 Therefore, it's time for Members' Statements, the member from here onwards. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the County of Bruce and their branding project team, as well as tensing communications on receiving an award of excellence at the International Association of Business Communicators. The award is in recognition of the County's Be an Explorer brand campaign designed to inspire all who live, work and visit Bruce County to explore the world around them and travel the roads less taken. In an article in the Mild May Town Crier, Bruce County CAO Kelly Coulter said that the compass icon and messaging really captures Bruce County's essence while at the same time representing a pathway as we journey into our future. While the award was never the intention of the project, it was a wonderful recognition of time and effort that was put into the project. And Bruce County has so many amazing venues to explore, the grotto to the north, the sandy beaches around King Cardin and all the amazing natural features that we have from top to bottom in the county, as well as the amazing towns and villages that actually are destinations that can't be missed if one truly wants to appreciate what the rural countryside and small town Ontario has to offer. And I would like to share with you as well that Ward Mitchell and said the purpose of developing the brand has really evolved and it's encompassed Bruce County's soul and spirit. Having our project recognized as a testament to the successful work and commitment by our team. Bruce County is truly an explorers paradise and I would like to invite and encourage all to get out there and be an explorer. Thank you very much. Here are the members from Windsor to come see. In appreciation of the random acts of Poetry Day held every October speaker, a group of seven poets in Windsor has a new book out recognizing our colorful history. Our poet laureate Marty Gervais wrote this one about a much publicized visit to Windsor many years ago by Sir John A. McDonald. It's called That Day in Sandwich with the Prime Minister. His voice, a sing song normally holds sentences drifting out and rising and falling but forever lost in a monotone as he paced back and forth before the crowd scowling at his opponent. Today in Sandwich Sir John A. is silent and seated smug and staring at the stage floor in this open air debate a drunken stupor clouding Mackenzie's reason jargon ripping into him scandal and hearsay with political wrangle. Sir John A slumps in a chair lingering for that moment to lift his frumpy but narrow frame to tower before the crowd and warily waves a crooked finger all the while struggling to retrieve the right word in this scandal and hearsay and political wrangle then suddenly vomits all over the stage an abrupt hush as Sir John A's left hand almost in slow motion reaches for a handkerchief tucked deep within the pockets of his waistcoat and swabs his mouth in eyes agape he begins his apology and turns to his opponent and with a polite and civil nod of his head he says Mr. Chairman I don't know how it is but every time I hear the honorable gentlemen speak it turns my stomach. Speaker it's a great book it's called because we have all lived here poems along the south shore and speaker it was edited by your poet laureate from Brantford John B. Lee. Hence the extra time. I know that story too the member from Mississauga streetsville. Thank you speaker today the world celebrates Diwali the Hindu festival of light it is among Hinduism's principal festivals and Diwali is now a Canadian festival too. Diwali signifies the victory of good over evil light over darkness hope over despair and knowledge over ignorance hundreds of members of our Ontario Hindu seek Jane and other communities celebrate Diwali annually as well in sixteen nineteen six guru guru Hargobind Saib G was freed from the famous fort of Gwalior by Emperor Jahangir Guru Sahib negotiated his release and that of fifty two kings and princes to coincide with Diwali in Mississauga our celebrations include dinners hosted by the Hindu Heritage Center and the Ram Mander despite last weekend's wet weather Diwali razzmatazz brought its music and artistic light to celebration square at Mississauga in Lizgar Meadowvale and streetsville our own annual Diwali reception at Vic Johnson Community Center filled the main hall with our Hindu seek and this year are Chinese seniors as well hundreds of members of our own Peel region south Asian community gathered in Brampton last week to celebrate Diwali by whatever name we call it the values of Diwali or what we believe in and try to live by every day happy Diwali Shubh Diwali Daniel Wad Shukriya Rabra Ka thank you very much speaker thank you for the member statements the member from Vaughan thornhill hill sorry thank you very much mr. Speaker the largest club in Canada is CAA South Central Ontario for CAA and it's headquartered in thornhill so I'm very pleased to rise today and say a few words about the Canadian Automobile Association which is founded in nineteen oh three as an advocacy organization and today they focus more on transportation and infrastructure mobility traffic safety and consumer protection CAA is known for responding to members when they're broken down and in need of roadside assistant and it's regarded by members of this legislature as a trusted stakeholder when it comes to traffic safety and transportation issues and what's interesting is that one in four Ontario motorists is a CAA member and included in that is my own family mr. Speaker and my daughter who's nineteen got her driver's license last June and we didn't really think to sign her up for CAA as a member but she's driving a bit of an older car and it broke down slowly on the side of the road it needed a new alternator and this August it was quite hot and she was driving between Guelph and Kitchener and CAA came and took her to a dealer and she left the car and the keys there and it was a great positive experience so I want to thank the CAA tow truck driver I don't know who it was but I want to give a big shout out to him and I hear that that's a really one of their top performing areas is in the Guelph Kitchener area so thank you to CAA thank you for all you do thank you for visiting us here at Queens Park today and hoping that we don't need you too often. I do apologize to the member from Foreign Hill should know her writing by now the member from London West. Thank you Speaker I rise today during local government week to recognize the dedicated locally elected school board trustees who are responsible for governing public education in our province. School board trustees are the oldest form of elected representation in Ontario. They are champions of public education whose singular focus is the promotion of student achievement and well-being and ensuring that all students are able to reach their fullest potential. School boards bring together elected trustees appointed Indigenous trustees and elected student trustees. This year I want to congratulate the Thames Valley District School Board for its leadership in creating a seat at the board table for Canada's first ever Indigenous student trustee. Gista Kennedy a grade 11 student at Saunders Secondary School in London will bring the voices of First Nations, Métis and Inuit students