As we welcome the festive season, it is crucial to address a growing concern in our communities. While the holidays traditionally see an increase in food bank usage, this year presents an unprecedented challenge. Minister, today’s Feed Ontario report highlights a distressing reality: a significant rise in food bank use across Ontario—an increase of over 38% from last year. This is double the increase Ontario saw during the 2008 recession.

In Niagara, organizations like Community Care, Salvation Army, and the local churches run our food banks. They are an incredible force for good, yet they face immense strain due to systemic issues beyond the holiday spike. The root causes—chronic income insecurity, precarious employment, and a dire shortage of affordable housing—all demand our immediate attention.

This crisis calls for more than seasonal generosity. It requires concrete action from the government of Ontario. We should be leading by example, showing compassion at this time of the year, providing emergency assistance for food banks that are ringing the alarm bells. In order to get there, it will require a bridge, and the province holds the purse strings.

Minister, it is time to seriously look at emergency assistance for food banks.

As we move towards the new year, let us embrace a vision of hope and resilience.

Thank you very much. Members’ statements?

Please join me in warmly welcoming our guests to the Legislature today.

Applause.

In tribute to my predecessor, Percy Hatfield,

A heartwarming story of community generosity shall be revealed.

This weekend over 600 Goodfellows stood at street corners aplenty.

Exchanging Windsor Star newspapers for nickels, toonies and bills of twenty.

In the frigid cold, at Tecumseh and Forest Glade.

I joined the 600 volunteers who encouraged that trade.

For 110 years strong, this tradition has endured,

The gift of monthly food boxes and hampers to the needy is assured.

Thirty-three hundred such hampers are known to be needed.

But in true Windsor-Essex form, we know that this target will be exceeded.

And as this holiday campaign ends, our Goodfellows keep helping the masses

With shoes, boots, breakfasts and bagged lunches for students in classes.

And their food bank on Tuesdays and Fridays helping many families eat

Prices keep on climbing and they struggle to make ends meet.

To the Goodfellows serving us across Windsor and Essex county,

A sincere thank you for filling families’ dinner tables with a generous bounty.

This past weekend, we marked the Ukrainian Holodomor Memorial Day, which honours the memory of the millions who perished during one of the most tragic events of the 20th century. On the fourth Saturday of November, across Canada and around the world, we remember the Holodomor of 1932-33, the catastrophic famine orchestrated by the Soviet regime which resulted in the death of countless Ukrainians.

The term “Holodomor” directly translates to “death by hunger”—a sombre reminder of the deliberate and brutal campaign of starvation inflicted upon the Ukrainian people. The policies of Joseph Stalin’s Communist government not only deprived individuals of nourishment but also stripped away the very essence of their freedom and dignity, leading to the deaths of millions of individuals under excruciating conditions.

This day of remembrance takes on even deeper significance in the current context. The resolve of the Ukrainian people, as seen throughout history, is once again being tested by the ongoing conflict in their homeland.

In Oakville, we stand united with Ukraine. Our local institutions, such as St. Joseph’s Ukrainian Catholic Church and St. Volodymyr Cultural Centre, have been at the forefront, providing unwavering support to those affected by the crisis.

On the 90th anniversary of this tragedy, let us remember those who suffered under Stalin’s regime. Let us also keep in our thoughts the 43 million citizens of Ukraine.

We remember, we stand together, and we look forward to a future of peace and justice for Ukraine.

I want to take this opportunity today to speak about Killarney, a wonderful municipality in my riding. Killarney pretty much has everything—beautiful views of Lake Huron and the La Cloche Mountains, a welcoming community near some of Ontario’s most pristine wilderness, and the best fish and chips in Ontario. But there is one thing they currently do not have, and that’s a long-term-care facility close to home.

Speaker, that hasn’t stopped the people of Killarney. They have come together with care partners, stakeholders and community members to develop an innovative pilot project for a long-term-care home that would meet the needs of the people in Killarney. They are proposing a small home model that would allow seniors to age in the place they call home. It will have 14 private rooms, a central living space with an open kitchen, a dining and living area with a fireplace, and access to the outdoors on its 2.7-acre campus.

This is a project to be excited about; however, Killarney needs the support of the government and the Minister of Long-Term Care to make it reality. An invitation has been extended to the minister to come and visit Killarney to learn exactly what makes this town and their project so unique—and the invitation is extended to you as well, Speaker. I want to extend the invitation to him again this morning.

