I’m excited to rise today to highlight an exciting celebration that is returning to my riding of Oakville. Culture Days provides the opportunity to explore with local artists, share in cultural events, and celebrate Oakville’s lakeside charm. From September 22 to October 15, our community comes alive with an array of arts and culture in nearly 100 events.

At last year’s Culture Days 2022, the town of Oakville was ranked number one in the participating communities listing. The town was recognized and earned the top spot in Canada.

This year, get ready to immerse yourself and explore the nearly 100 local events, such as the return of the World of Threads Festival; hearing singers, songwriters and inspirational speakers; celebrating Indigenous heritage and culture; enjoying live shows with community musical performers such as the Yuan Yin Group and the Halton Region Chinese Canadian Association; discovering history at the Oakville Museum and learning about Oakville’s role in the Underground Railroad; and much, much more.

Speaker, I have to take this opportunity to acknowledge that Culture Days in Oakville and across Ontario is thanks to support by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

Supporting our local artists allows them to thrive and showcase their talents.

As we approach the final stretch of Oakville’s Culture Days, I would like to invite everybody to celebrate, learn, and enjoy this festival together.

And happy Thanksgiving to all the members of the Legislature and all the staff here today.

Coming up on October 12, it will be World Sight Day as showcased by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness. This year’s campaign focus is to bring attention to the importance of eye care in the workplace.

As a practising optometrist—I remember vividly, like it happened yesterday—I was working at the Saginaw Valley Special Needs Vision Clinic. A mother brought in her little two- or three-year-old non-verbal daughter. I was fortunate as the little girl sat still enough for me to determine that she had a very, very strong prescription. I can remember taking a little trial frame and putting these lenses in it, and as we put it on her face, she dropped the little toy that she was holding up right in front of her on the floor and looked around the room, seeing for the first time. That was one of the single most gratifying experiences and, as it turned out, one of many to come in my field of medicine.

Our government is committed to improving access to glaucoma and cataract care across our province, and our government, under the leadership of Premier Ford, has signed the first agreement with optometry in over 30 years.

Colleagues, the hashtag this year is #LoveYourEyes—they are the only set you will ever have.

October marks Women’s History Month in Ontario, a time to honour the struggles and celebrate the achievements and resiliency of women, girls and gender-diverse people. As we reflect, we hold a profound sense of gratitude. We recognize the tenacious efforts and unwavering spirit of women who have paved the way for progress and equity. But we must also acknowledge how far we still have to go.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of a historic milestone: Agnes Macphail’s election as the first woman to serve in the Ontario Legislature, in 1943. For almost 80 years prior, there had only been men serving in this House. Agnes Macphail also holds the esteemed honour of being the first woman elected to Canada’s House of Commons as a member of Parliament.

Women’s history isn’t just about acknowledging the pioneering roles like Agnes’s but understanding the values and the tireless advocacy that women have stood for. Agnes championed women’s rights, prison reform, disarmament. As a member of the Ontario Legislature, Agnes was instrumental in propelling Ontario’s equal pay legislation, a pivotal step towards gender equity in the workplace.

History often highlights remarkable figures, but it is equally vital to recognize that the history of women is also woven from the countless everyday actions, sacrifices and the perseverance of nameless and faceless women. These are our mothers, caregivers, mentors, PSWs, registered nurses, teachers, education workers, women in food and retail, and many others.

This month is about honouring their profound contributions to society and reminding us that progress and change stem from collective efforts. We must remember that Women’s History Month is not only a time for celebration, but it’s also a call to action.

As I’ve said before, it is a reminder that while we have made progress, there is still more work to be done. We need real action to support women, especially Black women, Indigenous women, racialized women, LGBTQ women, gender non-conforming women and women with disabilities who have disproportionately been impacted by social injustice.

We must address the barriers, enhance representation and champion initiatives that empower women in all facets of life. All women should have the opportunity to thrive and, collectively, we must work to create the necessary social and economic conditions for that. We need to understand that affordable housing is a human right. Housing issues are women’s issues. “Equal pay for equal work” is not a mere aspiration, but a fundamental principle.

We must recognize that Bill 124 stands as a barrier to achieving fair compensation for our public servants, including health care workers—the majority are women. Economic issues are women’s issues.

As we commemorate Women’s History Month, let this be a source of inspiration for all of us to continue our collective efforts towards a brighter and more equal future. After all, Speaker, women’s rights are human rights.

