 It is now time for member statements and I recognize the member from Whitby. Well, thank you, Speaker. The government is bringing high-speed internet access to hundreds of homes and businesses in the town of Whitby, marking another milestone to help connect every corner of the province by the end of 2025. The province speaker has signed agreements with eight internet service providers to bring access to as many as 339 municipalities across the province. Now Speaker, these service providers are part of the Ontario's historic investment of nearly four million billion dollars to bring access to reliable high-speed internet across the province. And what's clear, Speaker, is that the government has a plan to build Ontario's future with shovels on the ground for highways, hospitals, housing and high-speed internet infrastructure. And a doubt, Speaker, Ontario's high-speed internet initiatives will help ensure that every home and business in every community can participate in today's economy. Thank you very much, Speaker. Thank you very much. Member statements? I recognize the member from Toronto St. Paul's. Thank you, Speaker. Yesterday was my first stop on our ice cream tour across Toronto St. Paul's and now we hung out in one of my favorite neighborhoods, the Winona and Vaughne neighborhood. We went to Sigh Townsend Park and today we're going to be at Marion Angle Park in our Malita Avenue neighborhood. It was all fun, you know, with the kids. The kids, of course, you've got to love the innocence of children. They were not bothered, but I tell you, the adults at the park hanging out with me, the parents, the post-secondary age young adults, their concern was all about affordability. I spoke to a 23-year-old university student. Really with tears in her eyes. She feels that there is no moral value, no character left in the province, in this house, because she feels that the government is not listening to hers and many people's concerns around affordable housing, around affordable housing. She, like many of the parents, simply want to be able to make ends meet, want to be able to have a better future, and want to be able to live in St. Paul's and stay a while. What's happening now is that we're being besieged by demo evictions, by rent evictions, by skyrocketing rent increases that folks just simply cannot afford. Even no frills on Alberta, where I go grocery shopping as well, too. It's becoming more expensive for too many of us. So we really want the government to hear from St. Paul's. Affordability is a crisis, and you've got all the time. Thank you. Member statements? Member statements. I recognize a member from Brampton East. Thank you, Speaker. Being my first time rising in this house, I would like to congratulate all members on their election to this house. I would also like to thank my constituents for their support, and as electing me as their MPP from the great writing of Brampton East. Speaker, just a few short weeks ago, Jesse Sahoda and Neil Niger represented Canada at the World Police and Fire Games for heavyweight wrestling hosted in the Netherlands. Speaker, Jesse Sahoda returned home with first place gold, and Brampton East's very own Neil Niger returned home with silver. I would like to congratulate these two individuals for making our province and country extremely proud and becoming exemplary role models for our youth to come. I would also like to add that this past weekend has been a very eventful week for the residents of Brampton with various sports and cultural events taking place across the city. Here I would like to congratulate the United Brothers Field Hockey Academy for the success of the Toronto Field Hockey Cup and commend them on their continued efforts on promoting the game of field hockey throughout the region. And finally, Speaker, I would also like to extend my best wishes to the Pakistani and Indian community and all those celebrating on an extremely happy 75th Independence Day. Thank you, Speaker. Here, here. Member from University Rosedale. Thank you, Speaker. I had the pleasure of meeting the hardworking staff and board members at Streethaven at their Roxbury site this summer. Streethaven is one of Canada's oldest women's shelters. The shelter provides temporary housing, food and treatment for mental health and addiction to about 1,500 women a year. These are high-risk people, people who are homeless, people who've just been released from prison or hospital, people who are deeply traumatised. They need help. And it's the staff at Streethaven that step up to help them each and every day. But here's the problem. Streethaven also needs our help because they're seeing a big increase in the need for their services and there's been a big rise in homelessness and addiction and in people facing very complex issues and very tough life circumstances. Yet funding, government funding for Streethaven's work is being cut by this government. Funding to help people manage their addictions is being cut. But funding to manage the home and provide housing to people in need is also being cut. Streethaven is operating at a deficit. Their hardworking staff, when I met them, are exhausted and underpaid and the need just keeps growing. I am asking this government, the Minister of Health, the Solicitor General and the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, to meet with Streethaven and understand what they do and commit to providing support to them and other vitally important supportive housing services and treatment programs so Ontarians can get the help they need. Thank you. Member Statements. Member for Oxford. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the significant milestone for the town of Tilsonburg in my writing of Oxford. Many of you may have heard of Tilsonburg in the famous song by Stomp and Tom. But today it's about the 150th anniversary of the incorporation of the town. It was the residents who pushed for incorporations of their community. There was a population of about a thousand at the time and several businesses were established. Tilsonburg was booming. Oxford South's MPP, Adam Oliver, was the area's representative here in the legislature on March the 2nd, 1872, when the Lieutenant Governor gave royal assent to his bill to incorporate the town of Tilsonburg. Edwin Tilson was elected the first town's mayor and on March the 22nd council held its first meeting. 150 years later, to the day on March the 2nd, the town's current mayor, Stephen Mollner and town council hosted a cake cutting to mark the anniversary. Though it wasn't an official council meeting, it was the official start of the celebrations. Events wrapped up on July the 1st were the community birthday party. Tilsonburg has a rich history and is still a booming town in South Oxford. With all it has to offer, it's no wonder the town has been listed as one of the top 100 places to visit in Canada. Mr. Speaker, I'm proud to recognize this historic moment in my writing and I wish all those in Tilsonburg a very happy birthday. Thank you very much. Member Statements, the member for Niagara Falls. Speaker, as a Canadian, I'm proud to call this country home. And our universal healthcare system is one of the main reasons. Because of great Canadians like Tommy Douglas, residents use their OIP card for healthcare, not their credit card. But this government seems determined to destroy that system by underfunding it. Ignore and underfund our healthcare system, watch it buckle under the pressure of COVID and then say the only solution is find innovative approaches to fix the mess they created. Unfortunately, those innovative approaches are really just new ways to give healthcare services to private corporations whose main focus is to make more and more profit. But they are more problems with this approach. Time and time again that it costs more. The Toronto Star reported yesterday that 10 nursing agencies are skyrocketing healthcare costs. In fact, they're paying as much as $110 an hour to temp agencies. Frontline health workers like our great nurses at ONA have said this is already a form of privatization. The Toronto Sunnybrook Hospital has spent 8.2 million this year on temp agencies. We literally can't afford to continue down this road. Not only will the quality of our healthcare suffer, costs will become unsustainable. We must stop all forms of privatization, invest in our public system, repeal Bill 124, and start reminding the world why it's so great to be a Canadian and it's our publicly funded healthcare. Thank you. Thank you. Member statements? The member for Etobicoke Lakeshore. Well, thank you. I have the privilege to have the opportunity to rise in this legislature as the re-elected MPP for Etobicoke Lakeshore. I want to extend a big thank you to the people in Etobicoke Lakeshore for your trust in me and the countless team of volunteers for your hard work and dedication. I would not be here without you. I also want to extend my thank you to my constituency staff for your years of service for the people of South Etobicoke because we all know we can't do these jobs alone. Over the past four years we have accomplished so much for the people of Etobicoke Lakeshore, securing over $1 billion for the redevelopment of the Queensway Health Centre, adding over 150 new beds, another billion dollars for the St. Joseph's Health Centre, adding over 100 new beds, securing over $100 million to refurbish and build new schools like St. Elizabeth, St. Leo's, Bishop Allen, and St. Marguerite de Uville. And those who drive up Islington can see the shovels in the ground for the new Holy Angel School. We announced a new long-term care home that will provide 256 new beds, new transit projects, such as the Kipling Transit Hub, the Mimico GO Station, and the growing population of Hummer Bay Shores, finally the long awaited Park Longo. Mr. Speaker, over the summer I have been busy attending many events in person, and I see the Etobicoke spirit everywhere I go. It was great to attend the Grilled Cheese Festival hosted by the Lakeshore BIA, and I'm pleased to announce that our government is investing $60,000 through the Ontario ReConnect Festival Events Program so we can look forward to a bigger challenge next year. I look forward to a productive term, and we'll continue to get it done for the people of the country. Member Statements, the member for Haldeman Norfolk. Thank you, Speaker. I want to first congratulate you on being elected to the Speaker's Chair. Given your track record, I know we are in very good hands. On a somber note, I'd