 Member Statements, the Member for Renfrew, Nipissing Pembroke. Thank you, good morning. Speaker, the Christmas parades are back and the world is better for it. All across the valley, communities are getting together to do something that everyone loves, but that's been missing for the last couple of years. In my writing of Renfrew, Nipissing Pembroke, each and every parade is a special experience. That speaks in a very visual way about the people, the organizations, the businesses, and their expressions of community spirit. This past week, and I was able to attend parades in both Cobdon and Pembroke. The Cobdon parade is a daytime parade that brings out people from all around the area and sends out the message that Christmas is near. As the first parade of the season for our area, that is most appropriate. For many years now, the Pembroke parade has been an evening parade and this year's edition was truly spectacular. As many as 70 floats took part in the parade, witnessed by the biggest crowd I've ever seen in Pembroke. The floats and the work that goes into them is something to appreciate and my hat goes off to all those who work so hard to make these parades so very special. But what really is the most wonderful part of the Christmas slash Santa Claus parades is the joy and excitement shown by the children as they anxiously await the arrival of the jolly old elf. As I move along the parade routes exchanging greetings with so many people, it is the reactions of the children that leave the most lasting impression. The joy of children, isn't that what it's all about? I look forward to experiencing more of it this weekend and Merry Christmas to one and all. Member for Michigawa James Bay. Thank you, Speaker. And today I would like to take the time to commend the communities in my writing for the efforts and offering the wonderful activities for its residents. Here are a few events I had the opportunity to attend, just to name a few. Sander de Loisier had their annual craft expo with merchants, artists selling their goods and a visit from Santa. We've been able to see the village, the festivities of the village. I've been able to see Santa. They organized a dinner with music to celebrate businesses and their employees. The second annual winter wonderland parade this past Sunday where many local businesses participated in the floats and gave out candy to children, families along the road. There is a lot more to come with the markets and craft shows in Fouquet and Valrita. Holiday office parties for the communities and also the Festival of Lights in various towns across the writing. It is time to spread some holiday joy and reflect on what we are thankful for this past year. Remember to support your local businesses. This time of year it's difficult for many families and individuals and so let's not forget about our food banks, our angel campaign and our tour drive. I urge you all to be kind, donate where you can, a simple gesture can go a long way. I would like to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season. Je vous souhaite tous et toutes une belle... I am wishing you all a wonderful Christmas. Member statements to member for Newmarket Aurora. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Vice to the Chamber to tell you about an event in my writing of Newmarket Aurora which happened earlier this month. The Central York Fire Services invited me to attend their annual recognition ceremony and I had the honor of speaking at this great event and congratulating our community's unspoken heroes. I would like to begin by thanking Chief Ian Lang and Deputy Fire Chief Raquel Volpe for all their great work and encouragement that they provide to the Central York Fire Services team. Thank you to all our firefighters and all our first responders for your selfless commitment and dedication for the safety of our community. During this event, Captain Chris Erie, an expert in ice water, rope and high-angle rescues was recognized for his contributions in leadership and supporting the training of his fellow firefighters and community members by being awarded the Jim Allen Award. This award was introduced in 2018 to honor the Captain Jim Allen for all of his dedication and contributions over his 37-year career. This event was also the first time where the Fire Services awarded wings for their new air division which uses unmanned aerial drones to assist in the firefighting process. I would like to personally recognize the Central York Fire Services for embracing technology to modernize their service and approach to firefighting. To all the firefighters at Central York Fire Services, thank you. Member Statements, the Member for London North Centre. Speaker, the cost of living in Ontario is out of control. People feel it every day and many middle-class families are doing things they never expected. The Feed Ontario report reveals record high food bank use. Since the pandemic, first-time visitors are up 64% with one in three people accessing food banks for the very first time. In