 Therefore, it's now time for member statements to member from here on Bruce. Thank you very much. Yesterday we celebrated on Terrio Craft Brewers here at Queens Park and today I'd like to recognize the great work being done by the Sparling family and their team at Cowbell Brewing Company. The brewery situated on 111 acres boasts some top-notch environmental practices including the very first North American ever carbon-excuse me-neutral brewery. Again, Cowbell Brewery is introducing North America's first ever carbon-neutral aspect in terms of how they're going to brew their beer, how they're going to manage their wastewater, and it's going to be a site that leads by example for the rest of Ontario. In an article in the Citizen Vice President Grant Sparling said, with the brewery located on the site of a former working farm at Highway 4 on County Road 25 if you're in the supply area, the Cowbell team was inspired by farmers as stewards of the land and the environment and the team knew they needed to keep that promise as well. In addition to the carbon neutrality, Cowbell has adopted state-of-the-art technologies that have allowed the brewery to cut its water consumption to half of the industry standard. The facility is in the process of being built and once it's completed the Sparlings are hoping to share their methods with other breweries that are looking to become more environmentally friendly. I hope everyone had a chance yesterday evening at the Speaker's craft brewers reception to sample the grape brews from Cowbell and check out the model of the brewery that's going to be finished by August 1st. Thank you very much. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. I'm delighted to rise today to recognize World Down Syndrome Day and also to celebrate the first Ontario Down Syndrome Day. First I want to give a shout out to the wonderful people of the Down Syndrome Association of Hamilton who have gathered to celebrate this day in Hamilton and watching the legislature as we speak. This is a particularly special day for those in Hamilton because the idea for the Down Syndrome Ontario Down Syndrome Day had its birth with Jennifer Croson and Allison Kowalchi, the President and Secretary of the Down Syndrome Association of Hamilton. I want to thank them for their vision on this day and I want to thank the organization and the many others around the province for the incredible work that they do. It is my pleasure to join with them every day, but especially today, to celebrate people with Down Syndrome, to help break down barriers, to encourage inclusion and to dispel the myths and stereotypes. I have been blessed with opportunities to spend time with some of the most caring, loving people who to this day have to fight to have their abilities recognized. I'm proud to call them my friends and I encourage everyone to in the words of the Canadian Down Syndrome Society billboards, as they say, see the ability. I'm sorry that I can't be with you today in Hamilton, but I look forward to continuing our work together in the future. Congratulations and enjoy your day. Thank you for the member's statements, the member for Mrs. Saga and you, Mr. Speaker. The Mississauga Muslim community recently held its seventh annual family day walkathon in sport of the Trillium Health Partners Foundation. Despite cold temperatures and a time bitter winds, the warmth created by the collective goodwill of those participating kept a smile on everyone's face. Having had the pleasure of attending the walkathon in previous year, that is the memory which always sticks with me the most. We are proud of our Muslim community in Mississauga. It is important to note that the Mississauga Muslim community was one of the first to recognize family day and one of the first to ever organize a family program, which was the family day walkathon. This was a charitable walkathon open to all members of all communities of Mississauga's diverse communities. The Mississauga Muslim community had a stated goal of raising quarter million of dollars in five years. They were able to achieve this goal in just three years. This is remarkable. This money went directly into the expansion of the ER department in the Crad Valley Hospital. This example of hard work and goodwill is what makes such an incredible place, interior such an incredible place to live. Each and every person who participated in this effort must be suited for their dedication as it is individuals who come together to make stronger communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Further member of the state, Mr. Member from Algin and Neal Sext, London. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Speaker, I'm pleased today to discuss National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, which is occurring in March. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the second leading cause of death in Canada. Colorectal cancer occurs when the cell linings in the colonorectum become abnormal and develop into benign tumors, otherwise known as polyps. These polyps metago DNA changes and become cancerous. If left untreated, the cancer may spread into the blood, lymph vessels, liver and lungs. Diabetes, physical and activity, obesity, consumption of red and processed meats, and smoking are risk factors related to colorectal cancer. Last year, one in 14 men and one in 16 women were diagnosed with colorectal cancer. But there is hope. It is estimated that 68% of people survive a colorectal cancer diagnosis. However, early detection is key. If the cancer can be deducted through early screenings, it can be highly treatable. Early identification and removal of growth is key to preventing the development of colorectal cancer. The most effective screening of colorectal cancer is the stool test. There are two types available in Canada. The fecal occult blood test and the fecal immunochemical test. If you're in between the ages of 50 and 74 or not at high-risk colorectal cancer, you should take a stool test every two years. High-risk patients should see their family practitioner and arrange a colonoscopy. I'd like to thank the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada for all their awareness, support, and advocacy efforts. I encourage survivors, patients, caregivers, and everyone who's been affected by the disease to get involved in discussion and tell their story. Colorectal cancer can be prevented, it can be treated, and it can be beat. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address a serious and growing problem that I hear about in my riding of London Fansha and from seniors and families across the province. The problem is long-term care. As the NDP critic for senior affairs, home, and long-term care, I have held a town hall in my riding of London Fansha. The meeting was very well attended, and I heard from seniors, families, and frontline health care workers, including PSWs and nurses, along with long-term care administrators. It was heartbreaking to learn that not one person in that room was able to stand up and say they felt their loved ones were receiving the kind of care they deserved. And everyone present felt that the liberal cuts and their funding shortages have prevented long-term care homes from being able to deliver the type of care that seniors now need. Families and workers were united in their calls for better funding, recognizing staff ratios, and hours of care need to be improved. I also heard that the wait lists have gone up more than 26,000 seniors waiting for care, and that list is expected to double in six years to 50,000. I heard how families are slipping into poverty trying to care for their loved ones at home. About the violence and abuse in long-term care homes that don't have access to complex care and behavioral services, seniors' care is at a tipping point, and the premier keeps squeezing health care and long-term care dollars. The cuts have to stop because seniors deserve better care. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you for the member status, the member from the Kitchener Centre. Thank you, Speaker. March is Meals on Wheels Month in Waterloo Region. This is an organization performing important work in my community and right across the province of Ontario. Every day, they're enabling seniors and adults with disabilities to live at home with independence and dignity. They extended an invitation to me to experience up close how they distribute lunches to over 300 people every day. So I joined them first to pack the food. On the menu last Wednesday was soup, spaghetti with meat sauce and fruit salad. After the lunches were packed up and ready to go, I joined longtime volunteers, Elsie and John, to make the deliveries. The recipients were very happy to receive their nutritious hot lunches, and for some, we were the only human contact they'd had all week. Last year, Meals on Wheels volunteers delivered over 84,000 healthy homemade meals to people right across Waterloo Region, including Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, and North Dumfries. Speaker, this organization is always looking for volunteers to help prepare and deliver meals. For students who are looking to complete their volunteer hours or adults and active seniors who have some spare time, I encourage them to volunteer with Meals on Wheels, making a difference in someone's life and seeing firsthand the impact that your efforts have on those who benefit from the program was a very rewarding experience. So if you have a free afternoon this month and throughout the year, I challenge you to contact your local Meals on Wheels and volunteer for a day. Thank you. Thank you. Further statements? The member from Simcoe, Gray. So Mr. Speaker, I rise today to show support for apple farmers in Ontario and to share the results of a new study that highlights the tremendous economic benefit of the apple industry in our province. The apple industry generates $634 million in economic activity every year. For every $1 million in output, there's $2.39 million of activity generated in the economy. The industry contributes $351.6 million to the provincial GDP every year. It supports over 5,100 full-time direct and indirect jobs with associated wages and salaries of $247.1 million. And this results in tax revenues of $106.7 million annually to federal, provincial, and municipal governments. In addition, Ontario apple farmers currently supply only 45% of the Ontario fresh apple market. In fact, Ontario imports 80.6 million kilograms of apples for consumption every year. This means there is room for the Ontario industry to grow. And according to this study, for every $10 million in additional output, there is $24.2 million generated in economic activity in the provincial economy. Mr. Speaker, these are impressive numbers. They're impressive for not only my writing, which is apple rich in the north end, but many parts of Ontario. This new data reveals just how significant a role the apple industry plays and has the potential to play in Ontario. I would ask the government to review the study and do what is needed to support this important industry. Finally, I would like to thank local apple grower and past chair of the Ontario apple growers, Brian Gilroy, friend of mine, but thank Brian for providing me with this information and keeping me informed and up-to-date on the industry. Thank you for your member's statements. The member from Mr. Sarkar Brampton Southmore. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to share with my colleagues the names of some great citizens honored through the Leading Woman, Leading Girls, Building Communities Recognition Program. The program recognizes women and girls for their volunteerism and civic leadership above and beyond their professional work. I had the honor to present this year's certificates to Uzma Irfan, Lynne Mack, Aloka Mendeerata, Kiran Pathola, and Tracy Lu in recognition of their exceptional community service and volunteer work. The Leading Girls category recognition recipients were Robin Adamo, Jessica Hoos, Brooklyn Howard. Mr. Speaker, our communities grow stronger when civic-minded people lend their talents and energy helping fellow citizens better their lives and achieve their goals. It is especially important that women in diverse communities, such as my own writing of Ms. Sarkar Brampton South, stand up for their communities and through their example and spirit inspire others to do the same. I extend my one-mist congratulations and deep thanks to these exemplary Leading Woman, Leading Girls. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for the number of students, the number from Sybko York. Thank you very much. It is with both sadness and respect that I make this statement today in the Ontario legislature on the passing of a friend of mine and a friend of our town of Georgina, Paul Nichols. A former town councillor and Rogers TV host, Paul was a pillar of the Georgina community and a true community volunteer. Paul passed away last month while on vacation. But I always remember him at any of the elections, whether it was for municipal or provincial or federal, that he was always the moderator. And everyone just took his leadership on those kinds of municipal opportunities that, of course, he would be the moderator. And of course, he was a very careful moderator as well, knowing that all the people outside in the audience were just as potentially critical as the ones who were contributing in the election debate. He sat on the board of directors for both the Georgina Public Library and Georgina Cares. I always enjoyed the opportunity to appear on his show and to speak with him on issues important to Georgina, both locally and provincially. I will remember him for his knowledge, his wit, and spirit of volunteerism. Thank you. Thank you. I thank all members for their statements.