Today I rise in celebration of Women’s History Month, which is marked every October in Ontario and across Canada.

Women’s History Month is an opportunity to recognize the contributions that women have made to their families, their communities and workplaces across the province. It’s also an opportunity to celebrate them for inspiring the women and girls of today, who are continuing to advance gender equality, challenge the status quo and make Ontario a better place to live, work and play for all.

This year’s theme, “Through Her Lens: Celebrating the Diversity of Women,” especially highlights the outstanding achievements and significant contributions of women from diverse backgrounds, including Indigenous, francophone, racialized, rural, immigrant and disabled women, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals.

Speaker, I would like to use my time to talk about just a few of these notable Ontario women. Angela James, born in Toronto to a Black father, led the Canadian women’s hockey team to four women’s world championship gold medals between 1990 and 1997, bringing women’s hockey into the mainstream and becoming one of the first three women to be inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame.

Rosalie Silberman Abella became both the youngest and first pregnant person to become a judge in Canada when she was appointed to the Ontario Family Court in 1976. She then became the first Jewish woman and refugee to be appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Speaking of the Supreme Court of Canada, there’s Michelle O’Bonsawin, born in Hanmer to francophone Ontarian and Indigenous parents, who became the first Indigenous person to be appointed just last year.

There’s Elizabeth Bagshaw, born and raised on a farm in the Kawartha Lakes area, becoming one of Canada’s first female physicians and the medical director of Canada’s first birth control clinic in Hamilton in 1932, when it was still illegal for women to make decisions over their own bodies.

After years of the federal government failing to build a new school in her community following a diesel fuel leak, there’s Shannen Koostachin of—I’m sorry for missing the name—

Interjection: Attawapiskat.

Interjections.

Lastly, I would like to recognize Mary Ann Shadd Cary, who, following the passing of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 in the United States, founded a private school for the children of freedom seekers in Windsor. She also became the first woman publisher in Canada, having established her own newspaper, the Provincial Freeman, to share her ideas on abolitionism and women’s rights and showcase the accomplishments of Black women in Canada.

Speaker, these history-making women and girls paved the way for many more—like us, right?—and especially those from diverse backgrounds to pursue their dreams and live full lives here in Ontario.

Every day, women enrich Ontario with their unique experiences, knowledge and perspectives. Whether they are innovating in the science and technology sectors, starting and running their own businesses, building homes for young families, educating the next generation of leaders, growing our food or caring for our most vulnerable, the full participation of women is imperative to our province’s present and our future.

Speaker, our government recognizes that when women succeed, Ontario succeeds. That’s why we are taking decisive action across ministries to help women and girls thrive at home, at work and in their communities. This includes supporting affordable child care options; increasing exposure to STEM and the skilled trades at an earlier age; making workplaces safer; and offering targeted training, skills development and employment opportunities for women experiencing social and economic barriers, all of this to increase their participation in the workforce and gain financial security and independence, especially in sectors where we have been traditionally under-represented. Over the coming months, we will continue to work with sector partners to help more women across the province achieve the success they need and the success they deserve.

Speaker, before I conclude, I would like to draw my colleagues to a few other days of significance for women and girls marked in October. Yesterday, October 4, was Sisters in Spirit Day, a day to honour the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. We show our support and our love, and we also are creating opportunities for healing and having the conversation to listen to the stories.

This year, a monument was unveiled in the city of Kenora, in the great riding of Kenora–Rainy River, to remember the lives lost by senseless intimate partner violence. Those three women are remembered, and it marks a day of importance for us to all acknowledge.

On October 11, we celebrate International Day of the Girl. It’s a day to recognize the unique challenges and inequalities faced by girls, and the need to protect their rights and create more opportunities for their prosperity.

Finally, on October 15, we will mark the International Day of Rural Women. It’s an opportunity to recognize the invaluable contributions of rural women to our food systems and their role in sustaining our families and communities and fighting against hunger and malnutrition.

Speaker, it’s because of these trail-blazing women of the past that women today have the rights and opportunities that were denied to their predecessors. This October, I invite all of us, all Ontarians, to learn about the history of women in our province, celebrate their outstanding achievements and participate in Women’s History Month activities in your local communities. Each and every one of us plays an important role in fostering a more equal and inclusive Ontario, full of social and economic opportunities for women and girls. Why? Because when women succeed, Ontario succeeds.