 call for introductions. It is now time for member statements. The member from Kitchener, Connor Stolgover. Thank you, Speaker. I stand to recognize the enduring legacy left by the dedicated employees who after 90 years providing high-quality cold cuts from Kitchener's Coraline Avenue have marked the end of an era. I speak, of course, of Kitchener's landmark Schneider's Meat Plan, an icon as recognizable as a smiling Dutch girl face that looks out toward the 401 near Guelph. Speaker, when the last pack of bologna rolled off the line Thursday, it marked the final chapter of a century-long success story born in the kitchen of John Metz Schneider's home. After building a door to door reputation for high-quality meats, J.M. Schneider opened the Coraline Avenue plant in 1925 to become one of Kitchener Warloo's biggest and best employers. More than just a famous brand, the Schneider's Meat Plan was a way of life where loyalty and hard work were rewarded with good paying secure jobs. Workers and employers were his tight-knit family that both worked and played and grew together. And while the Dutch girl continues to smile, there are tears as we recognize all that's been lost with the Schneider's closure. The teams, the picnics, the up to 1,800 employees heading to work in the plant daily to produce a first-class product enjoyed right across Canada for close to a century. The memories and legacy do remain, Speaker, a legacy not only preserved at the Warloo Region Museum but also in the hearts of those who worked at the Coraline Avenue plant for both with both honor and pride over the last 90 years. And all those in the extended Schneider's family, we thank them, Speaker. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I stand today once again to voice the concerns of my constituents around the health curriculum in our schools. When it comes to proper consultation, it's clear that Liberal government has not learned from previous mistakes. The lack of inclusive consultation before announcing the curriculum was disrespectful to parents of my constituency and a mistake on the Liberal government's part. Now that the details of the curriculum have been released, the government has an obligation to continue the consultation process not to end it. Ontario is a diverse province and we must respect the diversity of beliefs when it comes to educating our children. Many people agree that health education is important but my constituents have sought clarification about the age appropriateness of some materials. My constituents deserve to have their voices heard and the government has a responsibility to address their concerns. I've raised this issue four times now with the government. There needs to be ongoing consultations where clarification can be sought and answers provided. I urge the government to sit down with parents and allow an open dialogue before implementing changes to the curriculum in September. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Member Statements. The member from Beech is East York. Thank you, Speaker. On Saturday morning at 3 a.m., a tragic shooting took place in my riding of Beech as East York. The investigation is ongoing, but we do know that two young men were killed at the McDonald's on Danforth just east of Coxwell and that according to the lawyer for the shooter, the guard involved was licensed to carry the firearm. I extend my condolences to the families of the deceased and I acknowledge the trauma endured by the workers and patrons who witnessed this violent episode. This shooting is an aberration in a community that is safe and vibrant. Speaker, I often go to that McDonald's for my morning coffee as I head to the constituency office. My first campaign event was up there the day the writ was dropped the last June's election. My partner Lisa's business is only a few minutes away and her employees are regular attendees. Now, we have great BIAs in the neighbourhood such as the Danforth Mosaic, the Danforth Village Association and the Danforth East Community Association. They build up the Danforth and help create a family-friendly vibrant destination for local residents and visitors. There are fantastic new eateries in the area such as the East of York, Melanie's Bistro in local 1794 and cropping up these are coming along on the East Danforth. In a few short months, Eastland Farmers Market will offering delicious fresh produce, cheeses and of course VQA wines. Mr. Speaker, what happened on Saturday morning was tragic but is not a reflection of our great community. I'm proud to represent the safe and flourishing part of Toronto and to support the scores of people who are working to keep it that way. I ask you all to come to our community, visit the great shops, the bars, the restaurants that make the Danforth one of the most attractive places in Toronto to live and to play. Thank you. Thank you. Member Stevens, the member from Perth, Wellington. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, last week I was pleased to attend the Roma Ogre annual conference. The conference showed that what we've always known, that small and rural municipalities are outstanding advocates for the people they serve. That's certainly true of the municipalities that I represent. They effectively presented our concerns and meetings I attended with the Minister of Municipal Affairs, the Associate Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Finance and the interim leader of the official opposition. I would like to thank all, I would like to thank our municipal leaders for asking me to attend these meetings. I appreciated the opportunity to support them and I will be following up this week with letters to the ministers we met with. Their concerns were wide-ranging and included cuts to infrastructure programs, municipal reporting requirements, the need to reduce red tape, property taxes and long-term care in our area. Over and over, municipalities have said the government is not giving them a fair shake on infrastructure funding. Small and rural municipalities, especially those that are responsible and well-run, are bearing the brunt of mismanagement at the provincial level. It shows up in this government's cancellation of the connecting links. It shows up in an umph formula that penalizes too many municipalities. It's no wonder that we in Perth, Wellington are feeling squeezed at every turn. I urge the government to reflect on the feedback it received at Roma. I urge them to act on the recommendations we heard. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you. Member Stevens, the member from Toronto, Dan Forth. Speaker, thank you. The workers at Crown Holdings have been on strike for 20 months. They've been on the picket line in the bitter cold through last winter and through this winter. Crown is one of the largest beverage can makers in the world. This plant is a highly profitable, highly productive plant. Yet Crown took a bargaining position of rolling back contract conditions and permanently ensuring that all new hires would be paid at a much lower rate than the existing workers. Crown wants to make sure that younger workers would permanently have a lower standard of living. Speaker, Crown wants to break these workers. Crown wants to end the kind of society where working people can live lives of decency and respect. The Premier, for her part, stands aside and has ignored 1200 letters from the workers and their supporters. No response at all. Speaker, these workers deserve our support. They deserve support from the Premier. Crown may want to break these workers. The Premier may want to ignore them. They will not be ignored and they will not be broken. It is up to all of us to support them, to support their boycott of Crown products, to support their call for provincial action. Thank you, Speaker. The member from Ottawa, Orleans. Mr. Speaker, I was proud to host my first annual Family Day pancake breakfast. In continuing on the tradition of my predecessor, this community event was an opportunity for the residents of Ottawa, Orleans, to come together and discuss issues important for them as I prepare to return to Queen's Park following a busy winter break. Residents were also asked to bring a food donation to the Orleans-Cumberland Community Resource Center. Held at the community Pentecostal Church, the event was a resounding success. Over 100 persons braved the minus 25 temperatures early on Family Day morning to attend this worthwhile event. It was a good opportunity for me to engage Frank and open dialogue about what matters most for my constituents. It was truly heartwarming to hear the feedback that they are happy with the work that our government is doing to make Orleans the best place to live, work and raise your family. I would like to thank the Sobys for the food and Giselle Prou. I would like to thank Sobys for the food and Madame Prou for providing me. Thank you to all volunteers, especially Natalie Malpizzi, who shared her grandmother's pancake recipe with us and to all who helped us make this a great success. Thank you very much speaker. This week the Walkerton Golf and Curling Club will host the 2015 Best Westerns Men and Women's Intermediate Provincial Curling Championship. I know the briars on this week as well, but ladies and gentlemen at home people will be very much interested in what's going on in Walkerton. There will be 64 athletes, eight women's teams and eight men's teams from across the province. And this championship marks the club's 90th anniversary and organizers are hoping the public will come and help celebrate the milestone in their recently renovated club. Volunteers have been hard at work for months preparing their club and community for this provincial level match to ensure that curlers and spectators have a wonderful experience. I will be attending the opening ceremony on Wednesday and being a curling enthusiast myself, I'll be volunteering and watching with great interest the games as they proceed over the coming days. Throughout the tournament the Walkerton Curling Club will be highlighting the healthy sport of curling in our rural area and showcasing Bruce County's soggy country with all its unique activities and sites. Two teams from my riding of here in Bruce that are competing in this championship area are from the Walkerton area. The ladies team consisting of Sarah Almas, Tracy Shouse, Tracy Kennedy and Brenda Shoemaker will be a team to look out for and the men's team from Haysley consisting of Al Hutchison, Steve Greg, Andy McCullough and Bruce Cox will also put up some challenging matches. And to everyone coming to Walkerton this weekend, I wish them good curling. Thank you Speaker. Further statements? The member from Kitchener Center. Thank you Mr. Speaker. I'd like to share with you news of a monumental project now underway in my riding of Kitchener Center and Waterloo Region. The The main construction of the light rail transit system, the LRT, begins this month. The ION, as it's called, will connect the cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge with a rapid electric transportation system consisting of 22 stations along a 36-kilometer transit corridor. This is the single largest public works project in the history of my region and I'm proud that my government is supporting it. Like many people, I'm looking forward to seeing fast, efficient trains moving along our main street corridor. Mr. Speaker, what we now face is several months of construction pain for long-term gain. Adopting this forward-thinking transportation project, what's challenging? There were opponents, but in the end, our regional council, keeping an eye on the future, embraced this ambitious plan. We know that the ION will be a game-changer for our region. A state-of-the-art rapid transit system is going to attract people and businesses, it will spur growth and prosperity, and it will also help protect our agricultural land and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. So as the snow melts and construction crews move in, I encourage the people of Kitchener Centre to show patience. I look forward to that very first train ride along the King Street Corridor in 2017 as we unveil a new chapter in my community's history. Thank you. Thank you. The member from Brampton... Springville. Springville. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise in the House to speak on Black History Month. Every February, Ontarians mark Black History Month to recognize the contributions that citizens of African and Caribbean heritage have made to our province and to our country. Mr. Speaker, this year's theme for Black History Month is Year of Sport. To echo that sentiment, I would like to recognize several prominent Black athletes of the past and the present. Mr. Speaker, Willie O'Ree was often referred to as the Jackie Robinson Ice Hockey. Due to breaking the Black colour barrier in the sport, was the first Black man to play in the National Hockey League. Mr. O'Ree was 95% blind in his right eye after being hit there by an errant puck and he hit his injury, an injury that would have normally led to retirement for most players. Willie was able to persevere through hard work and determination two years later, made his NHL debut with the Boston Bruins on January the 18th of 1958. He is an inspiration not only for the Black community, but for all visible minorities. Also, Mr. Speaker, I would like to, as the Brampton resident, I want to acknowledge Anthony, who now plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves, alongside fellow Canadian Andrew Wiggins, who subsequently selected first overall the following year. Mr. Speaker, the past weekend I was lucky enough to have been invited to attend the annual Black History Month concert at the Brampton Civic Centre. An event hosted by the Peel United Cultural Partners, a collaboration of the Congress of Black Women and the United Achievers Club of Brampton. I was proud to participate in honouring a community that has given so much to the great province of Ontario. Mr. Speaker, I'm thankful to have had the opportunity to stand amongst my colleagues today, to pay tribute and to thank Ontarians of African and Caribbean heritage. Thank you. Thank you. I thank all members for their statements. It's now time...