 Members' statements. The Member for Beaches East York. Thank you, Speaker. This past weekend we opened Patios and built a field hospital in Toronto, and residents of Beaches East York are incredulous and not in a good way. They're fed up with the chaos that this government has created with its refusal to keep them, their families and their children safe. They're tired of cycles of premature openings and lockdowns that leave small business on the edge of bankruptcy, schools in danger of closure, again, jobs and incomes evaporating, evictions and housing precarity, a growing homelessness crisis, a third wave of increasing numbers of variants that cause more severe illness, a healthcare system in danger of overwhelm, a vaccination rollout that is mired in confusion in mayhem and that does not prioritise the most vulnerable communities. And when the most vulnerable among us are not protected, all of us suffer. The four government needs to begin by caring for the communities that have been hardest hit by COVID, communities of black, indigenous, working class, immigrant and people of colour. They need to ensure that people have paid sick days and rent relief so that income lost to COVID doesn't result in arrears and rent debt and that they can't be evicted into housing precarity or homelessness. They need to ensure that people working frontline in any capacity are also given priority access to vaccinations. Care for the most vulnerable among us is ultimately the most cost-effective, the kindest and the most compassionate way to end the lockdown cycle and get the pandemic under control. The chaos needs to be ended and the government needs to act now. Thank you. Thank you very much. The next statement, the Member for Mississauga Mall. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, five Ontario airports located on federal land, including Pearson from my riding, makes payment in lieu of property taxes or PILT to their host municipalities. PILT is calculated based on the number of passengers paid two years in lag and capped at 5% increase each year and there is no limit on decreases. Mr. Speaker, COVID has impacted all of us. Here at home, the number of passengers have reduced to 27% of pre-COVID levels as the aviation industry is projected to recover slowly. GTAA is expected to recover in five to seven years. However, due to 5% increase capped, PILT will not return to pre-COVID transfers for another 35 years, resulting in a massive loss of revenue for City of Mississauga for 25 years at this time. It is worth noting, Mr. Speaker, that GTAA is also going through a tough time despite the devastating impact of COVID. It has paid 40 million in 2020 and will be paying 42 million in 2021 and has fulfilled their commitment so far and I thank you for them. In addition, all the airport tenants paid 25 million in 2019 to City on top of PILT. Mr. Speaker, COVID has taught us one thing. When we work together, we can overcome the greatest challenges. Tough times call for tough actions. That is why I support removal of 5% cap and I look forward to cooperation between the government and the GTAA to work together and overcome the challenging time ahead. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much. The next Member's Statement, the Member for Kiwet and Monk. Good morning, Speaker. Today is World Water Day. The theme this year is valuing water. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us again on how important water is to our health. Many of us are lucky. We can wake up in the morning and turn on the tap and have clean water. Across the far northern Ontario, this is not the case. Too many First Nations and Kiwet and Monk live under long-term boil water advisories. We have lived them for so long that they have become normal to us. In the Skandiga, there are now generations of people who have never had access to clean water in their homes. How can this happen in one of the richest countries in the world? There are lots of reasons, but indifference and the lack of political well have brought us to where we are today. And it is also disappointing that the ongoing racism, the ongoing oppression, the ongoing colonialism of governments means that so many live without clean water. And we know that these three things are alive and well today. I know that because I faced it two weeks ago. And we live it on a day-to-day basis. But words are words. Action speaks louder than words. And I hope you will use this day to think about what water means to you and to remember those who don't have clean, tricky water. Miigwech. Thank you. Member Statements, the member for Scarborough Aging Court. Good morning, Mr. Thank you. Good morning, Mr. Speaker. During these challenging times, there are many positive cooperation stories between the provincial and the federal governments to help our citizens. One such successful initiative is the investing in Canada infrastructure program to stimulate the economy. I was proud to join Premier Ford and many of my provincial and federal colleagues on March 12th to announce the historic 3 million funding to the Armenian Youth Centre under the ICIP's Community Culture and Recreation Stream. This unprecedented cooperation will help Canadian Armenian youth fulfill their potential