its report, Feed Ontario sites precarious employment, underfunded disability supports and unaffordable housing as reasons why middle-class people are turning to food banks in numbers never seen before. They say, and I quote, the reason that so many people must turn to a food bank is because our one strong economic foundation has weakened. In my community of London, average rent jumped 36.9% last year. One in four children are living in poverty and 6,230 individuals and families are on social housing wait lists. Speaker, people are being crushed under the skyrocketing cost of living. Families shouldn't have to turn to food banks to help feed their kids when they work hard for a living. But that is the reality in Ontario right now. The middle class built Ontario because of public health care, because of public education, and because they earned good wages. The forward government is strangling these public systems while more and more people are being pushed into poverty. This government should take Feed Ontario's recommendations, improve the quality of work, improve social assistance, invest in social housing and put people at the centre of policy and program design. To this Conservative government, protect Ontario's middle class, not just wealthy insider donors. Thank you. Member Statements, the Member for Carleton. Today to speak about a constituent of mine from Stitsville, Cara McNulty. Through her advocacy group Life Jackets for Life, she is a tireless and hardworking advocate for children's safety. Her group's goal is to change the law to require children to wear life jackets on small vessel boats. Just over four years ago, her 11-year-old son, Joshua Steinberg, passed away in a drowning accident. The 26-foot speedboat he was riding hit a wave, and Joshua had removed his life jacket just minutes before the accident. And Joshua's story is not the only one. Hundreds of boat-drowning accidents happen each year. According to the OPP, in 2020, over the last decade, 80% of the people who died in investigated boat-drowning incidents were not wearing a life jacket. These deaths are preventable. And I know that Norm Miller, the former MPP for Parisan, Muscova, introduced legislation in this house in the form of a private members bill in order to make the wearing of life jackets mandatory. That bill never made it through the House. I'm hoping that I can work with members from all sides of the House and all parties to reintroduce Norm Miller's legislation. And Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Cara and every person who have lost a loved one to drowning, whether you are fishing or riding your speedboat, always wear a life jacket. It saves lives. Thank you very much. Member Statements. The Member for Toronto Centre. Thank you, Speaker. Today is the last day where this government can choose to save Connect Clinic, the only virtual clinic in Ontario dedicated to delivering gender-affirming health care. An alternative funding plan could save the clinic, and they are commonly used in academic, northern and specialized health care settings already. Speaker, Connect Clinic checks all three boxes. Tomorrow, 3,500 trans-Ontarians will lose access to life-saving care. And I cannot stress this enough. They will have nowhere to go for this specialized care. Losing virtual health care does not only affect patients in the north or rural areas of Ontario. I've heard from my own constituents in Toronto Centre who are reeling at the loss of virtual health care. My constituent Andrew shared, my partner and I are among 1.8 million Ontarians who don't have a family doctor. We've registered multiple times for the Health Care Connect and contacted doctors' offices with zero responses to date. My partner and I have just found out that we're expecting a baby, so this weekend we booked a virtual appointment to be referred to an OBGYN. If this service is no longer supported after December 1st, we would lose access. Speaker, this government brags about their embrace of innovation, and yet they're throwing away that same innovation that enables virtual care. Funding cuts to virtual health care will not be replaced with all in-person appointments. They'll be replaced with Ontarians without access to health care. I urge this Conservative government to change course. Thank you. Member for Kitchener-Conestoga. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I'm not sure if he's watching today, but a former friend of ours, still friend of ours, Percy Halfield. Percy, this one's for you if you're keeping an eye. So it's always a pleasure to stand up for my riding. But this morning my statement seems to be rhyming. To as the day before December and all through this house, members got so quiet you could even hear a mouse. And if you're looking for plans to be made, come to Kitchener-Conestoga for a Santa Claus Parade. The floats and decorations have been made with care in hopes that St. Nicholas would soon be there. Elmira this Saturday, New Hamburg on Sunday. Bring the whole family and you'll have a fun day. If you're busy this weekend, there's no need to take fright. As they're parade on December the 9th. And if you still think Santa will never be seen, he'll also be in St. Clements on December 17th. You'll see me or my helpers. I call them my staff and keep an eye out for, or sorry, like Santa's own elves, they work and they laugh. Keep an eye out for Cupid, for Donner and Blitzen, and my new friends MPP's Raidell and Dixon. Look for this jolly old elf with a brightly lit sign propped up by hockey sticks and held together with twine. As I look at the clock, I can see my times tight, so merry Christmas to all and to all again. Thank you. Member Statements, the member for Haldeman, Norfolk. Thank you, Speaker. That's a bit of a tough act to follow this morning. As we embark upon the Christmas season, we all have memories that are stirred by certain decorations, events, foods and drinks. I have fond memories of being bundled up so warm and so tight I could barely move as my entire family made its way into Simcoe to walk through the river of lights at the Simcoe Panorama. My brother and I looked forward to the night, especially when there was enough snow that we could be pulled in our little wooden sleigh. This Saturday night in my riding of Haldeman, Norfolk, the 60-year tradition continues as Simcoe Panorama flips the switch to over 200,000 lights, numerous displays and hundreds of decorated trees. Downtown Simcoe and its parks will be transformed into a magical winter wonderland. Porstron trolley rides, character meat and greets, a festive market and, of course, a cup of hot chocolate await. Speaker, hundreds of volunteers do their part to ensure the muck-long river of lights shines each and every night, but there are also those who work behind the scenes throughout the year to ensure displays are retouched and lights are in working order. The past few years have been difficult for the Panorama, given the challenges the pandemic presented, but this tired-less group of volunteers have soldiered through, and I know they are looking forward to this season for a return to a full sleigh to festivities. Panorama runs from this Saturday, December 3rd until January 1st from 6 to 10 each day. Thank you to all who make this winter wonderland happen, and to all members, and I invite you to come take in this extraordinary exhibit. It's sure to make even the grinchiest of members feel the warmth of the season. Merry Christmas to you all. Thank you. Member statements? Member for Essex. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, I have a good news story from Essex County about long-term care. ARCH, long-term care, operates a 75-bed facility in Tilbury, but the building is old, Mr. Speaker, and they want to build a new one, a new one only 15 minutes down the road in the town of Bell River. It's going to be brand new, state-of-the-art. It'll have private rooms. It'll have 160 beds, twice as many, as the old facility. But of course, Mr. Speaker, the NDP member before me opposed that idea. But because of this government's progressive and compassionate policies, ARCH applied for and received a license to build the new facility in Bell River. And that means the people of Tilbury and Bell River will now have twice as many beds in a state-of-the-art facility that they didn't have before. I want to thank the Minister of Long-term Care for ensuring that the people of Essex County and indeed all Ontarians receive access to quality long-term care that they deserve in a safe, home-like setting when and where they need it. Thank you. Member Statements, Member for Elgin Middle Sex London. Thank you, Speaker. It's my pleasure to rise in the House today and acknowledge an extremely worthwhile organization in my writing, Harvest Hands. Speaker, did you know that close to 50% of all food produced in this country is wasted or lost to landfills? A staggering and unfortunate reality. That is exactly why Jim Cynthia Collins founded Harvest Hands in St. Thomas in 2020. Their mission is to rescue surplus food from retailers, bakers and growers to help feed families. Nutritious, bountiful and perfectly edible food is rescued from landfills, fresh produce, frozen food, packaged in canned goods, all end up in homes throughout Southwestern Ontario. As a non-profit food distribution bank, Harvest Hands' purpose is to help agencies gain access to good food. Funded entirely by donations and volunteer driven, Harvest Hands provides food that feeds over 24,000 families a year in Southwestern Ontario since inception. Harvest Hands has delivered over $8 million, $8 million of food from Windsor through to Oshawa. The distribution network of Harvest Hands serves and comprises more than 80 agencies. Speaker, with Christmas fast approaching, many food banks across this province will face an even greater need for volunteers, food donations to meet increased holiday demand. Waste not, want not, Speaker. Thank you, Harvest Hands, for a job well done. Complete our member's statements for this morning.