 Member Statement. I recognize the member from police at Simcoe County. Thank you, Speaker. I rise to recognize the amazing efforts of medical staff at Collingwood General Marine Hospital, Simcoe County paramedics, OPP officers, Clearview firefighters, and everyone else involved in helping those injured in a horrific head-on collision in my riding near Steiner on February 2nd. The accident involved a minivan carrying a family of eight and a tour bus filled with 45 students and teachers from Hamilton who had spent the day skiing at Blue Mountain. First responders did an amazing job extracting the injured and preparing them to be transported to hospital. At Collingwood General Marine Hospital, a code orange was declared. Medical staff were called in to assist with the influx of patients, many of them pediatric. Staff at the hospital had just 10 minutes warning between notification of the accident and patients arriving. Staff at our local hospital did a terrific job stabilizing patients coming into the emergency room and preparing them, those with more serious injuries, to be transported to trauma hospitals. I want to thank hospital president and CEO Nora Holder and hospital chief of staff Dr. Michael Leasy for their leadership. During this very rare code orange hospital staff performed admirably and with amazing professionalism. They were under a lot of pressure and delivered outstanding care. I also want to recognize the Collingwood Regional Airport for its efforts during this incident. A number of orange helicopters and planes were used to transport critical patients to larger trauma centers. They received support from local airport staff with flight line services and refueling. Great people doing great work and we're very proud of them. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Thank you for allowing me to speak today. I like to talk about a major issue in Niagara and that is the EMS crisis we're facing. Let me begin by saying I have nothing but the highest respect for the EMS workers. But the issue is no matter how hard they're working, they can't keep up with this system. The amount of calls are increasing and spreading them thin and the majority of these calls are seniors. Perhaps even worse when they get to the hospital, the hospital is too packed to admit the patients they're carrying. Just yesterday we heard an awful story of a patient being forced to recover in a bathroom because it's the only open spot. I spoke with EMS in Niagara and they're telling me sometimes they wait at the hospital for four hours. Madam Speaker, this issue was brought before Regional Council and they discussed bringing this issue to the province to ask for help. I agree with them. The province has a duty and a responsibility to ensure that the residents have access to health care that is right in this country. That means our first responders need to have the support they need to do their jobs properly. Our EMS responders are working with Brock University and Niagara College to explore ways to make treating patients better. Let's be clear. This shouldn't be on their backs. The province can and should not lead on this. The province should make sure not one person in this province has to care in a hospital washroom, hallway or broom closet. They need to make sure our EMS workers aren't overworked. Simply put, health care is a right in Ontario. That means access to health care is a right too and right now this government is failing to make that a priority. Thank you very much. Thank you. I recognize the member from Ottawa South. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Today and speak about International Mother Tongue Language Day, which was yesterday, February 21st. So I said yesterday and I'm very fortunate to represent a riding where families from 125 countries, First Nations, Inuit and Métis have chosen to make home. They speak 90 languages. It's really quite an amazing thing when you think about that happening somewhere in a place that's as small as a riding. It doesn't happen very many places in the world. So as I said yesterday, you know, we live together, we work together, our kids go to school together, we play together and we celebrate together. And a day like February 21st is definitely a reason to celebrate our own mother tongues are unique languages. In Ottawa South, almost the second most prominent language is Arabic. Also Somalis big language, French is our second language. So but if you look at the at the wide breadth of it, 90 languages, many different dialects. So I'm very proud to say, Madam Speaker, that in my office, I have a great staff and my great staff serve people in English, French, Arabic, Somali. And now with the addition of our new co-op student, we serve them in Spanish as well too. I'm very proud of that. I think that that's something that we should all aspire to. And let's celebrate each other's unique heritage and language. And thank you very much for your time, Madam Speaker. Thank you, Speaker. On January the 15th, 2018, in recognition of its ongoing efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in WIPI, the Towns, Ecology, Ethnocultural and Diversity Advisory Committee was presented a provincial champion of diversity award by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. Speaker, the champion of diversity awards were created in 2017 to recognize astounding individuals, groups and employers who go above and beyond to help promote immigrant success, economic growth and inclusion in Ontario. Speaker, WIPI's Ethnocultural and Diversity Award Committee received an award in the category of inclusion and diversity force leadership and participation in community events that helped celebrate diversity. In addition, Speaker, the committee was recognized for its new resident bus tour and WIPI passport program that introduces new Canadians and residents to their neighbourhood and connects them to local businesses. Speaker, collectively these efforts are part of the Towns' commitment to being an inclusive community where all WIPI residents and newcomers feel welcomed and valued as they should. Congratulations to the committee members, Speaker, Towns staff, Mayor Dawn Mitchell and the other members of the WIPI Town Council for celebrating diversity in WIPI. I recognize the member from Algoma, Manitoulin Island. Speaker, I have lots to say. Listen, Maple Syrup Season has started. I was with producers from Manitoulin to North Shore and from the Sioux North Area. The Algoma Maple Syrup Producers Association had their first tap over the Consovency Authority. The Sugar Shack in Sault Ste. Marie was a great day to get out and buy your Maple Syrup. Listen, there's a thousand activities that are going on across Algoma, Manitoulin with community carnivals. With 37 municipalities, 21 First Nations, there's Tug of Wars, Plank Races, Nail Driving, Baccarodeo, Bingo, Cardboard Boxes, Sol-Log, Chili Contest, Fry and Pantos. I went to Whitefish River First Nations this weekend defending my title and I have to say I came in second in Sol-Log but I did come in first