 members statements. I recognize the member for Oakville. Thank you and good morning speaker and good morning to members of the legislature. I'm excited to rise today to highlight an exciting celebration that is returning to my riding of Oakville. Culture Days provides the opportunity to explore with local artists, sharing culture events and celebrate Oakville's Lakeside charm. From September 22nd to October 15th our community comes alive with an array of arts and culture in nearly 100 events. At last year's Culture Days 2022 the town of Oakville was ranked number one in the participating communities listing. The town was recognized in the top spot in Canada. This year get ready to immerse yourself and explore the nearly 100 local events such as the return of the World of Threads Festival, hear singers and songwriters and inspirational speakers, celebrate Indigenous heritage and culture, enjoy live shows with community musical performers such as the Wan Wing Group and the Halton Regional Chinese-Canadian Association and discover the history at Oakville's Museum and learn about their Oakville's role in the Underground Railroad and much much more. Speaker have to take this opportunity to acknowledge that Culture Days in Oakville and across Ontario is thanks to support by the Ontario Trillium Foundation supporting our local artists and allows them to thrive and showcase their talents. Speaker as we approach the final stretch of Oakville's Culture Days I would like to invite everybody to celebrate, learn and enjoy this festival together. Thank you and happy Thanksgiving to all the members of Legislature and all the staff here today. Thank you very much. Member statements, the member for Sudbury. Thank you very much Speaker. This afternoon students have locked to be competent school in my riding a Sudbury. We're coming together to kick off the annual Kids Helping Kids Cancer Drive in memory of Laura Contesta. Laura started this campaign in 1995. She was a Lockerbie Viking. She was battling cancer and at that time the care she needed wasn't available in Sudbury Speaker. So Laura had to travel to Toronto for treatment. She lived that gap in her health care system and she wanted to change it. Her obstacles inspired Laura to create a fund with the intention of approving all overall pediatric care in Sudbury. Laura's no longer with us Speaker but for the past 28 years generations of Lockerbie students have continued her annual cancer drive in Laura's name. The thing about the Kids Helping Kids Cancer Drive is that it's not just about fundraising. It's about promoting collaboration, compassion, citizenship within our community. It's about choosing to make a difference and inspiring others along the way. Just like Laura's legacy has inspired Lockerbie Vikings for nearly 30 years. The Kids Helping Kids Cancer Drive in memory of Laura Contesta makes me incredibly proud not just as Sudbury's MPP but as a proud Lockerbie grad. Speaker Sudbury is a community that cares. I want to thank all the students and staff at Lockerbie for their continued dedication to fulfilling Laura's dream, honour and senior legacy and continue to raise awareness about the importance of having pediatric care available in the north. Close to friends, close to family and close to home. Go Vikings. Member Stavins, the member for Perth Wellington. Thank you Speaker. As a representative of one of the largest agriculture producing areas in Ontario with over 4,000 farm families it's an honour to rise in this place to recognise the 25th Ontario Air Culture Week. 25 years ago MPP Burt Johnson established Ontario Air Culture Week through a private member's public bill. MPP Johnson represented the riding of Perth Middlesex from 1995 to 2003. We all owe our thanks to MPP Johnson for this important week and recognition of our air culture sector. Year after year farm families work through changing seasons and market fluctuations to ensure that our province is fed and well nourished. Every day farmers and air culture workers across this province wake up before the sun rises to grow and prepare the food that we enjoy at our kitchen tables. Our government is focused on supporting our Ontario's air culture sector, strengthening our food supply chain. Our government has set an ambitious goal to increase the amount of food grown and produced in the province of Ontario by 30% by 2032. By doing so will create more good paying jobs and air culture in the food industry. We can never thank our farmers and air culture workers enough for the vital work they do to keep our province fed. They are the reason Ontario exports over $19 billion in agri-food products per year. These are among the many reasons why our government will always support Ontario's growing and thriving air culture sector. Thank you, Speaker. Member Statements, the Member for Thunder Bay, Superior North. The government allotted $10 million for dementia support, including respite care for families, but not a single dollar of this commitment has ever been spent. The recent report on the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act stated that