 It is now time for member statements. I recognize the member for Ottawa Center. Well, thank you, Speaker. It's an honor to rise this morning. And I'm thinking of a Paralympian back home, Kevin Frost, who recently did an interview on the CBC radio morning news program. And Kevin has represented our country at a high level in Paralympic sport. But he's at his wits end right now, Speaker, because he can't get access to optometric care. And what he is saying, plaintively, to this government is that for every day, we don't have an agreement with optometrists in this province. We are depriving him his ability to move in our city, to access the things he needs, to get around, to move around. We're implicitly telling him, go to another province, go to another country, maybe, to get your optometric needs met. And I just want us to reckon with the fact that Kevin's not alone. We have people with disabilities and seniors and kids urgently needing optometric care who aren't getting it. In the same radio program, Speaker, a member of this government, MPP Marto, spoke. And when she was asked and told what the government had said that it's trying to negotiate in faith and they're waiting for the optometrists to come back to the table, MPP Marto said, you know what? That's not true. The fact of the matter is, when the optometrists went to the table and they opened up the Zoom screen, they saw a blue screen with nobody on it. So Speaker, as Kevin and others reckon with how to resolve this mess, can we just please get back to the table because people with disabilities, kids, seniors, they deserve optometric care and they need it now. Thank you. Member Stavins, the member for Scarborough, Rouge Park. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise to speak about an issue that has impacted many of us, especially in our schools. This coming Sunday is the start of Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week. Ontario has designated the week beginning of the third Sunday of November as Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week to help promote safe schools in a positive learning environment. Bullying is aggressive. It is meant to cause harm, fear and distress. Frankly speaking, Mr. Speaker, it hurts. Over one in five Ontario students reported being bullied at school according to a 2018 study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and this often leads to mental health issues. I have heard from many constituents from recently in my writing of Scarborough, Rouge Park about instances of bullying that has happened in schools. A young child may not know the word bully, but they do know when someone is hurting them or being mean or making them feel sad or scared. And that's why, Mr. Speaker, the Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week is so important. I encourage everyone to promote healthy relationships, to prevent bullying and create a safe and accepting environment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Member Saban, the member for Hamilton Eastern. Thank you, Speaker. The upcoming increase of the minimum wage is $15, is at least three years behind the times and less than it should be to add insult to injury. The decision still forgets about a large group of workers in this province who will not see their lives improved by this announcement, injured workers. A quick thanks to Chris Grayway from the Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic, Carl Craver and Paul Statcio from the Hamilton and District Injured Workers Group for bringing this issue to my attention. For many years, the WSIB has used a practice known in the community as deeming. Simply put, with deeming, the WSIB dreams up a phantom job that it claims the injured worker could get in theory, takes away the wages the workers deem to be earning and leaves the injured worker with little or no compensation benefits regardless of whether the injured worker is actually employed or not. For example, a welder earns $34 an hour when he suffers a permanent back injury and cannot return to his old job. While recovering, he receives full benefits, 85% of his net average earnings. The WSIB eventually tells the injured worker that it's time to go back to work after some retraining. The WSIB deems the worker in a 40 hour week, 15 minimum wage job as a parking lot attendant despite the fact that he's not working. The welder will lose hundreds of dollars per week as a result of the wages from his deemed job. The WSIB's practice of deeming injured workers has to stop now. Member for Peterborough, Coortha. Thank you, Speaker. I rise today to honor a gentleman from my riding that I've already spoken about a few times. Marie Weytung is the first nation, second World War veteran that I named my private members bill after. The act would create an award for cadets in Ontario to celebrate volunteerism and citizenship, something that Marie exemplified. The