, or particularly with kids with disabilities or with autism, and seeing the grace that the other volunteers and instructors handled their charges with was incredible. So I want to shout out to Kassidy and Merissa, the instructors, and Amanda, the volunteer coordinator.

And if you can volunteer, always do.

It is wonderful to see Mr. Gillies. He’s a great friend to all of us here. Welcome to the House.

I want to welcome three guests. They are not all together.

I want to say a special welcome to Faith States-Linton, who is from the same town as me: New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. She now lives in the GTA. I must say, every time I seem to make it into the news, sometimes for not-so-great things, Faith is always there to make sure I remember that I’m my father’s daughter and that I deserve to be here.

Faith, thank you very much for joining us here today.

I also want to recognize two of my great friends—one is a constituent, actually: Michael Crockatt, the CEO and president of Ottawa Tourism, who I worked together well with over the past 18 years, and, of course, his partner in crime, Colin Morrison.

I don’t know what you’re doing now these days—if you’re still the chair of Ottawa Tourism or still the hoteliers—but you are a great friend to the city of Ottawa, and you’re a great friend to me.

Welcome all three to our House.

I have the privilege of welcoming to the House today the director of economic development for the town of Lincoln, Paul Di Ianni. Welcome to the people’s home.

I’d also like to welcome Chris Bloore, the president and CEO of TIAO; Rebecca Mackenzie, the board chair; and all the other tourism professionals and leaders who are joining us here today. I look forward to the rest of the day and the meetings that will follow.

It’s my pleasure to recognize page Minuka Premaratne from Oakville North–Burlington, who’s here today with his parents, Gethmi and Saman Premaratne.

It is my pleasure to introduce Cathy Orlando, who organized a breakfast for the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, Citizens’ Climate Lobby, and Ontario Climate Emergency Campaign. She is from Sudbury.

Welcome to this House.

I would like to welcome a friend and a huge advocate of tourism in Ontario, Kevin Eshkawkogan, who is here on behalf of TIAO. Welcome to your House.

I’d like to welcome Masani Montague to the House. She is the CEO and president of Rastafest Incorporated. Masani is doing a wonderful event for World Mental Health Day on October 10 in Little Jamaica. We would certainly welcome every member of the House to join. She is such a trailblazer in Ontario tourism. If you get to meet her today, you are very, very lucky.

I would also like to welcome to the House Lyn Adamson, one of our very own community members in St. Paul’s. She’s with ClimateFast. There isn’t a bigger climate justice activist in this world, probably, than Lyn Adamson.

I’d like to remind people about the Sarnia–Lambton day today. Two or three special guests who are here—the warden of Lambton county, Kevin Marriott, a good friend of mine; accompanied by Dave Ferguson, the mayor of Brooke-Alvinston; and his wife, Gabrielle Ferguson; along with 37 other people.

I’d like to welcome my dear friend Phil Gillies to the House. I recognize that he has just been recognized—but I wanted to say hello to you, and also to Suze Morrison, the former MPP from Toronto Centre and my predecessor, who I understand is here. Welcome.

Good morning, everyone. Welcome back.

I want to welcome the bubbly Beaches–East York team who are here to crusade for the planet. We’re a very green riding. Thank you for all you do.

It gives me great pleasure to welcome Chris Bloore, president and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario, and Alexander Miceli, manager of policy and government affairs at the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario. Also, it was wonderful to meet with Dr. Jessica Ng, director of policy and government affairs at the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario.

Thank you to all the fine folks who are here today on behalf of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario. Welcome to your House.