 It is now time for Member Statements. I recognize the Member for Waterloo. Thank you very much. How do you begin to process the discovery of 215 Indigenous children's bodies on the site of a former residential school? Our colleague MPP Mamaka said this yesterday, and I quote, All Indigenous peoples living today in Canada are survivors of Canada's tools of genocide. We are survivors of Indian residential schools, survivors of the Indian Act, survivors of the 60s scoop, and survivors of ongoing systemic racism, which attempts to erase us, but we are still here. The death of our children is a crime against humanity, but Canada has never treated it as such. Cindy Blackstock said this, As Canadians learn about the story of the tragic deaths of 215 children in the residential schools in Kamloops, know this. Canada knew about the death rates in the schools, had tools to deal with it, and chose not to. In 1907, Canada's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Bryce, raised the alarm about death rates of 25 per cent of children in schools per year due to inequitable healthcare, poor health practices, and a lack of ventilation. He was pushed out of the public service because of his advocacy. The last residential school closed in 1996, but Canada kept fighting the kids. Feds were ordered to cease their discriminatory conduct in 2016 as it was causing unnecessary family separations, harms, and the deaths of children. Canada did not. Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ordered Canada pay for its willful and reckless discrimination. Canada appealed. All levels of government need to provide the funding to ensure that all children are found and act on all 94 recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to do otherwise denies truth and denies justice. Thank you. Member Statements, Member for Don Valley North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last Friday, I hosted a press conference to announce the introduction of my private member's bill, Bill 299, an act to proclaim May and each year as anti-Asian racism education month. I would like to thank Senator Victor Oh, Minister Macau, Minister Lecture, Minister Bethan Farrie, Minister Clark, Minister Cho, Minister Thompson, Associate Minister Walker, Associate Minister Sakaria, Wip, Lauren Cole, Dr. Joshua Wang, PA Pan, MPB Barbican, MPB Kanapathy, PA Dandy Gassman, Deputy Wip Kali Rashid, PA Tengri, PA Tranta Fender-Arts, PA Cassetto, and MPB Announce for all your salient remarks. Thank you as well to all media friends for your continuous support along the way. Your support and advocacy against the anti-Asian racism sends a clear message that we will not tolerate any form of discrimination and a moving forward to address and eradicate the hatred that the Asian community face. I sincerely thank you all for joining me. Together, we will make a difference. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much. Next, we have the Member for Nicolette. Thank you, Speaker. I rise today on behalf of Northern Ontario Autism Alliance and the many families with children that they represent. In February, the Ontario government announced a new needs-based funding pilot program. The announcement noted that 600 children and youth from across our province would be invited to participate in the new program. I was shocked, Speaker, last week when the Alliance informed me that not one of them, not the other advocacy group, no service provider, no support groups had been able to identify a single Northern Ontario families that have received an invitation to participate in the pilot program, not a single Northern family, Speaker. Northern Ontario represents 6% of the province population. We have a diverse population, including First Nations and Francophone, living in urban and rural environment. If this pilot was being run equitably, there would be at least 30 families from north of the French river in the study, but there are zero. Life is different up north. Sure, the weather is colder, but the way we care for each other, the way services are delivered, is also different. It would not surprise me at all, Speaker, that some best practice in integrated services would be found in Northern Ontario that could be shared with the entire province. If the ministry is truly determined to get this right, then it is imperative that there be representations from the north. Right now, the people of Northern Ontario feel really hurt and rightfully so. They've put in so much work and the community, this is a great chain. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you very much. Member Statements, the Member for Eglinton Lawrence. Thank you, Speaker. Tomorrow is the first day of June and the start of stroke month. In Ontario, we are fortunate to have access to world-class stroke care, but to be most effective, people need to get care as soon as possible. Every single minute counts. Because of that, it's important that everyone knows the most common signs of strokes, which you can easily remember with the acronym FAST, standing for face, arm, speech, and time. Watch for a drooping on one side of the face, weakness in one arm, and slurred speech. If you or someone you're with experiences any of these symptoms, it's time to call 911 right away. Speaker, we all know that COVID-19 has had enormous pressures on our health care system, and while everyone has stepped up their efforts to respond to ensure that care is available to all who need it, we continue to hear concerning reports of people ignoring symptoms of other health conditions not related to COVID-19, only to later arrive at emergency rooms with more advanced illness. Sadly, this includes cases of stroke. Delaying stroke treatment can be devastating for both individuals and families, and for the health care system through prolonged hospitalizations and demands on rehabilitation and long-term care services. So don't delay. If you recognize the signs of stroke, call 911 right away and seek emergency care. And for more information on the signs of stroke and how to recognize them, I encourage everyone to visit heartandstroke.ca. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you. Member Statements. The Member for St. Catherine. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today in this chamber to express the frustration and exhaustion of parents, children, teachers, educator workers right now. Students are struggling with growing mental health, well-being challenges, isolation, and learning hurdles. Last week, instead of a decision on opening schools, we received a letter and scapegoating. Premier, you have had many months to build a plan to make schools safe to reopen. Instead, this government has chosen to do nothing for months. You ignored the advice of the health and educator experts, ignored the feedback from frontline educator workers, and refused to spend the money to make schools safe. Excuse disbelief of my residents. Premier, when you send a letter requesting feedback from educators and health officials, your track record of satisfying the concerns from these groups has been put off many times throughout the school year. Experts and educators have been speaking about safe classrooms, smaller class sizes, HVACs that are modernized, all to keep the community spread down. You never listened. Now, they are left to believe you will this time. For those parents and teachers that are reaching out to me throughout tears and frustrations, they deserve answers, asking these questions more than a year into a pandemic and a month until the end of school year feels like scapegoating. Mr. Premier, I urge you to give the parents and educators the peace of mind about reopening schools and provide them clarity before the end of this week. Thank you. Member statements? The Member for Orleans. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the hearts of a nation are broken. The grim discovery of the remains of 215 children at a former residential school in Kamloots has elicited a powerful reaction from Canadians across the country. The painful truth about the residential school system is the truth that we have not yet grappled with. It's a part of our history that many simply don't want to recognize while others, Mr. Speaker, simply don't know enough about. And why don't Canadians and Ontarians know enough about it? Because it hasn't been taught. Often when it has been taught, it's been done as a passing nod, a part of Canada's birthing process. Recently, the government was offered the opportunity to improve the teaching and understanding of these events and their lasting impact. Bill 287, the Equity in Education for Young Ontarians Act, would have required the history of colonization and its impacts on the rights of Indigenous peoples to be taught in an age-appropriate manner throughout the primary and secondary grades of our publicly funded education system. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, the government chose not to support this bill. If we are to address the painful history, Mr. Speaker, we must ensure that all Canadians, but especially those of non-Indigenous backgrounds, understand it and understand the lasting impact it has had. Generations of Ontario students were not exposed to this history and don't truly understand it. And while we must work to address this gap with adults, it is critical that we don't allow it to continue by denying this education to our children. Our children must understand what it has meant and what it continues to mean. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Member Statements. Mr. Speaker, throughout COVID-19, we have witnessed everyone from individuals to organizations banned together to protect fellow neighbourhoods and communities across the province. I would like to thank the Smiley Council of Ontario for rising above the challenge and remaining steadfast in supporting local communities by providing essential supplies and resources during COVID-19. Thank you for your Ontario spirit. Through their Smiley Civic Initiative, the council has seen and donated over 25,000 masks, provided 5,000 pounds of food, contributed $18,000 to local food banks, delivered over 25,000 food items for healthcare professionals in GTA, volunteered at hospitals, donated hundreds of pints of blood throughout Canadian blood services, and hosted over five pop-up clinics in the place of worship known as Jamaat Khanas. I want to say congratulations to the global Smiley community as you celebrate his Highness, Aga Khan 64th, here as spiritual leader on 11th of July, guided by the principle of volunteerism and compassion from President Salim Banshee to my friends Kiran, Mohamed Natu, Adam Amdani, Lala, her sweet daughter, Sanisha. Each and every member of the Smiley Council of Ontario are dedicated to serving and uplifting the community. To the incredible volunteers and staff of the Smiley Civic Initiative, thank you for your unwavering commitment to fellow Ontarians. You are our community heroes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you so much. Thank you very much. Member Statements, the member for Sudbury. Thank you, Speaker. Before I begin, I just want to say I'm very hopeful that Valley and USW local 6,500 in Sudbury will reach a fair contract. The price of nickel and copper are doing really well. The companies received over $67 