 It's now time for member statements. I recognize the member for Waterloo. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Last week I had the pleasure of visiting East Village Animal Hospital's Kitchener location. They provide an essential service in my community, low-cost veterinary services for pets cared for by low-income individuals and nonprofit animal rescue groups. East Village is a business corporation that operates under the nonprofit principles. Yet for nearly two decades, veterinary clinics across the province have been unable to register as nonprofits due to regulations in the Business Corporations Act and Veterinarians Act. East Village and organizations like it want to change that. They're asking the government to be allowed to register as nonprofits under these two acts. This is a solution that will not financially impact the province. It's just the right thing to do. But it will help animal hospitals like East Village who care for the pets of individuals who are living in poverty, those coping with mental illness, with disabilities, and of course seniors. Pet ownership has been shown to reduce strain on the health care system by reducing physician visits and reducing the prevalence of mental illness. A team at the Canadian Mental Health Association shared this about a client who required inpatient treatment. When the client found out that East Village Animal Hospital could help, it gave her an incredible amount of hope when she needed it the most. As legislators, we should be doing all that we can to assist groups like the East Village Animal Hospital to be the best that they can be. And I look forward to supporting East Village Animal Hospital in their journey of receiving nonprofit status in the province of Ontario. It's just the right thing to do. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Member Statements, a member for Perry Sound Moscova. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise in the House today to recognize the life of John McPhee, a passionate historian from Dunn Church in the Perry Sound area, who sadly passed away on October 26 at age 93. John is best known for his dedication to writing about colonization of the history of forestry and logging in Ontario. As it happens, I have one of his books here in Toronto in which he recorded the stories of the people who worked in the logging camps and steam-powered mills in the 1800s and early 1900s. These stories would have been lost to the analogs of history, but because of John's efforts, their stories live on so that we can read what life was like for the people who helped build this country. John's love of history started quite young, listening and thralled as old-timers yarned about their adventures. In his wisdom, he began to collect the stories and photographs. He went on to write 13 books and more than 1,000 newspaper and magazine articles. Though he is most known for his work as a historian, his own life was one well worth recording. He was trained as a pilot for the Royal Canadian Air Force. He dabbled in meteorology and weather mapping before ending up the Department of Lands and Forests. He worked in Sioux Lookout as a trap management officer and spent a decade in the woods engaging with indigenous trappers between Lake Superior and Hudson's Bay, eventually end up as Fish and Wildlife Supervisor in Perry Sound. Though I cannot do justice to John's life in the time allowed, I feel it's important to recognize him here and thank him for his efforts to preserve the stories that would otherwise have been lost. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Member Stamens, the member for Timmons. Well, Mr. Speaker, I rise in order to remember somebody who was an icon in our community that passed away about a week ago, and that's Lou Botacul. Lou Botacul was known as the mayor of Schumacher. He was always to be seen at the McIntyre coffee shop holding court in the morning, debating with his conservative friends, because he was a new Democrat, the issues of the day. And it was quite something to watch Lou in action. He'd be sitting at the coffee shop, everybody around the table, and Lou would do what Lou did best, and that was in order to advance those issues that was important to him. He was known as Mr. Hockey. Lou was an advent sportsman who played hockey as a young man, played hockey with some of the greats that we know that went through the NHL and the OHA, and was an instrumental part of the hockey association in and across Northeastern Ontario. So he is a person that was quite involved in our community. Plus, Lou served as a counselor for Schumacher in both the old city of Timmons, the old city of, well, actually the current city of Timmons, and was an advocate for not only the people of Schumacher, but I think for issues of justice and what was fair to all people in our community. Lou will be missed. His wife, Cecil, is a good friend of mine, a good friend of many people along with her sons. Lou was certainly somebody that we respected, we love, and that we will miss, and we wish Lou, as he goes up to where he's going, to continue those debates because there's always a conservative to be changed, and he could do that in heaven as well. Thank you very much. Member Statements, the member for Markham Union Bill. Mr. Speaker, recently I have had the honour of helping local volunteers collecting empty containers at a beer store in my writing of Markham Union Bill. After a day of collecting with the support of local residents, we managed to raise a total