 It is now time for a Member's Statement and I recognize the Member for Thunder Bay Atacocan. Thank you Speaker. This is my first Member's Statement since being elected as MPP for Thunder Bay Atacocan and I want to start off by saying what an absolute honour and privilege it is for me to represent this beautiful Northwestern Ontario riding. I want to thank the good people of Thunder Bay Atacocan for placing their trust in me to represent them in this house. I respect the responsibility that comes with the privilege that has been given to me and I will work hard every day to bring the issues but more importantly the opportunities that Thunder Bay Atacocan has to be a major contributor to building and growing Ontario. I am very excited for the role that Thunder Bay Atacocan in Northwestern Ontario will play in supplying the EV industry with the critical minerals needed to make Ontario the leader in North America in EV manufacturing. Speaker, all natural resource based industries and the value added business industry related to those natural resources will play a key role in making Ontario the economic powerhouse of Canada. The business community in Thunder Bay Atacocan has demonstrated time and time again their resilience to meet head on unique challenges that they face in conducting business in Northwestern Ontario and come up with solutions to meet those challenges. Their commitment and strong work ethic is second to none. The commitment from this government to continue to reduce red tape will give these businesses greater opportunity to grow, hire employees and build Ontario. Speaker, I'd like to take a moment to thank the members in this house for the support and kindness they have extended to my family during the recent passing of my mother Ruth Ann, sorry. Mum passed away on August 26th at home with her family. Mum was a leader, role model and community influencer. She was a successful business owner, a member of council and clerk treasurer for the township economy as well as serving on numerous boards and committees during her life. She is much loved and her family and community are going to miss her. Thank you, Member Statement. The Member for Toronto, St. Paul. Good morning, Speaker. Yesterday was the Labor Day Parade and I had the privilege of joining thousands of dedicated workers, including many from Toronto, St. Paul's, people who work day in and day out committed to the betterment of themselves, their families and our communities. It got me thinking about Mrs. Green and her legacy. Mrs. Everland Green was a hard worker and lived in her house on Arlington Avenue for over 50 years. She raised her family there. She passed away on May 23rd, 2020. In her life she worked as a civil servant and in 1993 she was recognised for 25 years of service with the government. And as if that wasn't enough, she'd been a tireless volunteer at Castleview Witchwood Tower's long-term care home in our community and with the St. Clair West Services for seniors. She was also a home stay host for international students and was recognised as a cultural ambassador of Canada. I didn't get to experience Mrs. Green's good humour or the many stories she'd tell, but I see the fruits of her labour, her hard work in the eyes of her son Jason, a health care worker and educator and his beautiful family. We're currently advocating through the City of Toronto to have a nearby laneway named the Evelyn Green Lane in her memory. I ask all of you, my peers in this Legislative Assembly of Ontario to wish us success. Our community of St. Paul's is full of angels and I guarantee you Mrs. Green is surely one of them. Thank you. Thank you, Member Statement. The Member for Don Valley North. Thank you, Speaker. Ontario students are going back to school this week. This is a very special school year that means a lot to the students and parents who have encountered tremendous disruption and challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaker, the impact of the pandemic on our students is endless. They were unable to hang out with friends. They had a leg up in class interruption with teachers and peers and they found it difficult to build a new friendship just to name a few. Speaker, as Minister of Education said, I quote, our commitment is clear. We will stand up for your child's right to learn from Stamble right to June. End the quote. Speaker, today's world is very different from what it has been. To succeed, our children must be well prepared to face competition from all corners of the world. Speaker, we cannot longer afford any strikes and withdraw our services. We have to make sure our students can be back to a normal, stable and enjoyable learning experience. Speaker, wishing all of our Ontario students another exciting and productive school year. They are the future of our province. