 is now time for member statements order please order please order member statements I turn to the member from Toronto St. Paul's our Toronto St. Paul's needs safe and frequent public transit not less instead this government is threatening to cut four bus lines five Avenue 33 Forest Hill 14 Glen Carrot and 142 Avenue Express used by many in my riding including seniors students child caregivers essential workers and disabled residents trying to get from point A to B safely during a pandemic I thank community members like Mike who volunteers with TTC riders placing signs to save our bus routes all across our neighborhood jerry and aging adult Carla and Anthony who I recently met near Oriole Park for sharing their grave concerns about losing these bus routes speaker contrary to popular belief not everyone on Avenue Road or in Forest Hill is pushing a Bentley Ontario's largest transit agency the TTC is projecting a 700 million dollar budget shortfall by the end of 2020 it is time for the Premier and his Conservative government to step up and address our public transit funding crisis permanently invest in transit operating costs so we can have more buses more drivers in St. Paul's we need to be able to practice social distance safely when we board our buses speaker to keep ourselves and other safe this Premier's priority should be improving public transit not increasing the salary of wealthy CEOs like Metrolinx CEO Phil Vester by 35% while my constituents can't board a safe bus thank you thank you government members please come to water I'm having difficulty hearing the members who are making their statements further statements recognize the member for Niagara West speaker one thing we've learned in the current context of COVID-19 is the importance of places for outdoor recreation and while my riding of Niagara West is best known for its Park Senate's trails I was happy to also join local municipal leaders volunteers and residents this past Saturday for the grand opening of Rotary Park in Beansville the new park features a skate park and a pump track the first pump track in Niagara that is sure to provide hours of recreation and physical activity for the growing number of young families and youth in the green space near the Fleming Center in the heart of Beamsville the park provides an outdoor complement to the indoor track arena and library next door public consultation for the project facilitated by the town of Lincoln began in 2018 and it confirmed the widespread support for the park that I've been hearing I want to thank the Rotary Club of Lincoln Lincoln and Uptown Skateboard Park Association and the town of Lincoln for all their work to build the park of the many sponsors and community drivers of this unique project I would also like to acknowledge Reverend Walter Mittler who was the inspiration for the skate park as well as Sue Foster the past president of the Rotary Club of Lincoln and local skateboard and cycling enthusiasts Trevor Donaghan Adrian Penichetti and Nick Halkias on your 50th anniversary of incorporation congratulations to the town of Lincoln on your new skate park and pump track thank you and if I could ask all members to please listen to the statements that we're making at this time I turn to the member for Toronto Danforth I'm sorry I am so sorry there's no resemblance whatsoever Davenport very much thank you good morning mr. speaker Ontarians are watching with horror as COVID makes its way back into our long-term care sector the Fairview nursing home in my riding of Davenport has the largest outbreak in Ontario right now with 50 residents about half the patients and 22 staff infected at least two tragic deaths my thoughts are with their families and everybody who cared for them for essential caregivers those family members who support their loved ones every single day there are real concerns that a lack of access to testing will keep them from providing that care or is going to shut them out altogether my constituent Mary Oko is an essential caregiver for her mother Wanda at Copernicus Lodge and has struggled with long waits at assessment centres today she finds herself on an endless waiting list to get into a pharmacy for a scheduled appointment Irene Gabonese mother is also a long-term care resident and Irene is her essential caregiver she's experiencing the same challenges Irene and Mary have a simple suggestion let's move asymptomatic essential caregiver testing into the long-term care homes where regular testing of staff and residents is already happening mr. speaker this is already underway in the Glebe home in Ottawa I call on the government to act now prioritize the testing of our essential caregivers and do whatever it takes to ensure our elders get the support and care they deserve and so greatly need thank you member statements the member for Ottawa venue thank you mr. speaker with roots in indigenous celebration celebrating Thanksgiving long predates the arrival of settlers in North America and can look very different across the country this weekend Thanksgiving celebration will look even more different than usual given the rise of cases of COVID-19 in Ontario it is safest for all of us to restrict our festivities to our our immediate family and I want to thank Ontarians for putting safety above all and doing their part in fighting this pandemic regardless of how we celebrate giving thanks is especially appropriate right now for some of us who will be able to share a meal with their families let's let's be thankful many people many people of our communities have a hard time putting food on the table food it's very difficult even for food bank organizations no one should suffer from in security related to food on what we as MPP can do better to support the people in our communities that are in needs so happy Thanksgiving to all who will be celebrating this weekend thank you Mr. Speaker thank you mr. Speaker member statements member for Chatham Kent Leamington thank you very much speaker you know as a lover of various music genres Chatham Kent has been home to many aspiring artists I remember back in the early 1970s the success of Ian and Sylvia Tyson had as Canadian folk in country music singers their greatest hit was four strong wins and in 1992 they were inducted into the Canadian music Hall of Fame another Chatham artist who had successful career in the country music field was Michelle Wright she is one of the country's most widely recognized and awarded female country singers of the 1990s and she was inducted into the Canadian music country music Hall of Fame in 2011 but speaker I would be remiss if I didn't mention yet another young and talented female artist from Chatham this young lady started singing in church at an early age and continued to pursue her dreams now she is a Canadian worship leader and songwriter she's been named female vocalist of the year by the Canadian Gospel Music Association for three straight years in 2020 her latest album Pursue with the hit song the darkness doesn't scare me and her albums title track Pursue resulted in her being a 2020 Juno nominee she's married to a highly talented and accomplished music producer Steven Lensing speaker I've known this young woman my entire life all of us you know like all of us rather she's enjoyed the good times but as persevered through the dark times relying on her faith to help her get through this beautifully talented