 is now time for members statements. The member from York Simcoe. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. I rise today to congratulate Debbie Johnson from my writing who is the recipient of the first Ontario Dairy Producers Lifetime Achievement Award. This award is presented to an individual who has shown significant leadership that has helped to advance the Ontario dairy industry who has provided service or been engaged in the dairy business in Ontario and has made a significant contribution to the dairy industry as a whole. Debbie Johnson has more than fulfilled these criteria. She has served as treasurer and secretary for the York Region Milk Committee for over 25 years. In this role she has organized the Dairy Educator Program and organized talks for students. This year alone she has coordinated over a thousand different school talks for students in York Region. Debbie has also worked with the Holstein Club and is frequently involved in other community work as well. Congratulations Debbie. You are an asset to the dairy community and the wider York Region community as well. Thank you. Thank you. Member Stamets, the member from Niagara Falls. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise today to discuss the loss of one of Niagara's most beloved residents, Ron Cherney. Ron's name is not unknown to most people from Niagara and especially those from Niagara on the lake. Ron was a family man who deeply loved his wife and children. He's a dedicated man who believed that if you lived in your community then you should belong to the community and you should get back to the community. He was proud of where he came from and certainly his community was proud of him. Anyone who bought from his family, foral, or gift business used his consultant services or attended the Virgil Stampede will know that Ron Cherney certainly gave back to his community. Ron was a major part of the Virgil business community, making his mark on a number of lasting projects in the area, whether it's the Virgil Arena, the splash pad, or the park. Ron's involvement has had a lasting impact on his community. I'd also like to add that he's a very active member of the Queenston-Lewiston Rotary Club. There weren't many fundraisers you could go to in Niagara and the lake without seeing Ron. Whether it was organizing all the entertainment for the event or the fact that he was a public announcer for the weekend, the Stampede and all those who went there will certainly miss Ron. And to highlight what kind of man Ron was, on the morning of his passing, just after the first big snowstorm of the year, Ron, at the age of 69, was out shoveling his neighbor's cars out of the snow. He was an incredible man who made his community better. Thank you very much. Thank you. Members, statements? The member from the Etobicoke Center. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm proud to rise in the house today to talk about a very special event in my riding of Etobicoke Center. Every year, the Markland Wood Homeowners Association hosts an event called the Christmas Caravan. Families and members of the community of all ages volunteer their time to join the caravan to visit every home in Markland Wood to collect non-perishable food items and clothing for charities across Toronto serving our communities. And the caravan includes a police vehicle, a fire truck, a transport truck, and of course Santa Claus, Mr. Speaker. Last year, the caravan raised eight tons of food, $750 in cash, and a tremendous amount of clothing and toys for children and charities in need. Some of the charities that benefit Mr. Speaker are the Daily Bread Food Bank, the Scott Mission, and the Brothers of the Good Shepherd. Now this year, I will be attending the Christmas Caravan on December 14th and encourage everyone in the community, particularly Markland Wood, to participate and support this worthy cause. I've had the opportunity to attend this event in the past, and I must say it's amazing to see the community come together in such large numbers in the spirit of the holidays to support those in need. I think events like this one highlight the importance of community organizations such as the Markland Wood Homeowners Association, which for years has advocated for that community, and as the caravan illustrates has served those not only in their community but in our province who are in need. I would like to thank the Markland Wood community for their generosity, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Markland Wood Homeowners Association for hosting such a great event, and I'd like to congratulate them on all their past success and urge them to continue the great work that they do on behalf of the constituents of Etobicoke Center. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Members, same as the member from Chata Kent Essex. Thank you very much, Speaker. Christmas time brings many different memories for those of us who celebrate Christmas. It's a very reflective time of year for some sad memories, but for others happy memories, perhaps of times when they were younger with family and friends, or even now as they think about the smiles on their children's faces, the excitement of the festive season, the colorful bright lights setting up and decorating the Christmas tree, and they've been going door-to-door Christmas caroling. For me, Speaker, I think about just how grateful I am for family and others in my life. As a politician, there are many Santa Claus parades, or as I call them, Christmas parades. In my writing at Chata Kent Essex, I have Christmas parades not only in Chata, but in Tilbury, Leamington, Blenheim, Richstown, and Wheatley. Along the various parade routes, I can be heard shouting out Merry Christmas to both young and old, and that generally generates a Merry Christmas back to me. I also have fun with the children as I look at them with their excited faces, and I'll ask them how many sleeps until Christmas. And much to my surprise, they know how many sleeps until Christmas. One of the traditions at our home is that we also invite less fortunate family to share Christmas with, and together we enjoy a delicious turkey dinner with all the trimmings, and then we sing carols, and we even play some table games. So friends, why not make this time of year a special time of year? Reach out to someone or some family less fortunate, make it a great Christmas for them. After all, I was always taught that it is better to give than to receive. Merry Christmas, everyone. The member from Essex. Thank you very much, Speaker. I'm going to dispense with tradition and possibly convention in using my member's statement, not to acknowledge the great things that I know happen in my riding, but to say hi to my dad that has come to Toronto, who has been admitted to St. Mike's Hospital to receive a heart valve procedure. And so he's there right now. I'm here. I'll be joining my mom and my dad very soon. As soon as my house duty is done, and I want to tell my dad that I love him, and I thank him for everything