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.

It’s my great pleasure to welcome to the House some hard-working and dedicated people from our not-for-profit sector in Simcoe–Grey who do incredible work: Norine Baron from Beaver Valley Outreach; Lisa Ogbole from Imani’s Place; Janice McGurran from My Sister’s Place; Mary-Lou Osborne from Community Living Association of South Simcoe; Teresa Gal from Breaking Down Barriers—and for our Model Parliament today, Stefania Giampa.

I stand today to talk about the incredible history of volunteerism in my riding of Simcoe–Grey. Indeed, it is part of the DNA of our residents. As we get close to entering the month of December and we reflect on the end of the year and the start of a new one, I think about a full year of successful events, charitable fundraisers, community gatherings and sporting events that have brought the people of Simcoe–Grey together.

Like communities across our great province, the communities of Simcoe–Grey are filled with kind, caring, compassionate and dedicated individuals who give their time freely to many worthy causes. The impact that this has across our communities, the ripple effect that it has, it goes to show the saying a high tide raises all boats.

The word “community” in my mind is derived from two root words: “common” and “unity.” Our communities work together to ensure that they are supporting their residents in a compassionate way, growing community spirit that can only happen when we work together.

Recently, I was notified by the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism that over 30 residents of Simcoe–Grey are being recognized with Ontario Volunteer Service Awards. I want to thank each and every one of those individuals. This year’s recipients truly represent the qualities that make Simcoe–Grey so strong. Each in their own way has their own story of how volunteerism has made our community stronger, more resilient, more inclusive and more compassionate. Thank you to each of those volunteers, and congratulations.

It’s my pleasure to read a petition that was submitted to my office by the residents of Simcoe–Grey. It says:

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from the Ontario Land Lease Homeowners’ Action Group in support of private members’ Bill 48, An Act to amend the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, as it pertains to section 6.1 of the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, to be repealed:

“Whereas the population of land lease homeowners in Ontario numbers 26,000-plus women and men, mostly seniors, in 12,000-plus homes in 72 communities, with thousands more under development; and

“Whereas land lease homeowners live in self-owned homes on rented property; and

“Whereas, from a land lease homeowner’s perspective, the Residential Tenancies Act has not been revisited since 2006; and

“Whereas the land lease housing environment has changed dramatically; and

“Whereas many land lease homeowners feel the current section 6.1 of the Residential Tenancies Act allows certain landlords to exploit this section and must be addressed;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To direct the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing to work in committee with appointed representatives from the Ontario Land Lease Homeowners’ Action Group, to review and revise the Residential Tenancies Act to repeal section 6.1 to ensure that land lease homeowners are treated fairly, justly and equitably.”

I will pass this to page Paxten.

Thank you, Speaker. It’s a pleasure to speak to the House this afternoon as the new member for Simcoe–Grey. I want to start by thanking the hard-working voters of my riding for their overwhelming support on June 2.

Simcoe–Grey has a long and proud history of being Progressive Conservative, and I want to acknowledge my predecessor, Jim Wilson, who represented Simcoe–Grey in this House with distinction for 32 years. Jim was a committed, determined and effective champion for our constituents.

To the residents of Simcoe–Grey and the residents of the our great province, I pledge to continue that tradition of committed and determined representation that Jim Wilson and George McCague and Wally Downer before him established in this great riding.

Simcoe–Grey has a population of over 152,000 and consists of seven municipalities, six in Simcoe and one in Grey county. It stretches from Thornbury in the south to Thornbury in the north, from Alliston in the west to Angus in the east. It is a growing, dynamic and diverse riding that has incredible opportunities and is facing some significant challenges.

Geographically, Simcoe–Grey is blessed with an abundance of green space and natural features, as well as miles of shoreline along the southern shores of Georgian Bay. From the longest fresh water beach in the world and the UNESCO Georgian Bay Biosphere to the Niagara Escarpment and the green belt, the low-lying hills and ridges are Canadian Shield bedrock that support a rich mosaic of forests, wetlands and habitat with an incredible abundance of biodiversity.