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Member Statements. The Member for Niagara Falls. Thank you, Speaker. Today I rise to discuss an important holiday yesterday, Labor Day. For some of us in this legislature, we began as workers and understand the importance of Labor Day. We understand that yesterday just wasn't about a parade or a barbecue with friends and family. It was a reminder of the blood, sweat and tears of our brothers and sisters shed to build a basic protection for workers have today. Some gave with their lives. But Labor Day has never been about remembering the past for me. It's about fighting for the future. Some in this legislature like to claim they're fighting for workers, but actions speak louder than words. You can't honestly say you're a champion for workers when you strip away collective bargaining rights and cap frontline workers' wages. You can't be working for workers when you refuse to address workplace safety in a serious way while allowing deaths to continue on job sites across the province. You can't be standing shoulder in shoulder with our brothers and sisters while refusing to fix the broken WSIB system that leaves so many in poverty. This Labor Day, I hope everyone had time to relax, but also hope we all spend some time reflecting on what it means to really be on the side of workers. This government could actually start working for workers by repealing Bill 124, bargaining fairly with teachers, education workers, nurses, create safe working conditions for all, and permanent paid sick days, reform WSIB, make it easier, not harder, to join a union. And if you're not doing that, you're no friend of Labor. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, Canada is the land of opportunity, a place where many successful immigrants have built an amazing career and contributed to the community. As a first generation immigrant myself, I'm truly inspired by those who came to New Country to build a life for themselves and ended up building an incredible community around them. Immigrants like Deepak Ruparail, born in Tanzania, and immigrated to Canada in 1970s. He followed a career in hospitality and quickly became one of the Canada's leading hoteliers. Through the Ruparail Foundation, Deepak offered scholarship for university students, collaborated with Habitat for Humanity and Dixon Hall for the betterment of society. Community was at the forefront of Deepak's ethos and he was never in favour of any recognition. This is a sign of his character. He possessed humility and a desire to build genuine connections with those around him. During the challenging time of the pandemic, Deepak led the way in the hospitality industry and supported the industry and community. Deepak Ruparail was a sharp and successful businessman with a big heart to consistently support social and community charitable projects. Deepak left us too early on August 7th, 2022. Deepak Ji, you will be dearly missed. Your presence will remain immortal in the community, leaving behind an inspirational legacy of selfless service, modesty and warmth. Rajbhai, Vikram and I have endless memories together with Deepak Ji. I offer my thoughts and prayers to family and friends during these challenging times. Deepak Ji, rest in peace. Om Shanti. Thank you, Speaker. Yesterday was the perfect day to join the Labour Day celebration in Sudbury. A big thank you to Jessica Montgomery and the whole team at the Sudbury and District Labour Council for a well-organised and fun event. And thank you to the hundreds and hundreds of people who came and joined us with their families and friends. There were lots of education and healthcare workers that came out. They had a clear united message for this government. First, repeal Bill 124. It is illegal, discriminatory, disrespectful and demoralised and are tired and burnt out healthcare heroes. Make PSW a career so we can ensure quality home care and long-term care and stop the privatisations of Ontario healthcare system. Many Labour retirees were there, some of them quite elderly, Speaker. They are scared. Bill 7 is causing seniors to second guess whether they should go to the hospital when they're sick for fear of being labelled ALC. As you know, Speaker, Bill 7 takes away the right of frail elderly people and allows the government to move them to a long-term care home focused on profit, not on quality care. In Northern Ontario, being transferred away from home means a lot of hardship. But everyone at the Labour Day celebration agree solidarity is the way forward and the NDP will always stand in solidarity with workers. Solidarity is forever. First floor, Eglinton Lawrence. Guys today to say how much I enjoyed marching in the Labour Day parade yesterday with Minister McNaughton and some of my colleagues and to speak about something on the minds of a lot of people today, especially parents, educators and children and that's back to school. The first day of school is always a challenging time, a time to say goodbye to parents at least for the day anyway and to say hello to friends old and new. This year is of particular importance as we want all Ontario students to have a normal school year with the full school experience including extracurriculars like sports, clubs, band and field