and contribute to the well-being of our society and province. I am confident that many Scarborough Aging Court residents will benefit from this funding. Similarly, our residents are eagerly waiting for the Bridal Town Community and Medical Hub funding announcement after 12 years of delay. Finally, this project will become reality. I am delighted that my relentless effort on behalf of Scarborough Aging Court residents on these two projects have paid off. I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Premier Ford, Ministers Lori Scott, Monty McNaughton, Peter Pettenfoley, Paul Kalandra, Stephen Leche, and MPPs, Rod Phillips, Vincent Ke, Stancio, Christina Maitas. I am confident the similar future cooperation between the two levels of government will be beneficial to Ontarians. Promises made, promises kept. Thank you. Next Member of State and the Member of Thunder Bay. Thank you, Speaker. Today in Thunder Bay, we are in the midst of a COVID-19 crisis. Over the weekend, we saw over 50 new cases diagnosed by our public health unit. We continue to be in the gray zone, and our schools are only virtual, which we know leave many behind. We have outbreaks in retirement homes, long-term care homes, and our hospital. As many predicted, our hospital needed more resources, and we're not able to meet the demands. ICU patients are being sent to Southern Ontario, away from their families, elective surgeries are being cancelled, and vital tests are being cancelled. What we have seen in the last month is a lack of clear, proactive measures from this government, time after time, for jails, for shelters, for schools, and for vaccines. The people of Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario are left waiting. I was happy to hear of more resources and a promise of more vaccines, but we need to do a lot more. We need to declare a COVID-19 hotspot now, with all the resources to end this crisis as quickly as possible. Northwestern Ontario often feels neglected by our provincial government, and this slow and insufficient response by this government has not helped people feel that this situation is under control. Once again, I'm calling on this government to immediately declare Thunder Bay a COVID-19 hotspot, and get us the necessary help and vaccines to get this situation under control, and our sick family members back home. Thank you. Thank you. Next, we have the member for Ottawa, Van. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Saturday, Francophones from all over the world celebrated the Francophone World Day, and this week we continue to celebrate the French language and the diversity of the French language. Every March is an important time to think about our history of resilience and success, but we also think about all the work that we have to do to make sure that Francophones can contribute to the prosperity of the province. This inclusion starts in our school, but today the lack of French teachers is undermining our efforts. Francophones and French Ontarians are not able to have access to justice when the services are only offered in English, and this leads them to vulnerable situations. So, yes, it's a week of celebration, but as Francophones Ontarians, we live every day facing challenges. Ontario is home to the largest Francophone population in Canada, so the government needs to implement strategies so that we can contribute to the prosperity of Ontario. Thank you. The next member's statement, the member for Willowdale. Thank you very much, Speaker, and good morning. This past Saturday, Iranian-Canadian celebrated the 3,000-year-old tradition of Nourouz, Persian New Year. Nourouz celebrates the day of vernal equinox and marks the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere, as the sun crosses the celestial equator and equalizes day and night, fact of the day. Families gather to celebrate the New Year with ancient rituals. Celebrations usually include Charchon Asuri, a prelude to the New Year celebrated on the Wednesday before Nourouz, and is marked by jumping over bonfires and fireworks. Pre-pandemic, Speaker, I enjoyed attending many of these events and celebrating Charchon Asuri with my Persian friends and neighbours at Malasman Square in my riding of Willowdale. And this year, I certainly missed the singing, amazing food, the fire jumping, and my terrible dancing, as we ushered in New Year at what would have been the 16th annual Iranian Fire Festival. Willowdale is home to many Iranian-Canadians, as well as the neighbourhood often referred to as Little Tehran or Persian Plaza, a great place to enjoy traditional Persian cuisine, pick up exciting ingredients from stores like Horok supermarket or shop for stunning jewelry and handcrafted gifts. This Saturday, of course, was a Nourouz like no other, but I still enjoyed ordering some takeout sabzi polomahi and celebrating the New Year by Zoom with my Persian friends and neighbours. To everyone who celebrated in Willowdale and around the world, Nourouz Itan Pirous. Thank you. Thank you very much. Next Member statement, the Member for Sudbury. Thank you, Speaker. I want to share a poem from a Sudbury edful member. It's called 100 Days. The Member says, We've recently celebrated 100th day of school in my classroom, and while students were quick to pick up many new routines, more than 100 days have gone by without proper ventilation in these classrooms. 