of $721 for charity. When I was asked which charity I would like the proceeds to be donated to, I chose the Yellow Brick House, which is a women and children's shelter for those who fleeing from domestic abuse. This organisation serves as a viable component of the Markham Union Bill community and delivers invaluable services to affected parties. I had the opportunity to visit and tour this shelter as it is located in my writing and was humbled and grateful by all the works that this organisation does. Mr. Speaker, community initiatives, like the Four Bottle Drive, remind me of the reason why I first got involved in politics, which has helped me to serve my community, making it a better place to live for all. I'm proud to be a supporter of Yellow Brick House, and I look forward to continued years of friendship and collaborations with this organisation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Member's statements. The Member for Niagara Centre. Thank you, Speaker. Last week I had the privilege to join Food Service students from Welland Centennial Secondary School for the Let's Cook Together program. This program works in collaboration with Royal Rose Place Retirement Centre, Centennial High, and the Welland McMaster Family Health Team. Let's Cook Together pair of students with seniors that have varying degrees of dementia to prepare food and learn valuable information on diet and health. It was heartwarming to see the relationships that had grown between the students and the seniors. Together they learned new skills, refreshed old ones, and gained valuable perspectives. However, Speaker, what I heard from everyone was the need for improvements to long-term care. Much like the seniors I joined, 90% of Ontario seniors who live in long-term care suffer from cognitive impairment. It's clear that long-term care homes need more funding. Staff face new challenges with the increasing prevalence of cognitive impairments among our seniors, and many homes are not suited to the complex needs of these residents. It is vital that long-term care homes receive additional funding in order to support specialised mental health teams and modernising homes to ensure safe quality care that meets the needs of our seniors. I would like to thank Centennial Secondary School, the Welland McMaster Family Health Team, and Royal Rose Place for allowing me to join in on this learning experience, and for continuing to advocate for our seniors to ensure they receive the care they deserve. Thank you. Member Statements, the member for King Bond. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Eighth Annual Muslims for Remembrance Campaign launched by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at of Canada. This campaign, which was launched in 2011, recognises and honours Canada's men and women in uniform who have sacrificed in the defence of our freedom. It seeks to bring together people of all ages and backgrounds, all heritage and faith, to instill the importance of honouring our veterans. I recently co-hosted our government's Muslim Heritage Month reception with my colleague from Mississauga, where the campaign was endorsed by the Premier for the inspiring and positive message it sends to all Canadians from coast to coast to coast. Mr. Speaker, I was proud to attend the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at's Remembrance Day ceremony in my riding on Friday. It was a moving tribute to Canada's men and women in uniform who served our country valiantly in every part of this world. Over the week, I also had the opportunity to stand in remembrance with my fellow Canadians at ceremonies across King Bond, honouring the sacrifices of Canadians on land, sea and in the air, in the trenches of France, the beaches of Normandy, the plains of Afghanistan and the hills of Korea. To those who are currently serving and have served, we are eternally grateful for your service. I'd like to conclude quoting the national presidents, Lal Khan Malik, who said, and I quote, we feel honoured to live in a country and as such we feel it is our duty as loyal citizens to remember the brave soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice. Mr. Speaker, we will remember them. Thank you. Can you member for London West? Thank you, Speaker. Today, students at Sir Frederick Banting Secondary School in London West wore blue to walk for diabetes. They walked to honour the legacy of Sir Frederick Banting, who first conceived the research that would lead to the discovery of insulin at Banting House in London. Since Banting's groundbreaking discovery, London continues to be a leader on diabetes research and innovation. Last week, St. Joseph's Healthcare launched a new screening tool for diabetic foot ulcers developed in partnership with the Southwest Linn. The tool will allow primary care providers to identify patients at risk of foot ulcers helping to prevent infection and reducing the number of diabetes-related amputations across the region. About half of all limbs amputated in Ontario are diabetes-related, and up to 85% of those are preceded by a foot ulcer. It goes without saying that the costs of amputation are high, both human and economic. Tragically, almost 70% of diabetic limb amputes do not survive past five years, and the overall cost of diabetes to the provincial healthcare system is approximately $1.5 billion every year. An estimated one in three Ontarians already has diabetes or pre-diabetes, and incidence is increasing rapidly, especially among vulnerable and marginalised communities who often cannot afford to manage their disease. Speaker, this November for Diabetes Month, I call upon the government to renew the provincial diabetes strategy and move Ontario forward with aggressive targets for diabetes prevention, treatment and awareness. