Speaker, the 2024 volunteer service awards took place last week to recognize thousands of volunteers across the province for their countless hours of dedicated service. This is Ontario’s premier event, and I’m so pleased today to highlight the eight outstanding members from my community of Oakville North–Burlington.

Three individuals with five years of service are Pannaga Adiga with the Sringeri Vidya Bharati Foundation Canada, Thomas Aro with the 23 Division community policing liaison committee, Toronto Police Services, and Denise Noguchi with GlobalMedic, the David McAntony Gibson Foundation; for 25 years of service, Chi Kan Li with the 38th Mississauga Scout Group; for 35 years of service, Edward Anczurowski with the Knights of Columbus; and youth recipients Frank Liu, Jessica Wang and Michael Yu from the Oakville Chinese Network Society.

Speaker, I believe we can all agree that volunteers are the heart and soul of communities, driving positive change, fostering connections and making our province a better place for everyone.

Congratulations to these worthy recipients and thank you for all you do to support our community.

Good morning. Let us pray.

Prayers.

It’s an honour once again to rise in the Ontario Legislature to share more good news of an important investment by this government in Sarnia–Lambton.

Mr. Speaker, just this past Friday, I was honoured to join Paula Reaume-Zimmer, the CEO of Bluewater Health Foundation; Mark Braet, the chair of the Bluewater Health Foundation; and Petrolia Mayor Brad Loosley to announce that the Bluewater Health Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital in Petrolia has been given the green light by the Ministry of Health to move forward with a multi-million-dollar upgrade and expansion of this hospital, including the long-awaited expansion of the emergency and radiology department. Friday’s announcement means that Bluewater Health will immediately begin the final detailed design work for the hospital expansion, with construction beginning as early as 2025.

As a hard-oiler and lifelong resident of the town of Petrolia, I can’t overstate how important the redevelopment of the CEE Hospital project is to the residents of Petrolia and central Lambton. I am so proud that our government is making such a historic investment in CEE Hospital, ensuring its future for generations to come. I want to thank the government and the Ministry of Health for this important investment in Sarnia–Lambton.

Today, I rise to address an issue affecting Jewish constituents and members of my chosen family. They shared their growing fears watching the rise of anti-Semitic hate. Their experiences are not just troubling, they are a call to action.

No Ontarian should live in fear, yet hate crimes have more than doubled since 2018, shaking the foundation of inclusivity and safety that every Ontarian deserves. The fear among Jewish Ontarians echoes the horrors and living memories of the Holocaust. From knowing what broken glass to graffiti of swastikas or echoes of the blood libel means, Jewish people have survived by recognizing anti-Semitism. Now this pain exists alongside a rise in anti-Arab and anti-Muslim hate that has all increased with the taking of hostages by Hamas and the bombing of Gaza.

Ontarians need compassionate leadership that heals wounds and fosters a province where everyone feels safe. Ontarians need more than words of solidarity; they need a funded and community-informed province-wide hate strategy to build deep social unity. This plan must include robust education to combat anti-Semitism and enhanced coordination between law enforcement to tackle actual hate crimes.

This Legislature must ask itself two questions: What can we do to effectively stop anti-Semitism and hate crimes in Ontario? And how can our divided communities start talking again and heal together?

Combatting anti-Semitism and all forms of hate requires everyone and every order of government to do their part. Let us rise to this challenge together.

Speaker, I want to shine a light on a remarkable initiative in our community, the H.O.M.E. Program from London InterCommunity Health Centre. H.O.M.E., which stands for health outreach mobile engagement, is a lifeline for individuals who are experiencing homelessness, are insecurely housed or are clients rostered at the centre. H.O.M.E. started with a wagon and a few dedicated staff. The idea continued to grow, and now they operate from a specialized bus equipped to handle the needs of their patients. In its first year alone, H.O.M.E. served 3,000 individuals just operating two days a week.

