 At this stage of the day, the agenda calls for us to move from debate on the floor to member statements. And the first member statement today goes to the member from London Fanshawe. Thank you, Speaker. Today I want to bring up a very important issue in my writing, and there's so many, but this one is really bubbling its eye care. And by the Ford government not fully dealing with the eye care funding issue, it's been over a month since optometrists across the province have had to stop providing routine eye exams. Which means it's been over a month since my constituents have had access to necessary health care services. And Speaker, do you know who's paying the price for that? It's our most vulnerable, it's our seniors and it's our children. And they're being put in the middle of this issue. And they've been writing me, a senior has contacted my office and many others and she said after her appointment was cancelled last month. Her husband and her are over 75 years old and they live with glaucoma. Having eye pressure checked regularly, along with field tests that have measures to manage this condition, it would keep them from worsening the glaucoma, which means if it's not treated, they can actually go blind. That's how important it is. Another one wrote me, a parent wrote and said my six-year-old son says he can't see the board and he complains every night, his eyes hurt. How am I supposed to help him if I can't get an eye exam? Speaker, people with underlining health conditions, a woman wrote saying that she's in a wheelchair and has a very rare disease and she really depends on her sight for transitioning. I'm trying to stay home without going to government paid facilities. Yes, this funding shortfall started with the Liberal government, but it could end with the Conservative government. Optometrists in the province shouldn't have to pay out of their pockets to deliver all hip coverage to their patients. The government needs to go back to the table in good faith and talk to the optometrists to resolve this issue and stop putting seniors and kids in the middle of this political issue. Members' statements are to be limited to a minute and 30 seconds. The next member's statements, the member from Bruce Gray-Oh and Sam. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize that September was Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and we saw a great deal of activity on social media and in communities across Ontario to raise awareness and express support for the children and youth with cancer, survivors of childhood cancer and their families. Pediatric oncology group of Ontario Pogo is an organization that ensures everyone affected by childhood cancer has access to the best care and support. Pogo has tracked childhood cancer in Ontario since its founding in 1983 and I thank them for all they do. Our Ontario government supports Pogo because of the value Pogo brings through a coordinated system that emphasizes evidence-based care that addresses the unique needs of childhood cancer population and helps ensure Ontario has the best outcomes possible. Thanks to the data Pogo collects, we know that cancer remains the most common cause of disease-related deaths among children over the age of one. Each year approximately 500 children and youth are diagnosed with cancer and one of Ontario's specialized pediatric cancer programs and over 4,000 families have a child in cancer treatment or fall off care. Today, more than 84% of children diagnosed with cancer in Ontario were survived, but cancer and childhood can mean long-term effects including second cancers and learning challenges. Today, I think of three young people. Kona Hage is the son of a family of friends who sadly passed away from cancer at age 17. I think of Haley Nuttle, the daughter of dear family friends and the Ruth and Nuttle families who passed away at age eight. And I think of Brendan Rourke, a young man from Bruce Gray Own Sound whose father Neil is a tireless advocate and member of the Advocacy for Canadian Childhood Oncology Research Network raising funds and awareness for young girls and boys whose childhoods have been regretfully cut short. Mr. Speaker, let us all hope that we'll find a cure for all cancers and to quote my hero, Terry Fox, somewhere the hurting must stop. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you, Next Member Slaveman, the member for University of Roseville. Thank you, Speaker. On October 1, Ontario's minimum wage increased by 10 cents from $14.25 to $14.35 an hour. This wage increase falls well short of what Ontario's low-wage workers need to live with dignity. It is not possible for workers to pay rent, to pay for transit, to pay for food, for medicine and provide for children on this wage, especially at a time when costs are going up faster than they have in years. And we know that many of our front-line workers are our low-wage workers, are our front-line workers, our delivery drivers, our grocery workers, our PSWs, our cleaners. And we can't thank our front-line workers on one hand and suppress their wages on the one hand, but that is what this government did. If this government had kept the $15 minimum wage, workers would be earning an extra $2,920 a year. But do you know who did get a pay rise during this pandemic? Canada's richest CEOs. They made an average of $10.8 million a year and they got a 17% pay increase during the pandemic. These are the very same companies that have worked so hard to keep wages so low for the people that are struggling the most. It is our responsibility and lawmakers to address inequality in the workplace. And that is why I support increasing the minimum wage, providing benefits to workers, and moving away from an economy where there are temporary jobs that are endless temporary jobs to jobs that are good permanent jobs that people can live on. Thank you. Member Statements, the Member for Carleton. This is one of the largest