 It is now time for member statements. I recognize a member from, no, sorry, Beaches East York. Beaches East York. Thank you, Speaker. I want to congratulate Beach Metro News on its 50th anniversary. Beach Metro News is a little local paper that is a fixture of my community. It's a free paper delivered to our doors, paid for by the advertising of local small businesses, and it punches well above its weight. Times are tough for print journalism, but Beach Metro continues to thrive. And in the close to 30 years that I've lived there, I've always been thrilled to see it arrive. Yes, it features photos of local celebrities and events, but it does a good deal more than that. It goes out of its way to hire young racialized reporters via grants to support local journalism, and it gives them hard stories to write about. Contentious issues like housing, climate, and Metrolinx's destruction of Smalls Creek. Beach Metro did a fabulous job of covering all the tensions and pain that small businesses and precariously employed Bay residents experienced during COVID. The evictions, closures, lockdowns, grief, and loss, but also the extraordinary compassion, kindness, and volunteering of all our neighbors. Sometimes the news can feel like an onslaught of bitterness, nastiness, and horror, and we in Bay are so lucky to have a ray of local sunshine as well as insight. Thank you so much to Alan Shackleton and all the staff at Beach Metro News, and may you have a fabulous 50th birthday celebration. You have earned it. Thank you from all of us in Bay to see York. Thank you. I recognize the member from Eglinton Lawrence. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The quorum, which occurs on March 16th, 17th this year, is an ancient Jewish holiday, which commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from the wrath of a Persian official who was planning to kill all the Jews in the empire. The story on which it is based is recounted in the book of Esther. The evil plans, however, were foiled by Mordecai and Esther, his cousin and adopted daughter, who had become the queen of Persia. This day of deliverance for the Jewish people is commemorated with a day of feasting and rejoicing. Jews around the world celebrate quorum by exchanging gifts of food and drink, donating to the poor, eating a celebratory meal, and public readings from the scroll of Esther, usually in a synagogue. Other quorum customs include wearing masks and costumes, and there are often public celebrations and parades. I have had the opportunity and privilege to attend quorum celebrations in my community, including at Cherishamiim synagogue, and have enjoyed the celebration and festive atmosphere. Quorum is a great holiday for families and is especially embraced by the young and the young at heart. I had the privilege of enjoying quorum with the former rabbi of Cherishamiim, Rabbi Stroukler, and his young family, along with all of the other congregants. For me, my favorite part of the event is always the costumes. So I want to say a happy quorum to everybody, enjoy, and celebrate as we all get together this year. Thank you. I recognize a member from Windsor to come see. Speaker, more than 100 years ago, a song became an anthem for trade union activists. That song, of course, was Solidarity Forever. In the early 80s in Poland, a group of workers formed the Solidarity Movement. They became the first free and independent trade union in the Soviet Bloc and eventually led Poland towards democracy. One of the leaders of that Solidarity Movement lives in my writing. Richard Kuzmierczyk was the union chair for 7,000 factory workers when the communist dictatorship in Poland declared martial law in early December, 1981. Civil liberties were suspended, thousands of tanks and armed soldiers poured into the streets. The police came to Richard's door and hauled him off to jail for two weeks. His family didn't know if he was dead or alive. Thousands of Solidarity members were rounded up, and during the subsequent years of martial law, many were killed. Richard Kuzmierczyk was declared an enemy of the state. In 1983, he brought his family to Canada and settled in Windsor. Two weeks ago, he was in Ottawa at the Polish Embassy and awarded Poland's Cross of Freedom and Solidarity. Richard was recognized for his leadership within the Solidarity Movement. His son, Eric, is the federal liberal member for my writing. On behalf of all of us here in Ontario's Provincial Parliament, I congratulate Richard Kuzmierczyk on his award and we thank him for his leadership, Speaker, Solidarity Forever for the union makes us strong. APPLAUSE Members statements, I recognize the member from Peterborough, Northam. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Throughout COVID, there were many adjustments made and our service clubs were no exception. Because of those adjustments, they continued to serve. One in particular in my writing is the Kinsman Club of Peterborough. The Kinsman's motto is to serve our community's greatest needs and they are living up to that motto. Every Saturday night at 7 p.m. from October to May, the Kinsman put on a TV bingo show on Global Oshawa, Global Peterborough and Global Kingston. The core volunteers from Manitowage to Brockville and just about every community in between distribute bingo cards to convenience stores, gas stations and grocery stores. And on Saturday nights, with the help of Czech TV in Peterborough, a group of 10 volunteers put on the bingo show. It's been a staple now for almost three decades. Prior to COVID, about 6,500 bingo cards were sold each week. But last year, TV bingo exploded with close to 30,000 bingo cards being sold each week by Christmas. Not only did the simple TV broadcast provide a needed distraction from the frustrations of COVID-19 for so many but also meant that the Kinsman Clubs could serve their community's greatest needs that much more. In Peterborough, $50,000 from bingo went to the CMA to help purchase one of the Mobile Mental Health and Addiction buses. And $15,000 went to the Court of Food Share. In Lindsay, donations of $20,000 to a place called home and $10,000 to the Court of Lakes food source were made. Who would have thought that playing something as simple as bingo during COVID-19 would have so much of a positive effect on our communities? Good job, General Manitowage. Well, thank you, Speaker. And they have arrived. These are FN-95 masks that have been produced by First Nation Partnerships with Dentex Canada. And I have them here available, and I want to get a page to provide this to a gift to the House Leader for the governing party. And I have some for everyone else here in the House. I've provided some for the clerks. I gave some to the Speaker. I gave some to the Pages. These masks are produced in two communities in my writing. Sakamak First Nation and Wikwem Kong First Nation. Both Ogima Osawa Minki and Chief Peltier are sitting in vaunted a strategizing about how they can approach this government, a procurement agreement to purchase some of these Ontario-made masks. Instead of getting these masks produced from other jurisdictions, we have them available here in Ontario. You should be looking at what we have here in Ontario and making sure that they are provided with the security that they need in order to continue maintaining their jobs and employment. In Wikwem Kong, they have over 30 employees. In Sakamak, they have over 30 employees. They are looking at developing a recycling plant as well, which will create another 40 jobs. This is a good news story. If anybody wants to have a contact in regards to ordering their own masks, get a hold of me. Matthew Owl, who's the President of First Nation Procurement Inc, is looking forward to receiving your call and your orders. Next, we have the Member for Ottawa, Senator. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. March is the month of the Francophonie. Francophone and Terrians have been fighting for a long time for what they deserve. I'm very proud to have worked alongside them in a government and in this house to continue in this fight. The Francophone community is always trying to get this right. For more than a century, they've been fighting against Bill 17 so that we can save SOS Month 4 of fighting this government when they removed the French service commissioner. The Francophone community here in Ontario continued the fight to make sure that her linguistic rights are respected and promoted. I'm very proud to see the Francophone flag here in this house. And my colleagues and the MPPs from Ottawa, Vanie, have worked hard to make sure that they are represented here in Queen's Park. This flag reminds us of the work that has been done and the entire work that is still needs to be done. I'm going to ask the members to please keep their private, the volume of their private conversations to a minimum, please. Will we please be quiet? Next, we have the member for Oakville North Bullen. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker International Women's Day is next week on March the 8th. It's an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate women across Ontario for the incredible contributions women have made, are making and will continue to make in our communities. Women have made many great strides to achieve equality in society, but more must be done to ensure women are protected from harassment, discrimination and violence. February 22nd was Human Trafficking Awareness Day. And as we have learned, human trafficking is happening right here in our own backyards. About 66% of human trafficking cases in Canada occur in Ontario. To combat this, Ontario is investing $307 million in its anti-human trafficking strategy. We're also increasing community-based services by $96 million to support victims and survivors. This includes $46 million for new community programs and indigenous services and supports. During the pandemic, we saw that cases of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking increased. As we look forward to celebrating International Women's Day, let's recognize the community organizations across Ontario who provide supports to victims of sexual violence. In my own community, I want to thank organizations such as Halton Women's Place, Women's Center of Halton, Savas of Halton and Nina's Place for their critical work. Let's continue to work together to