What makes H.O.M.E. truly special is a dedicated team behind it: nurses and social workers who go above and beyond, building meaningful relationships with those who they serve. This program meets a real need in our community. Accessing health care can be a nightmare for many, exacerbated by primary care physician shortages and long ER wait times.

London’s housing crisis has been at the forefront of many conversations, from politicians to service providers, concerned citizens and those struggling to find stable housing. This issue affects everyone in our community. Often, the ability to receive health care means you have to be housed. Housing is linked to health care. That’s why the H.O.M.E. Program is so important.

I want to thank the amazing team who work so hard to make the H.O.M.E. Program possible. Because of your work, you improve the health outcomes and health equity for the most marginalized and vulnerable people in our community.

Speaker, I had the pleasure to meet with civics classes at All Saints and Earl of March secondary schools in my riding. It’s such a pleasure to meet such smart young people learning about the democracy that will affect the rest of their lives. They asked such good questions.

Students today are informed, active, and they know that what is happening in government is important. They know that asking the right questions is the first step to making change. Only with smart people asking smart questions do we get a government that is accountable, that is responsive to our needs and that invests in people for a better future for all.

There are people who intentionally make politics ugly because they don’t want people paying attention. So please, like I told those students: Stay informed, stay active, keep asking those good question and, when the time comes, vote like your life depends upon it, because it does.

Colleagues, last Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending the banquet for the 2024 Owen Sound Sports Hall of Fame inductees. It was an amazing night honouring local athletes, builders and teams. Formed in 1981, the Owen Sound Sports Hall of Fame is dedicated to the people who have participated in local sports, either as participants or as builders.

This year’s inductees were an amazing group of local sports heroes. Athletes included pioneering lacrosse and hockey star Richelle McMann, three-time Canadian lacrosse champion Ted Abbott, star softball pitcher and coach Jamie Simpson, National Lacrosse League player Adam Jones, 600-game NHL hockey player Adam Mair and Owen Sound Greys MVP James McLellan.

Builder inductees were soccer builder, coach and referee Colin Hodson; minor sport player, coach, referee, umpire, league administrator and fundraiser Norm Long; and minor hockey, baseball, lacrosse and bowling coach Jim Tennant.

Team inductees were the 1966 Owen Sound Crescent Club softball champions; the 1981 Owen Sound Kinsmen Junior A box lacrosse team; and the 2018 Shark Tank APA world champions.

Thank you and congratulations to all inductees for your great success and your great contribution to the Owen Sound community.

I’m standing today to talk about the rather exciting past few weeks I’ve had from the perspective of culmination of personal projects. I’ve said many times that I came here because of my focus on crime prevention, and I’ve really seen that recognized in the last few weeks.

Two weeks ago, we saw a $150,000 investment in The Fourth R out of the faculty of education in Western, which puts a curriculum module into Ontario high schools that allows students—and middle schools—to focus on building healthy relationships, with a particular focus on gender-based violence. Then, just last Friday, the Minister of Education and myself were at the Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton to announce what I think is safe to say is a groundbreaking investment: $875,000 into the Coaching Boys Into Men program, which will allow 23 separate violence-against-women agencies throughout the province to certify 400 coaches and teachers at over 200 high schools on, basically, how to give young men and boys the tools that they need to become willing allies in the fight to combat violence against women.

It was an incredibly exciting announcement. This has been a lot of personal advocacy on my part. I couldn’t have done it without, at education, Justin and Kennan, but also, thank you so much to Sue Taylor, Dr. Peter Jaffe, Dr. Claire Crooks, Dr. David Wolfe and Ray Hughes. I’m looking forward to continuing working with all of you. Thank you so much again.

Mr. Speaker, each year on the first Sunday in May, Canadians come together to commemorate the Battle of the Atlantic. Lasting from September 1939 until April 1945, the Battle of the Atlantic was the longest continuous battle of the Second World War.

Canada played a critical role in this battle, which ultimately helped secure the Allied victory. Though Canada entered the war a small country with an even smaller navy, we quickly grew into a major fleet. Canadian ships escorted hundreds of convoys that set off from Nova Scotia and hunted U-boats in the Atlantic. Over 4,000 Canadian sailors, merchant mariners and airmen lost their lives in the battle along with over 100 civilians.

