 it being 1015. It is it is time for member statements. The government will come to order. I recognize the member from Michigan. Go walk James Bay. Thank you Madam Speaker. Speak on behalf of small truck business operators in Northern Ontario. Speaker owner operators as we call them are independent family owned operations. It is a business that is passed from one generation to the other. But the current insurance regular regulatory framework is killing the small business speaker. Ontario regulations imposes a three year benchmark for truckers, which means that business operators may have to pay a premium that may be five times higher. If they wish to hire young drivers or anyone willing to enter the business, there are extreme situation like Peter Lavotte in the writing of Tamish Kamin Cochran, who cannot hire his own 30 old son. Even if he has completed the provincial mandated training, received 200 hours in class and on-road training, and has operated a tractor trailer for more than two years. Speaker, business operators like Peter LaRocque, Guinele, Guettin-Dorval, and Don Gadal are those heroes that ensure the food was on their shelf. The medicine would arrive at our pharmacy during the early period of COVID-19 pandemic. I demand the minister of finance to once and for all side with small business owners of this province and put an end to the insurance underwriting rule that are killing small independent business. Thank you, Madam Speaker. I recognize the member from Don Valley East. Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. As we know, social isolation is becoming a bigger problem for people as COVID continues to spread here in Ontario. I'd like to take a moment to really thank one of my constituents in Don Valley East who literally stepped up and who's trying to change the behavior associated with social isolation. Abdul Rashid Athar, immigrated from Pakistan and he's a Canadian that lives in my riding of Don Valley East and lives in Flemington Park. He's an avid walker and he puts in 14 to 15,000 steps a day, something he learned from his father. Looking at his community during the pandemic and noticing that more and more people were becoming isolated, he started to get out there and talk to people by putting up posters and meeting people and letting people know that they could actually get out and start to walk. He got a grant from the Balsam Foundation and more and more people started to join him in this initiative. Collectively, through this initiative, Madam Speaker, they've put in 23 million steps and covered almost 18,000 kilometers around Toronto. It's this type of initiative, Madam Speaker, that I think as legislators we need to recognize in this house as heroes step up and actually motivate people in our community to get out of their homes and to practice, of course, to make sure that they're safe, but at the same time get the physical exercise they need. Thank you very much. I recognize the member from Mrs. August Center. Thank you, Madam Speaker. It is a privilege to rise today to speak to an important and symbolic day of recognition of Francophones in our province. September 25th is Franco-Ontarian Day, a celebration dedicated to recognizing the history and strength of Franco-Ontarians. On this day in 1975, the Franco-Ontarian flag created by history professor Guetta Gervais and political science student Michel Dupuis was first flown at the University of Sudbury. I'm also proud to say that thanks to my bill, there was a past in third reading, this flag awaits proclamation to recognize this official emblem and this is something that I will remember for the rest of my life. On this day of Franco-Ontarian day, we will recognize a founding community that is present here in this province since over 400 years ago. On this occasion, we recognize a number of contributions to social, cultural, economic. We commit as legislators to continue to work to ensure that Francophones can have their linguistic rights protected. When the beautiful Franco-Ontarian flag will join the others in this chamber, as a reminder to all future MPPs and all future generations that will visit this house of the rightful place of Franco-Ontarians in our province. Vive la Francophonie. Merci. Merci beaucoup. Member Statements, the member for Windsor to come see. Speaker, allow me to tell you a current story about our living history. We all know the First Nations people were here long before we arrived. Some of us accept that we need to consult with the First Nations on major projects we undertake on their ancestral lands. Case in point, the new International Boarding Cross, Border Crossing, the Gordie Howe Bridge between Windsor and Detroit. Native artists and volunteers from the Walpole Island First Nation are involved with the bridge builders in a massive undertaking. They're creating huge panels which will be erected on the main pillar of the bridge on the Canadian side. Painted panels on all four sides of that pillar and speaker, they'll eventually rise to something like 800 feet in the air. Just imagine. The panels are working on now depict four bears, white, red, black and yellow bears, the sacred colors of the First Nations medicine wheel. Below the bears, there'll be four arrowheads sticking into the brown ground representing ancestors who walked these lands long before we came along. Another panel being prepared is of the familiar Eagle Staff. Island artist Teresa Altiman is creating these panels. 