 Next, we have Member Statements, the Member for Kitchener Centre. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Dear Government, it's time to do better. This week we learned that you've cut even more services, and at first I was pretty angry, but then I took a moment, I took a breath, and realized Ontario's glass is half full. You see, you cut Indigenous programming, funds to friendship centres and breakfast clubs, not to mention cancelling the Indigenous curriculum writing sessions when we were supposed to be working towards reconciliation with First Peoples. But my girls' government group, 21 grade 8 girls from Margaret Avenue Public School, decided that the most serious issue to lobby about at Queens Park next year is violence against Indigenous women. You rolled back employee sick days and cut benefits for folks in Ontario, but Greg Mercer, a brilliantly dedicated journalist to local stories in the Waterloo record, made sure that we didn't forget the experiences of workers in my writing who contracted serious illnesses after dedicating their lives to the rubber industry. And because of their advocacy, WSIB is opening up 300 cases that were denied. And you tried to scare folks across Ontario by challenging unionized workers with back-to-work legislation before the bargaining even began. But high school students at St. Mary's Catholic School reminded me that leading by fear is not good leadership. And I met Team Canada on Sunday. These are people that are on their way to Jamaica to compete at the International Congress of Martial Arts. And they use martial arts to channel the energies of our ancestors in a really powerful way. They are going to use their power for good. So there you go again, trying to drag us backwards. And there we are, cups half full. Members, statements to member for Niagara West. Thank you, Speaker. Every year, tourists from across the globe come to Niagara to visit the amazing glowing light displays that make up the Ontario Power Generation's Winter Festival of Lights in Niagara Falls. The signature eight-kilometer-long route travels through the beautiful landscapes of the Niagara Park, Stephan Islands, and surrounding tourist districts to transform the city into a winter wonderland. The light dimensions include the iconic Zimmerman fountain, 15-three-dimensional Canadian wildlife displays, the world's largest Canadian-American flag, Noah's Ark, the lights at the top of Niagara's iconic skyline tower, over 50 trees in Dufferin Islands wrapped with lights, and the Toronto Power Generating Station's light show. As a treasured holiday tradition for people from around the world, the Winter Festival of Lights is attended by over one million visitors each season. It's so disappointing to see that the NDP want the lights to go out. Speaker, the last thing we want for those coming from far and near is to see the lights, is to disappoint them with a blockout. That is one of the many reasons why we have resumed the legislature, to make sure the Power Workers Union does not strike and leave those celebrating this Christmas season without any light. While we respect the collective bargaining process, the uninterrupted supply of power to Ontarians must be protected. People across Ontario do not deserve to have their winter warmth, safety and leisure interrupted by a strike. With that, I encourage all members in this House to work collaboratively to get this back to work legislation passed, which will guarantee that our province does not face a serious and damaging loss of power. Thank you. Member Stainless, the member for Ottawa Centre. Thank you, Speaker. I'm proud to rise today. Unfortunately, on a sad note, we have a housing crisis in Ottawa, as I know many cities and towns in this province do. While I'm looking forward to getting home and spending some time with my loved ones, and I know my colleagues and other parties are, I have to reckon with the reality in the city where I live, many families don't have a home to go home to. What we know from the research is that from 2014 to 2017, chronically homeless families in my city of Ottawa jumped by 143%. What that means right now, Speaker, is that there are 230 families right now in the city of Ottawa sleeping in motels and makeshift hotels because there is nowhere in the existing shelter system to house them. Since we opened our constituency office, Speaker, we are aware of people sleeping in cars, people sleeping in bus terminals, people sleeping outside rough. And this can't happen in a province and in a city with so much wealth, Speaker. I want to just draw our attention, particularly colleagues of mine that, like me, were raised with Christian values. That we have to make sure that the society that we have and the resources we have in abundance are shared equally. And that asylum seekers, which absolutely are a big portion of our shelter system right now, are essential to our society. They're essential to our nation's story, and they ought not to be scapegoated. We have to find the resources, and I'm confident that the mayor of our city, Jim Watson, is going to be making appeals to this government to deal with our housing crisis, and I want it dealt with now. Thank you, Speaker. Member Statements, the member for Stormont Dundas, South Glen Gary. Thank you, Speaker. Just over 20 years ago on January 1, 1998, the United Counties of Stormont Dundas in South Glen Gary were officially reorganized from 22 Miss Pallies down to six. As a member of the township's first council, I can tell you it was initiation by fire. As we considered cancelling the inauguration meeting on January the 5th due to freezing rain that was starting to accumulate, the next day rain continued. Power in our area became intermittent, and finally that night the power went off for good, and would take more than a month to fully restore. The next morning schools were canceled, and as I went to work for Bel-Canada, I realized the extent of the problem, as most of Hydro-1 power lines lay on the road. It was a disaster. By the end of the day, our switching centers started to shut down as batteries ran out of power. Cell sites became overwhelmed, and most communities, communications went dead. Our newly formed township council declared a state of emergency. Our volunteer fire department set up