 My apologies for the member from London North Centre. It is now time for Member's Statement. I recognise the member from Brampton West. Thank you Speaker. Speaker being an elected official in the beautiful city of Brampton gives me the chance to visit and support many wonderful initiatives within the city. I have had the privilege of supporting amazing initiatives for the betterment of society such as the Blood and Plasmon Drive held by Dr. Shri Nana Sahib, the Remindikari Speaker. I have also had the opportunity to support many great initiatives that support healthy and active living through support. Two supporting initiatives I have had the honour of supporting are the United Brothers Field Hockey Academy Tournament, Toronto Cup 2023 Field Hockey Tournament and the United Christian Table Tournament. It's always amazing seeing members of the community come together to watch the amazing display of skill, dedication and hard work exhibited by all the players. Speaker thank you to the great ethnic diversity of Brampton. I have also had the pleasure of immersing myself in a wide variety of different cultures from all over the world. Just recently I have been joining the community in celebrating Navratri, a holy festival in the Hindu community. I have also joined the City of Brampton for their Latino Heritage Month celebrations. It is always amazing seeing the community get together to celebrate and display their unique cultures. Speaker I feel blessed to show my support for many amazing initiatives that are organised in the wonderful City of Brampton, whether it be Blood Drives, sporting events or events that bring the community together. Thank you Speaker. Member Statement. Member from London West. Thank you Speaker. Yesterday we were horrified by news of yet another senseless Femmicide in Sault Ste. Marie as a result of intimate partner violence. Five people, including three children, are dead. A community is in mourning. These deaths will be recorded in the monthly 08th Femmicide Report, which confirmed in September that 46 women have already been killed by their intimate partner this year. Last year there were a record 52 Femmicides in Ontario. Yet the Ford government continues to refuse to recognise intimate partner violence as the epidemic it is, which was the very first recommendation of the coroner's inquest into the murders of Carol Colleton, Natalie Warmerden and Anastasia Kulik by their intimate partner in Renfrew County in 2015. The Ford government dismantled the round table on violence against women as soon as they were elected in 2018, leaving no body to provide the coordination and identify the resources necessary to prevent intimate partner violence. They have ignored urgent pleas for stable and adequate funding for women's shelters and organisations that support survivors. Speaker, I am proud that the City of London is among the 63 Ontario communities that have declared intimate partner violence an epidemic. Let this be the Femmicide that finally forces the government to do the same. Thank you. Thank you very much. Member Statements, a member for Glengarry Prescott Russell. Last week was a small business week and I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the small businesses of Glengarry Prescott Russell and across the province. I used to own a small business myself and I know that small businesses or businesses with fewer than 100 employees play a big role in Ontario, making up about 98% of all businesses in the province and employing more than 2 million Ontarians. From family business to manufacturer, small businesses are crucial to Ontario's economic success and their impact is felt in communities across the province. These small business owners are giving so much to our community, they are the ones sponsoring the sport leagues and many events and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all the small businesses in my writing. On a different note, I would like to congratulate the SOO, the Economic Society of Ontario, for organizing the Ametsist Gala 2023 that will be held on November 8th in Ottawa. Unfortunately I won't be able to attend given my commitment with the Francophone Assembly but I know that this gala will reward business owners, employers as well as others who have contributed to the Franco-Ontarian economy. I would like to congratulate them and thank them for contributing to the Franco-Ontarian economy. Thank you. Member Statements, the Member for Hamilton West and Caster Dundas. Thank you. With profound sadness, I rise to acknowledge the tragic deaths of five people, including three children, one as young as six years old, killed by themicide at the hands of a man in Sault Ste. Marie. My deepest condolences to the family and friends of the victims and to the MPP for Sault Ste. Marie, who I'm certain is helping his community deal with this profound tragedy. In 2022 in Ontario every seven days a woman or child was killed in a themicide. Please, all of us, take a moment to pause and reflect on this horrifying loss. We count themicide because it is intended to mark the tragic loss of each life, to raise a public alarm and to engage everyone in working