 Member for London West. Thank you, Speaker. In recognition of Mental Illness Awareness Week, I'm pleased to rise as MPP for London West to highlight the important work of the London Middlesex Suicide Prevention Council. The focus of this week is to raise awareness and reduce stigma around mental health through the sharing of personal stories, which is exactly what the London Middlesex Suicide Prevention Council seeks to do with its Lifting the Silence Memorial Walk and Ceremony held this year on September 10th. This annual event, now in its 13th year, is organised by volunteers to remember those lost to suicide and to support the family and friends they left behind. Individuals who have lost a loved one or experienced the stigma associated with suicide share stories, poetry and song and are invited to honour their loved one by name. This year, the names of more than 75 individuals were remembered, including Jennifer Watt, who died by suicide in 2015 at the age of 20 and whose story of being forced to sleep on the floor of the ER was raised by me in this legislature. Speaker, mental health services in London are struggling to serve more individuals and more families with fewer resources. The gaps in service can be particularly devastating for children and youth. Events such as Lifting the Silence reinforce the desperate need for more services in my community and the harm that this government's $330 million cut to mental health funding will cause. Thank you, Speaker. The Member for Toronto Centre, on a point of order. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I'd like to welcome a few guests that have joined us here in the Members' Gallery today. Welcome Eleanor McGrath and Wendy Pitblato, who are two activists that have been instrumental in achieving a plaque commemorating the home children in Toronto for all of the tremendous work that they have done. And I'd also like to welcome Camille Begin with the Toronto Heritage Foundation, who is also instrumental in that plaque, which I'll be speaking to my Member's statement. Thank you. Member's statements. Member for Thornhill. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, and I just want to let everybody know that for over 40 years, Rina has served individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities, and the Rina Foundation is hosting its third Exceptional Abilities Gala November 21 at the Fontana Primavera in Vaughan, and Premier Doug Ford is the scheduled honoree. The Gala celebrates exceptional abilities of the individuals in the developmental services sector. Rina and the 2018 chairs, David Bowdenstein, Madeline Bowdenstein, and Jeffrey Shankman are grateful to Premier Ford for stepping up as the honoree. Proceeds will be directed to sport vital programs and to launch the capital campaign for a new building in Thornhill. The building will be modeled after the Rina community residents that opened in 2009 and has become a model for the sector. The new building will provide new affordable housing for this sector, which has a current weight list of over 6,000 people. President and CEO Brian Keshen has formed a consortium of agencies across Ontario who wish to build similar buildings and Rina is at the forefront of lending its expertise to other agencies. I'm pleased to lend my support to Sheila Miller Lampert, the Executive Director of Advising for the Gala, and we went to high school together, Western Laval, high school together, Sheila, has also co-chaired the same Gala two years ago with Doug Ford and Chief Mark Saunders was the honoree. I attended with my husband, it was a fantastic evening, and I'm sure that this year will be fantastic as well, and I want to thank the sponsors, the donors, the participants, the organisers and the chairs, and I especially want to thank the special guest of honour for the event, our very own Premier Doug Ford. Thank you. Member Statements, the Member of Toronto Centre. Thank you, Speaker. I rise today to acknowledge a painful memory in our shared history here in Ontario. Our province has a deep and sometimes heartbreaking story and it's important that we tell all of our stories, not just the ones that are easy to hear. Last week I had the honour of attending a plaque unveiling at Metro Hall, commemorating children from Great Britain and Ireland who were sent to Canada from 1869, well through the 1940s, as labourers and indentured servants. These children were often mistreated and abused. They've become known as the home children, and it's their story that I rise to tell today. These orphaned and impoverished children came to Canada at very young ages and were often separated from their siblings. When they arrived, they were sent to receiving homes where they waited to be placed in households that would provide them with housing in exchange for their labour. One of those receiving houses was located on Jarvis Street in my riding of Toronto Centre. It's estimated that approximately 10% of all Canadians are descendants of the home children. And it was an honour to stand with the descendants of the home children with heritage Toronto and with community activists who fought to share this story for all of us. I look forward to seeing this in plaque installed in its rightful place on Jarvis Street at the original site of where the receiving house was located. Speaker, as I wrap up, I'd like to call on all of the members of this house to learn from our history and to beg