Simcoe–Grey boasts a diverse and dynamic economy. There is a long-standing and robust farming sector in the south that goes back to the early 1800s and is one of the region’s original economic engines. The farmers of today continue the long and proud tradition in our farming sector of hard work, entrepreneurship, resilience and innovation.

There’s a strong manufacturing sector, including companies like Honda. Speaker, the Honda plant will be producing the electric CRV in early 2023, a direct result of this government’s commitment to making Ontario a powerhouse in electric vehicle production and greening our economy.

There’s Pilkington Glass that has produced car windshields for over 50 years. Since 2018, when this government, under Premier Ford, took office, the operations at the Pilkington plant have expanded significantly, producing more windshields and employing more people now than at any time in its long history.

There’s MacLean Engineering that is producing electric mining equipment and revolutionizing the mining sector with quieter and cleaner vehicles that are dramatically improving the working conditions underground. MacLean Engineering has been in operation for over 25 years, and it’s busier now than ever before, serving clients from around the world.

There’s boutique and cutting-edge manufacturing like Isowater, producing isotopes for medical and scientific uses; and Agnora Glass, producing architectural and specialized glass for clients such as Apple and the US Federal Aviation Administration.

There is a growing tech sector establishing itself in Simcoe–Grey: companies like Switch Video, WordJack Media, Deke, Interkom, Smash Reality, Adbank and more. These companies are at the forefront of the knowledge economy, and they are changing the economic landscape of Simcoe–Grey. They are creating well-paid sustainable green jobs in a quickly growing and evolving space. To support this growing sector, the town of Collingwood recently funded the creation of the South Georgian Bay Innovation and Technology Accelerator. The accelerator is a not-for-profit organization that works to support small local businesses and start-ups through access to mentoring and financial supports.

In 2019, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business ranked Collingwood sixth in Canada and first in Ontario among the top entrepreneurial communities. Collingwood has consistently made the top 10 since 2015. This ranking is recognition of the rich entrepreneurial spirit in Simcoe–Grey that is driving the growth of an important economic engine in our region.

The tourism and hospitality sector is yet another dynamic and robust economic driver in Simcoe–Grey. With the ski clubs in Blue Mountain Village in the north and Nottawasaga inn in the south, there are many thriving and diverse hotels and restaurants of all sizes in between that attract and serve millions of visitors to the riding each year.

In 2019, Maclean’s magazine ranked two Simcoe–Grey communities in the top 25 best places to live in Canada. New Tecumseth ranked fifth, and Collingwood ranked 22nd, further recognition of the beauty of our region, the dynamism of our economy and the quality of life to be had here.

It should come as no surprise to any member of this House that the people of Simcoe–Grey are its greatest strength. Whether you were born and raised in the riding or moved here recently, you are part of an inclusive and welcoming community, a community that has strong and vibrant service clubs, recreational and sporting associations, faith-based organizations and other community groups that provide varied programs, services and supports for their members and their communities.

Speaker, in the short time since the election, I have had the great pleasure of attending numerous events in my riding that speak to the power of our communities. On June 11, I attended the opening of a new cricket club in the neighbouring community of Shelburne. On that same day, I attended the Dufferin county multicultural festival, with the brilliant motto “Unity in Diversity.” I attended a park dedication in Alliston to honour local sports hero Deanne Rose, a member of Canada’s women’s soccer team that won bronze and gold medals at the last two Olympics. On a beautiful day in July, I participated in Collingwood’s Pride parade and was thrilled to see the crowds of enthusiastic supporters, young and old.

Speaker, when I see these events and the ways that our residents are committed to and champion our communities, I see tangible and powerful proof that there is far more that unites the residents of our communities and our vast province than divides us. I hope that this fact will inform and inspire all members of this House and the people of Ontario as we conduct the business of this province.

I grew up in Toronto, in the Yonge-Lawrence area, and did my elementary and secondary education there. However, Simcoe–Grey has been a very big part of my life. I first came to the area in 1965, when my family bought a century-old one-room schoolhouse that was recently decommissioned by the local school board. It was on the 10th Concession in what was then Nottawasaga township and is now part of Clearview township. The schoolhouse quickly became our second home and a very big part of our lives, and the region became our playground. In 1990, my wife, Susie, and I were married on the old ball diamond at the back, on home plate—truly the best home run of my life.