together toward prevention. The Premier offered his prayers to the victims and that is appropriate. But, however, the Premier has a responsibility to show leadership to change these tragic outcomes, we must do better. Premier, you can start today by declaring that intimate partner violence is an epidemic in Ontario. On August 18, 2023, the City of Hamilton declared intimate partner violence as an epidemic, and almost 65 municipalities across Ontario have done the same. Where is the commitment to prevention in Ontario? Premier, please show that these survivors are not alone. In Hamilton, the women abuse working group is a coalition of more than 20 agencies working to end violence against women and their children. They offer this message. We know that it takes a community to end violence. To anyone facing violence to survivors, please know you are not alone. There are programs and services in place to support you and your family. Please, do not hesitate to reach out when you are ready to do so. Member statements? The Member for Mississauga Lakeshore. Assalamu alaikum, Speaker. I'm honoured to rise today to recognise Islamic Heritage Month and to celebrate the many important contributions of Muslim Canadians in the arts, science, literature, and often all three. Speaker, this includes leaders like my friend Imam Sheikh Ibrahim Hussain from the Masjid Ramadanullah Allaman in my community of Mississauga Lakeshore. Sheikh Ibrahim is a leader in the field of ADR, an alternative dispute resolution. He's the founder of Sula Solutions, the first Muslim ADR organisation in the world. Sula comes from the Arabic word sul, which means make peace. And that's why that's what Sheikh Ibrahim does, promoting peace and reconciliation and making a positive impact around the world. His goal is to train thousands of faith leaders in the online dispute resolutions by 2030. He also launched his new book today, The Muslim Dispute Resolution Guide, a guide to help all become better peacemakers and to encourage everyone to pick up a copy. I'm proud to sponsor Sheikh Ibrahim's lunch reception today in 228 and in 230, and I encourage all members to join our celebration of Islamic Heritage Month and learn more about the Muslim dispute resolution. Thank you. Thank you very much, members statements. The member for Ottawa Centre. Thank you, Speaker. I also rise, as my colleagues have done, to grieve collectively the five folks who we've lost in Sault Ste. Marie and to acknowledge that we have a responsibility in this legislature to reach out to anybody who right now is living in a violent home. And I'm sad to say, Speaker, the Ottawa Police Service has just confirmed there's been a double digit increase in intimate partner violence charges in our city across the river. And get to know the increase is up 300 in police officers having to intervene in domestic assaults and in violent homes. And right now, Cornerstone Women's Shelter in Ottawa has had to turn away 360 people who have called them for help in accessing their shelter because their shelter's full. Shelter Movers Ottawa has had a double digit increase in their folks who try to call Shelter Movers Ottawa so they can move out of a violent home free of charge for women and their children in low income circumstances. So I call upon this government, because I know we all care about it in this place, to send a message imminently out of this legislature that intimate partner violence has reached epidemic proportions to agree to agree with the Renfrew County Ingress Report and to send a signal through funds that we will allocate to organizations in all of our ridings that you can leave a violent home, the province of Ontario is behind you, and we believe you have the right to live free of violence. Thank you very much. Member Statements, the member for Renfrew, Nipissing Pembroke. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, how can someone affectionately known as Mad Dog? They're generally seen as a hard-edged Ruffian you want to stay away from. Well, you can if you're the unmistakably dedicated, focused, and truly compassionate Bob Runciman. As many of you would know, Bob, who's been a member and a friend to me as long as I've been here, had a political career that span 45 years, including municipal and provincial elected office, as well as the Senate of Canada. Clearly, Speaker, if you've spent 45 years in politics, you've got a lot to talk about. And most will do exactly that. But Bob Runciman has gone a step further. He's penned a book titled From Mad Dog to Senator. His memoirs of that 45-year career that former Premier Mike Harris has called A Great Read. Well, Speaker, I can echo the sentiments of Premier Harris. And of course, I encourage every member here to get themselves a copy. And Speaker, I'm also offering a great opportunity to listen to the Honorable Mr. Runciman speak about his book and the making of it at a special reception to be held at the Albany Club on November 14. It'll be a great opportunity to hear firsthand the inside story on a number of his unique and special experiences, including the highs and the lows during his remarkable 45-year career. I'll certainly be there, Speaker, and I encourage every member of the House to join me at 5.45 for what will be an exciting and revealing evening. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Member's statements. The member for Alderman Norfolk. Thank you, Speaker. As we embark on November, our thoughts turn to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and to honour those who served and continue to serve today. But remembrance should be a year-long commitment. I'd like to thank and congratulate some people and groups in my riding of Alderman Norfolk who work each and every day to ensure year-long remembrance. Recently, I attended the 95th anniversary of the Major Walter Barnard Branch 125 Legion in Delhi. It was a fantastic evening and it was so heartening to see neighbouring branch 158 Port Dover out in full support. The Haggersville Chamber of Commerce recently unveiled its Veterans Banner Project. Motorists travelling Highway 6 through Haggersville will be reminded of the local young men who served. Banners have also been raised for OPP Constable Greg Parchala and Calgary Police Service Sergeant Andrew Harnett, a native of Haggersville. Down the road in Jarvis, the Banner Project supported by the Board of Trade is now in its fifth year. In September, the Veterans Voices of Canada raised 128 flags to honour the 128,000 Canadian military and RCMP members killed and missing in action from the Boer Ward current missions. This was the third year for this ceremony in Wingfield Park in Dunville. In the coming days, Legion members, Army Navy Air Force members and cadets will be outside many stores in our respective communities as part of the POPI campaign. I will be taking part in the campaign once again and I encourage all members to do so as well. Thank you. Thank you. Members' statements. The member for Simcoe Gray. Thank you very much, Speaker, and good morning. Today is a historic day for the members of Simcoe County. It is the 100th anniversary of the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Alliston's native son and hero, Sir Frederick Banting. Dr. Banting was awarded the Peace Prize in Biology for the discovery of insulin. He was the first Canadian to receive the Nobel Peace Prize and was the youngest recipient at the age of 32, a distinction that remains today. Dr. Banting was raised on a farm on the outskirts of Alliston and the town of Newt Komseth and I'm very proud to say that the town has rallied around and maintained the Banting homestead which has been preserved and restored by the Sir Frederick Banting Legacy Foundation. Sir Frederick was a true Renaissance man, an artist, musician, war hero who enlisted in both the first and second world wars and received the military cross for heroism under fire as a member of the Medical Corps. Dr. Banting was an accomplished artist and spent time with the Group of Seven in A.Y. Jackson. Dr. Banting and his friend Charles Best discovered insulin in 1921 and refined its production to change the lives of thousands if not millions of people around the world suffering from diabetes. He sold the patent to the University of Toronto for $1 and ensured that all money from the production were reinvested to make sure that diabetics around the world and this country could be saved. Prior to its introduction, it was the death sentence diabetes and Sir Frederick Banting has saved the lives of millions around the world and done Canada proud. Happy anniversary, Dr. Banting. Thank you. Member statements. The member for Windsor to come see. Hey, Speaker. It's always a privilege to rise in this house and today it's in celebration of a beloved organization in Windsor to come see called the Hospice of Windsor, Essex County. Hospice delivers compassionate palliative care for our community's residents led by Executive Director Nancy Brockenshire and her incredible team. The hospice is a pillar of support for our families during their time of grief. Now, John Fairley is a well-known name in our community and he has led the hospice face-to-face fundraising campaign in conjunction with your TV Windsor for the last 21 years. And 2023 just concluded was its best year ever bringing in $125,791. That brings the campaign total to more than $1.5 million in the last 21 years. These funds mean a lot, supporting transportation for patients to their medical appointments and patient wellness programs. But the face-to-face campaign challenges all to do is to find 10 friends to donate $10. And Speaker, it didn't take long for me to find those 10 friends right here in the Ontario Legislature who joined me in contributing this year. And to them, I say, thank you so, so much. With $470,000 in new funding for hospice over the next two years, for nursing, personal support and patient services, and over $450,000 to support three new beds, two in Windsor and one at the Erie Shores site in Leamington, I'm proud of our government's ongoing commitment to hospice. To John Fairley, to Nancy Brockenshire, and the entire team in hospice, Windsor Essex, congratulations on completing a successful campaign this year. That concludes our member's statements for this morning. Introduction.