like to express my deepest sympathies to the family of former MPP Bill Murdoch, a member I have fond memories of from my early days as a staffer here at Queen's Park. Speaker, each year 20,000 seasonal agricultural workers arrive in Ontario to work on farms and in greenhouses. Roughly 5,000 come to Haldeman Norfolk, where they play a vital role in ensuring fresh, safe food makes it to our tables. These workers, mainly from Mexico and the Caribbean, leave their families behind to plant, cultivate, harvest, and pack. The money is lucrative, and so they are very quick to admit they are well respected on the farm and across the community. This past weekend, migrant workers gathered at the Simcoe Soccer Pitch for the annual Farms of Norfolk Football Association tournament hosted by the Norfolk Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Community Committee in conjunction with the local legal clinic. The tournament developed after workers expressed they wanted additional community engagement. This year, nine teams competed, and it was serious business with a tremendous display of black bloodsism. These men and women are in great shape considering their days are physical. Many farms in my neck of the woods are not complete unless they have a practice field, and even after long days work, it's common to drive by a farm and see a practice or a scrimmage breaking out. Sunday morning, farm families were on the sidelines cheering on their team. It was just one of those events that left you feeling good. I invite you all to next year's tournament to witness this significant event and to meet the workers who make our agricultural industry here in Ontario viable. Thank you. Member Statements. Member for Chatham-Kent, Leamington. Thank you. This is my first opportunity to make formal remarks in this house. I want to congratulate you and thank you for your continued service to all members in the province of Ontario. I also want to offer my sincere gratitude to the residents of beautiful Chatham-Kent, Leamington for placing their trust in me. I assure them that I'll serve them in all of Ontario with honour and dignity. Today I want to highlight a special community in my riding whose residents have demonstrated a unique strength, courage and resilience in the face of adversity. Wheatley is located on the shores of Lake Erie in South Western Ontario and is home to approximately 3,000 people. It's known as the fresh water fishing capital of the world and is home to the iconic homestead foods, a pioneering fishery and processor of fresh foods. Wheatley is the current headquarters of Hyke Metal Products, a successful shipbuilding company whose projects included world-class research and law enforcement vessels, as well as the large specialized catamarans that tour Niagara Falls. Wheatley is home to many of my dear friends like Jeff Bowman, the owner of Bowman Feed and Supply, whose family have delivered exceptional local products and exceptional customer service since 1952. On August 26th 2021, a suspected hydrogen sulfide gas leak that was being monitored by officials in the downtown core suddenly indicated dangerous concentrations of the volatile gas. While emergency personnel worked to quickly evacuate the area, a massive explosion occurred. The blast actually injured 20 people in severely damaged businesses and homes in the area. The heroic actions of our local firefighters certainly prevented further injury and loss of life. For nearly a year, businesses have been shuttered, families displaced, and the heart of the town center interrupted. Yet, Wheatley remains positive, hopeful, patient and eager to rebuild. Wheatley was the first community I campaigned in and the first community I visited after winning the election in June. The residents of Wheatley are an inspiration to us all. In the face of adversity, here and elsewhere, I strive to be really strong. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And good morning. Member for Brampton North here, first day. It is an honor to rise in this house on behalf of my constituents in Brampton North and I'm humbled by their trust in me to be our voice for our community. Please allow me to speak on behalf of my community when I say Brampton North is simply tired of waiting. We're tired of waiting in bumper to bumper traffic on the highway 410 St. Louis Parkway. We're tired of waiting at the Brampton Civic waiting room where our incredible healthcare workers strive to keep up with the demands of our growing and aging population and quite frankly, Mr. Speaker, we're tired of the committees and the studies and the working groups. We demand action. We demand a government that gets it done, Mr. Speaker. That is exactly what our premier and our government is here to do. Getting it done by building a new Peel Memorial Hospital with a full emergency room. We're getting it done by building the highway 413 cutting commute times and bringing economic opportunity to our region. We're getting it done with the TMU Medical School where for the first time ever Brampton students will become Brampton medical students and eventually become Brampton doctors. Mr. Speaker, we will get it done for Brampton North. Thank you. Thank you very much. That concludes our member statements for this morning.