Good morning, everyone. I’d like to introduce my new intern for the summer. Her name is magnificent Mikaela Taylor, and she’s actually from Scarborough–Guildwood, so I’m borrowing her. Welcome to your House.

Speaker, I beg your indulgence for two groups to introduce this morning. First off, we have Brampton North’s own Guransh Ghai, who is operating as page captain today, and we’re joined by his family: his mother, Shaminder; father, Manpreet; and sister, Hasrat Ghai. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Also, I’d like to welcome Aggarwal Sabha Canada to Queen’s Park—I had all the names, and I just clicked “X.” I’m very happy to have a whole whack of people, and thanks to my friend Ashwani Aggarwal for organizing. We have Satpal Gupta, Parmod Goyal, Vinod Bansal, Mrs. Gazal Bansal, Yash Rani Goenka, Ashwani Aggarwal, Suresh Aggarwal, Ajay Gupta, Sanjeev Gupta, Shiv Par Kash Bansal, Pardeep Goel, Ashok Aggarwal, Sandeep Aggarwal, Deewan Chand Goyal, Bajrang Gupta and Salil Aggarwal from Aggarwal Sabha Canada. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I want to welcome Filipinos in the 6ix to Queen’s Park, to your House. I also want to say congratulations on a wonderful Filipino Heritage Hoop Fest. Congratulations.

They are making their way in. They are paramedics and dispatchers from all over Ontario, from Thunder Bay to Kingston to all over, making their way into the Legislative Assembly. Welcome to your House. Paramedics are very important to all of us.

Welcome to the House, Carlos Cabaneros from the Filipinos in the 6ix organization, who is hosting today’s Filipino Heritage Month event in room 228 at 5 p.m. You’re all welcome to attend.

Please welcome Carlos Cabaneros to your House.

That concludes our members’ statements for this morning.

Good morning. I have the pleasure of welcoming former pages Monica and Michelle Crawford, who are here to see their sister Farah Crawford.

I have the privilege of welcoming to the Legislature today five members from the member for Hamilton East–Stoney Creek’s constituency office, people who are working tirelessly on behalf of those constituents in Hamilton East–Stoney Creek. We have Julian Pecchia, Jane Neal, Tony Lemma, Kenya Maughn and John Gillis. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’m really proud to welcome my family again to Queen’s Park: my wife Aleksandra, my son Aleksandar and my son Ilija. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

It’s always a pleasure to introduce our parents, the people who took care of us. It’s an absolute pleasure to welcome Puneet Sharma, Sheelu Sharma and Sheelu Sharma’s parents, Satya Naryan Sharma and Lad Sharma, for their first time to Queen’s Park. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I would like to thank my husband, Albert Wai, for 45 years of happy marriage. Happy anniversary, Albert.

I want to introduce Warren and Ramona Ehlert, who are with us today: the parents of our page Tristan Ehlert, who is from King–Vaughan. Welcome to the Legislature.

I also would like to welcome two distinct individuals from the Youth Association for Academics, Athletics and Character Education, Devon Jones and Marina Nguyen, who are with us. This amazing organization, founded at Jane and Finch, supports young education in inspiring them to pursue their dreams. Thank you, and welcome to Queen’s Park.

I just want to wish our colleague Jeff Burch a very happy 39th birthday.

D-Day, the 6th of June, 1944, was the largest amphibious invasion in the history of warfare. The Allies used over 5,000 ships and landing craft to land more than 150,000 troops on the beaches of Normandy.

The Allies banded together more than 80 years ago to put an end to the tyrannical rule of a dictator—a dictator who convinced his countrymen to abolish the rights of minorities, to turn a blind eye to crime, stoking the fires of hate and division while fighting to eliminate democracies across Europe. Through populist propaganda and simplistic slogans, attacks on education, experts and the media and a constant effort to hide the truth and to hide their true intention, fascism prevailed.

There are lessons to be learned as history is always perilously close to repeating itself. Notwithstanding a century of civic progress, some current-day leaders have launched attacks on individual freedoms and rights. We must challenge this at every opportunity.

Speaker, we owe our freedoms to those who landed on the beaches at Normandy. One such hero is a long-time Kanata–Carleton resident, Dr. Roly Armitage, who is 99 years old. He landed at Normandy and fought bravely for his country. He returned home and became a long-time community leader and veterinarian in West Carleton and the Ottawa Valley. When asked what he remembers about landing in Normandy on D-Day, he humbly says, “I got my feet wet, and I wasn’t welcome.”