to school board decision making a historic first not just for Ontario but for our nation. Speaker this is what truth and reconciliation looks like and what public education is all about. It is about celebrating and respecting the contributions of First Peoples and ensuring their voices are heard in curriculum and in governance. It is about embracing diversity in our schools and our communities and closing achievement gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students between black and non-black students and others. It is about providing students with special needs, the resources and supports they require to learn. Speaker school board trustees are critical to our future as a province and as a society and I salute them for their advocacy and commitment. Thank you. Thank you for the number six from Ottawa. Mr. Speaker, to rise in this legislature today to extend my warmest greetings to the Canadian Azerbaijanis community. On October 18, 1991 the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan adopted a declaration of independence and declared its independence from the USSR. Independence granted Azerbaijan the right to maintain its cultural heritage, a rich heritage that we get to enjoy here in Ontario. The community of Azerbaijanis in Ontario adds to our immense multicultural fabric and we are delighted to celebrate it today. I would really like to recognize the value of partnership and friendship that exists between Azerbaijan and Ontario. Both sides benefit from this close bond. Indeed the relationship was made even stronger when my colleague Reza Mouridi, the Minister of Research, Innovation and Science led a very successful innovation mission to Azerbaijan. So to all the Azerbaijani community, please accept my sincere best wishes for a meaningful and memorable Independence Day. Felicitations. Thank you very much. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize a significant personal commitment from Shakir Ramatula of Flato Developments to health care in our community. The Markham-based developer has pledged a half a million dollars over 10 years toward the new Markville Hospital. His company is also currently in the first stage of developing 800 family homes in nearby Dundalk. Mr. Ramatula realizes residents need and want access to health care and so he wants his company to be a vital part of helping to build the local hospital. I quote him this is just a way of saying we're supporting the community and that should make them proud and that should make them feel they've bought their home from a builder who cares, who is involved in the community. We're not just out there to just build the homes and we're gone, we're going to be here. We're going to stay around and we want to work with the community. I'm also pleased to share at the house that Greybrews Health Services has just submitted its design plan for the new hospital which will have four beds, a palliative care room, 24-7 emergency with 7 treatment areas, a procedures room, laboratory, diagnostic imaging, physio and a space for ambulatory care clinics. Construction is expected to begin in 2019 and be complete by 2021. In my six years as MPP this has been a priority file for me and I've been very vocal about it. This is why my constituents and I are very excited to see this project finally coming together. It has been 15 years since a fundraising campaign was launched to help Greybrews Health Services build the new hospital and a total of 12 million dollars is raised in just a couple of years by the generous people of Markville here. It has also been 12 years since Grey County donated the land for the facility. I know the members of the legislature will join me in acknowledging this great contribution from Mr. Ramatula and Plato Developments and for their ongoing investments that will help make several key equipment purchases over the coming years. Thank you Speaker. Thank you for your member statements from member from Scarborough Age of Court. Thank you Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize the community health and well-being week from October the 16th to the 20th. The theme for this week is health equality at the centre. During this week we have an opportunity to reach out to the people who face barriers to achieving the best possible health and well-being. We recognize that not all Ontarians have equitable access to health services, Indigenous people, Franco Ontarians, newcomers and people with mental health and addiction challenges often struggle to get health care they need. Through the patients first act the government demonstrate their commitment to improving health access and equality as well as reducing health disparity. The passing of this legislation empower the lens to be responsible building a more sustainable efficient and accessible health care system. I want to recognize Scarborough Age of Court home folk nurse practitioner-led clinic for putting health equality at the centre by addressing barriers to well-being such as racism, sexism and homophobia. The clinic staff offer a variety of primary health care, mental health services, outreach programs for people facing homelessness and impactful education mentorship programs for at-risk youth in Toronto and York Region. During this week Mr Speaker, Ontario's 107 community government primary health care organizations will host events to showcase their work in serving the people most at risk for poor health and I encourage all my colleagues and Ontarians to visit these organizations throughout this week and I look forward to visiting home folk nurse practitioner-led clinic later this week. Thank you Mr Speaker. Thank you for the member statements. The member from Chattanooga. Thank you Mr Speaker. School bus drivers are Ontario's unsung heroes. They ensure the safety of our children as they get in and out of buses. They have a difficult and stressful job as it is but the government is making life harder for them. Why? Well funding for school bus drivers is already tight and the sudden rise in the minimum wage which the government plans to introduce is already posing a serious problem. These contracts determine payment years ahead. Other service providers can manage the new minimum wage by raising prices. But school bus operators are bound by long-term contracts which never contemplated at 32% wage increase. Government demands for school bus service providers have increased costs much faster than the funds have risen. Now this latest cost increase has pushed the system to the brink of failure putting jobs in danger but there's more. Everyone knows that it is illegal to pass a school bus when it is stopped, lights flashing and stoparm extended. Almost a year ago my private member's bill 94 addressed the blow by crisis. I recommended that cameras be installed on school buses in order to capture the blow by as it occurs. The government installed for several months but recently invited me to a consultation about installing cameras on school buses. So it seems the MTO is finally interested in doing it. But let me say this. Speaker we cannot let the school bus safety fall off the radar and today I would like to specifically show my appreciation for school bus drivers by promising now and to never give up the fight to crack down on blow by. Thank all members for their statements.