award would also give us the opportunity to educate some of our brightest young leaders on one of the injustices that Canada did to first nation individuals. More than 7,500 Métis, Inuit, and first nation individuals voluntarily joined the armed forces to fight for Canada in the first and second World Wars. And any one of them who spent more than four years away from their reserve fighting for Canada's freedom were stripped of their status. Marie would be celebrating his 100th birthday at the end of this month. Unfortunately, Father Time tapped Marie on the shoulder last February, and asked him to perform one more civic duty. Shomis Weytung passed away within minutes of the death of a young lady from Curve Lake. And like the gentleman that Shomis was, we believe he chose that time so he could escort her safely to celebrate of what life well lived in the honor of all that he did. I'll be reintroducing that act later this week. Member Statements, the member for Thunder Bay, Attacocca. Thank you, Speaker. Today I want to bring to the attention of this House the Northern Health Travel Grant. This government continues to ignore many of the ongoing issues with this grant and people are falling through the cracks. You cannot just ignore people in Northern and rural communities across this province who deserve equal access to medical care, just like residents in larger cities like Toronto. I think of my constituents, like Margaret Ray. She has to go to Manitoba monthly for specialized treatment. She's on her 11th year of doing this, and it has caused her grave financial problems as she is net on fixed income. The actual cost is far greater than the mileage reimbursement she receives. Another constituent, Sandra Filion, a former police officer from Attacocca, she was referred from by her specialist to a physiotherapist, but the health grant won't cover it because they do not recognize it as an OHIP facility. When she appealed, she eventually found out the travel grant wasn't hearing appeals during much of the pandemic. Travel for autism parents and therapies are not covered, leaving those parents on the hook for that. The big family who had an infant son needed a special therapy recommended by their pediatrician as their best outcome for their son. Northern Health Travel Grant denied it, leaving them thousands out of pocket. This week I reintroduced my bill, 46th, the Northern Health Travel Grant Advisory Committee Act. When will this government act to fix the broken Northern Health Travel Grant system? Thank you. Members statements? The member for Ottawa South. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And November is Lebanese Heritage Month in Ontario, and it recognizes the many contributions of the Lebanese community across our province. So I'd like to thank MPP Sattler and Minister McLeod for cosponsoring Bill 60, Lebanese Heritage Month, which I introduced, and we passed into the law into 2017. Lebanese Canadians have been coming to Ontario since the 19th century. They have contributed greatly to our prosperity and to the economic, cultural, and academic fabric of our province. Lebanese Heritage Month is an opportunity for Lebanese Canadians to celebrate their culture and traditions and to recognize and educate future generations of the great contributions the Lebanese community has made to our province and our country. Every year on November 22nd, the Lebanese community celebrates Lebanese Independence Day. That day in 1943, Lebanon was declared a sovereign nation. And in my writing of Ottawa South, we have a strong and deeply rooted Lebanese community. Every year, there are many celebrations of Lebanese culture in our city, especially in the summer. One of them is in Ottawa South, the Ottawa Lebanese Festival at St. Elias Cathedral. So they combine the five S, which is faith, family, food, fun, I think I missed one, faith, family, food, fun, and friends. Thank you, there we go. So it's one of my mom's must-dos every year. And so we went this year and she hadn't been out in a long time to a restaurant and they treated her so well. They made you feel very special and I want to thank them for that. So happy Lebanese Heritage Month. Thank you. Member Statements, the member for Renfrew, Nipotzi. Thank you so much, Speaker. 