end violence against women everywhere. Next, we have the member for Hamilton East, Tony Creek. Thanks, Speaker. Speaker, the world is watching and finally paying attention. In 2008, the Russian military invaded the sovereign country of Georgia and in the Caucasus region of Europe. The world paid some heed, but little was done beyond condemnation and sanctions. This event was, in fact, the first war to be fought on European soil in the 21st century. Few people back then thought much more of the conflict other than just a border skirmish between a distant and little thought region. While the world focused on the battles in Iraq and Afghanistan, nearly 92,000 people in Georgia were violently displaced with roughly 20,000 people, mostly ethnic Georgians remaining displaced nearly 10 years later. In 2014, another important date on the historical calendar in Eastern Europe. This was the year in which the sovereign nation of Ukraine was first violated by Russian troops and tanks. At that time, the United Nations General Assembly condemned the annexation of Crimea. They reaffirmed the condemnation in 2016 and opposed the imposition of legal system of the Russian Federation and the negative impact on human rights in situation in Crimea. Again, the world paid little attention to this act of war. Now, with Russian tanks and troops currently pushing in on the capital of Ukraine, the international community is finally waking up. At a rally this weekend amongst the sea of blue and yellow, I saw the flags of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovakia, and many other country flags were all in front of Hamilton City Hall, hundreds of people. We need to do everything we can to support the free and brave people of the Ukraine. The government and all Canadians need to stand and solidarity and show the dictator and the oligarchs of Russia that their acts of aggression will no longer be tolerated. War crimes are being committed as we speak and it's absolutely outrageous. Thank you. The Member for Renfrew, Nipissing, Pembroke. Thank you very much, Speaker. After 15 years of the Liberals taking Ontario in the wrong direction, from day one, our government made a commitment that we would increase opportunities and remove barriers in the skilled trades. Under the Liberal government, apprenticeship registrations fell by over 40%, which has led to a massive shortage of skilled labour here in Ontario. You can't build the Ontario of the future. You can't build the homes, the schools, and the hospitals that people need and the transportation routes that allow the efficient movement of people and goods without the skilled tradespeople to build them. As we move beyond the pandemic, Ontario is on the cusp of significant growth. I want to command Minister McNaughton for launching the Crown Agency to improve training and simplify services for tradespeople. The skilled trades Ontario. And also streamlining the process that will allow tradespeople from other provinces to get their credentials approved for work here in Ontario. My son is a skilled tradesperson, a red-sealed carpenter, who gets up each and every day, looking forward to get to work. It's a career that is challenging and rewarding at the same time. Our government is sending out a clear message. We want people to embark on a skilled trades career and we want them to do it right here in Ontario. Ontario is the place to be. A great place to live, work, and raise your family, led by a government that values the important work you do and will always have your back. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Member Statements, the member for Brampton Centre. Thank you and good morning, Speaker. March 8th is International Women's Day. It's a day for us to celebrate and acknowledge the contributions of women across our country. And I want to take a moment today to celebrate some phenomenal local leaders in the city of Brampton. Women like Kathy McDonald, our local school board trustee for wards three and four, who has been a fighter against anti-black racism and oppression in education. Our local city councillor for wards one and five, Rowena Santos, who is the first Filipino woman elected to city council in Brampton. Dr. Kathleen Armitage, who was the citizen of the year in Brampton in 1993 and she has been a long time advocate for healthcare and healthcare services in our community. Doris Nikidia, the executive director of Families of Virtue, who's been servicing our Knightsbridge community and making sure that young people have all the resources they need to be successful. And of course, I can't forget my mom and my grandma. Thank you so much for always inspiring and encouraging us to dream big and believe that women everywhere could accomplish anything. This year's theme for International Women's Day is breaking barriers. So let's keep fighting for a gender-equal world where we can ensure that supports and programs for women and girls are invested in and that we fight to end gender-based violence. Let's continue to inspire the next generation to break the bias and to be the best that they can. Happy International Women's Day, everyone. That concludes our member statements. I hesitate to.