and hardworking woman speaker is my daughter Brooke Rebecca Nichols and oh by the way speaker she and her husband are expecting their first child in February thank you member statements the member for to miscommunicate thank you speaker it's Thanksgiving week and coming up and Thanksgiving is traditionally a time when families come together and celebrate and this will be a much different Thanksgiving and I hope that everyone will act responsibly and protect themselves and protect others but there's one thing that isn't different this Thanksgiving than any other is the food on the table will be brought to you by the agricultural sector by all the people and the week before Thanksgiving is Ontario Agriculture Week a week when we celebrate the agriculture sector and we all talk about farmers being hard working they are they're incredible people but they're part of a whole chain and we have to remember the whole chain we have to remember people like the vets who show up at 1 o'clock or 2 o'clock or 3 o'clock in the morning if there's a cow that has to have a calf and the farmer can't do it I'll buy his self or herself we have to remember the mechanics who sometimes show up at night to do something and this year we have to remember the migrant worker that's on your table give thanks give thanks to them all member statements the member for Scarborough Center speaker I would like today to commemorate all he day which is celebrated around the world on October 28th each year we will not hold a parade on the Danforth this year but this does not make this day any less significant oh he day commemorates the rejection by Greek Prime Minister Ioannis metaxas of the ultimatum made by the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini on October 28th in 1940 we were up against a mighty enemy but we were brave we stood on that day virtually alone in the world against the unseemingly unstoppable access forces President Roosevelt said when the entire world had lost hope the Greek people dared to question the invincibility of the German monster raising against it the proud spirit of freedom Churchill said let us not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks Greece's victory over Mussolini changed the fate of the world I'm so proud to be a Greek Canadian and to call this my heritage Greeks will always stand against tyranny we will always stand for freedom and we will always stand for true democracy democracy and freedom are always frail but Greece's history as a force for them assures me that they will always persist and that Greeks all over the world will always fight for them we will always say no to those who challenge freedom and as a proud member of the Greek diaspora I am so proud to be raising my own little Greek Canadian warriors for democracy thank you member statements the member for Brampton Centre thank you speaker speaker housing is a human right not only here in the province of Ontario but across the world but unfortunately in many communities we are seeing an increasing rate of homelessness and the pandemic has simply made that worse in peel in the city of Brampton we see our numbers increasing and people being forced into unsafe and illegal housing options where's the relief speaker where is the relief for tenants and small to medium landlords they have been asking this government for support to assist in the underlying issues that they're facing I've spoken with many tenants who shared with me harrowing stories about the reality of the housing that they are subjected to one tenant shared with me that bed bugs are dropping from the ceiling into his bed and onto his clothes another tenant shared with me that roaches are entering the food that they make for their family and their children speaker it's really unfortunate that in a province as rich as ours that liberal and conservative governments have failed to invest in housing to ensure that people have adequate options and a safe place to call home so I'm urging this government to think about what we need to do to make sure that everyone has access to a safe and affordable place to rest their head at night think about options like rent relief a rent bank because it's not just tenants it's landlords that also needs support and this government has failed to step up and support anybody thank you very much member statements member for markham union bill thank you mr. speaker 360 kid is a non-profit organization that has served the vulnerable youth of York region for over 30 years I had the opportunity to attend and defend organized by 360 kids where I had the experience to spend overnight on the street on snowy night and connect with youth and adults who are without a home the event was an eye-opening experience for me and the program and service 360 kids are changing and impacting lives every day mr. Speaker last week I was delighted to join 360 kids as the organization its partnership with markham in the church committee for affordable housing and funding from our government's Ontario Trillium Foundation growth fund announced permanent housing for two bright youth in their newly constructed apartment during this units after and seeing how they are appropriately fear furnished and equipped I'm proud of 360 kids efforts in making this youth feel welcomed safe and comfortable in a place they can call home through the Ontario Trillium Foundation's growth grant it will support the organization's transition in housing program which aims to provide basic needs and more stable housing options and guidelines for vulnerable youth between 16 and 29 I want to thank 360 kid and the vital road this organization play in markham union bill and surrounding communities thank you member statements the member for member for dirt thank you speaker I rise to recognize the 25th anniversary of Bethesda house a local shelter for women fleeing violence in my riding of Durham in 1995 with the support of st. Vincent de paul society donations from the clarington community and I might add support from the former MPP for Durham John o tool a small shelter for women fleeing violence opened its doors in bowmanville the original intent of Bethesda house was to support victims of domestic violence however over the years they've grown into an agency providing a wide range of services and supports to women youth and children who are dealing with all types of gender based violence including but not limited to domestic violence sexual assault elder abuse familial abuse cultural violence and human trafficking speaker we recognize that during the pandemic when public health officials have been encouraging ontarians to stay home home is not a safe place for everyone I want to thank Bethesda house for continuing to be there for women facing violence during this time of crisis they've continued to provide their essential services and support and their trained counselors have been taking calls around the clock speaker I had the chance to visit second chance this past weekend Bethesda house is new and gently used clothing store and hear the story of how it began 25 years ago starting as a small room in the shelter to help me the practical needs of women they serve that's now on the main street of bowmanville I want to congratulate everyone who's been involved including executive director Jackie mckinnon and her whole team thank you thank you thank you that concludes our member statements for this morning