 It is now time for a member statement to member from Nipissing. Thank you, Speaker. I ask the members here, did you brush your teeth today? Did you take any prescription pills? Are you wearing a rayon shirt or blouse? You may ask what do these have in common, Speaker, and I can tell you all of those products contain wood pulp. Does your car have an airbag? If so, the detonator has wood fibre. Was there shredded cheese on your lunch? If so, the cellulose gum that stops them from sticking, well that's wood pulp. Are there paper clips in your desk? Wood fibre stops those from rusting. Did you get flowers in a cellophane wrap or candy in the crinkly package? That's all wood pulp, cellulose from wood chips. Speaker, tomorrow members at the Justice Committee will be asked to stand up for the forestry sector and for Northern Ontario. There are amendments to Bill 52 to ensure the legislation isn't manipulated to the detriment of the North. The bill is meant to protect the voices of the people who are unable to protect themselves, not the multi-million dollar antiforrestry special interest groups. I urge the government to support the amendments and stand up for the people of Northern Ontario. Thank you. Speaker, I'd like to talk about the ongoing concerns about layoff notices at Community Living Elgin in the London area. My colleague, the member from Hamilton Mountain, has written a letter to the Minister of Community and Social Services about the seriousness of these layoff notices and their impact in our region. This government has already slashed programming and services for some of our province's most vulnerable people and non-profits and transfer payment agencies like Community Living are left picking up the slack. And to add further injury, the government has not supported pay equity obligations with funding that allows these organizations to make ends meet. The government has promised to reduce wait lists for services like those offered by Community Living Elgin and yet we are seeing unprecedented workforce cuts and more damage to an already precarious system. And this says nothing of the ripple effect of the impact of the resultant job losses. Southwestern Ontario is suffering from serious unemployment and continues time and time again to be the victim of this government's inability to manage the economy. The Minister has said that she and her ministry are monitoring this situation at Community Living Elgin extremely closely. We would be very interested to know what this extremely closely monitoring has revealed. The minister also stated on September 17th in a response to a question that the review would take a number of weeks. It has been nearly a month and I would like to know when can we expect to see the results of this review. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you. Further member statements? The member from Durham. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Another great festival in downtown Bowmanville. South Ulai October 17th is historic downtown Bowmanville's Apple Fest. This is the 25th year for this incredible popular event and if you know Durham, you know the importance of apples to our local agricultural sector and economy. For the day, four blocks in the downtown of Bowmanville will be closed to vehicular traffic to become an apple related showcase. My plan is to get there early. There is always a line of fresh hot apple fritters, but it's always worth the wait. I know how hard our local apple producers have worked to ensure the best crop possible under some tough spring conditions this year. I also know that historical downtown Bowmanville, BIA, puts in a huge effort to ensure events like this is a go ahead and a wonderful success. I would like to thank them for all they do in advance of this year's event, which I'm sure, as always, will be fantastic. So if you don't have plans for October 17th, I would invite you to join us in Bowmanville. It's well worth the trip. I'll even share some of my fritters with you. So please come and join us on October 17th. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Further member Stegas, the member from York Central. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to speak about the province-wide opposition to the Premier's fire sale of Hydro-1 and specifically to the overwhelming opposition in my own writing of York Simcoe. Mr. Speaker, this summer the Simcoe County Council supported a resolution from the Western Ontario Wardens Caucus, which cautioned that, and I quote, privatization partial or whole of electricity has led to higher rates and less control. In their resolution, they both called on the provincial government to stop the sale of any part of Hydro-1 and maintain Hydro-1 as a wholly public asset for the benefit of all Ontarians, as well respect the autonomy and local decision-making powers of local distribution companies by not forcing these companies into mergers or sales. They argued that the government has no mandate to sell any part of Hydro-1, and I agree. Mr. Speaker, they are worried that Hydro-1 will no longer be subject to scrutiny by the Auditor General, the Ombudsman, or the Integrity Commissioner. Further, they will no longer have to respond to freedom of information requests. Voters know that this government is ignoring their voices on this matter and are rallying to other levels of government in the hopes of being heard. This resolution must sound familiar to the Premier as it was sent to her in a letter from the County of Simcoe on August the 11th. It may also sound familiar to the Minister of Energy and the Minister of Finance. Thank you. Further member statements? The member from Tomiskini, Cochrane. Thank you, Speaker. On Wednesday evening, September 23rd, Mr. Sam Bryant was doing something we commonly do in Northern Ontario. He was out bird hunting, bird hunting, just outside of Latchford, something a lot of us do. But the hunter became the hunted. When a fairly large black bear came out of the trail, Sam did what we were told to do and tried to stand off the bear, but the bear wasn't in the mood for doing what he was supposed to do. So Sam did what every person, I think, in this house would do when the bear started coming. Sam ran. And I don't blame Sam a bit. Sam had a 22 and he turned and he shot the 22 in hopes of scaring the bear. And when Sam reached town, thankfully the bear wasn't there. But that is not an isolated incident in Northern Ontario. People have to deal with bears all the time. And although we spend, according to the Minister, more educating people with bear wise than any other jurisdiction, no one in the MNR is actually protecting people from nuisance bears. It shouldn't be up to the municipalities. It shouldn't be up to the police because they're not trained to protect against bears. It's up to the MNR and people shouldn't have to risk their lives doing the things they enjoy in Northern Ontario. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you. Member Stevens, a member from the Topical Center. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, we have world-class post-secondary institutions in Ontario. The choice a student makes about their program of study in the institution at which they will study is one of the most pivotal and important decisions a person will make in their life. It is one of the largest financial investments we make in our early lives and the choice of post-secondary study shapes the path we follow in our careers. That is why it is so important that students are able to access the information that they need to make an informed decision about their post-secondary studies. After being elected, I met with student groups, businesses, colleges, universities, and others, and some spoke about the struggles of choosing a post-secondary path. It is not an easy decision to make, and many students and their families sometimes struggle to find the information they need to make an informed decision. Today, I'll be introducing a private member's bill that tasks the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario with the creation of an online resource that would help students make more informed decisions as they decide on which university or college to attend and which program of study to pursue. The resource would do this by providing a more comprehensive picture for students about access, student experience, and graduate outcomes for each program offered at each of Ontario's post-secondary institutions. I'd like to thank the Canadian Federation of Students, the College Student Alliance, the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance, and the Ontario Graduate Student Alliance for their advice in the drafting of this bill and their subsequent endorsement. This bill would have helped students and families make more informed decisions leading to more satisfied students and stronger outcomes, and I humbly request my fellow members here in the legislature for their support as it works its way through the House. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you for the member's statements. The member from Carleton, Mississippi Mills. Mr. Speaker, this year is the 25th anniversary of the Carp Farmers Market. The Carp Farmers Market was founded in 1990 by Hildegarda Anderson. She was a farm girl from Saskatchewan who had a vision of a producer-based farmers market in the village of Carp. She found a location. She found the people. She established a board of directors. She found vendors, and the Carp Farmers Market began. The main guiding principle that she insisted on was that all the vendors be producers of what they sold, in other words, a producer-based farmers market. That principle has been the guiding light and strength of the market to this day. The Carp Farmers Market has flourished, and today is the most successful producer-based farmers market in Ontario. Delicious foods and wonderful handmade products are available in Carp every Saturday. The number of vendors and customers continues to grow each year. The Carp Farmers Market celebrated their 25th anniversary on July 4th of this year. Hildegarda Anderson died in a car crash in 1993. But her legacy lives on. She would be proud of the Carp Farmers Market if she were here with us today. Thank you. Thank you. Member from Mississauga Brampton South. Mr. Speaker, on September 16th, I had the opportunity to attend the community policing dinner hosted by the Mississauga Chinese Business Association in the great riding of Mississauga Brampton South. The association advocates for community development through private business and support for local partners, such as Peel Regional Police. At the dinner, the association paid tribute to the local police officer whose career best represents the qualities of community policing. This year, Constable Tom McKay with Peel Regional Police was chosen to receive their prestigious award for his community engagement and years of work in crime prevention. Constable McKay has an impressive resume as a 30-year veteran of Peel Regional Police and author, lecturer, and a leader in the field of crime prevention. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Constable McKay for his commitment and also the Mississauga Chinese Business Association for building a safer, more dynamic, and vibrant community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Further member Seamus, the member from Barry. Thank you, Speaker. Imagine this, you're rushing around in the morning, you shout goodbye as your husband, son, or daughter heads out the door to work. Sounds pretty normal. However, that loved one never makes it home or has a horrible accident that changes everyone's life forever. Although workplace deaths and accidents have been reduced considerably, one death is still too many. Over the weekend, I had the honor of speaking at the Threads of Life event on behalf of the Minister of Labor. Threads of Life helped families of workplace tragedy along their journey of healing by providing unique family support programs and services. Threads of Life is supported by a network of volunteers from across Canada who have been personally impacted by workplace tragedy. They assist families by providing a family support program which offers one-on-one peer support to family members and friends who have suffered from a tragedy such as this. And they are matched with a volunteer family guide. They also give regional family forums, bring families together in a community of support to benefit from coping skills, active listening, and healing. Speaker, I want to commend Threads of Life for the amazing work that they do for families impacted by these terrible workplace tragedies. Thank you. I thank all members for their statements. It's now time for re-