 It is now time for Member Statements. The Member for Ottawa's Centre. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, I rise today as a white politician wanting to speak truth on the International Day for the Elimination of Racism. Now, some may find that opening statement curious. They might say, Joel, why mention that you're white? Everyone here agrees that racism is unacceptable. We should try to be colour-blind and not see skin colour because it shouldn't matter. Well, Speaker, I believe race does matter. I've talked to too many people denied employment, housing and basic decency from others because they're indigenous, black or brown members of my community. We can't hug that out. We can't fix it if we're colour-blind. We live in a racist society and we need to be honest about that. On this day, I want to remember Abdu Rahman Abdi. Abdu Rahman was a 37-year-old Somali Canadian man with mental health challenges who was violently killed by a police officer while trying to go home to his home on July of 2016. Since this tragic incident, our community in Ottawa has come together to support the family and show that we need to root out racism and where it remains, sadly, in our police force. Abdu Rahman, like all indigenous, black and racialized people, face systemic barriers each and every day in all aspects of daily life. We must address how racism and systemic discrimination affects racialized people with disabilities in particular and those with mental health challenges. I stand here, Speaker, having met Abdu Rahman's family and committed to them that we must do better. And I invite us all to do better. Member Statements, the Member for Aurora, Oak Bridges, Richard Hill. Thank you very much, Speaker. Well, Speaker, yesterday marked the first day of spring in Ontario and around the world. It is also the welcoming of Norus, also known as Persian New Year. Speaker, Norus is an ancient and festive celebration that commences at the exact time of the vernal equinox. It has been celebrated for more than 3,000 years and continues to be the prominent holiday for many countries around the world. This ancient day is not only celebrated in Iran, but in various central Asian countries such as Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Kurdistan, Uzbekistan, the Republic of Azerbaijan, parts of Pakistan, India and China and in the Kurdish region of Turkey, Iraq and Syria. Diaspora populations from these countries continue to keep the traditions of this beautiful celebration going and the new countries they call home. Over 250 million people around the world celebrate this joyous and festive holiday. Right here in Ontario, over 100,000 families and communities gathered around their beautifully decorated half-seen table to ring in the New Year. During the 13 days, families, friends, neighbors will continue to celebrate the start of Norus by attending various parties and festivals around the province and by visiting one another to share the happiness, joy and renewed hope of the New Year. Speaker, as a Canadian of Iranian descent, it is with great pleasure and pride that I rise today to wish all those celebrating this ancient tradition a happy, healthy, prosperous New Year. Norusitan Peruz, Adrusitan Norus. It's okay. Member statements? Member for Kitchener Centre. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting with a number of Black kids, Black youth who are in our care system. They had released an amazing report called Hair Story, Rooted, talking about the issue of anti-Black racism within our systems of care. In their report, they provided a number of recommendations for a variety of people, whether it was youth care workers or government officials. And before they let any of us leave, they asked that we use our positions of privilege and power to speak their recommendations into being. And so there are three recommendations in particular that I really want to share with everybody in this house. First, staff of all government ministries and community organizations involved in providing care to Black children and youth must receive mandatory training regarding anti-Black racism, anti-oppression and the lasting effects of trauma on the mental health of Black youth. Second, when creating and developing strategies, policies or practices to support Black youth, government ministries, service organizations and other stakeholders must work directly with Black youth to provide their input into the process and content. And finally, persons providing training on the complexities of Blackness must be from the Black community and demonstrate a thorough understanding of how perceptions of Blackness impact the development of children and youth. I hope that today, as we celebrate the day to eliminate racial discrimination, that we take these recommendations to heart, that we do this work and that we do better for our youth in care. Thank you. Member's statements. Member for King Vaughan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize and celebrate the amazing achievements of a Canadian who embodied the best of our values, Mr. George Leslie Mackay. Born and raised in southwestern Ontario's Oxford County, Dr. Mackay spent much of his time in what is today Taiwan. As the first Presbyterian missionary to Taiwan, he introduced concepts and practices of public health care, female education and Christianity to the island. After settling and starting a family in Taiwan, Dr. Mackay practiced dentistry, built a clinic, a middle school and a boarding school for girls. He was a staunch advocate for women's rights. He spoke out against discrimination and fought for equality and for human dignity. Today, Taiwan is a shining example of the values Dr. Mackay promoted so vigorously. It is a beacon