I did my undergraduate at the University of Western Ontario, a bachelor of arts and political science, but I spent much of my undergrad on the waters of Fanshawe Lake with the Western rowing team. Rowing became my passion, and after graduating, I moved to the west coast to join the national rowing team from 1984 to 1992. I competed in two Olympics and three world championships and won a silver medal in the men’s eight at the 1990 world championships.

Speaker, from sport, I have learned many valuable life lessons, many of which I carry with me to this day. Sport, like most endeavours, requires a strong worth ethic, and while this may sound trite, it is a simple fact that often separates the gifted from the successful. In my assessment, there are two critical types of work: hard work and teamwork. There are no shortcuts and no substitutes. To succeed in sport, as in politics, you must do the work. So again, I congratulate the members of this House on your hard work in winning your seat.

After my rowing career, I had to find a job. For those familiar with the sport of rowing, you’ll know that you spend countless hours on your butt looking backwards—skills that, while not suited for many occupations, are in fact ideal for the legal profession. So armed with the ability to sit on my butt and look backwards, I completed my law degree at the University of Ottawa and started practising law in Ottawa with the firm of Scott and Aylen. It was there that I was mentored by what I consider to be one of the great lawyers in Ontario, the late David Scott, the brother of Ian Scott, who was the Attorney General of our province from 1985 to 1990, and whose name is one of two on the Attorney General’s office building at 720 Bay. Dave was a courageous advocate who championed his clients’ interests while providing clear, concise and candid assessments of the merits of the case. He was a consummate professional who never let the heat of the trial alter his civility or his respect for opposing counsel, for the court or for the judicial process. After practising law for over 20 years, I have come to appreciate how fundamentally important these attributes are and how rarely they are embodied in one person.

Speaker, as I look at the eagle over the government side of the House, representing vigilance; the owl over the opposition side, representing wisdom; and the Indigenous carving over the entrance, representing the Seven Grandfather Teachings, I am reminded that these qualities—qualities I saw first-hand in David Scott—are essential for the workings of this House and this government.

My entry into politics was a journey that was not a straight one, and it was one that was directly shaped by my life experience, and two experiences in particular. On September 24, 1988, on a sunny afternoon in Seoul, Korea, I was in the stands in the athletes’ section with many of my teammates at the 30-metre mark of the track, awaiting the start of the men’s 100-metre final. Canada’s Ben Johnson, who was the defending world champion and world record holder, was taking on a field of talented opponents, including American Carl Lewis, the defending Olympic champion. Within the first 30 metres, Ben had established a commanding lead that he never relinquished, winning the race in 9.79 seconds, a new world record and Olympic record. Our nation and team celebrated. In less than 24 hours, the news of Ben Johnson’s positive test rocked the athlete’s village and dominated international sports news.

I remember the bedsheet hung from a balcony on the Canadian athletes’ building that read, “Hero to zero in 9.79 seconds.” The sheet belonged to Mark Tewksbury, a Canadian swimmer who would win gold four years later in Barcelona in the men’s 100 backstroke. Mark voiced the disgust and frustration of many of the athletes from Canada and around the world, but not all. For some, particularly those from the Eastern bloc countries, winning at any cost was the accepted practice.

Speaker, in the resulting commission of inquiry struck by the Canadian government to examine the use of performance-enhancing drugs, led by Ontario Court of Appeal Justice Charles Dubin, this was the main argument advanced by Ben Johnson and by his coach, Charlie Francis: To win, you needed to cheat, because your opposition was cheating. For them, the ends justified the means.

As an athlete, coach and parent, the findings of the Dubin inquiry and its impacts on international sport, from the Olympics to professional sport, I think are one of the single biggest events in the sporting world in the last 100 years. Canada stood to be counted. We changed how sport is conducted in the world. We called out cheaters, we enforced rules, and we made sure that there was an equal playing field for all, and that if you cheated, you were banned, you were disqualified, and you paid the price.