in a new race which is the Barefoot Snow Race. We ran across a soccer field back and forth. Anyways, I had this elegant stretch at the finish line followed by a great crawl. Also, one of the biggest events in my writing in Elliott Lake was the 11th annual fishing derby and I sat by my hole with my menu and I talked down that line speaker and I said here fishy fishy fishy and the fish heard me and he came and he bit my line but he was too small but just about 10 feet away from me Mr. Ron Nadeau from Elliott Lake, a 72-year-old, won the biggest fish, $25,000. Congratulations Ron and the magic question is I asked Ron what are you going to do with the money? You know what Ron said? My wife will tell me. Thank you. Members of State, my recognize the member from St. Catharine. On Saturday, February 24th, Start Me Up Niagara will be holding its annual coldest night of the year walk in downtown St. Catharines to raise funds to assist in providing needed services to vulnerable individuals in our city. Start Me Up Niagara under the capable and dedicated leadership of Susan Venditti operates an outreach center to serve those in Niagara who are experiencing significant life challenges such as poverty, homelessness, unemployment, addictions and mental illness. This wonderful organization also operates a work action center where eligible participants can access enhanced skills development training and business supports using a computer learning lab and an artistic retail program. Among the services offered at the outreach center are weekend lunches, advocacy, activities, housing, employment supports and tax receipts. Participation in the walk will, participants in the walk will gather at Market Square building at 445 Saturday and will walk on an established route in downtown St. Catharines. We did it last year. Last year, Start Me Up Niagara raised over $100,000 during the 2017 coldest night of the year walk. These funds help keep the doors open every day, enable them to buy their own building in 2015 and open a second location this past summer. Our goal in 2018 is $100,000 and your support is needed to make this happen. This year's funds raised will be used for further building and program enhancements. Thank you. Thank you. Member Statements are recognized and member from Niagara West. Thank you speaker. Yesterday the great Reverend Billy Graham Christian pastor and counselor to presidents died at age 99 surrounded by friends and family. Reverend Graham preached to over 200 million people in 185 countries around the world during his life. As Russell Moore president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission summed it up, Graham preached Christ, not himself, not politics, not prosperity. Perhaps for this reason Americans regularly put Graham at the top of most admired people polls. He was an inspiration to including to myself. Although Reverend Graham admitted to himself that he could have done more, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. counted Graham as a close friend and ally in the U.S. civil rights movement. On two occasions in the early 1950s in Tennessee and Mississippi, Graham is said to have literally removed racial barriers to the point of taking down ropes to attest to his belief in true equality. Asked what he'd like people to say about him when he died, Graham said, I want to hear one person say something nice about me, and that's my Lord. When I face him, I want to hear him say to me, well done, thou good and faithful servant. Yesterday, Speaker, I believe Reverend Graham heard his maker say those words to him. Billy Wentz said, someday you will read or hear that I have died. Don't you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God. God rest his soul. Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise today with pride to tell this House about a historic announcement made in my writing of Kingston and the Islands that will change our community for generations to come. Last June, I was pleased to host the Minister of Transportation in Kingston to announce a provincial commitment of $60 million for the third crossing over the Cataraqui River. This bridge represents a passionate story about our community and one which began 50 years ago. Through extensive collaboration between all three levels of government, the final piece of the third crossing was announced by our MP for Kingston and the Islands, Mark Garrison, yesterday morning for another $60 million. It is critical as well to pay tribute in this moment and acknowledge all of our predecessors who have weighed in on and worked on this project in the decades past. I commend the City and their planning team for their vision for this inclusive and their inclusive approach to this project, a project which will change the Google map footprint of our little corner of the world forever. The third crossing is an incredible opportunity for Kingston that will offer alternative routes for commuters, create jobs, alleviate traffic congestion, increase safety for emergency responders and lead to greater economic prosperity. A huge thank you to MP Mark Garrison and to the work of the Government of Canada. Yesterday was an incredible moment for us all. The third crossing will truly change the landscape of Kingston and positive impacts will come forward for many years. Thank you for the statement. I recognize their members from Thornhill. Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. And this week we had a bit of celebrity came to Thornhill this past Monday on Family Day for Lunch. It's a part of a series called the Tribute to Jewish Women. It's held at the Chabad Flamingo Synagogue and they were honoring their keynote speaker, the Honorable Rachel, her nickname in Yiddish is Rukhi Friar. And it's an interesting story, even though she was born in Brooklyn and she went to a very religious Jewish high school called Besyakov. She took a course in legal sonography and married at 19, had three sons and three daughters and she worked as a legal secretary and decided to go to law school when she was 30. She's now a judge and the first Hasidic female Jewish judge in New York State and it was very exciting to sort of hear her talk and very personal to me because she spoke about how a lot of naysayers, a lot of people said to her why are you doing this, you're not going to be successful, why are you even trying. I saw a lot of parallels from when I got involved in politics and she also spoke about how anybody she had ever helped in her non-profit work, in her legal career, came back and helped her 10 times when she ran for office, she had to run to be a judge and also she's extremely petite, Madam Speaker, and I sort of identified with how tiny she was and she has to sit on the bench, she's doing night court, she's doing criminal court, even though she applied to do civil court and she's doing a fantastic job and I know her community and the community of Thornhill is very proud of her. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Thank you. I want to thank members, all the members for the statements.