of us to learn from our mistakes. We've seen the generational harm that it causes to remove children from their families, and this is a trauma that we still see continue today through our CAS system. Lastly, Speaker, I've been given a pin to commemorate the home children, and I would like to request the unanimous consent of this house to wear it today. Thank you. Member for Toronto Centre is seeking unanimous consent of the house to wear a pin to recognise the home children. Agreed? Agreed. Member statements? Member for Sault Ste. Marie. I want to take a moment to recognise and speak a little about one of the groups that has joined us here today, Queen's Park, and that is the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association. As I'm sure many of you may be aware, prior to my time as an MPP, I was actually a lawyer back at home in my city of Sault Ste. Marie. Practicing in both criminal and civil litigation started off as an in-house duty council. At the courthouse moved on to be an assistant crown attorney, then went on to defence practice and have just about sat on every side as a lawyer of the law that we have. And throughout that time, I developed and continued to foster such a tremendous amount of respect for all those people who work within the legal profession. And those who contribute so much to help and support the rule of law and access to justice in the province. The Ontario Trial Lawyers Association are such a group. Formed in 1991, this association has done incredible work both within Ontario and across the rest of Canada and the United States. Not only are they champions in advocating against injustices within our society, but they work to uphold the standards and professionalism that all lawyers, past and present, myself included. Should strive to achieve. From one lawyer to another. And on behalf of the Attorney General of the province of Ontario, I want to once again welcome Ram Bohm, Alan Winperell, Laura Hillier, John Carapita and all the other members from the association that may have been missed today at Queen's Park. The work that you do is so invaluable and I wish you continued success in the future. Thank you. Thank you, Member Statements. The Member for Parkdale High Park. Thank you, Speaker. This week, Premier Ford has decided to ramp up his attack on working Ontarians. He said with great animosity that he was getting rid of Bill 148. Speaker, more people are working since the minimum wage went up, not less. There is no evidence to support the Premier's position. His fear mongering does not help people. It only helps their bosses take money out of the workers' pockets. In Alberta, the minimum wage rose for $15 an hour this week. In Seattle, where the minimum wage is $15.45, they have recorded a historic low in unemployment rate. Even big businesses like Amazon have finally admitted that they can afford to pay workers $15 an hour. Meanwhile, here in Ontario, we are moving backwards. We are going downhill and we are going fast. The Ford government, who hands out public money to corporations, the big business buddies of the Premier, claimed that the benefits will trickle down. Everyone knows that the way to boost the economy is from the bottom up. Minimum wage workers don't typically get to jet ski in Muskoka. 100% of their wages go back into the economy. This government repeatedly says that their best programme to lift a person out of poverty is a job, and yet they want to keep millions of Ontarians, those who have a job, those who are working in poverty. No one should be working full-time, let alone two or three or four jobs and still live in poverty. They're sick. No one should lose their job because they have an emergency. No one deserves to have their paid vacation days cut. Ontarians deserve so much better. They deserve respect, and they deserve dignity from this government. Member Statements, the Member for Guelph. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm honoured to rise today during Mental Health Awareness Week to thank one of the strongest advocates for action on mental health issues I've ever met. Today I attended a press conference hosted by the member from Nickel Belt where one of my constituents, Noah Irvine, aged 19, challenged every member in this house to put partisanship aside and to address the lack of action on mental health and addictions issues. My constituency of Guelph has seen a 50% increase in the number of emergency room admissions for mental health and addictions issues. Across Ontario we've seen a 54% increase in emergency department visits for children and youth seeking mental health services. Right now over 12,000 children in Ontario are on a wait list for mental health services. Noah challenged everyone in this house to support the recommendations of the select committee on mental health and addictions. Eight years after that committee's recommendations, Mr. Speaker, it is time for us to act. Noah's campaign reminds us that it's urgent to build a comprehensive and fully funded mental health strategy for Ontario and I want to sincerely thank Noah Irvine for his advocacy on behalf of everyone struggling with mental health and addictions issues. Thank you. Member Statements, the member for Perth Wellington. Thank you Mr. Speaker. I rise in this place today to reflect on and celebrate our farmer families and the entire agricultural sector in Ontario. This week marks the 20th anniversary of Ontario