 It is now time for Member Statements. Please recognize the Member for Waterloo. Thank you very much. As elected officials, we need to speak up when we see hate and racism in our communities. And if we are courageous, we need to acknowledge that racism is violence. For the fourth consecutive week, anti-lockdown protesters gathered this past Sunday in KW. These gatherings are irresponsible and fueled by a total lack of consideration for members of our community. The organizer, the member from Lanark Frontenac Kingston, is not welcome in our community. Another rally where people gather safely and virtually in Wilmot focused on challenging racism and a growing and concerning white lives matter movement. My colleague from Kitchener Centre said of this rally, it's about white allies joining in the fight in very real and very concrete ways. It's about not being silent. It's about standing up and speaking out in a place where your power and your privilege will allow your voice to be heard. And that gives me some hope in the midst of a pretty trying time. Racism is real in Waterloo Region and it compromises health. In our community, if you identify as a visible minority, you are three times more likely to contract COVID-19. If you identify as black, you are five times more likely. Across the province, over 70% of COVID-related workplace deaths are racialized people. Racism is impacting the health and well-being of Ontarians. We all have a role to play in addressing racism in our communities. Staying silent is not an option. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Member Statements, the Member for Peterborough, Kawarisa. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the passions I've had long before I was ever in politics has been inclusion in sports. I want to talk about one individual in my community who's working very hard to make sure that every athlete of every ability has an equal opportunity to play. Bernie Daines has spent the better part of the last decade volunteering his time to enhance an already successful Challenger baseball organization in Peterborough. That success culminated with the first team of special needs athletes to represent Canada at the Little League World Series back in 2019. Bernie's latest project is to build a field of dreams. Imagine a baseball diamond designed and built as a fully inclusive and fully accessible sporting field. Imagine a sports field designed in a way that an athlete with a mobility challenge can play. Imagine a sporting field designed in a way that an athlete who may experience sensory overload can still play. Speaker, if you design it in a way that anyone who has an exceptionality can play, it's also designed in a way that anyone who doesn't have an exceptionality can play. I want to say thank you to Bernie for his efforts. He has a vision that he's working towards and that vision will make our community not only more inclusive, but it will demonstrate if you build it, they will come. Thank you. The next member statement. The member for York Southwest. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my pleasure to rise today and acknowledge that this week is National Nurses Week. We all need to honour and thank nurses who are particularly this last year during the pandemic have shown their commitment and dedication to patients and residents. Nurses are the true frontline heroes doing the most important of tasks imaginable. This government has not treated these valuable healthcare providers as heroes and through Bill 124 has actually taken away their rights to bargain for their wages and working conditions. Mr. Speaker, this government has not met with the Ontario Nurses Association so I will tell the House a few items that ONA is seeking. They want registered nurses and other healthcare professionals exempted from Bill 124. They ask them for financial compensation for nurses who continue to care and fight for patient safety and quality care during COVID-19. The nurses ask that the government begins discussion on the diversity and specialisation with the nursing to support continued education and retention in the nursing profession. In the midst of this pandemic and government in action that has let us down a dangerous path I ask that it is not too late to begin listening to and respecting healthcare voices such as nurses. I thank them for their work, their patience and their dedication. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Member Statements. The Member for Ajax. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I joined the Islamic society of Ajax and the Masjid Kuba to celebrate their Ramadan food drive. As we all know Muslims across Ontario and around the world are currently observing the month of Ramadan and just in just a day or so we'll be celebrating the festival of Eid al-Fatir. Ajax is a vibrant and active Muslim population with three mosques that play a vital role in the spiritual and social lives of many thousands of Muslims and indeed in the rest of our community. Throughout the month of Ramadan Muslims and Ajax have prayed, fasted and reflected upon the spiritual and physical wellbeing of our community. Our Muslim community has been a model of charity and good citizenship throughout COVID-19 and the pandemic through their adherence to public health guidelines, food drives and other charitable efforts. Mr. Speaker I would like to thank the members of the Muslim Community Centre as they celebrated Eid al-Fatir safely and in accordance with their public health guidelines. I am proud to support our Muslim community in Ajax and across Ontario and wish them a blessed and prosperous Eid Mubarak. Thank you very much. The next member statement, the member for Essex. Thank you very much Speaker. It's a pleasure to rise today and members of the House would know that this is a nursing week in the province of Ontario where we celebrate and honour those who are on the front lines. We call them frontline heroes, Speaker, but really they're the last line of defence in absence of a good critical leadership and public health leadership through the province of Ontario and they are decrying the actions of this government throughout the pandemic. First and foremost Speaker, if we indeed believe that they are heroes as they are, let's pay them back. They are not freeing their wages through this really egregious bill 124 that has not only frozen their wage at a 1% increase lower than inflation but also removed their collective bargaining rights. Look Speaker, they are going through some of the most traumatic challenging times in the history of the profession. We're seeing stress levels and anxiety depression mental health needs and we need to be there for them like they are there for us and this government has abandoned our nurses in the province of Ontario. Today new democrats stand in solidarity with nurses across the province to let them know that we understand them we see them, we honour them and we are fighting for them and with them in this house to ensure that they are compensated, treated fairly and treated safely so that they can care for all of the residents across the province of Ontario. Thank you. Member statements? The Member for Don Valley East. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. Every day we're hearing more about incidents of anti-Asian racism that is seriously traumatising the community. I've spoken to organisations and community leaders and their fear is growing. This pandemic has led to a sharp increase in anti-Asian hate and has exposed once again this governments in action when it comes to addressing racism. This government has on numerous fronts. There's been a lack of leadership with no minister clearly in charge and responsible for the file, disbanding community committees and sub-committees. The government's resounding silence in the midst of a clear and increasing anti-Asian racism in Ontario despite the fact there were one of the only jurisdictions in North America with a direct threat and the stagnant data collection and lack of policy innovation and direction based on that data collection. I've heard from the minister here and the minister get up and say plenty of nice things but there is no tolerance for racism in Ontario. Fighting systemic racism is about action not platitudes and this government has shown virtually no action on this file. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much. The next member's statement appears to be the member for Chatham Kent Leamington. Major League Baseball 2021 Season. This morning I just want to briefly talk about history. I want to start off by talking about a local hero from Chatham that somebody already recognized, Ferguson Arthur Jenkins. Fergie originally signed with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1962 but it wasn't until he was later traded to the Chicago Cubs that it became a starting pitcher. Fergie won 284 games with a total of 3,192 strikeouts and set a major league record for having six consecutive winning seasons of 20 plus games. I believe that feat will never be broken and for this reason and for many more he was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987 and later into Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991. He was the very first Canadian to be inducted into Cooperstown only to be later joined by Larry Walker from BC. But for the love of the game, Fergie's family was also involved in baseball. His father, Ferguson Sr was a Canadian baseball player starting his career for baseball back in playing for teams in Detroit and he later joined the Chatham Colored All Stars in my hometown of Chatham. Chatham Colored All Stars as they were known back then were trailblazers. In St. Mary's, Ontario you will find the Baseball Hall of Fame and I strongly support the initiative to induct the 1934 Colored All Stars into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame for the year 2022. They've been a key part in laying foundation for the future of youth of color to compete as equals and I believe in celebrating their success I can only hope that their committee will take their successes into consideration. Thank you, Speaker. The next member's statement the member for St. Catherine. Thank you, Speaker. I stand today in honour with Nurse's Week. The workers in this chamber and across Ontario have expressed genuine gratitude to the experience of our frontline health care workers over the past year, especially our nurses. That expression of gratitude is deep and genuine so thank you to the nurses and to all frontline workers. As a former frontline health care worker I know that it is not enough if the words taper off on Sunday as a result in no meaningful actions. The nurses in their break rooms across the province are looking for more than small token gifts. They are looking for more than being labeled heroes. So my commitment to all nurses in St. Catherine's and across the Niagara region and Ontario is this to push for more meaningful action in this legislature and to hold those two account when their actions do not match their words. That means resources when nurses need them to feel safe. They need to have a patient pay that does not have an end date. It means not calling nurses heroes from one side of your mouth while overriding collective bargaining agreements with the other. It means challenging the public sector wage cap by this government every step of the way. My gift to nurses and all frontline health care workers is after nurses' weekends I will not stop. My colleagues will not stop for the kind words that taper off after nurses' wake. Thank you, Speaker. Member Statements. Member for Northumberland, Peterborough South. Thank you, Speaker. Kindness and generosity abound in Northumberland, Peterborough South and I rise today to highlight a few of these many great community initiatives in my community. Coburg Collegiate Institute is hosting a rain barrel fundraiser in support of the environmental initiatives in Northumberland. I'm pleased to be picking up my own soon. The lofty kitchen in Colburn is fundraising for the Canadian Cancer Society with a daffodil campaign shortbread cookie fundraiser. You can purchase a daffodil decorated shortbread cookie made by Rotas Kitchen with $5 going towards the campaign. Rotas Kitchen has also been a part of a fundraiser with Community Care Northumberland to benefit meals on wheels. Rotary Cub of Campbellford is raising funds for their community initiatives with meals prepared by Capers Taphouse, a favourite of mine in Campbellford. The old Newcastle House is a proud community supporter donating whatever possible to local fundraising initiatives. Most recently they've been working with the new Durham Region Hospice. Ignite Coburg has done a one-hour fitness class strong as a mother raised over $1,500 on Mother's Day for Cornerstone Family Violence Prevention Centre. Northumberland players continues to fundraise scholarships for six post-secondary students. Earlier this month Best Western Coburg and Convention Centre partnered with players for a take-out dinner and they raised over $3,500. Mr. Speaker, wherever you look in Northumberland, Peterborough South kindness, generosity and our community spirit is alive and well and I would like to thank all the businesses and many remarkable organisations for stepping up and supporting our community. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you. Member statements. The Member for Kitchener, Conestoga. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and as you and my colleagues know every time you visit Waterloo Region we love the words two-way all-day go. One of my top priorities is delivering faster, frequent, reliable go train service on the entire Kitchener line. And I was absolutely thrilled to join the Minister and Associate Minister of Transportation to announce the approval of the preliminary design business case for the Kitchener Go Rail expansion project. Speaker, this is a huge win for Waterloo Region in less than three years our government has doubled the number of trains coming all the way to Kitchener. We've added a mid-morning train from Union and increased evening service which now includes a second express train. Excavation work on two tunnels under the highways 401 and 409 have been completed and with the release of RFQs more shovels will be getting in the ground very soon. I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the work of our tireless local advocates including the Connect the Corridor Coalition headed by Ian McLean the regional chair Karen Redmond and of course all of our local mayors. And a big thank you and you know what actually and definitely a thank you to the MPP for Waterloo as well because she has also been a strong advocate for this for many years. Thank you to the minister and associate minister and all of my government colleagues who have advanced this forward. Like I said this is a top priority here locally in the region and I'm pleased to deliver tangible improvements and progress to my community who have waited for this project for years. Thank you very much. That concludes our member statements for this morning.