 Therefore, it's time for a member of statements, the member from Haliburton, Corthill Lake Squawker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I'm proud to rise today to mark 50 years since the founding of Sir Sanford Fleming College. Established as a result of the Government of Ontario's passage of Bill 153 in 1965 under then Education Minister and later Premier Bill Davis, Fleming College has become a vital educational institution in our province. While the first cohort of students numbered at only 235, Fleming College has since grown to host 6,000 full-time and 10,000 part-time students enrolled at four campuses in four different communities, two of them in my writing of Haliburton, Corthill Lake Squawker. The Haliburton campus is renowned for its school of fine art and design, the Sustainable Building Design and Construction Certificate Program, and is home to a remarkable outdoor sculpture gallery, often referred to as the Banff of the North. The Frost Campus in Lindsay is known for its pioneering school of environment and natural resource sciences, the Centre for Alternative Wastewater Treatment, and state-of-the-art programs like GIS training. What an amazing story of growth and innovation of post-secondary education in rural Ontario. This Friday, September 29th, I will be at the Frost Campus to celebrate Fleming's 50th anniversary with the administration, faculty, staff, and alumni who have helped to build the college into the amazing institution it is today. So once again, congratulations to everyone at Fleming College on this important milestone and best wishes for the future. Thank you for your members' statements. The member from London, Fanshawe. Speaker, I'm sharing today a personal story about my constituent, Roger, in hopes of highlighting the need for better patient-guided programs in our healthcare system. Roger was born with a neurodegenerative disease and used to receive home care through the Support's Daily Living Program. For a time, he received suitable care, but the agency's interference resulted in a decreased quality of care, and Roger experienced severe mental health trauma. As a result, he was admitted to a mental health wing of London Hospital, where he has resided for 19 and a half months. While in hospital, Roger took his care into his own hands and began an application for direct funding. He soon found out that the Southwest Linn does not manage direct funding applications and was forced to apply through the Toronto Centre Linn and the Centre for Independent Living. Roger went through a scrutinizing application process and was ultimately denied. His appeal of this decision was supposed to take two months. It has now been six months, and he has not heard back. In 2016, the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care responded to an inquiry my office sent on behalf of Roger, indicating he had every confidence these organizations would come together to help him reach a conclusion. And I quote, a resolution that will provide him with appropriate, safe care that reflects his preferences. Minister, when will you intervene to finally enable your patient's first legislation to provide straightforward access to self-direct funding options for those who need it like Roger, so they can finally return home? Thank you. Member Stevens, the Member for Mississauga Brampton South. Mr. Speaker, this past Thursday, Canada Post and India Post unveiled Canada's and India's joint stamp issue to celebrate Diwali and Canada 150. This joint stamp issue signifies the growing social, cultural, and economic relationship between Canada and India, and the importance of recognizing and celebrating our diversity, inclusiveness, and democratic values. The joint postal stamp issue is really an excellent way of demonstrating and appreciating our mutually shared, political, and social experience as nations. It is in this context that I see the issuance of Diwali stamp by Canada Post and India Post. Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is celebrated by Hindus and Sikhs and many other communities all over the world. This year, Diwali will be celebrated on October 19th. The unveiling of Diwali stamp issue at this time is a fitting tribute to the growing bilateral cooperation between Canada and India, and the significance of our diverse and inclusive democracies in the global village. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Thank you. Further Member Stevens, the Member from Chatham, Kent, Essex. Call it Carnage Alley for a reason. The stretch of 401 Highway between London and Tilbury is one of the most dangerous roads in Ontario. About a month ago, on August 29, a pickup truck crossed the center median of the 401 near Dutton and smashed into a van on the other side. The two people in the van were a mother and her five-year-old daughter. They died of their injuries, and the driver of the pickup has been charged. Sadly, there was yet another tragedy before that one. On July 31, this summer, two people were killed and two more were seriously injured in a collision involving a tractor trailer and six cars. Those cars were stopped because of another collision further ahead. A median barrier would do a lot to prevent needless deaths and accidents like these. In 2009, the Ministry of Transport received environmental clearance to expand the strip of highway known as Carnage Alley to six lanes and install a median barrier. But when I last checked, the MTO claimed that it wasn't worthwhile to make Carnage Alley safer because of a lack of traffic on that stretch of the 401. The government's position, Speaker, is appalling. There may be little less traffic on Carnage Alley than before, but there's no shortage of accidents and death as it occurred to the MTO that a lot of drivers might be avoiding Carnage Alley precisely because it's so dangerous of a very simple message for the government. If you want to expand the 401 to six lanes, then pave the grass and build the barrier. Thank you. For the Member of State and the Member of Commission, we'll talk about it. Recently, the federal government announced income tax changes for private corporations. These are companies who do not publicly trade shares. These changes impact thousands of family farms in Ontario. Many farms have incorporated in order to facilitate succession planning and intergenerational transfer of the family farm. These farm families and many others caught up in these changes are not tax evaders. Farm businesses are built up over many years and succession planning also takes many years. A successful plan needs to take many factors into account, including the income tax system. Sudden changes like the ones proposed by the federal government could have a domino effect and cause many unintended tragic consequences. It is within the government's mandate to make changes to the tax system, but it is also their duty to truly consult and work with the stakeholders involved to develop a policy that will make sure that everyone pays their fair share for public services but does not destroy small business across the country. In this case, the federal government did not fulfill that duty. I urge the wind government to contact their federal colleagues and request that these changes be put on hold until their full impact can be assessed with real consultation. Farm families want to work with all levels of government to ensure that together they continue to grow quality food and provide employment and, yes, pay their fair share of taxes. It is extremely frustrating that government continues to take that we have all the answers attitude at the expense of the people who actually are the long-term stewards of the land. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I rise today to speak of a Davenport success story. Last year, Canada opened its doors to families escaping war-torn Syria. Families flooded into Toronto, leading behind their homes, their possessions, and their families for a new and uncertain life. They often came without strong language skills but a desire to come and contribute to their new home. In this time of turmoil and as people across our country looked for a way to help our new friends, Len Senator and Cara Benjamin-Pace had a wonderful idea. Len's Davenport restaurant, The Dipenner, opened its doors to a small group of women to come and use its kitchen to prepare a home-cooked meal to break up the tedium of hotels and pre-packaged food. The event was an immediate success and soon these women were preparing extra meals to cover the cost to the restaurant. Operating out of The Dipenner, Newcomer Kitchen is a not-for-profit social enterprise that invites newly arrived Syrian refugee women to cook a weekly meal in their kitchen. The meals are sold online for pickup or delivery and the proceeds shared among the cooks. This model works as it allows for the money to get into the hands of the refugees that need it and who aren't ready for part-time or full-time work. It also helps newly arrived Syrians with the new sets of skills to help them bridge the gap between the life and career they left behind and as they try to rebuild their lives here in Canada. Over the past year and a half, Newcomer Kitchen has been able to sell over 2,500 Syrian suppers to supporters across the city and they proudly claim they are just getting started. This organization has been a force for good in our community and I was proud to nominate them this summer for a big on-blur awards and bring the story of the good they do to this house. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. For the member's status, the member from Huron, Bruce. Thank you very much, Speaker. I stand today to recognize some farmers from Bruce County who I've spoke about before in this house but they've done it again and therefore this repeat achievement needs recognition. Mark and Josh Ireland, owners of Albedon farms and their families just outside of Teaswater have been once again given top recognition by Ken West DHI for their dairy cattle's milk production. Ken West DHI is an organization responsible for monitoring milk production and output of individual cows. In the category of milk value per cow, Albedon farms for the cream of the crop again. This year, the Ireland's 186 cows produced a whopping 14,294 kilograms of milk, the highest in both Bruce County and the province. Murray Wilkes heard in Ripley was second for Bruce County while Ernest Goebbelman was top honours in Huron County followed by Glen and Curtis McNeill near Godridge. Adam Hodgins outside of Concarton also received recognition for the utter health of this herd and dairy production is such an important industry in Turin, Bruce. It's great to see so many cattlemen being recognized for their efforts and care of their livestock. Congratulations to all who are recognized by Ken West DHI. Don't stop what you're doing. We need good quality local food close to home. Congratulations. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize the Armenian Independence Day. Celebrate on Thursday, September the 21st in the Republic of Armenia and by the Armenian community in Ontario. 26 years ago, Armenians voted in favour of independence. Shortly thereafter, the Republic of Armenia was proclaimed a sovereign state by the parliament. This occasion commemorates Armenians' rich culture and heritage and also allows Ontarians to reflect on the country's journey to independence. Since 1950, Canada has seen a wave of Armenian immigration. Many bear the burden of the Armenian Genocide and have chosen to call Ontario home to preserve and enhance the ethnic heritage. Armenians' Independence Day represented an opportunity for Ontarians to commemorate the courage and perseverance Armenian fighting for freedom and the right to democratic self-government. Mr. Speaker, almost half of Canada's 55,000 Armenians live in Ontario. We need to recognize the contribution made by the vibrant, dynamic Armenian community in building a diverse and strong Ontario. In just last month, Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Research, Innovation and Science visited the Republic of Armenia to further strengthen the relationship between Ontario and the Republic of Armenia. In my writing of Scarborough Agent Court, I have a thriving Armenian community and I'm proud to represent them here at Queen's Park. On behalf of the residents of Scarborough Agent Court, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to send my best wishes to all Armenians celebrating this landmark occasion. Thank you. Thank you. Good stuff. Another member is going to stand. Member from Leonard, from Atlantic and Agton. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, we ought to always be cautious when debating business and passing legislation in this House. We must take the utmost care to avoid hasty reasoning and ensure our words and intentions are unambiguous. It is of paramount importance to each member of this House that we all understand the words we choose and their potential to be misapplied, misused and even abused. Recently, I shared correspondence with the elected members of K Valley Township over the disproportionate amount of complaints regarding their building and planning officials. My constituents were concerned that if they spoke up themselves, they would be subject to retribution by these officials. So they came to me instead. At a meeting on the matter, the Reeve and the CAO suggested I make a representation to council on behalf of my constituents to air their concerns. Both my confidential correspondence and my public presentation to that council on behalf of the people I represent are now subject to a vexatious allegation of workplace harassment. I am confident that nobody in this legislature expected the Occupational Health and Safety Act would be misused and as a tool to prevent public participation, but that is an unfortunate and troubling reality. It's shameful, and I find it abhorrent, and a direct attack on representative democracy flies in the face of this very institution and the expectations that all citizens in a free and just society have. Thank you. Thank you. I thank all members for their statements. It's there for time for reports by committees.