trips. Some children in my riding of Eglinton Lawrence will have another surprise waiting for them. Thanks to an investment by the Ministry of Education, the children at Sir Sanford Fleming Public School enjoy a 7.5 million dollar completed renovation when they open the doors tomorrow. The project includes 88 new childcare spaces and five childcare rooms. This is part of our government's investment of 14 billion dollars over 10 years to build new schools, improve existing facilities and create good childcare spaces. These investments along with historic investments in mental health and in tutoring will help to ensure that young people can get back on track and reach their full potential. I want to wish all the students, educators and parents in Eglinton Lawrence and across the province a great first day of school. Thank you. Member statements. Member for Durham. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure today to recognize an outstanding resident and dedicated public servant from my riding of Durham. After more than 30 years of public service to the township of Skugog in my riding, her worship mayor Bobby Drew has announced that she will be retiring from public service after the October 24th municipal election. Bobby Drew began her elected career in 1988 when she was elected to represent Skugog as trustee on the Durham district school board where she served for 12 years and retired as vice chair of that board. She was elected to Skugog council as a local counselor in 2004, later moving up to regional council in 2010 and finally to the mayor's office in 2018. Throughout her career, mayor Drew sat on a variety of committees such as the Lake Simcoe Conservation Authority and the Durham Region Finance Committee. Among her accomplishments, Mayor Drew successfully oversaw many successful initiatives like the Skugog Waterfront Action Plan, the Active Transportation Master Plan, Community Improvement Plans and the IT Strategic Plan. Mayor Drew's time in elected office demonstrated commitment and perseverance associated with a warm and welcoming leadership style based on listening, learning and exercising sound judgment. On behalf of the residents of Skugog, Durham Riding and all Ontarians, thank you Mayor Bobby Drew for your service. Remember for Markham Union Day. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Ontario has some of the best attractions available anywhere in the world. Here you can go on a world-class wine tour, attend exceptional festivals, go fishing and snowmobiling. Tourism is also a key economic driver in Ontario, supporting approximately 395,000 jobs and generating over 38 billion in spending. In Markham Union Day, we are renowned for many attractions including Main Street Union Day, Conservation Parks and our diverse range of cuisine. We are also known for hosting some of the best festivals, including our well-known Markham Jazz Festival. I have the pleasure of attending the kickoff event, partaking in the energetic atmosphere and congratulating Markham Jazz Festival for receiving funding from our government's ReConnect Ontario program and Ontario Arts Council grant program. Through this grant, we support a great local initiative that supported local musicians and rekindled music lovers with jazz. Speaker, another local festival I want to highlight is the Toronto Hong Kong Film Festival. As Ontario's first Hong Kong Film Festival, this event highlighted and celebrated Hong Kong's culture and successes of its international famous film industry. From football to remarkable movies directed by director Clifford Cole, this festival provided entertainment to all attendees and highlighted Ontario's strong multiculturalism. Ontario is a world of experiences. As Ontarians experience the seasons ahead and rediscover Ontario, I want to encourage all to continue to explore safely and responsibly. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Member statements, the member for Don Valley West. Pardon? Kingston Islands, I apologize. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to say thank you to the local Pakistan-Canada Association in Kingston and the Islands. This past weekend at the intercultural festival in Kingston, they were very much active in trying to get people to learn about what's happening in Pakistan with the flooding and to raise money that will be matched by our federal government to help all the flooding victims in Pakistan. This is something, unfortunately, that I think is going to be repeated in the years to come as our climate changes and we will have more of these sort of weather related disasters. It's really important for people around the world to help each other because one part of the world will suffer some weather event. The other parts of the world have to step in and help. And so I want to just express congratulations to the Pakistani community in Kingston who are working very hard to try to raise a little bit of money to help contribute to the flood relief efforts in Pakistan. That concludes our member statements for this morning.