 is now time for member statements and I recognize the member for Oshawa. Thank you Speaker. Businesses in Oshawa, Durham region and across Ontario are very concerned about the devastating impact of COVID-19. They're trying to survive and make it through to the other side. I've been hearing from businesses, downtown BIAs, the Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade. The Ontario NDP submitted the SAVE Main Street Plan filled with recommendations based on what small and medium businesses have been asking for. They need tools like the successful digital Main Street program so that business can get online and get to their customers and community. Enhance wage subsidies because the feds 10% isn't going to cut it. We need to institute a utility payment freeze, postpone tourism and marketing fees in the hospitality sector, and dedicate resources to ensure the food supply chain has what it needs. And invest in the tools and resources that entrepreneurs need for the future. Commercial landlords are still not taking advantage of the federal money so the Premier should pick up the phone and use Ontario's influence with the feds. Small and medium businesses are desperate to open but worried at the same time. So support them with help and ensure that there are clear guidelines. How will they get PPE? What happens if they need support? They want to know that there's some security if they need it. Small Main Street and medium businesses have always been the backbone of our communities, especially now in the face of such uncertainty. We have to listen to them and support them. Reshaping the future is a big job speaker that will take all of us and this government needs to put its money where its mouth is. We have to invest in and ensure the future of small businesses, not just hope it happens. I hesitated to interrupt the member during the course of her statement, but I would ask the House to come to order so that I can hear the member who has the floor and is presenting to the House. Order. Member Statements, the Member for Brantford-Brant. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize the extraordinary frontline workers not only in my home riding of Brantford-Brant, but throughout Ontario. In our hospitals, doctors, nurses, cleaning and kitchen staff, IT workers and all support staff, on our roads, paramedics, fire, police, military, dispatchers, delivery personnel and all support workers. In our long-term care homes, nurses, PSWs, cleaning staff, recreational and therapy workers, in our fields, farmers, farm workers and farm families, in our stores, pharmacists, assistants, grocery store clerks, security staff and workers, tirelessly restocking shows. The workers that you never see, hydro technicians, municipal sewage workers, water treatment staff and telecommunications professionals that link and give us access to information, the ability to talk to our loved ones remotely and to keep us entertained. A huge thank you to all in our province who have stepped up either working to treat COVID-19 patients, working to prevent outbreaks and the Ontarians that work daily to keep us safe, comfortable and fed. Recently, I reached out to our long-term care homes in my riding of Brantford-Brant to hear firsthand the reality of what was going on in the ground. While my thoughts are with the residents who cannot see their loved ones in person, I was most impressed with the level of preparedness and dedication to fight this deadly virus. If you are a team leader, a manager or director and wants to recognize excellence in your organization, I urge you to contact your local MPP. Thank you. Thank you very much. Member statements. The member for Kitchener's Center. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The pandemic pay announcement was made on April 24th, but it wasn't until May 15th that the ministry's responsible contacted eligible employers to provide more details. That meant four long weeks of critical frontline workers continuing to put their lives on the lines to protect Ontarians while wondering if they would qualify for this pay. Wondering if their work was valued by this government. We know staffing shortages plagued the system because of the government's cuts leading up to the pandemic, and now exclusions based on random criteria that was never disclosed to the public has added insult to injury. PSWs at long-term care homes qualified for a pandemic pay but called my office asking why the person working alongside them did not simply because they had stepped in to provide temporary help through private home care companies. Why were ambulance attendants not on the list or people who provide MRIs? What about clerical support staff organizing and prioritizing appointments or laboratory technicians who do our testing? What about healthcare workers supporting the unsheltered or those helping people navigate addictions in community? Why are they missing? For four weeks my staff monitored the list and while we're grateful to see more roles added, we're frustrated it's taken this government so long to see that frontline workers are part of an intricate web of people who rely on each other to keep us all safe. Real leadership requires well thought out plans and complete transparency. So do better. Ontario's watching. I'm going to have to ask the independent members to keep the volume of their voices down, earn member statements. I need to be able to hear the member who has the floor. We