By way of contrast, in 1988, Canada did not win a single medal in rowing. The Canadian team as a whole won 10 medals—three gold, two silver and a bronze—and was ranked 19th overall. In 1992, the Canadian team won 18 medals—seven gold, four silver and seven bronze—and ranked 11th. Just to measure the impact on the sport of rowing, the Canadian team, which competed in only eight events, won five medals—four golds. They exceeded the total gold medal count from the 1988 games for the entire team. But more importantly, Canada stood for the proposition that process matters. How you do things is important. It’s not the end result; it’s how you get there. And, for that, I think Canada can stand proud in the world of international sport.

The second event I’m going to speak about: In 2012, the Collingwood council of the day sold 50% of its share in the local utility and used the funds to purchase two stand-alone sprung fabric membrane buildings for recreational facilities. The two transactions cost tens of millions of dollars and were made in very short succession and a quick space of time. The 2014 council asked questions about how these transactions were conducted and got no answers. The few answers we got were extremely unsatisfactory. So the council of the day asked the Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Ontario to strike a judicial inquiry, and that inquiry was struck. Associate Chief Justice Frank Marrocco was the commissioner of the inquiry. Over 14 months of the inquiry, he looked into the two transactions and how they were conducted.

In November 2020, he released a report called transparency and accountability in local government. It was over four volumes and 1,000 pages, with 306 recommendations. I’m quoting from Justice Marrocco. He stated, “Undisclosed conflicts, unfair procurements and lack of transparency stained both transactions, leading to fair and troubling concerns from the public. The evidence I heard and the conclusions I have drawn show that those concerns were well founded. When the answers to legitimate questions are dismissive, spun or obfuscated, public trust further erodes.” Speaker, this is yet another powerful example that process matters—that how decisions are made is as important as the decisions that are being made. I was the deputy mayor on the 2014 council, and later mayor of the 2018 council, and I’m proud to say that the council, together with town staff, are aggressively implementing Justice Marrocco’s recommendations.

As a former ethics and business law instructor at Georgian College in Barrie, I want to share the observation of one of my students on the ethical decision-making process. She wrote that the true test is not whether you do the right thing when people are watching; it is whether you do right thing when no one is watching.

Speaker, I did not get here alone, and I want to thank my family and my campaign team for their commitment and hard work. Simply put, without their support and efforts, I would not be in this seat today.

My father, Bill Saunderson, has a long and proud history of working in the Progressive Conservative Party—from Dalton Camp to Robert Stanfield, from Brian Mulroney to Mike Harris. In fact, my father proudly served in this House as the member for Eglinton from 1995 to 1999 and was the Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism before serving as Chair of the Ontario International Trade Corp. My mother, Meredith, was never far from the action and, in her quiet and highly effective manner, influenced the operations and outcomes of many leadership and election campaigns.

To my parents: I want to thank you both for your support and advice. You’ve forgotten more about politics than I am ever likely to know.

My wife, Susie, and my sons, Dylan, Max and Cole—I want to thank them for their unwavering support and understanding. They are my anchor.

And, finally, to my campaign team: You cannot know how much your support kept me going. My campaign chair, Don May, who has just undergone some very successful bowel surgery and is on the mend, and who also wants to compliment this government on the job they are doing to make sure our health care system continues to operate—and my campaign strategist Claire Tucker-Reid, who was also essential in my campaigns. I have many individuals to name, and I’m sure I will leave out a few, but I will try to do my best: Martin Rydlo, John Pappain, Brook Dyson, Pat Bollenberghe, Mike Jerry, Terry Geddes, George Watson, Ashley Boland, John Leckie, John White, Jeff Gilchrist, Foster Williams, Trish Williams, Margaret Anderson, David Anderson, Ken Burns, Kim Ellison, Alisha Johnson, Oliver Stone, Beth Dennis, Lauren Lamour, Martin Kuzma, Jack Martin, Jon Gillham, Patrick Whitten, Patricia Miscampbell, Pat Coe and Ted Woods. I want to thank all of them for their incredible efforts, and my sincere apologies if I omitted anyone.

Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to address the House today.