100 days have opened windows. 100 days. 100 days of trying to be safe with proper paper handling routines. 100 days of students eating lunch barely one metre apart. 100 days of being in the classroom while students eat a morning snack. You can't eat with a mask on. 100 days of no one caring that the Ministry of Health guidelines tells us to maintain a distance of two metres. 100 days of repeatedly telling the same students to pull their mask up over their nose. 100 days of trying to maintain a safe distance but needing to get within a foot of a student just to hear their shy, soft voice under their mask. 100 days of tending boo-boos or teeth falling out while trying to be safe. 100 days. 100 days of multiple squirts of sanitizer, the same sanitizer that's drip, drip, dripping onto one of the heaters in the school and wearing away layers of paint. 100 days of fogged up glasses. 100 days of sweating under a mask and a face shield. 100 days. 100 days of hearing from the Ministry of Education that teachers were all trained to teach remotely. 100 days of teaching a vague new math curriculum without any training. 100 days of hearing about no transmission in schools. 100 days of not listening to the people who work in the schools. 100 days of stress and anxiety of tears of sleepless nights of worrying about my own health and that of my family. 100 days of teaching and caring for my students. 100 days of disappointment. Thank you. Thank you. Member Stevens, the member for Whitby. Well, thank you, Speaker. I'm pleased to share that our government is providing $7.1 million to Durham College and $4.8 million to Ontario Tech University to help them address the financial impacts of COVID-19. Now, Speaker, this investment will support their sustainability and ensure Durham region students continue to get the skills and education they need for the in-demand jobs of today and tomorrow. Speaker, the post-secondary sector is critical, absolutely critical to the region of Durham's prosperity as a key source of job creation, skills training, research, innovation, and commercialization. We need to make sure, Speaker, that students continue to receive high-quality post-secondary education and get the skills they need to get good jobs. That's why we're establishing a fund for severely impacted colleges and universities to help address the financial impacts of COVID-19 and to maintain Ontario's position as a global leader in higher education. And the next member's statement? The member for Oakville. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As always, it's an honor to be able to speak here in the legislature, and this morning I have the pleasure to speak about a couple of upcoming charity events here in my writing of Oakville. In every part of Ontario are not-for-profit organizations and charities have been hit hard by COVID. And charities have had to pivot to new virtual events in order to fundraise. The Oakville Hospital Foundation is bringing one-of-a-kind virtual adventure around the world. Oakville's own The Expedition is filled with fun, impact, and delicious food and drinks from the comfort of your own home. The adventure begins with a three-course dinner for two provided by Oliver and Bonacini and led by a professional chef. Funds raised, most importantly, will be supporting the cancer care program at the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital. This will help support those living with cancer. Your neighbours, your friends, your loved ones will need to look no further than their own backyard for access to world-class community health care. With one in two Canadians expected to develop cancer during their lifetime, the Hospital Foundation was committed to growing the cancer care program to ensure more patients will receive the care they need close to home. Another important organization in the community is the Lighthouse for Grieving Children. It's a community fundraising event and donations in order to offer grief support services for grieving children. A virtual event on April 30th with world-famous tenor John McDermott will be taking place, and I encourage everybody to participate. These are just two great examples of charitable organizations pivoting and working hard through the pandemic. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. That concludes our Member's statements for this morning. Before I invite oral questions, Member for Humber River Black Creek has a point of order. Thank you, Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to immediately pass Private Members' Motion 135, calling on the Ford Government to implement a COVID-19 equity strategy for racialized communities disproportionately affected by the pandemic and ensure that essential workers in hard-hit communities like Northwest Toronto, Scarborough and Peel have equal access to the vaccine. I direct the Senate with seeking unanimous consent of the House to immediately pass Private Members' Motion 135, calling on the Government to implement a COVID-19 equity strategy for racialized communities disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Agreed? Agreed. I heard a no.