 However, however, we do have an opportunity now to listen to members and their specific member statement. And because I noticed the member from the official opposition, the member from Beaches East York, the floor is yours for your member statement. Thank you, Speaker. In Beaches East York, Metrolinx is about to begin a project in the beloved smalls creek ravine to widen a culvert and prepare the tracks for expansion with a fourth rail and electrification. But if the preparatory project goes ahead as planned, it will result in the clear cutting of half the ravine, the removal of 268 trees in the destruction of a much used community walkway. The smalls creek community group made up of neighbors who are homeowners and renters and who include architects, engineers, lawyers, landscape engineers, hydrologists and planners is asking Metrolinx to make sure they get it right before they destroy the ravine's ecosystem. Everyone in the smalls creek group wants transit to move ahead quickly. They want the fourth rail, they want electrification, but they have serious concerns with Metrolinx's current approach. They have done their research and found alternative engineering and ecological solutions. They believe it's possible to prepare for the necessary transit without clear cutting half the ravine. They're asking Metrolinx to pause the clear cutting, take the smalls creek groups, alternative solutions seriously and make sure the project is done right. None of this will affect the timing of the construction of transit. I stand with the smalls creek group in asking Metrolinx for the pause and I am asking the Minister of Transportation to stand with us in asking Metrolinx to pause to make sure they get it right. The future of eco-friendly transit will thank you. Thanks very much. A thank to member from beaches east of York for your member statement, further member statement. I recognize a member from Burlington. Thank you so much speaker. As Canadians woke up this morning, 57 countries were ahead of us in the vaccine race. To date, Canada has ministered just over 2 million doses with 3.86% of Canadians receiving at least one dose. Ontario has given 727,021 doses with 264,896 people fully vaccinated. On both these measures, Ontario is leading the country speaker. In Holton, 28,622 people have received a shot. That's 4.85% of our population. Speaker, in January and February, despite Canada wide supply shortages, Holton region continued to receive our fair share. The last thing we want is freezers in Holton region or anywhere else full of unused vaccines. We need shots in people's arms. I know health drilled Sherry Levy Abraham was at Bethany residents when seniors received their first dose January 26 and their second dose on Valentine's Day. They even created a video to celebrate. Speaker, medical experts not MPPs determine how Ontario's vaccine supply is distributed across the province. And that's how it should be. This week, Holton region will receive 7,070 Pfizer doses and another 7,020 the week of March 15. This is great news. We all have the same goal, Speaker, to put COVID-19 behind us. Thank you. Thank you very much. For the member statement, the member from Ottawa Center. Thank you, Speaker. Next Monday is International Women's Day. And one of the events that we're very proud to organize back home from the MPP office in Ottawa Center is a round table on safe workplaces for political staff, Speaker. Back in November, I put forward a motion in this chamber asking the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, asking the Attorney General to empower municipalities with the tools to remove Councillors who were proven to engage in serious acts of misconduct. The whole country knows about the saga of Councillor Rick Shirelli back home, Speaker, and our round table is going to feature survivors of Councillor Shirelli's office. It will also feature experts who will tell us what changes legislatively need to be made to keep people safe in political office. I've heard friends in government and I've heard others say politicians need to be held to a higher standard. I totally agree. But what unfortunately has happened to date is the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing has written the Mayor of Ottawa who's asked for these powers and said, I'm sorry, I'm uncomfortable with giving myself the power to remove a city Councillor. Speaker, through you. The Minister was never asked for that. The city right now wants the power to take action against a Councillor who is known to be a predator to women in his office. It is 2021, Speaker. We need to make sure this never happens again. We need to make sure political officers are safe. And I invite all folks watching this to tune into our round table to participate, share your thoughts with us. We must do better in Ontario. Thank you very much. Further member statement, the member from Perth, Wellington. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, last spring many were devastated when the Stratford Festival announced it would postpone the season because of the pandemic. Scores of constituents wrote me supporting the festival. In June, I hand delivered the letters and petitions to the Premier and Minister McLeod. It was an uncertain time, but we spoke up because the future of this Canadian cultural icon was at stake. We spoke up for those who work at the festival and those who depend on it. Many suddenly found themselves out of a job. Our local small businesses, especially those with tourism and hospitality are still struggling. Some had to close shop. After all, the Stratford Festival is responsible for generating about $135 million in economic activity every year, except last year. This year will be different because this year the show will go on. The festival recently announced it will return to the stage with live performances in an outdoor setting. It's wonderful news. And then just yesterday, our government announced we're supporting the festival to the tune of $1.8 million. We're also supporting Stratford Summer Music with over $42,000. This will go a long way to help them survive COVID-19. And it will help people whose livelihoods depend on their success. I want to thank Premier Ford and Minister McLeod for recognizing the value of these institutions. I also want to recognize the festival's executive director, Anita Gaffney, and artistic director, Anthony Cimolini and their team. And I also want to mention Kendra Frye, the new general manager of Stratford Summer Music and her predecessor, Judy Matheson. All of us can be proud of your organizations, but you can be proud of your contributions to the artistic excellence right here in Ontario. Thank you. Thank you very much. The next member's statement, the member for London West. Thank you very much, Speaker. I rise today on behalf of the people of London West to share some of the emails I have received about this government's sluggish and sloppy vaccine rollout. Quote, I still find this entire rollout extremely frustrating and inequitable. It is without a doubt those seniors who do not have an advocate to assist them who will fall through the cracks and be left alone. Here's another. We need vaccines soon so we can visit our disabled daughter in her home. When will we ever get the vaccine so our daughter stays COVID-19 free? We are both over 80 years. And this one, I am an over 80-year-old woman who has daily home care. There has been no communication about my receiving the vaccine nor have my caregivers received any confirmation about when they will receive the vaccine. And this one, my mother is extremely high risk as she has diabetes and high blood pressure. At 89, it is even difficult for her to access the booking system. Are we getting seniors' hopes up when the reality is there is no vaccine, but for a lucky few who win the telephone lottery? Speaker, the Middlesex London Health Unit is doing its best, but Londoners are rightly frustrated by the lack of provincial leadership. Yesterday, there were over 200,000 calls in London for 5,000 appointments. As one constituent put it, being eligible for a vaccine does not equal having access to a vaccine. Thank you, Speaker. The next member's statement. The member for Sarnia-Lambton. Thank you, Speaker. And it's my privilege to rise today and share more good news with the people of Sarnia-Lambton with this House. Over the years, we know there's been an increase in student mental health issues at our college and universities in Ontario. Even at the best of times, post-secondary education can be difficult for students. Recently, the added stress and uncertainty associated with COVID-19 pandemic has only increased the strain on student mental health. That is why today I'm pleased to announce that the Ontario government is investing $315,000 in Lambton College to help increase access to mental health and addiction services for its students. This is critical, timely investment for the students of Lambton College. Having mental health supports in place for when students need those most is key to helping students succeed, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding is a piece of the province's total investment of over 26 million in mental health supports for post-secondary students in 2020 and 2021. Providing mental health supports for post-secondary students in this department, Ontario's roadmap to wellness. The government's plan to build a connecting and comprehensive mental health and addiction system that ensures children, youth, and adults in Ontario receive appropriate services where and when they need them. Mr. Speaker, this is truly important news for the students and the families of Lambton College. Thank you. The next statement, the member for Timmons. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. In the city of Timmons, I've been receiving in our office a number of calls in regards to the wait times in order to get into life labs. You're having to wait three weeks in order to get blood work and various tests done. And once you do end up at the life labs office, it's a fairly long wait. And that has been really difficult on seniors specifically and those are not doing so well in our field. Well, the good news is I've had conversations with life labs. I want to thank them that we've managed to come to some sort of a way forward that might be able to speed things up. They have and have agreed and will do the allowing of blood tests and various tests to be done at doctors' offices, to be done at health clinics, to be done at family health teams, be done by home care workers provided that all of these people are qualified to do so, and any other type clinic that is equipped for being able to draw blood. All they need to do is to get a hold of life labs. Life labs will make the arrangements to get the paraphernalia that you need in order to do the various tests at the doctor's office, whoever it is, and that will greatly assist to be able to lower the demand that we have currently in our labs in order to get blood tests. We all know that COVID has brought a new reality to the world and I was glad to be able to work with life labs. And hopefully we can make this happen. It'll be a way of being able to reduce the wait times for the citizens that we all represent. Thank you. Member Statements, the member for Orleana. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise to bring awareness to an important contaminant that has become a problem in Orleans and communities across Ontario. Radon is a cancer-causing gas that naturally occurs in our environment. But when trapped indoors and at high levels, it can be incredibly dangerous and cause innumerable health issues. Radon gas is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and is responsible for approximately 16% of lung cancer deaths in Canada. Some level of radon can be found in most homes and as more people are staying home due to COVID-19, this problem has only grown. Preliminary research indicates that a 35% jump in residential radon exposure from March of 2020. Radon is a colorless and odorless gas, so testing is the only way to know if radon levels are elevated and if remediation is required. In Orleans, there are neighborhoods where dozens of new homes have high levels of radon putting residents at risk. Radon control measures and radon roughing systems have been included in the National Building Code. Unfortunately, in Ontario, the current provincial code only contains limited provisions. Moreover, the province doesn't require radon testing in schools, daycares, hospitals, or other public buildings. Mr. Speaker, the government must do more to address radon in new home construction and in public buildings. They can begin by making radon mitigation mandatory as part of new home construction, mandatory testing in public buildings, and raising awareness of the dangers of radon with Ontarians. I encourage all Ontarians to visit takeactiononradon.ca for more information. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Member Statements, the member for Haldeman Norfolk. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. Imperial Oil's refinery at the Nantico Industrial Park, formerly Texaco, is a key anchor in our Haldeman Norfolk industrial economy. Since the early 1980s, our area's refinery is provided around 300 full-time jobs in addition to a daily average of 200 contractor positions. About 25% of the petroleum products used in Ontario go through a supply chain, including Imperial Nantico by rail, road, water, and, of course, pipeline. Products including diesel, gasoline, aviation fuel, asphalt, heavy oil, and home heating oil. The Line 5 pipeline running through the states of Mackinaw, coming in from the west, is crucial for our refineries operation and crucial for the operation of the economy in Ontario and Quebec, as well as Ohio, Pennsylvania, and certainly Michigan itself. If the governor of Michigan was successful in shutting down Line 5, it would jeopardize 65% of the propane going to Michigan's upper peninsula and 55% of the protein requirements across the state. The shutdown would put at risk half the jet fuel supply to Detroit Metro Airport. The governor would know that Michigan is Ontario's largest export market and the largest source of imports into our province, totaling $82.3 billion in two-way trade. We're friends, we're neighbors, we're allies, we have a great and close working relationship, and we hope that continues, as well as the flow of product through this pipeline. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you, Member Statements, the Member for Brantford-Brant. Thank you, Speaker. It's my pleasure to rise in the house today to speak about an amazing program in my writing of Brantford-Brant. Skeptor, seniors and kids' intergenerational programs first began in 2004 by sending a classroom of students to visit seniors at a local retirement home. In September 2005, they had 22 classes signed up to visit seniors in nine seniors' facilities. Now, seeing the new challenges brought on by COVID-19 pandemic and realizing that there is a need for all seniors, not just those who are living in retirement home, Skept has worked tirelessly to keep all seniors connected to our community. Recently, Skept was a recipient of the Ontario Trillium Fund Communities Grant. With this new funding, they have shifted their focus to a new initiative called BuzzMe. BuzzMe connects seniors with a live volunteer between the hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. In an effort to combat social isolation, seniors can stay up to date about what's happening in the community or simply enjoy a pleasant conversation with one of our dedicated volunteers. This line of communication is not a crisis line, but a friendly, kind and welcoming voice on the other end of the phone. I would like to thank Liz Marchorano, co-founder of Skept and her team of volunteers for working so hard to connect the seniors to Brampton and Brant with a friendly voice to reach out to. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you. That's it for our member statements this morning. Member for Brampton Center has a point of order, I believe. Good morning, Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to immediately pass Private Member's Motion 141, calling on the Ford government to mandate paid sick days to better help protect the workers of Brampton in the fight against COVID-19. Here, here. The member for Brampton Center is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to immediately pass Private Member's Motion 141, calling on the government to mandate paid sick days to better help protect the workers of Brampton in the fight against COVID-19. Agreed? I heard an O.