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you. The Member for Orléans. Merci, Monsieur le Président. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very special weekend for all of us because not only did we celebrate Remembrance Day, but this year in particular, we celebrated the 100th anniversary of Canada's 100 Days and the Armistice. During this time, we remembered our country's greatest contribution and sacrifices in the First World War and so many of the brave women and men who fought to defend our safety and our freedom. Over this past weekend, my community of Orléans, which is home to so many veterans and members of our Navy, Army and Air Force, came together into two wonderful celebration of Remembrance. Le mouvement d'implication francophone. The francophone movement organized for a second year in a row Remembrance Day event with veterans, which was very moving. Other ceremonies, Mr. Speaker. The Ron Phillips Senior Memorial Remembrance Day breakfast with the Ottawa Professional Firefighters Association and the Orleans Royal Canadian Legion branched 632 Ceremony and Parade. I had also the great pleasure of laying a wreath. So I want to say thank you to the organizers, to all our veterans and also our active individuals who are protecting our freedom every single day. Merci. Thank you very much. Thank you. Member Statements and members of Simcoe North. During constituency week, I had the pleasure to attend the North Simcoe Boys and Girls Club celebration in recognition of their Ontario Trillion Foundation grant. This evening was titled Pizza and Politics. I had a wonderful time learning more about the club's programs while touring the center. And I spent the evening making homemade pizzas, answering questions, sharing stories, and of course playing broken telephone with their tween group. In 2015, the North Simcoe Boys and Girls Club received a grow grant to put forward its vision of creating programs for children and youth that reduce and remove barriers and help foster strong emotional and social skills. I was very pleased to hear that with this grant, the number of youth participating in these programs has grown significantly, from its original 10 youth participating to now over 20 youth participating in a range of programs that work to build knowledge and confidence. Programs such as Torch Club, which teaches youth different ways to be leaders in the community and in the club, YEShift, which helps to get youth excited about becoming entrepreneurs, and of course my personal favorite, Skilled for Success, which teaches youth about careers and the skilled trades. These are all important programs to have in our communities. They help build resiliency and equip youth with essential life skills, needed to achieve their dreams and become healthy and successful individuals in their future personal and professional lives. I look forward to hearing more about the positive work the North Simcoe Boys and Girls Club is doing in their communities. And I want to thank Amanda, Kelsey, Peter and Lily and all the youth for inviting me to take part in the celebration and giving me the chance to learn more about the impact they're having as a result of the work being done with their grant. Thank you. Thank you. Member's statements. Member for Scarborough Aging Court. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise this afternoon to commemorate the memory of Sir Bart Gordian, who passed away last October 27th at the age of 106. Born in 1912, she was only three years old when the Armenian genocide and the systematic mass killings under the young Turk regime struck her family. Her father was rounded up and viciously murdered alongside one and a half million other Armenians. Those who were lucky to survive lived with the trauma and the consequences. Sir Bart and her only surviving sister, alongside their newly widowed mother, were forced into exile from their home and made the long treacherous journey alongside thousands of Armenians, Assyrians, Syriac, Chaldeans and Greeks to Mosul in what is now Iraq. However, finding harsh living conditions and miserable refugee camps not a place for young children, her mother had to make an immeasurable decision to send her daughters to an orphanage in what is now Syria. After a long life in Syria, she married another survivor of the Armenian genocide. She finally moved to Canada in 1991. Mr. Speaker, the passing of Sir Bart is not only loss for her family, rather it is a loss for the entire Canadian Armenian community. Sir Bart was the last direct connection to the genocide that almost decimated Armenians. She was a testament to the resilience of those who survived. Despite the lack of atonement from the perpetrators, the survivors helped the Armenian diaspora flourish. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I hope that one day soon, the perpetrator of these crimes come forward and acknowledge their crime. The Armenian nation need to heal. The denial of the genocide after 103 years is victimizing third and fourth generations of descendants. Without the acknowledgement and repentance of these crimes, there is no reconciliation. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, that concludes our member statements for this afternoon.