17-year-old Daisy White is working on the Turtle Island creation story and Caldwell First Nation artist Naomi Peters is also doing a panel with the hoop dancer. These panels will rise with construction timetable and possibly be repurposed after construction is complete. Speaker, it's an amazing undertaking and an exciting way to acknowledge our shared history. Thank you. The next member statement, the member from Mrs. Saga Malden. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as Canadians, we love sports and our love turns into a passion when our athletes win medals. When I think of a value of a medal, I truly believe that we can't put a price tag on the medal because the prestige that comes with it is priceless. Sports are a big connector. Every time our athletes win a medal, it brings the whole country together, celebrating the success of our athletes as their victory and success. Supporting athletes from playground to podium is an important part of making Ontario the best place to train and play sports. That is why through the quest for gold program, the Government of Ontario is providing 6.36 million in direct financing, financial assistance to 141438 high performance athletes to ensure they can pursue their dream of excellence at home in Ontario. Mr. Speaker, I would like to say thank you to Minister of Sports, Culture and Sport Minister Lisa McLeod for supporting our champions. Quest for gold funding benefited 83% of the Olympic and 95% of the Paralympic athletes from Ontario who participated in 2018 games. I want to give a special shout out to the four recipients from Mrs. Saga Malton, Radane Wright, Navarit Suhan, Mary Dwarquah and Kyle Duke Simpson. I'm proud of you. Congratulations on being a Quest for Gold athlete. Due to COVID-19, this year has been challenging. I wish best of success to all recipients of Quest for Gold this year. I hope this funding allows you to reach the stars and the medals you want to push yourself to be the best you can. We look forward to your success as your success is our victory. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member for Algoma, Manitoulin. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, you believe in miracles. I believe in miracles and miracles have names. Name like Landon, a little boy from Manitoulin Island who survived his cancer treatment. Name like Elijah. I call him Lil Bean. He's from Elliott Lake. He's my little heart warrior. And just last night, I had Drew, who came into my condo and spent the night with me along with his mom. He's a two-year-old boy. And by the way, he sang me his ABCs last night and he did a little bit of a fashion show for me. But his mom, Alicia Allaway and Dylan Spooner were also there. His grandma, which is Oma, who normally comes down, unfortunately, she's in the Sudbury District Hospital and getting treatment. I hope you're doing well. Oma, I'll see you next time during Drew's visit. But Oma surprised me with a visit last night. They were up here for his regular visit down to sick kids. And he's getting some, he's got, since he was born, he's had some esophagus challenges and multi-cystic kidney issues. He's got a variety of issues. But the reason why I raised this, and I want to go back, remember when I talked to you about miracles? Those miracles happen. And they happen just down the street from here over at Sick Kids. There is some amazing things that are happening there. And day in and day out, over the course of the years that I've been elected as member for Alcoma Manitoulin, I've seen, I've lived, and I've experienced all these miracles. I want to thank the doctors, the nurses, and all the health care professionals for your care, for your love and your attention to all the great people of this province. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Member Statements, the member for Scarborough Center. Thank you, Speaker. And this is just a quick tribute to the people of Scarborough Center and Scarborough more generally. We're going through very difficult times, but the people of Scarborough are truly rallying, and I just want to give a few shout-outs to some of our Scarborough superstars. Jadonce Dance Studio held an outdoor recital where they rented a huge stage for their kids, just so that they could see each other and dance. Baskets. Robin is running this place amazingly. They are seeing growth. She's hiring people, and I was actually visiting when she announced to four staff that they're getting raises during this time. Casco Designs is working so hard to get signage that all of our businesses need to the community. Energy Shack. You're thriving and you're supporting your very loyal customer base. I am one of them. And Nova Racerante, the winner of the Big Hearts Award. Even as you're struggling, you're still committed to charity and helping the community. And I just want to thank all of the amazing and resilient people of Scarborough Center. I saw many of you on my ice cream tour, and I was so happy to connect and share in the common experience that we're currently going through. You truly give me hope. And although we're going through unprecedented and extremely challenging times, this too shall pass as all things pass. And I know in my heart that the people of Scarborough and Scarborough Center will come back stronger than ever. Thank you. The next statement, the member for Toronto St. Paul's. Good morning, Speaker. During COVID-19, my community has mourned the death of loved ones, devastating loss of