and oldest agricultural exhibitions in Ontario, hosted by the Metcalf Agricultural Society. The Metcalf Fair has been held annually since 1856. The Metcalf Fair has hosted attractions such as the antique tractor display, agricultural education like the heavy horse show, classic car shows, home craft exhibits, and one of my personal favorites, the demolition derby. I also can't forget to mention the delicious baked goodies from local vendors. Mr. Speaker, for the first time in its history last year, due to COVID-19, the Metcalf Fair was cancelled. It was a sad time for everyone, Mr. Speaker, as the Metcalf Fair is something that everyone in eastern Ontario, in Ottawa, and in my writing of Carleton, look forward to. This year, however, on September 30th, the Metcalf Fair returned to celebrate its 165th anniversary with the unwavering support of the entire community. I'd like to congratulate Andrea Taylor, President of the Metcalf Agricultural Society, all of the staff, volunteers, everyone on the board of directors, and those who have helped make this a wonderful event and a success every year. Happy 165th anniversary to the Metcalf Fair. Thank you. Thank you very much. Member statements, the member for Ottawa Centre. Thank you, Speaker. There are 13 million COVID-19 rapid tests sitting in warehouses in the province of Ontario. This government will ship them to any business wanting to test asymptomatic employees and you get the results in 15 minutes. But two million students just returned to school. 1.3 million of those students are under the age of 12, like my son. What's the rapid test plan for them? The rates of COVID-19 among unvaccinated kids are rising and 1.3 new COVID cases is coming from our public schools. But there wasn't a word speaker about education in the throne speech yesterday, not a mumbling word. But Quebec just announced rapid testing would go to every single school in the province. Nova Scotia is providing free rapid tests to all kids aged five to 11. This government announced this morning that it would target some tests to some deemed at-risk schools. I call that leading from the back of the line. We got this, says the government, who apparently has spent money on ventilators in school or vaccinating schools, and kids will apparently have masks in crowded classrooms. Give me a break. The government has not prioritized our public school speaker from day one. They pushed staff onto picket lines last winter and they are now putting kids at risk, just like they put our seniors at risk. And we know what happened when that happened. Change is going to happen because people will demand it. I want to thank all the parents, staff and kids for speaking out for rapid tests. Keep it up, demand better for our schools. Thank you very much. Member's statements. The member for, is it next? Member for Cambridge. Speaker, this past September was the 41st annual Terry Fox run, which raises funds for cancer research. This run is now very personal for me and my family. In November of 2020, my husband Jim Carhallos was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in his femur. The exact same cancer that Terry Fox had 41 years ago. For 10 months, he was under the care of a team of surgeons, doctors, nurses, assistants, physiotherapists and imaging technicians that compromised many facets of Ontario's healthcare system. Under their care, he underwent six runs of aggressive chemotherapy. Three surgeries, including reconstructive leg surgery, where 80% of his femur was replaced with a prosthesis. Two of his quadriceps were removed in a full knee replacement, as well as weeks of aggressive antibiotic treatment. When Terry Fox was diagnosed, his leg could not be spared. Survival rates were poor. Today, because of great strides made in medicine, particularly related to osteosarcoma, survival rates are at least 80%. We are fortunate in Ontario to have one of the best osteosarcoma teams in the world. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and personally thank all those involved in providing care for Jim, including Dr. Kimberly Kye in Cambridge, the imaging teams at Cambridge Memorial Hospital, director of clinical research, immunodeficiency clinic of Toronto General Hospital, Dr. Sharon Womsley, orthopedic surgeon and surgeon-in-chief, Dr. Jay Wonder, and the lead for medical oncology, Dr. Albirini Abdul-Razik, and each of their extraordinary osteosarcoma teams at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. As all Mr. Speaker, I'd like to give a special thank you to the home care nurses, Debbie Charon and Darina Slova and the entire team at Grand River Physiotherapy, including Frances Harrington and Valerie. Thanks to all of their efforts, in only 10 months, my husband is walking again. His leg was spared and the cancer removed. Jim is no back and better than ever. And that, Mr. Speaker, is what we call science. Thank you. Thank you very much. Member Statements, the member for Stormont Dundas, South Glen Gary. Thank you, Speaker. Recently, the township of North Dundas and McDonald's Canada recognized the legacy the Alt family left on the community of Winchester and Canada's dairy industry. It began when Jack Alt opened a small cheddar cheese factory at Cass Bridge, just outside Winchester in 1891. He is one of the many small producers who transformed Ontario's agricultural sector from wheat growing to milk products. Over time, his one building operation became known for its quality as it absorbed many small neighboring dairies. In 1926, he established Alt Food Limited. Jack's and Sam joined the Alt Creamery after serving the 4th Canadian Armored Division in Europe and finished his degree at U of T. Although his business had been sold to Ogilvy's flour mills in the late 1930s on the sudden death of his father, Sam treated it as a family business and by the late 1960s, it had grown to the largest dairy operation in Canada. Sam was a key leader