Last week, I had the great privilege of standing with the Premier and my York region caucus colleagues to announce a brand new medical school just north of Thornhill, in the city of Vaughan. This school will be the first medical school to focus on primary care physicians—so important. It will include up to 80 undergraduate and 102 post-graduate seats starting in September 2028, with up to 240 undergraduate and 293 post-graduate seats on an annual basis once operating at full capacity.

This project is in partnership with York University and will be situated beside the state-of-the-art Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital and the soon-to-be-built long-term-care home. Together, these projects will significantly improve the quality of care our families and seniors have, bringing health care closer to home.

Speaker, our government is launching the largest expansion of Ontario’s medical education system in more than a decade. Parents, students, grandmothers, grandfathers, bubbes and zaydes, this is so exciting because our students will now have more opportunities to attend medical school locally, just a few minutes north in the city of Vaughan, a little bit north of Thornhill, and that is such positive news.

I want to thank my friend and colleague the member for King–Vaughan for being a strong champion for this project and a great advocate for the people of Thornhill and Ontario.

I would like to introduce an extremely charismatic man you all know well. Former member for beautiful Beaches–East York Mr. Arthur Potts is in the chamber today. Welcome.

It gives me great pleasure to welcome Linda Squarzolo from Nickel Belt, representing the Catholic Women’s League of Canada. Thank you for coming, Linda.

It’s my pleasure to welcome farmers from Wilmot township here in the House today: Mark Reusser, Alfred Lowrick and Steve Bottoms. Welcome to your House.

I want to welcome, all the way from sunny Sudbury, Linda Squarzolo, from the Catholic Women’s League. She’s the Ontario Provincial Council president. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’d like to welcome, from the Ontario Provincial Council of the Catholic Women’s League of Canada, four representatives, one from Thunder Bay. Welcome to Colleen Martin and her colleagues Linda Squarzolo, Wilma Vanderzwaag and Mary Capobianco. Welcome to your House.

It’s my honour to introduce my former boss and, most importantly, my seatmate for four years, who made my life so much easier and enjoyable, the 25th Premier of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne.

I’m pleased to welcome members of the Ontario Road Builders’ Association and the Ontario Asphalt Pavement Council at Queen’s Park today. I’d like to especially thank Mark Mallett and Graziela Girardi. We met this morning to discuss northern development and necessary built-road access. Thank you. Welcome.

I couldn’t help but notice that the Mayor of Norfolk is here today. Mayor Amy Martin, welcome to the people’s House.

It is my honour to welcome to Queen’s Park the president of the Central Tibetan Administration, the honourable Sikyong Penpa Tsering. Joining him are Namgyal Choedup, representative of his Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Office of Tibet in Washington, DC; and Mr. Sherap Therchin, executive director of the Canada Tibet Committee. Welcome.

Mr. Speaker, I do have a unanimous consent request. I seek unanimous consent that, notwithstanding standing order 100(a)(iv), five minutes be allotted to the independent members as a group to speak during private members’ public business today.

Thank you very much. That concludes our members’ statements for this morning.

I understand the member for Ottawa–Vanier has a point of order she wishes to raise.

Over a century ago, on the 9th of April, 1917, the Canadian Expeditionary Force embarked on a mission to capture Vimy Ridge. This endeavour mobilized over 170,000 Canadians from coast to coast and all segments of society, engaging them in a battle that spanned four days and would eternally etch itself into the annals of our history.

The Vimy offensive epitomized a uniquely Canadian venture, serving as a testament to the Dominion of Canada’s stature as an integral component of the Allied forces. That day, Canadians demonstrated their mettle, securing our enduring reputation as valiant fighters and steadfast allies.

Among those who answered the call were numerous individuals from Victoria and Haliburton counties and my own hometown of Kinmount. They were part of the 109th battalion. My grandfather Wallace Scott stood among these brave souls. He was one of the gallant Canadians who charged at Vimy on April 9, sustaining serious injuries. Despite his wounds, like many of his fellow servicemen, he healed and rejoined the battlefront, remaining until the war’s conclusion.

The Battle of Vimy Ridge emerged as a pivotal chapter in our nation’s story, igniting a new-found sense of national pride. Today, we collectively honour the memory and sacrifice of those who fought at Vimy Ridge and in subsequent conflicts, commemorating a significant milestone in our nation’s journey. We will remember them. Lest we forget.

I’d like to welcome to the House today a member of the other branch of government, my brother, the Honourable Mr. Justice John Raymond McCarthy.

I’m delighted to welcome my city councillor, James Pasternak, councillor from the city of Toronto in ward 6 from York Centre. Welcome to the Ontario Legislature.

I have the privilege of welcoming to the Legislature a constituent from Niagara West, Andrew Weltz, who is here with the Ontario Road Builders’ Association. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’ll begin with Shelley Sarin, who is the mother of page Aura Sarin from Barrie–Springwater–Oro-Medonte.

In addition to that, we heard Andrew McMurtry is here, but so are many of the other family members: Michael McMurtry, his son; Jeannie McMurtry, his daughter; Erin McMurtry, his daughter; Patti Moran, daughter-in-law; Chris Deacon, daughter-in-law; Kaia McMurtry-Moran, granddaughter; Aidan McNab, grandson; Matthew McMurtry, grandson; Tim Armstrong, his friend; Kate Lee, his daughter and caretaker of Mr. Armstrong; Robert Alan Eagleson, former MPP for Lakeshore during the 27th Parliament; William Sutton, caretaker of Mr. Eagleson; David Warner, Speaker during the 35th Parliament; of course, Kathleen Wynne, MPP for Don Valley West during the 38th to 42nd Parliaments; and Steve Gilchrist, former MPP for Scarborough East during the 36th and 37th Parliaments.

I, too, would like to welcome to the House one of the mayors from my riding of Haldimand–Norfolk, mayor of Norfolk county, Amy Martin, who is here to present to the committee of the interior this afternoon. Welcome.

I’d like to welcome the McMurtry family to Queen’s Park, in particular, a good friend of mine, chairman of the Royal Commonwealth Society of Toronto, Andrew McMurtry.

In my new role as the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Transportation, I’d like to welcome the Ontario Road Builders’ Association and the Ontario Asphalt Pavement Council to Queen’s Park today. Specifically, I’d like to welcome Walid Abou-Hamde, Andrew Weltz, Malcolm Croskery, Mark Mallett and Graziela Girardi.