income, small businesses, and for some the loss of their home. Many seniors and disabled neighbors have seen their cupboards bear. But we are still here. Our community is as strong as the shofar, and to borrow from the teachings of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year in Jewish tradition, we continue to cry out with a full throat in our commitment to each other. Thank you, Joanne, for dreaming up our first community food table. Thank you, Sherry, Hani, Rob, Murphy, Robert, Ingrid, Profitus, Abdisah, Ginny, and Megan for joining us in scaling this project. Our message was simple. Take what you need and give what you can. Thank you to our 100-plus volunteers who have helped us grow. And thank you to my staff and to my amazing Riding Association. Speaker, we have about seven food banks that serve our community, four hot meals program, six out of the cold program, drop-in shelters, and several community gardens, but it's never enough. Many of these supports shuddered during COVID. Stomps still are. And for some, that has meant social isolation and a lack of access to the very basic needs that make us human. As Sherry and a single mother told me during the pandemic, Jill, may you never have to hear the screams of your hungry child. Her words continue to haunt me. St. Paul's, I see you, and I will continue to stand with you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Member Statements, the member for Niagara West. Thank you very much, Speaker. I rise today to draw attention to an important date for tourism here in Ontario and across the globe. On September 27th, the world commemorates the 40th anniversary of World Tourism Day. This year has been designated as a year of tourism and rural development to promote the potential of tourism to create jobs and opportunities in rural areas like my riding of Niagara West. Mr. Speaker, it would be an understatement to say that 2020 has not been the best year for tourism here in Ontario or frankly anywhere else in the world. Tourism has always been a key economic driver here in Ontario, supporting more than 400,000 jobs and generating over 36 billion dollars of economic activity. Tourism supports a spectacular double bottom line, contributing to the economic growth of our province and to our cultural identity and pride of place. But this sector was hit hardest, was hit first, and will take the longest to recover. Throughout this crisis, our top priority has been the health and well-being of the people of Ontario, as it should and it will remain so. But World Tourism Day gives us a chance to thank Ontario's tourism and hospitality workers for all that they do and to acknowledge all they've been through in this difficult year. So on World Tourism Day, we recognize the important World Tourism Place in smaller rural communities in Ontario, in the north and other places across Ontario. These areas and sectors that are heavily reliant on visitors internationally and from the U.S. have suffered greatly and I know that the Minister is working with them to ensure to discuss the impacts of COVID-19 on this industry. So I invite all members of the House to celebrate World Tourism Day this coming Sunday, September 27th, and to remember that Ontario is yours to discover. Thank you. The Member for Willowdale. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. Today I rise to recognize the small businesses, non-profits, and community organizers who've stepped up during the last six months to provide essential support and PPE to those in need. To all our communities, through all of our communities, I've seen thousands of Ontarians deliver food, run errands, connect with seniors and vulnerable people during COVID-19 as part of the government's partnership with Spark Ontario. In my writing of Willowdale, hundreds of volunteers have been generously giving their time and money to serve our community through the Willowdale COVID-19 Response Network, The Kindness Project, Valley View Day Program and other groups. Small businesses such as LugLife and Levelware have donated PPE to organizations like the Canadian Helen Keller Centre and Willowdale Welcome Centre. Most recently, I was invited by my constituent Andy and his mom, Mrs. Chung, to visit their family-owned small business, Saletta Dry Cleaners, to pick up over 500 cloth masks. Masks that will be donated to Eva Satellite, a youth facility in Willowdale that helps provide shelter, transitional housing and programming for young people. When I arrived at their store, Andy and his mom were hard at work sewing and packaging masks in between serving their regular customers. When asked why they were donating, their reason was simple. They said, we want to support our community because our community has always supported us. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Andy and Mrs. Chung. They truly embody the Ontario spirit, the people of Ontario's compassion, grit and willingness to assist one another is what makes me proud to call Ontario home. Thank you very much. That concludes our member's statements for this morning. The member for Mississauga Centre is informed me she has a point of order. I'd like to wear our beautiful Franco-Ontarian Pins. I'd like to encourage all members of this assembly to wear theirs proudly as of this afternoon. This will become an official emblem of Ontario. Thank you. The matter is seeking unanimous consent of the House to allow members to wear a Franco-Ontarian pin today. Agreed? Agreed.