emergency shelters for most homes when we're without heat. People were forced to sleep on floors and shelters, and food was collected so the residents could be fed. Homes flooded when some homes stopped working. Some people even tried bailing water from some to deliberately limit the damage. Farmers shared generators to milk cows and water their animals. Volunteers organized limited number of generators to heat their shelters, feed and water animals, and to power gas stations so they could pump gasoline and diesel for cars, trucks, and generators. The SC and G Highlanders were called out. It turned out to be the most expensive disaster in Ontario's history, taking years to complete the cleaning up and repair of the billions of dollars of damage. Speaker Summon, who lived through these days and saw the hardship, disruption, and damage, I'm appalled that the NDP is actively trying to push Ontarians into another January power disaster. Thank you. Member Statements, member for Brampton Center. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. As we head into the holidays, I really hope that I could be standing here to deliver a message of hope and positivity. After all, that's what this time of year should be about. But instead I stand here and reflect on the past week in utter shock and disgust at the cuts coming from the Premier's office. Reconciliation, special education, women's help, and the arts have all taken devastating hits. And by making these calculated cuts, the Premier is telling the people of Ontario very clearly they are not a priority for this government. Speaker, this government ruthlessly slashes away essential services for the sake of their bottom line without giving a second thought to how these impacts will be felt in our communities. A wise man once said that we should judge our society based on how we take care of our most vulnerable. I ask you all to really consider this holiday season how we are doing as a province. This holiday season, I have a Christmas wish, and I wish that we could finally get a government that will be accountable and transparent. I think the people in this province deserve to make sure that we live in a province where less people are forced to use food banks, where children can access vital community programs, and where children with special needs can get the supports they need to be included in our classrooms. And I really wish this holiday season that we finally get a government that is going to put the people of Ontario at the heart of the decisions that it makes. Thank you very much. Member Statements, the member for Orléans. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I'd like to say thank you to our community of Orléans. Over the past week, there were two great events that truly highlighted the general... I have to interrupt the member. The member needs to seek the unanimous consent of the House in order to give her statement. Mr. Speaker, I'm seeking unanimous consent on behalf of the member from Don Valley West to share my statement today. Member for Orléans is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to present a statement to the House now on behalf of the member for Don Valley West. Agreed? Agreed. Again, resume. I'm very sorry, Mr. Speaker. Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, proud to rise today to say thank you to our community of Orléans. Over the past week, there were two great events that truly highlighted the generosity of our community. On Friday, I had a wonderful time hosting our third annual movie night, which brought together over 600 people, artwarming to see generations of families spending rare quality time together to enjoy a free movie and popcorn. They also brought along with them a great number of toys for donations in support of our Orléans Cumberland Community Center toy drive. Merci à tous ceux qui ont participé. Thank you to all of you who participated at the Sinistar's movie theater. And Mr. and Mrs. Claus, who were a hit with the kids. The other event that I want to share with this House is, again, through very generous donation, Mr. Speaker, we were able to raise $1,000 to present to the Ottawa Warrery Home Foundation through an empty bottle drive at a local beer store. This organization first opened their respite home for disabled children and adults in 1982, and have been a great help to families and needs ever since. So, as we are celebrating this holiday, I want to wish everyone in Orléans, joyeuses, joyeuses, but Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year. Merci. Member Statements. The Member for Burlington. Speaker, in the beautiful city of Burlington, we have one of the most impressive Christmas light displays anywhere in the province of Ontario. It illuminates the neighborhood around Spruce Avenue. I am truly happy to see that the Mousson family is continuing this delightful holiday tradition started decades ago by their late father, Doug Mousson, a highly creative and talented gentleman. His work at Christmas time and his vision of bringing joy to the neighborhood with thousands of twinkling lights and fabulous creatures will continue to shine brightly thanks to the dedication of Doug's family. Doug Mousson was quite simply famous in Burlington. He died tragically last year in the week before Christmas after falling off a ladder. After Doug's death, the Mousson family said, and I quote, it started with a few strings outlining the house, next a few wired from reindeer's were added. When we noticed that people would stop and look at the lights, we realized that we weren't the only ones who enjoyed Christmas lights. They gave us the spark to get things really going, speaker. End of quote. From those humble beginnings came the realization that the magic of the tradition was contagious. The Christmas lights projects grew larger, brighter, and more spectacular every year. Doug started building custom decorations and welding them together. Year by year, more figures were added. Then in 1997, Doug started to animate some of the figures with a light controller used by DJs. Now the display includes the magic of dragon wagons, its tail soldier saluting at attention. I have no doubt that labor of love required to rebuild their father's magnificent display this year without Doug was bittersweet for their family. But I know I speak for many people in Burlington, young and old, when I say a heartfelt thank you to the Mousson family for keeping this wonderful tradition of family legacy alive for one more year. Thank you, speaker. Thank you. Member statements, the member of St. Catherine's. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, the community, the city of St. Catherine's and the whole Niagara region are mourning another loss of life. Over six days in October, our community lost two lives from jumping at the ongoing bridge in St. Catherine's. This is a crisis in our community right now. This government needs to step up. This government needs to install preventative barriers on the ongoing bridge in St. Catherine's today to save lives. St. Catherine's needs an expanded, dedicated mental health facility that runs 24-7. We need a facility that is there for the people for all hours of the day, Mr. Speaker. This stigma needs to be combated so that no one is left feeling stuck without hope. A study that was conducted by the Sunnybrook Hospital proved that netting reduced deaths on the Bloor Street viaduct from nine deaths per year to 0.1 deaths. Deaths by jumping declined city-wide over the long term after barriers were installed. Barriers in St. Catherine's are a necessary part of a large preventive strategy. This is not a question of either or. Mayor Scensic and the city of St. Catherine's support the needs for barriers on this bridge. The Niagara region have already begun consulting a timeline. The province now must, must step in and fund the cost of a two to five million dollars for these barriers so that no more lives are lost. I reached out on behalf of the city of St. Catherine's in the community to the previous minister of transportation in October, to resolve the needs for barriers on the ongoing bridge to prevent future tragedies and to no avail. The commitment for this funding is needed and it needs to take place today. Thank you. Member Statements, the member for Kitchener, Conestoga. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm here with my progressive conservative colleagues to make sure that 6,000 power workers, union employees do not strike and that people across Ontario have a stable power supply over the holidays and into the winter months. This strike could easily cancel upcoming sporting and cultural events that will be enjoyed by families and boost the local economy in my riding of Kitchener, Conestoga. On December 27th, I will be speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport at the 2018 University Challenge Cups Opening Ceremonies, a ringget competition that will draw 13 university teams from across the country. You might not know this, Mr. Speaker, but ringget is a fairly young Canadian sport being invented in my hometown of North Bay in 1963 by then Parks and Rec Director Sam Jax. Hosted by Wilford Laurier University, a total of 60 games will be played in Woolwich Township from December 27th to the 30th. These games will take place at the Woolwich Memorial Center and will be open to the public and entirely free to attend. What a great family event, Mr. Speaker. I must add to that in January, these areas will be hosting the 2019 Ontario Provincial Curling Championships. Again, these events and countless others across the province would not be possible if the NDP had their way in supporting a strike that would affect almost 50% of the power generated in Ontario. It is my hope that the NDP caucus will join us in passing this legislation quickly to avert this strike. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Member Statements, the member from Mississauga Center. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's great to see my colleagues back in the house this week. This illustrates our government's commitment to the people of Ontario and that their needs and well-being come first. Keeping the Christmas trees lit and stoves on as we approach the holidays is a priority for our government. Mr. Speaker, I was thrilled to participate in the shoebox project spearheaded by the Attorney General and the Minister responsible for women's affairs in which my office collected items such as shampoo, toothpaste and small luxuries to fill shoeboxes which were subsequently donated to women's shelters in the region of Peel. I would like to thank all of my constituents who donated items with which we were able to fill 15 individual boxes. We also collected female hygiene products which will be donated to HOPE 24-7, Peel's Sexual Assault Center. HOPE 24-7 offers victims of sexual violence, clinical and non-clinical services, and I commend their CEO, Laura Zilni, and their entire team for the incredible work they do for the many survivors who often suffer in silence. The services that women's shelters and organizations such as HOPE 24-7 provide are crucial and often life-saving. These institutions, like so many in Ontario, depend on a reliable source of power. Mr. Speaker, can you imagine if the lights and heat were shut off even for a day? How many survivors would be impacted? Well, that's a number that at least on this side of the house, we are not willing to sit idly by to find out. That is why I am proud that our government and our Premier has taken swift and decisive action to ensure that women experiencing hardships this holiday season will have somewhere safe and warm to go to in their time of need. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Merry Christmas, happy holidays. The member for Mrs. Saga-Malton on a point of order. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to take the opportunity to introduce my good friend, Victor Suarez, and Gada Malik to Queensborough. Gada is the official federal candidate from Streetsville. Welcome, Gada. Do you have a point of order? Do you have a point of order? Okay, member for Mrs. Saga-Iran Mills on a point of order. Point of order, Mr. Speaker. I just would like to take the privilege to introduce Mrs. Kamini Singh, who is now Mrs. Commonwealth, Euro-Atlantic from Canada. I also like to introduce Mr. Aspialia and Gada Hamadani, President at Queensborough. Welcome to Queensborough. We welcome your guests to the legislature, but I need to remind the members that we don't permit members to read from their devices. Reports by committees.