 It's therefore time for a member's statements, the member from Kitchener, Conestoga. Yes, thank you, Speaker. Today marks World Ovarian Cancer Day, a day recognized here and across the planet to acknowledge the impacts of and educate communities about ovarian cancer and its symptoms. Just last month in my writing I met with Adele and Linda, residents who shared the impact of this disease and how it's had on their lives and the lives of their families. I was moved by their passion to raise awareness about ovarian cancer and advocacy for the urgent need for improved treatment. A passion I'm certain is shared by many volunteers and staff of Ovarian Cancer Canada that we have in attendance today, and I welcome you. Speaker, every day five women die from ovarian cancer, making it the most fatal women's cancer in Canada. For far too long, sufferers have felt overlooked as they are told better treatment options simply aren't available. This disease touches all of our communities and we have women in our lives that are at risk of this terrible illness, of course. Ovarian Cancer Canada has launched a campaign to recognize the need for action on ovarian cancer for the women living with the disease and for those at risk of developing it. Please join me and Ovarian Cancer Canada by showing your support in recognition of World Ovarian Cancer Day. I thank you, Speaker. I welcome the guests here today, all the mums, sisters, friends, family. We're thinking of you today. Well done. Thank you. Here are members of statements. The member from Essex. Thank you very much, Speaker. In honor of Nursing Week, I'd like to recognize an exceptional nurse from our region of Windsor and Essex County. Speaker, our chapter of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario has presented its annual lowest fairly award. It goes to an exceptional nurse, Fran Stenoots. Fran is the Palliative Care Coordinator at the Hospice of Windsor and Essex County. She's a she's had a remarkable career. She graduated from Hotel Due School of Nursing in 1968. She started working at the old IOD hospital in the Intensive Care Ward. Fran then, like so many other nurses in Windsor and Essex County, accepted a job in Detroit at Lakeside. From there was on to Detroit Osteopathic Hospital as head nurse on the oncology floor. From there, it was off to the Detroit Medical Center in the area of Radiation Oncology. She later transferred to the Bone Marrow transplant floor. After 18 years of nursing in Michigan, her husband took a job in Barrie. At first, Fran worked here in Toronto at Princess Margaret, but the commute got to be too much. So she accepted a position at Bay Store Home Health. She spent 20 years with them as a nursing manager and along the way was certified for Hospice Palliative Care. That's when she was lured back to Windsor. Speaker Fran says she can feel an angel on her shoulder when she's caring for hospice patients. She's great with volunteers and her entire team is involved in mentoring and coaching young nursing students. The award speaker is named after the late local nurse, mentor and advocate for the nursing profession. Lois Fairle led by example and Fran Stenoots exemplifies the true meaning and spirit of Lois Fairle by her leadership, advocacy, professionalism and compassion for nursing. Congratulations Fran on this great honor. Thank you for your member things, the member from Barrie. Thank you Speaker. Several weeks ago I had the chance to meet with the Barrie constituent Laura Zawadiep, an advocate with her of Barrie and Cancer Canada to discuss their new Lady Balls campaign. So named to draw attention to the courage it takes to face this disease, discuss it openly and stand up against it. Unfortunately the symptoms of this disease are easy to mistake for something else and there is no singular definitive diagnostic test. Because of this it often goes undetected and many women including Laura need to be their own advocates and insist that certain tests are performed. Unfortunately for too many it means it's found too late. As a cancer survivor myself I know the importance of organizations like Ovarian Cancer Canada they raise awareness about the signs and risks factors, fund raise for research desperately needed for new treatments and provide resources and community support for families experiencing this terrible disease. Every September since 2002 they have held the Walk of Hope an event that now takes place in 40 communities across the country and has risen over 23 million dollars today. Speaker on World Ovarian Cancer Day I would like to thank the survivors and the advocates here with us today and holding community events across Ontario for their hard work and devotion to the cause. I would also like to let everyone know that we will be distributing postcards to members on the Lady Balls campaign to help them advocate to advocate to the federal minister of health to further support research for a cue. Cure thank you. Thank you for the members things members and simple great. Speaker I rise today on the anniversary of victory in Europe to pay tribute to those who fought and died in the defense of our liberty during World War II. Each year on this day we gathered throughout the province and worldwide to commit ourselves to never losing sight of the huge number of men and women who served both abroad and at home during such difficult times and of the sacrifices they made on our behalf. Today I want to talk about a lesser known group of veterans those in the Canadian merchant Navy. Mr. Speaker merchant marines played an important role in the war. They sailed transport ships carrying vital cargo and personnel to our allies on the front line. They sailed hazardous ocean passage routes often in terrible weather and with the full knowledge that German wolf packs submarines lurked beneath the water to blow up their ships. A total of 12,000 men and women served in Canada's merchant Navy. Of course over those over 17,000 lost their lives. In fact the merchant Navy suffered the most casualties of any Canadian fighting service. The merchant Navy was not an official entity of the military. In fact the marines were a volunteer organization. They held no military standing no formal training. They didn't receive government benefits or have uniforms that would identify them on land. As a result their efforts did not garner the same recognition as other veterans after the war. Last Thursday in recognition of the sacrifice made by merchant marines and their families I introduced legislation proclaiming September 3rd in each year as merchant Navy Veterans Day. This legislation echoes federal legislation that was passed in 2003 and proclamations made by other provinces including British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Nova Scotia. I hope that all members of this House will support this legislation and vote in favour of its swift passage. Thank you for the member's statements the member from Kitchener Waterloo. Thank you. May is Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month and in Kitchener Waterloo you can find Mike Farwell in the Community Raising Funds for Cystic Fibrosis Canada. Through his third annual Farwell for Higher campaign Mike hires himself out for odd jobs in exchange for