million in COVID subsidies and they're very profitable, profitable enough to pay out over 3 billion in dividends in Q1 of this year. There's no need for the company to push for concessions and I stand in solidarity with all the members of local 6,500 for the need for a fair deal. Speaker, my writing is in the Robertson Huron Treaty Territory of 1850. In Sudbury is the traditional territory of the Tick Machine and Snobbock, Whitefish River First Nation. At the entrance of Queen's Park, there are these tiny shoes that were left out there to symbolize the undocumented remains of 250 indigenous children that were found on the side of a former residential school. Last night when I pulled into Queen's Park, I saw these tiny shoes and I literally cannot get the image of them out of my head. Some of them are small enough to fit in the palm of my hand. In Sudbury and across the country, flags will fly at half mass, but that is literally the least that we can do. We have to do more. The reality speaker is I have indigenous friends who are my age who have gone to residential schools. The reality speaker is that we have indigenous communities in Ontario without access to clean drinking water. The reality speaker is that the death of indigenous children is a crime against humanity, but Canada has never treated it as such. And the reality is we have to do more than lower flags. Chairman Gwech speaker. The House will come to order. Member for Scarborough Aging Court. Good morning, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to report that the number of Scarborough Aging Court residents who have been vaccinated has increased remarkably in the past weeks. The increased number of vaccination is the result of a better supply of vaccine and our hospital's cooperation with various community organizations. Accordingly, the frequency of the pop-up clinics, mobile units visit to our congregated homes, and the mobile vaccination bus stops in various locations and successfully vaccinated 65% of adults in Scarborough and Ontario. Due to this major achievement, we are now moving ahead of schedule to start the vaccination of those 12 years of age and older. In addition, we started administrating the second dose of vaccines to 80-plus seniors. The Scarborough Health Network already started contacting our seniors and booking them for their second shot. Mr. Speaker, everyone is cognizant that the last 14 months were challenging. I am optimist that we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. At this moment, in addition to my March 3 recognition of Scarborough Aging Court Community Institution, I would like to also pay tribute to the following organizations. Taibu Community Centre, Islamic Foundation of Toronto, Tropicana Community Services, Scarborough Chinese Methodist Church, Melbourne Christian Assembly, Lakshami Narayan Temple, Fujian Communities Association of Canada, Community Services Association, Lamoro Collegiate Institute, Ars Fine Food, Mark Bulger, and so many on, in addition to Bridalwood Mall, Aging Court Mall. Thank you very much. And Bamboo Circle, my apologies. Thank you very much. The next member's statement, the member for Oakville. Thank you, Speaker, and it's an honour to rise today about some of the recent funding announcements in my writing of Oakville. There's no denying that this pandemic has taken a heavy toll on nonprofits and organizations and non-profits in my community are being recognised for their outstanding work through financial grants. The Oakville Crusaders Rugby Club hosts professional and international teams. It's great to see that they were successful in receiving an Ontario Trillium grant to expand and deal with the implications of COVID-19. The Rugby Club will continue to play a vital role in supporting the physical and mental well-being of residents. Last week I also attended an event by the Oakville Coral Society where I performed songs like Hallelujah, Imagine, and we're also there to celebrate their Resilient Communities Fund grant. Resilient Communities Fund was also awarded to the YMCA of Oakville, Oakville Players, Community Living Oakville, Bandology, Heartache to Home, the Oakville Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Canadian Croatian Coral Society. Organisations have kept residents engaged through these difficult times to contribute to make our society stronger. These much-needed funding grants will go a long way to ensuring organisations adapt to meet the demands of the pandemic and help my writing emerge from this pandemic. I want to extend my congratulations to all of these successful applicants and I wish them all continued success. Thank you. Thank you. That concludes our member's statements for this morning. I beg to inform the House that the following documents have been tabled. Father, Minister of Long Term Care, Spending Plan Review from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario, the annual report of the review of expense claims, covering the period of April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021, pursuant to the Cabinet Ministers and Opposition Leaders Expenses Review and Accountability Act 2002 from the office of the integrity commissioner of Ontario, and a report entitled 2021 Ministry of Education, Spending Plan from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario. Government House Leader has informed me that he has a point of order. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think if you seek it, you'll find unanimous consent to allow the member for Kiwotnain to speak for 10 minutes with respect to his feelings and the feelings of all First Nations in the province of Ontario following the horrific discovery in British Columbia. Government House Leader is seeking unanimous consent of the House to allow the member for Kiwotnain to speak for 10 minutes. Agreed? Agreed. I recognize the member for Kiwotnain. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and honour that 215 children who did not return home from the Kamloops Indian Residential School. I acknowledge the communities of the First Nations in British Columbia who these children belong to. And across the country, across Canada, those who have felt the pain of this loss, we are united in grief. Indigenous people across the country are hurting. We are in pain remembering all those who have lost and the destruction of what residential schools has left behind. The discovery of those precious 215 lost children, our children, has shown us again the overwhelming amount of work to be done to insert justice, dignity, equity for our people. Speaker, the death of our children is a crime against humanity, but Canada has never treated as such. The country must own up to its past, as must all its governments and institutions for its role and the horror it created in residential schools. The First Prime Minister, John A. MacDonald, told the House of Commons in 1883, when the school is on the reserve that child lives with his parents, who are savages, he is surrounded by savages, and though he may learn to read and write his habits, the training, the mode of thought are Indian. He is simply a savage who can read and write. It has been strongly pressed upon myself as the head of the department that Indian children should be withdrawn as much as possible from parental influence. And the only way to do that would be to put them in central training industrial schools where they will acquire the habits and modes of thought of white men. People often call Indian residential schools a dark chapter in Canada's history. But for many of us who are affected by this directly, we know that chapter never ended with our grandparents and for those other members of our families who were sent to residential schools. We continue to collectively feel that hurt, that was experienced by our relatives in those schools. Speaker, all Indigenous peoples living today in Canada are survivors of Canada's tools of genocide. We are survivors of residential schools. We are survivors of Indian Act. We are survivors of the 60s coup and survivors of the ongoing systemic racism which attempts to erase us. But we are still here. Today I'm calling on Ontario and the Canadian government to work with all First Nations at the sites of the schools and look for our lost children. It is a great open secret that our children lie on these properties of former schools. An open secret that Canadians can no longer look away from. And keeping with the truth and reconciliation commissions missing children projects, every school site must be searched for the graves of our ancestors. Canada must also demand apologies from those who helped commit these heinous crimes. Pope Francis, the Catholic Church and all other churches involved must own up to their part of this genocide. Apologize and offer reparation of survivors to survivors and families of those lost. Finally, we must remember that Canada's governments at every level, including ours, have roles to play, responsibilities and treaty obligations. And Speaker, it's still hard to be an Indigenous child. As I speak today, thousands of Indigenous children are without proper schools or clean water, adequate food, safe home to live in, or good healthcare. Many cannot attend high school in their own communities and they are too often in the child welfare or justice systems. We can no longer throw up our hands and say there's nothing we can do. We must act together to resolve this so no more children go without. Today, I'm calling on the government of Ontario to keep the flags lowered at all provincial buildings, to have mass, to honour the 215 children for four days. I am also calling on the government of Ontario to institute an annual day of mourning and remembrance for those who we lost to residential schools and to survivors. Let this be a first step towards an honest reckoning with the past by Ontario, by Canada, and all people who call this land home. While we respect the lowering of flags and other demonstrations as a means of showing support for the 215 children who died at the Kamloops Indian Residential School, there is so much work that must be done to honour the survivors of Indian residential schools and to honour those who did not go home. This work demands attention of every member of this legislature and it needs a collective action for all 124 members who were elected to serve here. All of us here must be fully committed to implementing the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address the ongoing legacy of residential schools. The discovery of the unmarked graves of these 215 children shows us against that genocide and colonisation, oppression are not in Canada's past. Our people live with it, with the effects in the present. Speaker, today our hearts and our prayers are with the families and nations of these young people who did not get to return home and with all the survivors of Indian residential schools across Canada, I asked for a moment of silence to recognise the 215 children who did not return home from Kamloops Indian Residential School. Member for Kiwet Nong is seeking the unanimous consent of the House for a moment of silence to remember the 215 children who did not return home from the Kamloops Residential School. Agreed? Agreed. Members will please rise. Thank you very much. Members, please take your seats.