 I guess it's now time for member statements, the member from Sarnia-Lambton. Thank you Mr. Speaker. I rise today to announce the kickoff of giving Tuesday campaign in my community of Sarnia-Lambton. Giving Tuesday is a new movement that is all about giving and volunteering and will take place each year beginning the Tuesday following Cyber Monday. Using social media messaging you will be able to support charities in the community through text donations from December 2nd through December 31st. People can make a $5, $10, $20 or $25 donation by texting SLGives to 20222. Donations can also be made through the website at www.SarniaLambtonGives.ca. In my writing of Sarnia-Lambton, 26 Lambton County Charities are joining this movement for giving and volunteering. Together Mr. Speaker, they have set a goal of raising $100,000. Mr. Speaker, this is the largest show of support for the Giving Tuesday movement of any community across the country. I encourage all of my colleagues in the legislature today to participate in their local Giving Tuesday campaign and I challenge all the municipal councils in Sarnia-Lambton to join in and support the great charitable work done in our community. Again, show your support by texting SLGives to 20222 or visit www.SarniaLambtonGives.ca. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Member statements. The member from Kitchener-Waterloo. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. Today I'd like to congratulate the newly elected mayors and city councils in Waterloo Region and across Ontario who took office on Monday. I'd like to congratulate the new faces Dave Schneider, Sarah Marsh, elected in Kitchener, Bob Maven in Waterloo, Karen Redman and Wayne Weller for our familiar faces but new to Regional Council. I'd also like to congratulate the new Mayor of Kitchener, Barry Vribanovic and Waterloo's new Mayor Dave Jaworski. As well I'd like to thank all of the re-elected members of Council and Regional Council. Finally, I'd like to congratulate all the newly elected public and Catholic School Board trustees along with the returning trustees who will work together for a stronger education system in our region. I wish them the very best as they embark on their important positions to represent their constituents at the closest level of government to the people. Municipal councils play such a vital role in our society. The services they provide by municipalities directly affect the lives of citizens in their communities. Ontarians rely on water, roads, waste removal and of course what could be more important than public education. In the 2014 budget the government announced accelerated cuts of $35 million to the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund for 2015. 245 of the 388 municipalities that receive OMPF support will face a reduction in funding. In July, AMO asked that the government defer the cuts to the OMPF. We must remember the importance of working with municipalities and their elected councils in order to ensure Ontario's shared prosperity. Let's start by offering our congratulations and let's end by respecting local governments. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much. Next member statement, the member from Cambridge. Thank you Speaker. Larry Walker was known as an exceptional athlete, his family, superman, hero and the ultimate family man. He was humble, well known, well liked and well respected. Larry was a fireman. Born and raised in a country with four brothers and three sisters Larry was a friend to all. He was married to his best friend for 66 years and made sure that his family wanted for nothing. He built his home from used lumber and fieldstones as he began a remarkable career serving the citizens of Cambridge. Larry was a police officer for eight years before embarking on a 30-year career as a firefighter in Cambridge. He was known as the King of Ping, playing ping-pong at the station between calls. He retired in 1988 and sadly passed away from occupational disease in 2013. I met his son Randy and granddaughter Alex at the tribute to the fallen ceremony held at Queens Park last week. He was very emotional as he accepted a plaque from the premier. Fittingly, Randy's dad was honored in Colorado at the Fallen Firefighter Memorial and the Firefighter Memorial and tribute to the fallen ceremonies at Queens Park. Randy could not be more proud of his father Larry Walker's exemplary service to the citizens of Cambridge. Neither could we. Thank you Speaker. The oncology clinic at Belville General Hospital finally has a name and it's a fitting tribute to the man who made cancer care a reality in Quinty. The new state-of-the-art clinic which opened in 2011 comes from extremely humble beginnings and it's the vision of Dr. Douglas McIntosh. Back in the 60s cancer treatment simply wasn't taking place in small community hospitals like Belville. Residents in Prince Edward and Hastings counties had to travel to Kingston or Toronto to get their chemotherapy. But in 1972 Dr. Mack found a drafty room just outside the emergency room at Belville General Hospital. He affectionately described it on Saturday as the broom closet and that's where he and his staff, there were three of them actually, Nurse Donna Holloway, Sylvia Buskard and Ruth Weber, took care of cancer patients at Belville General Hospital. The first cancer and hematology clinic was a very small organization as you can see. Doug also mentioned his close working relationship with Belville Dr. Bruce Cronk as well on Saturday. From the day that clinic team started their work the atmosphere lent itself to a lot of great camaraderie. There were long hours, there were heartbreaking moments and there were some great successes in that oncology unit as well. Along the way there's been a lot of progress made in our health care system. When Dr. McIntosh joined the medical profession early in the 60s his goal like so many others was to cure cancer. Now he's actually a cancer patient at that oncology clinic that bears his name. The new 10 treatment chair facility couldn't be named for a more fitting or more deserving person than Dr. Douglas McIntosh. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Member Stavits and Member Kanora Rainey-River. Thank you Speaker. I would like to start by thanking this government for taking the first step in ensuring that there is a bright and prosperous future at the Fort Francis mill. By undertaking negotiations with the mill's present owner to preserve its assets this winter this is the first hurdle we needed to clear to ensure that negotiations may continue so that we may find a successive buyer and see a restart in the near future. But more needs to be done to ensure that a deal can be struck and this government has a crucial role to play in the future success of the Fort Francis mill. What is widely seen as the next step is making changes to wood allocation and the wood allocation of the cross-route forest such that it maximizes the benefit to the people of the Rainey-River district. The ball is in this government's court with a clearly stated call from the people of the Rainey-River district where the cross-route forest is located as well as recent media reports that the present wood license holder supports a change in wood allocation it is difficult to understand what the minister's hold up is. People across the country are keeping a very close eye on this situation to see how it plays out. Time is of the essence and we are collectively asking this government to make the necessary changes to wood allocation that will allow a future deal to be struck to get the Fort Francis mill once again operational. Thank you. Thank you very much speaker. Speaker in the year 1974 a group of visionaries from the Portuguese community in Mississauga came together to create a centre for the Portuguese Canadian community as an outlet for the cultivation of Portuguese language culture and tradition. The centre plays a crucial role for first-generation Portuguese Canadians as they arrive in Canada and for second and subsequent generation Portuguese Canadians to give them exposure to their parents and grandparents heritage culture values tradition and certainly food. The first Portuguese cultural centre of Mississauga was located on Dundas street and it has since moved to streetsville. The Portuguese cultural centre of Mississauga is an active participant and a terrific pavilion at Carassaga Mississauga's annual festival of cultures. Each year I always enjoy visiting the Portuguese pavilion and certainly indulging in the lovely Portuguese food and wine and enjoying the entertainment. On November the 22nd I had the pleasure of being a guest at the annual Portuguese gala dinner in Mississauga. The milestone dinner celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Portuguese cultural centre of Mississauga. I'd like to congratulate Gilberto Moniz soon to retire the president of the Portuguese cultural centre of Mississauga and the board of directors for putting together a wonderful event showcasing music and entertainment native to Portugal accompanied by good food and great company. Thank you speaker. Thank you member statements the member from Nipissing. Thank you speaker I'm bringing two issues from the municipality of Calender. They have concerns about the discovery of unauthorized gill nets in Lake Nipissing which undermine efforts by partners such as the Lake Nipissing stakeholders association Nipissing First Nation to increase the declining walleye population on the lake. This has an impact on everyone around the lake especially those whose livelihood depends on it. On July 22nd council passed a resolution requesting the Ministry of Natural Resources provide additional resources dedicated towards consistent enforcement of regulations and daily catch limits including unauthorized netting. Speaker at the same time Calender Council also expressed concern about the impact of the Ontario sale which will result in 66 lost jobs in Northern Ontario. They're concerned that the government quote hasn't communicated or announced a long-term plan for the ONTC or concrete plans for investment in the ONTC. Their resolution reads quote requests that the government of Ontario immediately consult with local municipalities stakeholders and regional economic development organizations to develop a long-term strategic plan to sustain and grow the Ontario Northland and minimize job loss. Speaker we look forward to the government government's response to northerners thank you. Thank you member statements the member from Scarborough Agent Court. Thank you Mr. Speaker I'm pleased to rise today to speak about the seniors community grants. The seniors community grant is the first grant in Ontario dedicated solely to seniors. The program focuses on projects in non-profit sector that promotes greater social inclusion, volunteerism, education and community engagement for seniors across Ontario. In its inaugural year a total of 179 projects were recommended for approval. These recommended projects have an impact on 43,000 seniors across Ontario. In my writing of Scarborough Agent Court two organizations will be receiving funding from the seniors community grants program. Meng Zhang Foundation will offer social and cultural programs for seniors in the community. The happy time communities association will conduct dance and musical performances to the various seniors homes and apartments across the city of Toronto. Given the overwhelming responses by the community in its inaugural year I'm confident the seniors community grant program will continue to expand in the years to come. Mr. Speaker I want to acknowledge the minister responsible for seniors affairs for his championship for seniors across Ontario and keeping them safe, healthy and active in their golden years. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Thank you members Davis the member from Kingston in the islands. Mr. Speaker and members of this house I want to tell you about a unique conference that was convened to mark world's AIDS day which as you know was yesterday called inside and out it focused on the impact of HIV on people who have come into contact with the correctional system its institutions and service agencies that serve them. The conference discussed recent research and interventions in treating and preventing the spread of HIV, hepatitis C, STIs and other similar diseases included were experts from CSC, Queens University, Ontario HIV treatment network, hotel due hospital, Kingston General Hospital. It outlined strategies to engage with affected prisoners during and after incarceration. Inspiring presentations also examined mental health, addictions, end of life and indigenous care models within correctional facilities. This conference was eight months in the planning and considerable congratulations are due to the organisers the Ontario HIV treatment program funded I'm proud to say by the government's long-term strategic response to the AIDS and epidemic. I would like to also highlight and applaud the incredible hard work and dedication of John McTavish, Diane Smith Merrill and the amazing staff and volunteer tiers at HIV AIDS Regional Services Kingston who collaborated and volunteered to make the conference a considerable success. You have done so well in our community for 25 years thank you. Thank you I thank all members for their