without a significant change in direction the Ford government would fail to make Ontario fully accessible by 2025. However, rather than increasing efforts to meet the needs of Ontarians with disabilities, the budget for this ministry has been cut by $50 million. The Ford government also shot down my bill to create an advocate for older adults as an independent officer of the legislature. However, creating an independent advocate remains one of the primary recommendations of seniors across the province, including the RTO ERO that represents 80,000 retirees from the education sector. With such a large gap between rhetoric and what is actually being done, the Ford government is gas lighting, older adults and people with disabilities. This needs to change. I am calling on the government to create an independent advocate to address the needs of older adults, guarantee the funding needed to make Ontario fully accessible, and get those dollars out the door to support dementia services. Thank you. Thank you. Member for Lanark Frontenac Kingston. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, over the summer months I attended many events, meetings and roundtables in my riding of Lanark Frontenac Kingston, connecting with residents and organizations and hearing what is most important to them. Healthcare and housing continue to be top of mind. And this government is listening with just over $5.8 million in funding for upgrades and repairs to hospitals in my riding, including Perth and Smith Falls as well as Carlton Place and Elmont, plus an additional $820,000 to address emergency department closures. Mr. Speaker, last month I was pleased to join Minister Colandra for the groundbreaking ceremony of the brand new 128-bed Broadview Nursing Home in my hometown of Smith Falls. This is part of this government's $6.4 billion commitment to build more than 58,000 new and reconditioned beds in this province. In July, I was honored to be part of the opening of Lanark County's newest five-unit community housing building. And look forward to the spring of 24, where CareBridge Community Support is scheduled to open another affordable housing project within my riding. Mr. Speaker, my sincere thanks to Minister Parza and Minister Colandra for joining me this summer for roundtable discussions, real conversations about how we can remove barriers and improve access to services. I look forward to welcoming Minister Gill next week to discuss streamlining productivity and efficiencies with stakeholders and business is in Lanark, Frontenac, Kingston. It was a productive summer, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Member Stevens. Member for Tomiskaming, Cochran. Thank you, Speaker. On behalf of the official opposition, I would like to take a moment to recognize Agriculture Week in Ontario. The agri-food industry is a $47 billion contribution to this province. And there's over 800,000 people employed in the agri-food industry. But the foundation of that industry are the farm families who actually grow the food that we eat. That's what this whole province is built on. And to them, the people who have a special feeling, whether you grow cucumbers in a greenhouse or corn or soybeans in the field, there's a special feeling when you see those seeds come up from the ground. When you see the risk that you are taking, you feel it. You feel each time you watch them grow. And now it's harvest time, and the farmers are harvesting their crops. And that's a special feeling. When you harvest the crop, when you pull into a field and you feel, you see what's coming off. But there are also times when your crop fails, when you're calving a cow and your best cow dies or her calf dies. And the fact that they keep going with those challenges, that's what makes a farmer, that's what we're so proud. To be a farmer, and that's why we recognize farmers and their families today on Agriculture Week, our whole province is built on their backs. Thank you. Member statements? The Member for Etobicoke Lakeshore. One of my jobs and the joys of being an MPP is to share with this House from time to time how things are going in Etobicoke Lakeshore. Jobs are up, unemployment is down, small new businesses are sprouting everywhere. There's a sense of optimism in the air. And it's due in no small part to the kindness and community spirit of my constituents from every background and walk of life who contribute so much to the rich tapestry of Etobicoke Lakeshore. First, I would like to congratulate the Kingsway BIA who organized the 25th anniversary of the Taste of the Kingsway, a multi-ethnic event which has become the largest street festival in my writing. Secondly, I would like to congratulate the staff and volunteers at Franklin Horner Community Center for once again organizing extravaganza which encourages local residents to come out and meet their neighbors, participate in family-orientated activities and enjoy musical performances. And on the Long Branch side, there is an enthusiastic group of volunteers who organized from the Long Branch Neighborhood Association for their fifth annual tree fest which