Like so many, Roly doesn’t see his selfless service as anything extraordinary. His service is a constant inspiration, and I am privileged to call him a friend.

To my colleagues, to my friends, to all Ontarians, I ask you—I implore you—to honour Roly’s service to our country, to honour the sacrifice made by thousands of Canadians who never returned from war. Our democracy is a priceless legacy paid for in blood and sacrifice. It is our constant duty, our responsibility, to raise our voices in protest wherever and whenever we encounter the tools of tyranny. Lest we forget.

Point of order.

Point of order, the member for Hamilton Mountain.

I recognize the member for St. Catharines.

I’m seeking unanimous consent to allow members to wear poppies today, Wednesday, June 5, and tomorrow, Thursday, June 6, in remembrance of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

Speaker, if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent to allow members to make statements in remembrance of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, with five minutes allotted to His Majesty’s loyal opposition, five minutes allotted to the independent members as a group and five minutes allotted to His Majesty’s government.

I rise again to recognize the great privilege to stand to participate in representing my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in this Legislature as we collectively lead an important moment of reflection for Canada’s military history. It is the veterans who sacrificed it all for our communities. They have made it so we all can enjoy and respect the freedom we enjoy today.

Today, I stand to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the Normandy landing. When those who served our country first enlisted, they did so as ordinary citizens, some lying about their age. They felt pain and joy. They made memories with their friends and loved ones back home in hockey rinks and schoolyards, in living rooms and community centres. They lived a life here as we all do today. Eighty years ago, they left as ordinary people; when they marched onto the beaches of Normandy, they were forever changed. They became our heroes.

On June 6, 1944, Canadian soldiers, sailors and airmen were sent into the bloodiest battle of World War II—1,074 Canadians were injured and 359 did not make it through the battle that day. To put that number into perspective for those of you sitting in this room, the lives lost on that day is more than double the number of elected individuals we have sitting in this chamber.

By the end of the Battle of Normandy, we lost more than 18,700 Canadians. What sets them apart is their unwavering service, their willingness to risk and, for some, give the ultimate sacrifice to each and every one of us. In donning a uniform, they represented us; they fought for us; they gave their lives for us. We are honour-bound to remember them. In each of our own ways, we honour those who have defended our freedoms and made the ultimate sacrifice.

My colleague from Ottawa Centre visited those beaches recently, honouring his grandfather, and the feeling and the emotions that would overcome him with grief, pride and honour.

My community in Niagara, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis in Canada and across Ontario have deep roots that will be expressed in events and memorialization. I encourage all of the members of this House and this chamber to attend their own local events.

I am proud to live in a province where our government, the official opposition and the independent members of this Legislature will always stand by our service members, be it past, present or future. We honour those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for Canada 80 years ago on the beaches in Normandy. We honour those sacrificing every day in some way in active duty right now, defending our freedoms on the front lines. For that, we owe them a debt that we can never repay. We owe them the honour of remembering them today, tomorrow and in the future. We will remember them.

It’s an honour to rise today to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, a pivotal moment in Canadian and world history.

On June 6, 1944, British, American and Canadian troops stormed the beaches of Normandy in the largest seaborne military invasion in history, which played a central role in ending the Second World War and the march of tyranny across Europe.

Canadian soldiers, sailors and aviators were instrumental in D-Day’s operation. Some 14,000 Canadians bravely landed on Juno Beach and pushed further inland than any of the Allied forces. Their bravery and sacrifice played a critical role in the Allied invasion, which ultimately led to victory in Europe and the end of the Second World War, the horrors of the Nazi regime and the Holocaust.

There were 1,096 Canadian casualties, of whom 381 lost their lives. Many of those heroes still remain laid buried in France, while others suffered injuries to body and mind that they would carry for the rest of their lives. Eighty years later, it is imperative that we remember the ultimate sacrifice they made.

Speaker, all of us in this House have a duty and a responsibility to honour their sacrifice by defending the freedom and democracy they fought for and died for, so today we honour the men and women who risk their lives on the beaches of Normandy, and we take time to reflect on the many privileges we have today as a as a result of their sacrifice. Lest we forget.