Agriculture Week. 20 years ago MPP stood in this place and debated a private members bill tabled by the member from Perth, Mr. Burt Johnson who is in the gallery here today. Burt's goal was to set aside a specific time each year for all citizens of Ontario to celebrate the hard work of Ontario farmers, farm families and agriculture workers. It begins each year on the Monday immediately before Thanksgiving. At Thanksgiving the harvest is nearing completion and we can see the full bounty of what Ontario has to offer the world. During this time of year agricultural producers across Ontario are working long hours in the province and world has enough food to last the winter. Ontario's agri-food industry is extremely diverse and includes a great number of people who would not define themselves as farmers. Agriculture Week recognizes not just farm families but the diverse businesses and food processors in our province. It celebrates their many contributions to Ontario as they deserve special recognition for providing all Ontarians food. Twenty years ago the agriculture industry in Ontario represented $25 billion in GDP annually. Today Mr. Speaker it brings in over $40 billion. Please join me in thanking Burt for his leadership and commitment to agriculture in the province of Ontario. Once again we welcome Burt Johnson to the Ontario Legislature this afternoon as well. It's great to have you here. Member Stevens the member for Thunder Bay Atacocca. Thank you Speaker. The Ingers workers group is hosting a workshop on dealing with WSIB and the trauma that many people who have been broken by their work suffer. I worked for 25 years representing people with WSIB claims and systems. I have witnessed the various changes that WSIB has manifested itself with. The costly consequences of prime real estate acquisitions name changes and programs to work sufficiently to meet the mandate or in help injured workers. From 2010 to 2015 there's been a 25% reduction in compensation for lost wages 10% reduction in health care costs paid and a 66% reduction in payment for permanent impairment leaving thousands in poverty. This government celebrated with a 30% reduction in premiums to employers when WSIB unsecured debt. I know employers especially small business have suffered too but we must examine the cost to us all when benefits continue to be denied. When WSIB fails to live up to its responsibilities a system supported by employer premiums and WSIB investments the burden falls on Ontario tax payers. I encourage members of this House to read the publication by the Ontario injured workers association. Thank you. Member statements. Member for Oakville North Burlington. Thank you speaker. Recently I was pleased to be able to tour one of the gems of Ontario's health care system the carpenter hospice in Burlington. Carpenter is a palliative care centre with trained staff under the leadership of executive director Andy and more than 200 volunteers providing care and comfort to its residents and therapeutic outreach programs to the wider community. Their residential care is designed to enhance the individual's quality of life attending to emotional social and spiritual needs as well as physical health care. I want to thank Rick Firth president and CEO of hospice palliative care Ontario for conducting the tour. Mr Firth and his organization represent the hospice sector which now has 342 beds in 40 residential hospices across Ontario similar to carpenter caring for over 6000 people each year. The auditor general in 2014 reported that these hospices save the health care system 24 million dollars annually over the cost of hospital care. I want to thank carpenter hospice and all of the staff volunteers and families in the hospice network for the high quality work they do. Thank you. Member's statements the member for Cambridge. Thank you Speaker. I would like to recognize the 2018-2019 national hockey league seasoned by honoring the first player to play in the NHL Henry Buddy Maracle. Buddy Maracle was born on September 8th 1904 in air Ontario. He played in 11 regular season games and four playoff games with the New York Rangers. Maracle made his NHL debut on February 12th 1931 in Detroit versus the Detroit Falcons now known as the Detroit Red Wings. He scored his first goal and added an assist in two penalties against the Philadelphia Quakers in the historic Madison Square Garden in 1931. I was honored to take part in the ceremonial unveiling of his jersey in my riding last week. The event was well attended with dignitaries such as the mayor of North Dumfrey, Susan Foxton, chief Ava Hill, Mohawk Wolf-Clan, the chief of the 56th elected council of the six nations of the Grand River, as well as Nancy and Christine who are relatives of Buddy. I'd also like to thank Irene Schmidt-Adony of the Air News. Irene's research on Buddy's place in hockey history as well as in Canadian history. Their next goal is to have Buddy officially recognized by the Hockey Hall of Fame as the NHL's first ever Indigenous player. Finally, I'd like to thank everyone that helped organize this successful event. Buddy Maracle will undoubtedly be an inspiration to future hockey hopefuls from Air. Mr. Speaker, with two-time Stanley Cup winner, Carla Clifford and Henry Buddy Maracle both hailing from Air, it's very clear that Air will go to Old Hockey Town. Thank you. Thank you very much. That concludes our time for members' statements this afternoon.