99, 98, the clock is ticking and the countdown is on for the Ontario Winter Games to come to Renfrew County on the weekends of February 24th to 27th and March 3rd to 6th, 2022. The air was filled with excitement Tuesday when Minister McLeod joined local dignitaries and other invited guests to officially start the countdown to Ontario's 2022 Winter Games. Renfrew County is getting ready to welcome about 3,500 athletes, coaches, and officials to what promises to be a spectacular couple of weekends. The games are for up-and-coming athletes ages 12, 11 to 22 and will provide developmental experience to prepare them for national and international competitions. While organizing events such as this provides a significant challenge, our folks in Renfrew County are up to it. We were also thrilled when Minister McLeod awarded us the games. Not only will this be a tremendous sporting event, it will bring significant economic benefits to local businesses. I know that everyone is excited to showcase what we have to offer in Renfrew County and Minister McLeod got a taste of it a couple of weeks ago when she and her staff came to visit. A gigantic thank you to Games Chair Peter Eamonn and Games Manager Cindy Burwell for their leadership. All and all the numerous volunteers that have stepped forward to offer their time and commitment to make these games a truly remarkable experience for everyone involved. Thank you. Greetings to members for Hamilton West and Caster Dundas. Speaker, it was 90 years ago during the height of the Great Depression that the first Hamilton Day was held. It was organized to boost the spirits of local residents and to boost the local economy. And by all accounts, it was a great success. Retailers of the day reported record sales. So fast forward from 1931 to 2021 and what a great time to re-induce Hamilton Day as we are once again trying to rebuild from another global crisis, which is the COVID-19 pandemic. This Saturday, November 20th is Hamilton Day 2021. A day to celebrate all things Hamilton just as the holiday shopping season gets into full swing. This one day event is a fun way for all Hamiltonians to show community pride, to celebrate local independent businesses. Our small retail shops, cafes, bars, restaurants, theaters, artists, florists, fitness studios, personal services, entertainment stores, and so much more. This is your opportunity to support your favorite local business or try that new restaurant or store that has just opened up. Folks can go to the website, HamiltonDay.ca to get more details and share online your favorite local spots to shop, relax, and eat. My riding is home to wonderful and historic BIA districts like Westdale, Ancaster, and Dundas. And I'm looking forward to a busy day, a croissant from Caniche Bakery, browsing the books at Mixmedia and maybe the best nachos from the Collins Brewhouse. We've all been through so much, Mr. Speaker, business owners and community alike. 90 years ago, we showed our local spots some love. It's time we do it again. Member Statements, the member for Halliburton, Corothea Lakesbrock. Mr. Speaker, and I'm pleased to rise today to recognize and thank the Royal Canadian Legions in my riding of Halliburton, Corothea Lakesbrock, and Legions across the province of Ontario for hosting Remembrance Day ceremonies last week to honour and remember Canada's fallen veterans. Legions are so important to our local communities. In my riding of Halliburton, Corothea Lakesbrock, there are 15 Legions and countless volunteers who dedicate their time to supporting all who served Canada, promoting remembrance, and serving our communities and country. Every year in November, Legion members distribute millions of poppies and collect donations to raise money in support of veterans and their families. Their campaign and dedication of time is so important to annual events, and it does not go unnoticed. Through the Legions, compassionate volunteers help to support seniors, raise funds for local initiatives, and so much more year-round. We cannot thank you enough for all that you do, and as Premier Ford said last week, our Legion members truly are salt of the earth people. I encourage everyone to support their local Legions, take time to learn from their members, and take a moment now and then to remember the brave men and women who served and sacrificed for all that we have today. Thank you. Thank you very much. That concludes our Member's statements for this morning. I'm very pleased to inform the House that today's Page Captain is Page Felicia Pugulian from the Riding of Brampton North, and we have with us today at Queen's Park her mother, Diane Pugulian, and her father, Russ Pugulian. Also, we are joined today by the father, Page Alfie Tabachnik from the Riding of Davenport, Scott Tabachnik. Welcome to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. We're delighted to have you here. I understand the Leader of the Opposition has a point of order. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent for the House to observe a moment of silence for the 64 Ontarians who have succumbed to COVID-19 since we last paid tribute to the victims of the pandemic on November 5th, 2021. Ms. Warfath is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to observe a moment of silence in memory of the 64 Ontarians who have succumbed to COVID-19 since we last paid tribute to the victims of the pandemic on November the 5th, 2021. Agreed? Agreed. Agreed. Members will please rise. Thank you very much. Members may take their seats.