of democracy, of pluralism and freedom, affording its citizens the freedom of press, of speech and freedom of faith. It has transformed into a modern, vibrant democracy which in 2018-16 elected the first female president ever. Its legislature is composed of nearly 40% women. And so we, many of us had the pleasure of visiting Taiwan early this year. We witnessed the incredible accomplishments, many of which Dr. Mackay worked so hard towards building. And we want to applaud him for the work and for the legacy he's made on behalf of all Canadians. I can say without any doubt that Taiwan is a genuine and reliable partner for Ontario and for all of Canada. A country that upholds the rule of law, a country that stands for democracy in a region of the world that could use more of it. So today, Mr. Speaker, on the 175th anniversary on his birth, I want to recognize the great contributions of Dr. Mackay and highlight the strong friendship, the enduring partnership between Canada and Taiwan, the two countries he called home. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Member Stamels, a member for Hamilton East, Stony Creek. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, yesterday my colleague Sandy Shaw and I asked the Minister of Transportation about his ministry's role in public safety on our roads here in the province. Specifically regarding Hamilton's very own Red Hill Valley Parkway. As many people here know, a reported commission by the city of Hamilton was unearthed after it was buried in 2013. This extremely important document detailed the substandard levels of tire traction on the major artery roadway linking two provincial highways, the QEW and the 403. The municipality of Hamilton is dealing with their own questions about this report, especially why it was never shown to members of council until it was rediscovered earlier this year. While the city figures out its course of action, the people of Hamilton deserve answers and they have good reason for that. The Red Hill Valley Parkway is not just a bumpy, slippery road. Lives were lost. And the families of these victims want to know why they have had to suffer this tragedy with no answers. It seems that the minister wants to pin the blame of his hidden report on the city of Hamilton and wash his hands of it. This is not a blame game. It's about public safety. What we're asking for is this. One, the city of Hamilton should know that the province will assist with any judicial inquiry, especially when it comes to the financial burden of conducting such an in-depth undertaking. Two, the province should also review its own policies regarding the regulation of high-speed roadways, such as the Red Hill Valley, especially when they serve as conduits between our provincially regulated highways. What is the point of ensuring safety on the QEW when the road that gets you there is dangerously unsafe? Thank you for this opportunity, Speaker, to raise these concerns. And I hope the members opposite take action on these serious matters of public safety. Thank you very much. Member Statements, the member for Scarborough-Gildwood. I seek unanimous consent to present a member's statement on behalf of the member for Don Valley West. Member Gildwood is seeking unanimous consent of the House to make a statement on behalf of the member for Don Valley West. Agreed? Agreed. Member for Scarborough-Gildwood. Thank you so much, Speaker. It is an honour for me to speak today on the UN proclaimed International Day for the elimination of racial discrimination on behalf of the Liberal Caucus. Seventy-nine years ago, on March 21, 1960, police opened fire on a peaceful protest against the apartheid regime in Sharpville, South Africa, killing 69 activists and 69 people. This is a day that we should all commemorate because it speaks to our humanity and our connectivity despite our diverse backgrounds. My riding of Scarborough-Gildwood is home to a vibrant, diverse community of people, many of whom have encountered the struggles and triumphs that come from building a family away from your first home. Scarborough is home to many of our brothers and sisters from the Muslim community. This past week, all of our lives were touched by the tragedy of the attack on two Christchurch moths, a violent act of discrimination on the basis of race and religion. We need to remember the spirit of this day and of decades of resilience when conducting ourselves as leaders and as elected representatives in this House. Today, on the International Day of the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, I call on my colleagues in the House to practice active solidarity with racialized communities. Solidarity requires policymaking that supports the most vulnerable people in our communities, and, importantly, solidarity means having voices at the table that reflect the vibrancy and diversity of our communities that we ourselves claim to represent. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you. Member Stevens, the member for Niagara West. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Speaker, currently, am I riding in Niagara West? There is no proper truck route heading north-south up the Niagara escarpment to Smithville between Beansville and Grimsby. The closest intersections are from Centennial Parkway, all the way to Victoria Avenue. As a result, both towns have hundreds of heavy trucks coming through every day, which can be very dangerous, especially in icy conditions. Many transport drivers are forced to take the narrow, curvy, and unsuitable roads that run through the downtown up and down the escarpment. And so it is of utmost importance that we ensure a safe alternative for these transport drivers and for all the citizens of Beansville and Grimsby. That's why, Speaker, I was so excited to welcome to Niagara West the Minister of Infrastructure, Monty McNaughton, to discuss the name for the Bartlett Extension Project in my riding. Bartlett Extension currently extends south beyond Main Street East in Grimsby, paving the way for a continuation of the avenue up the escarpment, which was the initial intent when shovels hit the ground 40 years ago. The extension of Bartlett Avenue in Grimsby South would ensure proper transit between West Lincoln, Beansville, and the QEW. Speaker, I'm excited to tell all the residents of the Niagara region that together with local mayors and councillors, our government is working hard to come up with a strategy that would see the Bartlett Extension Project completed. Once again, I wish to thank Mayors Bausma, Easton, and regional councillor, Furtick, for meeting with Minister McNaughton and myself to work on this important project. Thank you, Speaker. Member statements to member for Brampton Center. What an honor to rise here today on World Down Syndrome Day to celebrate all people with Down Syndrome. I'd like to celebrate and commemorate this day by sharing a little story about my younger sister, Gervir, who is a person with Down Syndrome. Gervir was born on December 22, 1991, so she is now 27 years old. When she was born in Montreal, actually, the doctors told my mom that they should consider adoption. They did not actually advise my mom on options for care or support in the community. What they did do was let her know that there were adoption options that were available. My mom, in fact, told the doctors that she did not see my sister as a challenge but as a gift for our family, so that we could learn and see the world a little differently, and indeed, over the last 27 years, I have, and members of my family have definitely seen the world very, very differently. Through my journey with my sister and our family, I watched my mom fight to have her included in mainstream classrooms to ensure that she would receive the funding she needed to get the programs and supports that she needed and that people would see her as just that, a person. We continue that fight as do so many families here across the province. So today, let's take a moment to celebrate the accomplishments of people with Down syndrome, their struggles to be included, and their journey to achieve a good life. People with Down syndrome are athletes, they are artists, they are entrepreneurs, they are siblings, they are aunts, they are sisters, they are people in our community. As a sibling, I see firsthand how our society continues to place limits on people rather than seeing the possibilities of those individuals. I encourage members here as we celebrate, we rock our different socks, let's think about more than just this day and what it means, and let's think about how we can work towards ensuring that people with all types of disabilities are included in our communities, in our province, in every single way that they deserve. Thank you very much. Thank you. Member Statements, the member for Markham Thornhill. Mr. Speaker, it's a pleasure for me to rise today for us to reflect on and celebrate the many cultural events and festivals that have taken place over the past few months. Canada is unknown and celebrated for its vibrant cultural diversity, and there is no better example of that right here in the beautiful province of Ontario. We welcome and celebrate Canadian of all ethnic background and abilities. Indeed, as a nation and the province, it is our unique strength and our advantage. Over the past few months, we celebrated Canoe Cusp, Christmas, Taipungal, Diwali, Kawansa, Ramdan, Chinese New Year, and more recently, Nourous, Iranian New Year, name few. As a member of Tamil Descent, it was a great pleasure for me to co-host with my colleague from Scarborough Rouge, a Taipungal celebration at Queensborough along with PC Caucus. Similar Taipungal celebrations were held by many other members in their riding, involving thousands of residents. A large number of Chinese New Year celebration were also held at Queensborough Park and co-hosted by local MPPs across Ontario. Thousands of residents of all backgrounds joined in the celebration co-hosted by MPPs. In Markham, in my own riding, Mr. Chair, Chinese New Year celebration dominated the month of February. Over 250 residents attended my traditional Chinese New Year celebration on February 23rd. Mr. Speaker, all these haven't co-hosted by the government and members at large. It is a strong and encouraging testament to our communities and diversity and inclusivity. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Member Statements, member for Cambridge. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, of the 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games. The games have taken place in Abu Dhabi over the past week, March 14th, 2021. I want to congratulate Cambridge resident and 10-pin bowler, Barry Green, on being one of 109 athletes representing Team Canada at the Games. Barry has won gold and silver in regional and national games in the past. I know that getting to the Special Olympics, World Games, has been a dream of his for many years. And I know that his family and friends and many in Cambridge are very proud of him and his accomplishments. Oh, Barry. And his team will be bringing home medals from the Games this year. They won silver a few days ago. Way to go, Barry and team. To Barry Green and all of Team Canada's athletes, staff and volunteers at the 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games, congratulations and thank you for representing our country and your communities so proudly. Go, Canada. That concludes our Member Statements for this afternoon.