As mentioned before, it’s Niagara Week at Queen’s Park, so we have a lot of politicians here. Welcome.

I also have a lot of constituents from St. Catharines. I’d like to welcome Melinda Chartrand first, and also Ann-Marie Zammit and Sabrina Hill from St. Catharines. They’re also representing ACTRA today.

And no stranger to this House, but a former St. Catharines MPP for 42 years, now Niagara regional chair, making his way in: Jim Bradley. Welcome.

I’d like to welcome Mayor Bill Steele from Port Colborne, Mayor Frank Campion from Welland, Mayor Terry Ugulini from my hometown of Thorold and all of the politicians that are here from Niagara for Niagara Week.

A beautiful day—everyone here, it’s always a pleasure to be with you.

I’d like to welcome the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors, specifically dynamite Daniella Remy, optimistic Odette Bulaong and awesome Aranka Jones, my superb sister-in-law, who’s here in the House today. Looking forward to meeting you.

I’d like to join colleagues in welcoming the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors, and in particular, Yousuf Siddiqui, Harsimranjeet Bhatia, Emma Pollon-MacLeod and Natalie Pond. I’m looking forward to our meeting later today. Thank you for being here.

I’m pleased to honour and introduce Melinda Chartrand, a trustee who is with us from the Centre Jules-Léger Consortium. Welcome to Queen’s Park. Bienvenue and thank you for leadership for francophone students.

It’s my great pleasure to welcome Aranka Jones, a constituent of Simcoe–Grey and a member of the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors, to the House.

I have the honour of welcoming 13 members of the Men’s Probus Club of Newmarket from my riding, who have come to visit Queen’s Park today: William McTavish, Paul Bath, Richard Biggs, David Brisley, Grant Campbell, Art Darnbrough, William Docherty, David Elms, Richard Furlong, Brian Keddy, Peter Vanderploeg, John Vanderwielen and Warren MacRobie. Welcome to your House.

It is my pleasure today to rise to congratulate Home Hardware as they mark 60 years of serving communities across Canada. In fact, the Premier recently joined me to visit their headquarters in St. Jacob’s—after we picked up apple fritters from the farmers’ market, of course.

So how did that single store in St. Jacob’s grow to become a national symbol? Well, here’s how. They kept their commitment to help build their communities with helpful advice, quality products and great customer service.

“This milestone is a testament to over six decades of dedication and hard work by our dealers and team members across the country,” said Kevin Macnab, president and CEO of Home Hardware Stores Ltd.

Since opening in St. Jacob’s, they now have more than 1,000 stores providing good jobs across the country. It’s hard to picture small towns in Ontario without a Home Hardware. They have become a part of the fabric of our community and country. Home Hardware is consistently chosen as one of Canada’s top employers and received the honour from Forbes again in 2024.

Congratulations on 60 years and thank you for the positive contributions to our community, Ontario and Canada.

We have with us some very special guests in the Speaker’s gallery today: His Excellency Rodrigo Malmierca Díaz, the ambassador of Cuba to Canada, and Mr. Jorge Yanier Castellanos Orta, consul general of Cuba in Toronto. Please join me in welcoming our guests to the Legislature today.

I’d like to welcome Dr. Campbell from the Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization and her team for their health tech adoption lunch today in 228-230. So please join.

How in the heck could I forget John Cleland, ACTRA member, ACTRA national councillor, executive committee member, and my friend. Thank you so much for being here, John.

To use a scientific term, we’ve got a whole whack of visitors from the Niagara region here this week—far too many to name, but I want to welcome them all to Queen’s Park.

I encourage all members to come out this evening, from 5 to 7 p.m., for an amazing reception in honour of Niagara Week. You’re going to have some of the best that Niagara has to offer.

I especially want to acknowledge Melinda Chartrand, who is here with Csc MonAvenir; also, April Jeffs, who is joining us; as well as the regional chair, Jim Bradley.

Welcome to Queen’s Park, everyone.

I want to introduce Mitchell Brum and Emily Carlucci, interns in my office who are visiting here today.

I would like to welcome members of the Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization. They will be putting on a health technology adaptation lunch today in 228.

Also, welcome to the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors, who will be in the dining room at 5 o’clock.

Also, we have members of the Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario here today.

Welcome to your House.

I would like to welcome to the House today Trevor Appleton, a great and dedicated local community citizen from my riding of Durham. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I, too, would like to welcome members of ACTRA in the galleries today.

It has been two years. It’s time to end the lockout.

We don’t permit political statements during introduction of visitors; I’ll remind the members.

The Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery.

The member for Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry.

I just want to welcome three of the most very important people in my life who I could not love more: my wife, Melissa; my mom, Barb Smith; and my sister Gwen Smales, in the Speaker’s gallery. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

It’s Niagara Week here at Queen’s Park this week. I want to welcome Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa from the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. He is the only Lord Mayor in all of Canada.

Interjection.

Tim Jennings, executive director of the Shaw Festival, and his team; April Jeffs from Brock University; Zach Dadson from Brock University—and I want to welcome all the wine and craft brewers who are here today.

Get out and enjoy Niagara wine and craft beer. It’s the best in the province of Ontario.

I apologize; I’m going up for the second time, but I noticed Daniel Grubb from Brock University came in with April Jeffs as well as Zach Dadson.

I just want to welcome you, as well, today. Thank you for coming.

And Niagara Week—come on down to the reception, 5 to 7, down in the legislative committee room, and enjoy some Niagara craft beer and wines.