in the modernization of the cheese industry in Ontario, producing cheeses that won awards in Canada, the United States and England. As he served as president of the Ontario, he also served as president of the Ontario Concentrated Milk Producers Association, the Ontario Dairy Council, National Dairy Council, and a member of the advisory committee on the Canadian Dairy Commission. As a true community builder, Sam was instrumental in bringing a new high school, a park, current club and a hockey arena to Winchester. He was made a non-contrary companion to the University of Guel and in 2012 was awarded the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal for service to the community and the country. The Winchester community celebrated the Alt Family Legacy last month with the unveiling of the mural on the Winchester arena, renamed as Sam's honor. Thank you, Speaker. Members statements? Member for Thunder Bay out of Cokie. Thank you, Speaker. It's great to be back in the legislature. Today I want to bring to the House attention once again the ongoing opioid epidemic in this province and especially in my riding in Thunder Bay. Last year, 64 people died of an overdose in Thunder Bay, and an increase from 38 deaths in 2019. This is a preventable tragedy. Mothers in Thunder Bay and across Canada are working to end this epidemic. They are called Mom's Stop the Harm. They are putting pressure on governments across this country to do better so that more families don't have to experience the overdose of a loved one. Enough is enough. We need to act to end this crisis. The solutions are there, but this government and previous liberal governments simply have not done what is necessary. Unfortunately, the thorough speech made no mention of the countless people who have died in this epidemic and how COVID pandemic has only made things worse. Why is this not a priority? Communities are suffering. Mom's Stop the Harm's Vision should be this province's vision. They call for an end to the failed war on drugs and provide evidence-based prevention, treatment, and policy changes. They support a harm reduction approach that is both compassionate and nondiscriminatory for people who use substances. I hope this session of parliament, this government, finally gets serious about ending the opioid epidemic. Thank you. Member Statements, the member for Barry Ennisfield. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, we have a beautiful province, but far too often people have told me they're sick and tired of seeing the litter. As a result, in 2019, I passed a day of action on litter, the first day of action all of Ontario, where we designate the second Tuesday of May as a cleanup day. Thank you. And this campaign had great take-up. We had a digital audience of 1.2 million with 139 different authors for our campaign, as well as lots of individuals across the province precipitating in the campaign. This summer, we launched Waste Free Wednesdays to build on that success. And since I've done the day of action on litter and the Waste Free Wednesdays campaign, we've managed to clean up 150 bags of litter that's 3,300 pounds, which is the equivalent of a female hippo speaker. Wow. Thanks to the efforts of all Ontarians, we have collected more than 80 bags of recycled material as we try to sort and separate as often as we can. We've also been able to collect 160 pounds of glass, and it could go on. But this would not be possible without the great volunteers and the entire Ontario effort. It's participants like we have the youth for Lake Simcoe, the Dairy Village Seniors Club. We also had people participate through Cleanup Berry, Cleanup Innisfil, John Silk, who takes his scooter out and actually does cleanups using his scooter, the Highway of Heroes, and many of my colleagues throughout the province who participated this summer, Earth Rangers. And we've got the member for Oakville, North Burlington, Lincoln, Mississauga Lakeshore. We went to Scarborough and Rouge Park, Markham Thornhill, Port Hope, Berry, Oramedonte, Simcoe North, Mississauga Moulton, King Vaughn, Vaughn Woodbridge, and Etopico Lakeshore. And we look forward to doing cleanups and more of the province. Thank you. Thank you. Next member's statement. The member for Perth Wellington. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Speaker, over the years I've been proud to speak on Ontario Agriculture Week. Former MPP Bert Johnson, one of my predecessors, established it through a private members bill. I've been proud to recognize and thank our hardworking farmers, farm families, and everyone in the agriculture industry. Each day there are nearly 49,000 Ontario farmers that plant, grow, and harvest over 200 types of food. They produce fresh fruits, vegetables, high quality meats, poultry and fish, nutritious eggs and dairy, and delicious honey, maple syrup, and world-class wines. We are grateful for their work and we're thankful for the food they put on our tables. They worked hard despite the COVID crisis and the uncertainty across global and domestic markets. They worked hard despite challenges, both seen and unseen, including the mental health crisis affecting so many farmers. Through it all, they worked with skill, dedication, determination, and innovation. That is why we enjoy a strong and stable food supply, something we so often take it for granted. On behalf of the Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs, and our entire caucus, I want to thank each and every farmer in this province for being the ag or food heroes we depend on. I also want to thank the farm organizations, local and provincial, who support them and the committees who surround them in good times and in bad. Working together, Ontario's agriculture sector will continue to thrive, not just to benefit farmers, but everyone in this province for generations to come. Thank you, Speaker. That concludes our member statements for this morning.