 It's now time for members' statements, the member from Nipissing. Thank you, Speaker. Any time. Speaker, I am troubled to inform the House that two wind farm projects have been proposed for Merrick and Madowan townships in my riding of Nipissing. We already know that industrial wind turbines have failed in Ontario. That's right. Wind power is simply unreliable, made mostly at night when we don't need the power. This creates a surplus which Ontario has then to get rid of by paying Quebec and the United States to take back power. Shame on you. According to the Auditor General, this has cost Ontario around $2.6 billion more than the revenue that we've received exporting that power between 2006 and 2013. In Nipissing, not only have local First Nations, property owners, aviation and aerospace industry stakeholders voice their concern about these wind farm installations, but the City of North Bay announced their strong opposition to the wind farm proposal north of the city due to its proximity to Jack Garland Airport. Speaker, enough. This government needs to reverse course, cancel the feed-in tariff subsidies, implement an immediate moratorium on wind power development and give municipalities veto authority over wind projects in their communities. Thank you. Member statements, the Member from Essex. Thank you very much, Speaker. You know, I'm using my statement. Thanks, Speaker. I'm using my statement today to bring awareness and attention to what is an ongoing labour dispute between Crown Holdings and their employees who are members of the United Steel Workers. Crown Holdings forced its 120 Toronto factory workers out on strike in September of 2013 after they demanded up to a 42% cut in paying compensation from Crown Holdings employees. Speaker, they've been on strike for 17 months. 17 months in this province they've stood to fight for fairness, fight for fairness and justice in the workplace, fight for equality and fair compensation from a multinational that has made record profits that has a very productive facility. Speaker, not only have they done that, but I want to bring attention to a really tragic and unfortunate turn of events that may be fate, a twist of fate, that saw these workers, these Crown Holdings workers dispatch. They took it upon themselves to go and to try to find little Elijah Marsh. They had heard that there was a baby who was lost. And while they were on the picket line at 4.30 in the morning, they left the picket site. They went and unfortunately one of the strikers, David Elinus, was one of the people who found Elijah Marsh. Their job is done, Speaker. They've fulfilled their obligation to fight for their fellow workers. And they've also fulfilled an obligation for citizens of this province. I call on the Minister of Labor to understand what's happening there, to pay attention to it and do an intervene to end this strike. Thank you. It's unnecessary. Thank you, Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm proud today to recognize two individuals and one organization from my community of Ottawa Orleans for promoting the French language and Francophone culture. On the 3rd of February, Sylvie Lamoureux received the highest distinction from the province, the Order of Ontario, to recognize her excellence in success in the area of post-secondary education in French. She teaches at the Institute of Official Languages and Bilingualism at the University of Ottawa. She distinguished herself by her research on the life of post-secondary students who speak French. On the 3rd of February, Nicole Faussier was recognized for her 35 years of engagement in the Ontario Francophone community by receiving the Bernard Grahamette Prize by ACFO Ottawa. She distinguished herself by her engagement in different organizations and her perseverance to help the Francophone community. Finally, the Franco-Ontarian Society for Heritage and History of Orleans received on the 16th of February the Roger Bernard Prize. The President, Nicole Faussier and the Vice President, Louis Patrie, accepted the prize on behalf of the organization for its contribution to preserving different elements of the heritage of French Ontario. Congratulations again to these three amazing individuals. You have made our community very proud. Thank you. Number seven is a member from Bruce Gray, Owensound. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Seven decades ago, Elfmire, Art Haley and Ray Campbell helped liberate France in the Second World War. Seventy years since joining the thousands of brave men and women who stormed the beach of Normandy on D-Day, the veterans were honored by the French government for their courageous efforts. I'm honored to rise in the House today to recognize Mr. Meyer, Mr. Haley and Mr. Campbell, all constituents of my great riding at Bruce Gray, Owensound, for receiving the highest decoration the French government can give. Knights of the French national order of the Legion of Honor. The French people will never forget the bravery Mr. Campbell, Mr. Meyer and Mr. Haley and other Canadians showed during the war. These men now officially join the knighthood rank of the First World War flying ace, Billy Bishop, who is another native of my great riding and recipient of this order. There were 390 Canadian D-Day veterans who the government of France bestowed with this award on the 70th anniversary of D-Day. In the words of the Ambassador of France to Canada, Philippe Zeller, all these gentlemen, and I quote, can proudly wear this insignia which attests to their courage and their devotion to the ideals of liberty and peace, end of quote. The French order was established by Napoleon Bonaparte more than 200 years ago and is the highest order of merit, much like our own order of Canada. The order continues today and it also serves as a reminder of the friendship between Canada and France. Mr. Speaker, I ask the House to join me in expressing our respect, admiration and pride and our peacekeepers and soldiers and knights for their heroic deeds. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. The Member of State is the Member from Hamilton, East London Creek. Thank you, Speaker. The city of Hamilton is suffering a housing crisis. Nearly 6,000 families are on a waiting list for subsidized housing. One in five renter households spend more than half their income on rent. They have little left over for their food and bills. The investment in affordable housing program which this government praises to the skies will support just 100 new units over the next 10 years. Less than 3% of the need just to meet the population growth. And thanks to downloading, over the next 20 years Hamilton needs more than $400 million just to maintain the social housing we have. People who are homeless are living on unstable housing are at high risk of physical and mental health problems. They have a hard time accessing health care. They're experienced of hunger and unemployment. They're more likely to be victims of assault. Investing in housing is the right thing to do. It is the fiscally responsible thing to do. It is cheaper to provide people with safe and adequate housing than to manage homelessness in shelters and services. Hamilton is paying more than its share for affordable housing and homelessness prevention programs. In 2013 Hamilton taxpayers paid 52% of the costs out of the property tax levy. Ontario paid a mere 21%. Even the federal government paid more. It's time for this government to honor its moral obligations to the city of Hamilton and my constituents who need help. Thank you. Member Statements. The Member from Cambridge. Thank you. Speaker, it's my great pleasure to rise today to recognize a remarkable woman in my riding of Cambridge. Pat Rosebra is being presented with the Lieutenant Governor's Ontario Heritage Award for Lifetime Achievement this Friday. I could not be more proud. Pat is my mentor, my friend, and a passionate heritage advocate who deserves such an honour. Pat has been a leader in local heritage conservation since the 1960s, inspired to take action after seeing a local landmark at risk of demolition. Pat organized the community to conserve one of the oldest public buildings in Ontario, thus beginning her lifelong commitment to heritage conservation. What began as a few concerned individuals grew to become a visionary organization of volunteers in ACO Cambridge, championing the preservation of the rich stock of built natural heritage in Cambridge. She played a critical role in raising awareness of the value of Cambridge's cultural heritage resources. She continues to inspire and challenge others to take a more active role in the preservation of our historic buildings and cultural landscapes. Pat has been recognized with an award of excellence by the Waterloo Region Heritage Foundation, was inducted into the Cambridge Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Waterloo Region Hall of Fame as part of Heritage Cambridge in 2014. Congratulations, Pat, on your Lifetime Achievement Award. Thank you. Thank you. Member Stalings, the member from Perth, Wellington. Thank you, Speaker. Over the last few months, I've spoken with farmers and agricultural associations throughout Perth, Wellington. Many are very upset about this government's plan to ban the use of neoniconoid pesticides. They've moved ahead with no consultation and no thought for what this will mean to farmers. It says that farmers were not even an afterthought for them. Farmers are the best stewards of our land. They are committed to protecting the environment that they live and work in. People tell me they supported the investigation into the effects of neonics because they want to be using the most environmentally sound practices on their land. However, what we are seeing now is policy decisions being made without the scientific evidence to back them up. Farmers need to control insect pests to maintain their crops. Speaker, I have farmed and let me tell you we do not want to be going back to the pesticides that have been used in the past. I must support the agriculture industry and its call for this government to talk with agricultural stakeholders and the pollinator task force to come up with solutions that protect pollinators and the environment. The best way to protect our environment is to make policy based on science, not political science. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you so much, Mr. Speaker, and I rise today to bring awareness and celebration to Covenant House Toronto as February is Covenant House Awareness Month. Covenant House Toronto, which is part of an internationally recognized childcare network, has offered opportunity and hope to over 90,000 homeless young people for more than 30 years. While most of these youth have experienced abuse, neglect, loss and hardship, their needs when they come to Covenant House can be extremely diverse. These young people are often in need of stability, guidance and opportunity to heal and feel ready to take on the future. Much more than a shelter, Covenant House offers about 3,000 kids annually the widest range of life changing services under one roof, including transitional housing, on-site and in the community, education, counselling, health care, employment assistance, job training and after care. To do all this, the agency relies on donors for about 80% of its annual budget. The agency specifically chose February for its campaign as it's traditionally the coldest winter month and when kids most need a safe refuge. It also marks anniversary of Covenant House Toronto's opening in 1982. Covenant House Toronto's second annual Covenant House Month this February aims to raise awareness and funds to help homeless youth. I, along with the rest of my riding, am extremely proud of the hard work, dedication and advocacy of Covenant House Toronto. I stand today inviting all Ontarians to celebrate Covenant House Awareness Month. Thank you. The Member from Scarborough. Thank you Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize my good friend, Dr. Dunn Noia, who was recently awarded province highest honour to Order of Ontario. Dr. Noia received this prestigious honour for her unwavering commitment and steadfast dedication to Scarborough Hospital where she's the chief of laboratory medicine, the Ontario medical community and Scarborough itself. Her work in the community is a source of inspiration Mr. Speaker. Dr. Noia serves on the Toronto Police Services Board and has been a member of the Ontario Health Care Centre for Geriatric Care since 1996 and was a former chair of the Metro Toronto District Health Council. For over 30 years Mr. Speaker, with the Scarborough Hospital, Dr. Noia has done an outstanding job to support this diverse urban community called Scarborough Hospital. As a two-time survivor of breast cancer, she knows Ontario Health Care System firsthand. Not even her diagnosis with cancer could slow her down. Dr. Noia's remarkable commitment in the community has been recognised by a number of organisations. In 2014, she received a lifetime achievement award from Scarborough Hospital Foundation. Dr. Noia also received the Ontario Medical Association present award for outstanding services by physician to the community and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Award. She was inducted into Scarborough Walk of Flame in 2011 and has been named as a local Toronto hero by the Canadian Multicultural Council Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank Dr. Noia for everything she's done for the Scarborough Hospital, for the medical community and for Ontario. Thank you Mr. Speaker. I thank all members for their statements. It is now time to