a donation. Mike is a local radio host and a dedicated community servant always eager to emcee an event. Mike has lost two sisters to Cystic Fibrosis and still thinks of them over 20 years later. In a recent interview Mike said my older sister was 24 years old nine months later losing my little sister at the age of 18 was excruciating. My sisters got robbed of the last 20 years that I've had to try to do something and says Farwell so that's why I do it. In 20 years Cystic Fibrosis research has come a long way. Today the average life expectancy of someone living with Cystic Fibrosis has nearly doubled and medical advances have improved the standard of care for patients. Mike's advocacy efforts on behalf of Cystic Fibrosis Canada and the Cystic Fibrosis community are tireless. Last year he raised over $40,000 this year he hopes to raise $50,000. Mike has said he is the luckiest man on earth but I'd say that we are pretty lucky to have him as a community leader in Kitchener Waterloo. To Mike we say thank you and hopefully you're hired. If you are interested in learning more about Cystic Fibrosis and supporting Mike's campaign I would encourage you to check out Farwell for hire online. Thank you Mike. Mr. Speaker recently I had the pleasure of attending 126th birthday celebration of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar in my great writing of Miss Saga Brampton South. Dr. Ambedkar was the architect of Indian Constitution. Born in a Mahal family considered an untouchable caste he became a victim of India's evil caste system. Dr. Ambedkar's life proves that birth in so-called untouchable caste doesn't define success. It was his education and a valiant fighting spirit against evil coupled with the lofty goal of building a society without discrimination based upon color, caste, creed and gender that defined his life's success. He was the first Indian who earned a PhD abroad in 1917. In fact he earned four PhDs including one from London School of Economics and his education at the Columbia University. Dr. Ambedkar's life is a portrait of true revolutionary spirit and of an intellectual of great depths. He was a jurist, economist, politician and a social reformer. He dedicated his entire life fighting against caste discrimination, gender inequality and for the upliftment of economically marginalized. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the celebration committee for organizing such an important and successful event. Thank you for your members. Same as the member from Leeds Grandville. Thank you Speaker. Friday I attended the grand opening of the Beth Donovan Hospices New Forever Home in Kempville. It's a beautiful space that will bring the invaluable services they provide in North Grandville and Merrickville-Wolford under one roof. I'm so proud of the staff, the amazing volunteers and the community for its tremendous support since the hospice began 25 years ago. But there's one essential piece missing. Like so many rural communities in Ontario, there is no funding from the local Linn to operate residential hospice beds. Speaker, it's cruel to force rural families to take a loved one from a community they've called home for years to spend their final days. A rural resident from Oxford Mills or Easton's Corners has as much right to die in a residential hospice setting near home as someone in the city of Ottawa. I've had many conversations with the minister and his parliamentary assistant about this funding. However, the time for conversations is over. These communities have been patient but now they want action and a fair share of rural hospice funding. The member for Ottawa South visited the Beth Donovan Hospice with me so he knows how much this means to our community. I ask him and the minister to join me in demanding the Champlain Linn immediately approve these residential hospice beds and funding to operate them. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you for the member's statements. The member from Davenport. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to inform the House about the fantastic visit that I had with students from Ms. Barkley's great 10 civics class from Bloor Collegiate Institute in my writing of Davenport. This past Friday I had the pleasure of welcoming this fantastic group of great 10 students to my constituency office for an hour and a half to talk about how the legislature works, how we come to decide on what is in the best interests of the public and what life is like as an MPP. Having the opportunity to field questions and educate students on the work we do here is important and I couldn't have been more honored to have the opportunity. We also have the opportunity to debate in the style of our legislature and while the discourse was heated I must say that this House could take a cue from the level of respect and decorum that these young adults showed each other. I'm glad that one thing that I didn't have the opportunity to talk to them about was about member's statements and their purpose. So for the students who are following along at home or online member statements are from informing the House about the great work the important work that is going on in our constituencies whether it's by an organization, individuals or in this particular case about all the great learning and civics education being taught by Ms. Barkley's class to her grade 10 civics class at BCI. So Mr. Speaker I encourage all members of the House to carve out some time in their very busy schedule to speak to the civics class and their constituencies. It's important work to teach that we teach about the work of this legislature and must confess it is some of the most rewarding work that I do. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Thank you for the member's statements from Stormont South, Stormont Dundas South-Gungary. Thank you Speaker, easy for you to say. In March I attended the Ottawa farm show where agriculture businesses from across Eastern Ontario and the province showcased the innovation and progress our agri-food industry can be so proud of. A local business from Stormont Dundas in South-Gungary homestead organics takes a leadership role in promoting sound efficient organic farming across the country. At the farm show they partner with Canadian organic growers to launch the third edition of the Canadian organic field crop handbook. A comprehensive guide to starting a new organic business transitioning to organic production and improving farm practices in the organic sector. The challenges facing organic farming are not different from those facing all other agricultural enterprises. Producers must strive to achieve maximum yields, use resources, money, equipment efficiently, and ensure good practices are followed at every step of the production cycle. The process of setting up a business or transitioning to organic farming can appear daunting. The handbook provides an informative perspective organic farmers need in order to set themselves up for success. Businesses deserve their chance to succeed in Ontario. I am proud to see the local organic producers taking a leadership role in building a stronger and better organic industry in our province. They make us proud. Thank you speaker. I thank all members for their statements.