need to show respect for each other. Member statements. The member for Whitby. Good morning, Speaker. Thank you. In response to the epidemic staff at the community care department, the community food boxes program. The program speaker was developed to support residents from communities in the region of Durham unable to safely acquire the essentials needed during this unprecedented time. With the support of local businesses and farms, the food boxes contain the essentials for healthy eating, much of which are locally made or grown in the region of Durham. These boxes speaker are delivered throughout the region of Durham and help to relieve the pressure from immediate family members unable to provide the necessary care to their vulnerable loved ones. Speaker, community care. Durham is a multi service charitable organization with a long history of providing community support services to adults and their caregivers who have needs related to aging, physical and or mental health. Speaker, community care. Durham will continue to partner with local businesses and farms to bring Durham residents in need during this extraordinary time, a truly community experience. Thank you to the staff at community care of Durham and all the volunteers who are delivering the community food boxes. Know that you're making a difference in so many lives throughout the region of Durham. Thank you, Speaker. Member statements, the member for Brampton North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Demand for security guards has drastically increased during COVID-19 pandemic. These men and women have been asked to take on challenging roles on the front lines, ensuring that our grocery stores, hospitals, government facilities and care homes are safe. There is currently an acute shortage of licensed guards in Ontario. Many guards are currently being asked to work double shifts and overtime, but demand persists. In a province posting historic job losses, there are as many as 5,000 positions that remain unfilled. This demand will only increase as the government moves slowly to increase economic restrictions. The good news is that there are thousands of Ontarians ready and willing to take on these roles. Unfortunately, new licenses and testing have been suspended, rendering it impossible to become qualified as a security guard in Ontario while testing and licensing facilities remain closed. The province urgently needs to temporarily remove and continue with testing, online testing and certification for the duration of the pandemic. We understand that a similar program has been undertaken in Quebec. Despite the dangerous essential work that security guards are carrying out, reports are that guards are not receiving the $4 an hour top-up the government promised. To be clear, many guards are working in care homes, hospitals and detention centres. Most are working in roles that require placing themselves, Mr. Speaker, and their families in danger while screening, interacting with members of the public. This needs to change. Member statements, the member for Scarborough Guildwood. Speaker, it's an honour to rise today on behalf of the people of Scarborough Guildwood. Today I thank everyone who's doing their part to curb the spread of COVID-19, especially our healthcare heroes. I had a chance to meet several of them at the Scarborough Health Network on Friday when the Scarborough Business Association delivered food packages for lunch. I thank these essential workers who are keeping our province moving. At the same time, I'd like to acknowledge the hardship experienced by small businesses, not only in Scarborough but across the province. Over the past weeks, I've touched base with a number of small businesses owners in my riding of Scarborough Guildwood. I hosted a virtual small business recovery consultation and heard from owners such as the JC Banquet Hall, a fine arts instructor who does her instructions now over Zoom, and the owners of G&G Electronics, a family-run business who has been operating continuously for over 65 years. I want to thank Katie Sayuki for moderating this session. I'd also like to thank the Scarborough Business Association for hosting a virtual set of meetings to facilitate networking, information sharing, and promoting new and innovative partnerships. It's clear that some industries will do better and they're better situated to recover and adapt from COVID-19. But whether or not our small businesses survive depends in large part on the steps that government will be taking in the coming weeks. The message from small business is loud and clear. With drastically reduced incomes, they need support now. They're asking for commercial rent relief and without thank you very much. Thank you very much. Member Statements, the member for Burlington. Thank you so much Speaker. Burlington is a community like no other in good times and in bad. We rally together to ensure no one is left behind speaker. I'd like to thank some of the local organizations who've lent a hand to make each day a little brighter for someone else. The Burlington Food Bank last month served 650 families twice as many as last April. In addition, organizations like the Compassion Society, Food for Life, Burlington Salvation Army, and Wellington Square United Church are also providing support. I want to acknowledge the Burlington Dads group who held a bottle drive a few weeks back and raised $6,110 and 387 pounds of food for Holton Women's