Come and visit Killarney, Minister. See what they have to offer. Let’s do the impossible in Ontario and provide Killarney with a long-term-care home.

Speaker, good morning. I know you’ve already introduced her, but I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome a former colleague, a good friend, a member of provincial Parliament, Judith Monteith-Farrell from Thunder Bay–Atikokan.

Welcome back to your House, Judith.

Good morning, everyone. Happy Monday. I have a few people to introduce. I have Beaches–East York trustee Michelle Aarts—doing great work. And I have some very, very famous people from the riding of Simcoe–Grey. Over here I have jazzy Jane Walcroft; I have my amazing sister-in-law Aranka Jones, an incredible naturopathic doctor, right there; and then I have my brother Collingwood Deputy Fire Chief Stephen Emo, right there. And I have, last but never ever least, my 86-year-old father—the guy I told I would never ever run for office. He’s a former OMB member. He’s an Order of Collingwood recipient. He’s the world’s greatest volunteer. He was the best mayor Collingwood ever had: rowdy Ron Emo.

I’d like to welcome OPSBA, who are here today—and from the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board, Becky Buck, from wards 8 and 14.

I also see Jan Johnstone up in the gallery.

Welcome to Queen’s Park today.

On behalf of the government, we want to welcome OPSBA—the 1.3 million people they represent—and give a special shout-out to their president, Cathy Abraham, who is with us, and all the trustees, for your leadership in Ontario.

It’s my great pleasure this morning to welcome the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association here today. I’m honoured to welcome Cathy Abraham, president; executive director Stephanie Donaldson; my own trustee from the wonderful riding of Davenport, Alexis Dawson—and all of the other school board trustees from across the province. Thank you for the work that you do in advocating for public education in Ontario. I look forward to going to your reception later today.

Our page captain today is Elliott Bernier from Kanata–Carleton. Je suis heureuse de reconnaître son père, M. Eric Bernier, qui est avec nous aujourd’hui. Bienvenue à M. Bernier.

Et aussi, I would like to introduce members of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association, including Cathy Abraham, who are here today for the Queen’s Park lobby day. Thank you for being here.

I’m going to go for the hat trick here: I also want to welcome, from Sault Ste. Marie, our former MPP and now president of Sault College, David Orazietti.

I also want to introduce Sherri Smith, the vice-president of academics, innovation and student services at Sault College; Rachel MacDonald, the director of communications and stakeholder relations at Sault College; and a very good personal friend of mine, Don Mitchell, the chair of the board of governors at Sault College.

Welcome, everyone, to Queen’s Park.

I’d like to introduce a good friend of mine from Hospice Peterborough: Len Lifchus.

I would also like to welcome the many public school board trustees who are visiting us today, including President Cathy Abraham and, from the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, the chair of the board, Lynn Scott, and Trustee Jennifer Jennekens. Welcome.

I have a few introductions today, from the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association, who are with us today—from my riding, in my area, I have Greg Bowman, David Farrow, Judy Kosmerly, Julie Bertram, and Allison Jarvis.

Also, I want to thank Mr. Rick Firth, CEO from Hospice Palliative Care Ontario, for the very, very informative meeting this morning.

I’d like to take the opportunity to welcome Volker Kromm and Ashley Quan from the Regional Food Distribution Association in Thunder Bay here today.

As well, I’d like to welcome Alicia Cameron from Thunder Bay.

And, again, a shout-out to Judith Monteith-Farrell—thank you for your time serving at this House.

It gives me great pleasure to welcome to the members’ gallery the family of Erin McCarthy, who has been serving on our page team.

Emma and Paul, I look forward to meeting you for lunch later today.

I’m also very glad that Lynn Scott from OCDSB is here today.

Thank you to the folks here from hospice care in Ontario.

And last but not least—Speaker, I think she’s tuning in—it’s my partner’s 52nd birthday.

Happy birthday, my love, Clare Roscoe, back home.

On behalf of the Minister of Health and the government, I would like to introduce Rick Firth, president and CEO of Hospice Palliative Care Ontario, and Jennifer Mossop, along with the executive directors from hospices across Ontario to the Legislature. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I also want to add my voice to welcome all the wonderful, hard-working trustees from the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association, including mine.

Dee Williams, thank you very much for being in the House.

I also want to welcome Malika Dhanani, who is from the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance. They’re here at Queen’s Park for their student advocacy week.