On May 5, I had the honour of attending the Battle of the Atlantic parade and commemoration ceremony, hosted by the Oxford County Naval Veterans Association. Unfortunately, it was looking like rain, so the parade didn’t take place, but I was grateful to be there to commemorate those who lost their lives in this grueling battle.

May 5 also happens to be Dutch Liberation Day. This day marks the liberation of the Netherlands by the Allied forces, made mostly of Canadian troops. Events like these encourage us to reflect on Canadian involvement in World War II and remember the courageous sacrifices of those who served to secure our freedom.

I’d like to express my gratitude to the Oxford County Naval Veterans Association for hosting this event in honour of our brave Canadian forces and veterans.

When Premier Ford announced his government’s plans to privatize surgeries and diagnostics, he promised that Ontarians would never have to pay with their credit card, only their OHIP card. We knew the promises were empty words. When you open the door to profit, care takes a backseat. The reality is that more Ontarians are paying out of their pocket for health care services that are covered under OHIP.

Kate, a small business owner in Toronto, had to pay close to $8,000 for extra tests and eye surgery at a private clinic. She says, “At no time ever was I told that any of this was covered under OHIP. This was not a cosmetic procedure. This was a necessity. I could not function without it.”

Maureen from London was told she would have to wait years unless she paid out of pocket for her surgery. She paid $7,000. She says, “Being a senior on a fixed income, I am still trying to catch up with bills from this surgery.”

Mike’s wife was also told she would have to wait years for her surgery. Get this, when the clinic called to schedule the appointment, it turned out to be the same surgeon that did her first operation in the hospital four years earlier. He now had a private clinic. Mike says, “My wife got the surgery done at the for-profit clinic and it cost $3,000 more than when it was done at the hospital. We have one question: Who is supposed to protect us from such scams?”

The race to the bottom of health care continues under this Ford government. Care should be based on need, not on ability to pay.

The Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors are here, and I want to introduce my friend Shawn Yakimovich from North Grenville.

Later on today, there will be a delegation here from the united counties of Leeds and Grenville: Warden Nancy Peckford, CAO Ray Callery and Alison Tutak.

But I also have three of my constituents in the public gallery above. I want to introduce Randy Hopkins, Doug Brooks and Alex Kelly. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’d like to welcome my intern, Winston Lee, who is here visiting with his mother, from Vancouver, Wini Yeung. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Good morning, Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to welcome some fantastic members of ACTRA Toronto who are here with us today in the gallery. I’m going to only name a couple here, but I know that my colleagues are going to name some others. I do want to make mention of Amy Matysio and Kate Ziegler, ACTRA Toronto vice-presidents, and Alistair Hepburn, executive director. It is wonderful to see so many of my former colleagues here with us today. Welcome to your House.

Mr. Speaker, it’s a great pleasure to introduce Harsimranjeet Bhatia from the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors. Harsimranjeet practises in my riding, and I look forward to meeting with them and the association later today. Welcome to your House.

Well, I just want to wish our great House leader a happy birthday. Happy birthday, Pauly.

It’s a pleasure for me to welcome a representative from the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors, Dr. Joanna Thiessen, from George Street Naturopathic Medicine. Welcome to Queen’s Park, Joanna.

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.

There are over a hundred ACTRA Toronto members here today. I want to welcome them to Queen’s Park. Some of them include Kate Ziegler, ACTRA Toronto vice-president and actor; Asante Tracey, ACTRA Toronto member and actor; Alistair Hepburn, executive director, ACTRA Toronto; and, of course, we see Theresa Tova here. We want to welcome you to your House. Thank you so much for your hard work in Ontario’s creative industries.

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.

Good morning. I would like to introduce two of my constituents from Simcoe North who are here visiting at Queen’s Park today and joining me for lunch: Dr. Douglas Donald and his wife, Anne Donald. Welcome to Queen’s Park.