Place and Burlington's Food Bank. We're also coming together online. More than 10,200 people have joined the Facebook group, Burlington On Restaurants Takeout and Delivery. This group supports local restaurants and promotes Burlington's Takeout Wednesday. When the lockdown began, I also extended my office hours to help Burlington residents navigate the support available from all levels of government. We've also arranged marriages licensed in several urgent cases. A special thanks to Amber LaPoint, the City Clerk, and Port Colburn, Sarah Kim, the Town Clerk in Grimsby, and the Clerk's Office in Markham for going above and beyond to help. Adjusting to our current reality of six feet apart has been challenging for all of us speaker. As always, Burlington is stepped up. Thank you very much. Your statements. The member for University Rosedale. Thank you, Speaker. When I walk through my neighbourhood of University Rosedale, I see more and more empty storefronts and four lease signs. College Street, Law Street, Dundas Street, Kensington Market. Small businesses are giving up and going under. They can't pay insurance, they can't pay utilities, they can't pay their astronomical rent. Two-thirds of commercial tenants didn't make may rent. Aunt Tran, a parent and first-time business owner of a bakery on Bloor Street. He had invested everything into his business, closed. Matthew Lungwe, owner of Base Camp Climbing Gym. He invested thousands into renovating a former adult movie theatre into a popular gym, closed. Nishtish, a thriving Indigenous-run restaurant cafe on Bloor Street, faced so many additional barriers to open, closed. El Gato Nero, an Italian restaurant on College Street, run by Carmine and Michael Revelli. In a Facebook post they wrote, we feel fortunate and proud to have had the opportunity to serve this city since 1960. And we are honoured that we are able to be a part of so many people's lives through their trials and tribulations, their triumphs and joys. Closed, closed. These businesses make our city. They employ people, they give Toronto its character, its culture and its identity. Ontario Government, this is a message for you. Put a moratorium on commercial evictions now and provide rental support to commercial tenants. Help us and help my riding survive this pandemic. Thank you. For the third time I'm compelled to ask members to keep their voices quiet when other members are having or presenting their statements in the House. This time I have to ask the government side. We have to respect each other. Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, come door. Member statements, the member for Flamborough, Glenbrook. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I'm pleased to rise today to talk about the critical role Hamilton International Airport is playing in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Hamilton is the nation's hub for the delivery of personal protective equipment to frontline workers. It is also the largest domestic express cargo airport in Canada. On April 11th, a 767 cargo jet landed in Hamilton from Shanghai with 75,000 pounds of desperately needed PPE. Since then, plane load after plane load of N95 masks and other vital medical supplies have arrived at Hamilton Airport from sources right around the world. The shipments are temporarily stored in a 77,000 foot air cargo space before being delivered to sites right across the country. The facility at Hamilton specializes in the shipment of pharmaceutical and biomedical supplies. Hamilton Airport cargo jet and their delivery partners DHL, Perlator, UPS and Canada Post continue to work around the clock to meet the surging demand for PPE and other medical supplies. I want to commend all of the air cargo and delivery teams at Hamilton Airport and CEO Kathy Puckering for their commitment to supporting the supply chain and keeping Ontarians safe. Thank you. I apologize. Member for Peterborough Court. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And what seemed like an eternity ago way back in the last week of March, a gentleman named Tim Burke reached out to me to see if it would be possible under the COVID-19 restrictions to put on a fundraiser telethon style. Tim has been involved in a number of initiatives to help with mental health and addiction supports in their community through an organization named Peterborough Strahm. His original idea was morphed and modified so that we could observe all of the social distancing rules. And with the help of people like Meg Murphy, Pete Dalladay, Neil Morton, Jeff Duke, and David Feely at Kojiko Peterborough, the final concept was put together. Artists and celebrities across Peterborough would record songs or inspirational messages. And all of it would be combined into a two hour show broadcast on Kojiko's Your TV as well as through Facebook Live and YouTube. In total, more than 55 local artists took part and 35 local celebrities and community leaders provided messages of hope to our community. Our very own Premier Ford took time to send the message of hope to our community. All of the proceeds from this event will go to community foundations of Peterborough and to the United Way in support of mental health initiatives for those suffering during COVID-19. The telethon ended with a very fitting rendition of the tragically hips Bob Cajun, sung by the Peterborough singers. Thank you. Thank you. That concludes our member statements for this morning. It is now.