introduces planting for kids, interactive booths on the importance of trees in our ecosystem, and more. But I must add, Speaker, one of the most notable experiences I had lately was held in King City where I went to visit dog tails. Now, as a mother of two rescue dogs, myself, my heart melted and I want to thank the owners for their work. And just a reminder, if you're going to adopt a pet, make sure you make it their forever home. Make sure everybody has a happy and safe Thanksgiving. Thank you. Thank you. Member Statements. Member for Algoma, Manitoba. Speaker, and I've always taken my seat, give credit where credit is due, but I will hold this government to account where it needs to. First, Highway 129. I want to give credit to the Ministry of Transportation Service provided for the work they did on the Thessalon-Chapelow Highway of 129. However, on five ways, 519s into Dubriville, 631 into Horn Paine, 614 into Manitowash. Since when has it become a standard operating procedure to put in warning codes in roadside washouts? Are we waiting for the snow to fall in order to fill these potholes and these washouts? And when we travel into now on Highway 638 into Echo Bay, Liburn and Silver Valley, in Echo Bay, there's a place that they're referred to as the Echo Bay Car Wash. Since when has it become a standard operating process to accept water that's going over our highways and our roads? On highways 542 and 540, the resurfacing that has been happening on Manitoulin Island is horrendous by this government and the service provider is there. Lankty periods of time where there is no work that is being done, machines that are being parked on the roadside, the pulverizing is breaking cars down. The claims that are being put forward by the community members that are travelling on these roads are basically reimbursed nil and none. You have to do better. There has to be some accountability and this government must start overseeing the work that is being done by contractors on our highways. Member's statements? The member for Scarborough Centre. Thanks, Speaker. I'd like to welcome Jewel. Jewel is a company in my riding the Scarborough Centre. That is among leaders in designing, manufacturing, installing and supporting of battery-backed EV Level 3 Chargers, both in Canada and the United States. It gives me great pleasure to welcome Jewel, two co-founder, Sherman Pizarro, and Jimensou Soudin, who are guests here today in the gallery. Welcome to your house. I recently toured Jewel with Finance Minister Peter Beddon-Falvey. Jewel attracts businesses and engineering students from across Ontario University, including Scarborough. People driven to help create commercially viable energy solution to accelerate our transition to a sustainable world. It gives me great pleasure. Some of Jewel's summer students who are returning back to school in their studies this fall, I commend Jewel's founder for devoting their time and resources in developing of these young minds. Thank you, Jewel, for your leadership, contribution to Scarborough Centre and Ontario's economy. Thank you. Member statements? The Member for Brantford, France. Thank you, Speaker. Colleagues, coming up on October 12th, it will be World Site Day, as showcased by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness. This year's campaign focus is to bring attention on the importance of eye care in the workplace. As a practicing optometrist, I remember vividly like it happened yesterday. I was working at the Saginaw Valley Special Needs Vision Clinic. A mother brought in her little two- or three-year-old nonverbal daughter. And I was fortunate, as a little girl sat still enough for me to determine that she had a very, very strong prescription. I can remember taking a little trial frame and putting these lenses in it. And as we put it on her face, the little toy that she was holding up right in front of her, she dropped on the floor and looked around the room, seeing for the first time. That speaker was one of the single most gratifying experiences and, as it turned out, one of many to come in my field of medicine. Our government is committed to improving access to glaucoma and cataract care across our province. And our government, under the leadership of Premier Ford, has signed the first agreement with Optometry in over 30 years. So, colleagues, the hashtag this year is love your eyes. They are the only set that you will ever have. Thank you, Speaker. Point of order, the member for Carlton. Thank you, Speaker. The annual Panda football game was played this weekend with the University of Ottawa feeding Carlton in a thriller. I would like to acknowledge that the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Neil Lumsden, an Ottawa GG's legend as a fullback and kicker, still holds the Panda game scoring record with 25 points in one game and 61 career points. My constituency assistant, John Geoffrey Morris, who played for the Carlton Ravens and holds the Panda game records for longest punt and longest kickoff, informed me that Minister Lumsden is the greatest player in the history of Canadian University football.