he's ever done, and that to be strong and to not be ornery like he typically is, and to treat my mom the way that she deserves to be treated as an angel and don't be so mean, but be strong and know that you're in the right place, and that our healthcare system that you fought for your entire life is here to provide for you and to make sure that you're going to get well. So it's kind of tough to get through this one, but I could think of no better way to say hi to my dad. I know you're watching because I just called mom to tell you to tune in to thank my mom for everything she's doing and supporting him. Through this, my dad's fought to bring awareness about diabetes and to bring us to a position where we can cure that disease. Finally, in this country and on this planet, he struggled with that and has been the epitome of health and fitness and the way to live a healthy life. He's going through his own challenges that I'm sure he's tough enough to do. I want to thank my sister Susie for being the strong member of our family to bring Boris and Sheila up to Toronto and to go through this, and all those at St. Mike's Hospital who now have to deal with my dad, Boris. I don't, I certainly understand what you're going to go through, but I also know and thank you for the care that you're going to give to my dad during this procedure. And I'm very, very thankful for the professionalism and the love that you're going to give to my dad over his treatment through his heart valve surgery. So thank you. Thank you. Members, David's the member from Ottawa Orleans. Try to talk that. Yeah, I'm going to try to, Mr. President. Mr. Speaker. Cumberland Community Association in support of the Orleans Cumberland Community Resource Centre welcomed me and many residents to an incredible day in the Cumberland village to celebrate the spirit of the holiday season with a step back in time. It was a festive afternoon steeped in historical nostalgia. It all started with a wagon ride through the streets of the town pulled by two beautiful Canadian bred horses. I would like to thank Mr. Jerry Lalonde and James Levac as well as Mrs. Elita Kraus for their company and this amazing opportunity. It is with heartfelt thanks that I acknowledge the seven residents who graciously opened their home to the visitors and to those who showed up to tour the village to experience a moment in discovering the well-kept treasures of a few of the founding families of Cumberland. When visiting these homes that belongs to the families like the Kennedys, the Ferguson and the Wilson whose home belonged to the first female liberal senator under the Mackenzie King government in 1930, Mrs. Karen Wilson. I could honestly feel the echo of the past through the town. It was a magical moment and a special lesson of history. So I wish them a very, very good season of a holiday and thank you for the invitation. Merci, Mr. President. Merci beaucoup. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Member from Carlton, Mississippi Mills. Mr. Speaker, today is the day when we observe international day of people with a disability. Today is the day when we recognize over one billion people. 15 percent of the world's population live with a disability. Today, I'm proud to stand and tell you about the work being done in the constituency of Carlton, Mississippi Mills. A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of touring Ottawa Carlton Life Skills, an agency who has been caring for people with disabilities for 30 years. Ottawa Carlton Life Skills offers residential and day programs as well as independent living and home share programs to those living with autism, downs, down syndrome, and various other disabilities. I was thrilled to meet the staff and participants alike and was amazed at the work being done. I heard from the staff that it is time that we bring those living with disabilities out from the shadows and into the sunshine. And today, I would like to acknowledge all of those Ontarians who are living with a disability. Thank you. Thank you. Member Statements, the member from Ottawa South. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I first like to say that on this side of the house that our thoughts and prayers are with the member from Essex's father and family. And it's hard to follow. Was he good? But Mr. Speaker, it's my pleasure today to stand and recognize two volunteers from my riding of Ottawa South. Abizirak Borsami recently received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Crime Prevention Ottawa. Since he arrived in Ottawa in 1989, Abirazak has dedicated himself to helping and educating and inspiring youth and newcomers in our community. As a multicultural officer in our schools, he supported students and their families, integrate into their new environment. More recently, through Ossiso, he provides spiritual and emotional support to adults in custody at the Ottawa Carleton Regional Attention Centre. In short, Mr. Speaker, his work in the community is remarkable. Paul Howard is also a member of my community, and he's the longtime coach of the South Ottawa Mustangs. Coach is the TIC team right now. Paul learned on Monday that he won the NFL Youth Coach of the Year Award, which is a pretty big thing. It also comes with some support for the team that's really great, and it is. As I said, he was coaching TICs, and he focuses in an area of my riding, which is here in Gape. It's an area that has some challenges. Paul does a lot to lift up youth and give them a good start in life, and I just want to say congratulations to both men and thank them very much for what they do for our community. Thank you. Member Samuels, a member from Kingston and the Island. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to tell you about another shining example of outstanding dedication in my riding of Kingston and the Islands. Bearing in mind that only a few days ago, we all donned purple scarfs in support of ending violence against women in Ontario. Kingston Interval House has been providing a safe and supportive space for women and children in crisis for nearly 40 years. Their continued advocacy and counselling has helped to empower a generation of vulnerable women and helped to educate our community to a greater awareness of the unfortunate facts about abuse and violence against women and children. Just a week or so ago, I was absolutely thrilled to learn that they had been awarded just over $100,000 by the Ontario Trillium Foundation. The money will enable the appointment of a supportive housing coordinator for their Robbins Hope transitional housing project. Initiatives like this provide safety and resources at a time when major life decisions are being made, a real lifeline in other words. I'm proud that the Foundation grant will enable Interval House to continue to operate effectively. Congratulations and thank you again to Executive Director Pam Havery, the Board, the staff, the volunteers for your valuable work in our community. Thank you. Thank you. Thank all members for their statements.