 But it is 10.15 and I'm compelled to now ask the House for Member Statements. Thank you very much. Member Statements? Member for Toronto Centre. Thank you Speaker. This month is Pride Month and I sometimes think that I'm the luckiest MPP in this chamber because my writing of Toronto Centre is home to the Church and Wesley Village, a community that I'm humbled and honoured to represent, and it's also a neighbourhood that's home to the largest Pride Festival in Canada. This year Pride might feel different, but it's no less true to its roots. Pride always has been and always will be political. COVID may have changed how we gather physically, but it can't change the heart of Pride. And that's the fight for justice. Pride started as a riot, led by Black, queer and trans folks, demanding not just justice, not just equal rights, but justice. Pride is a time to remember Stonewall, the Bath House raids, and those we lost and those who survived the AIDS crisis. This year, more than ever, we have to honour that history, and with the spirit of Stonewall in our hearts continue to fight in solidarity with Black and Indigenous members of the 2SLGBTQ Plus community. If members of this Legislature really want to celebrate Pride this year, I hope that you'll join me in fighting to end police violence and demilitarizing police, to ensure queer and trans businesses survive COVID, to make PrEP free and accessible, to fund all gender-affirming surgeries and drugs, and to put gender and sexual identity back into our curriculum. And to Black and Indigenous members of the 2SLGBTQ Plus community, your lives matter. Happy Pride, everyone. Thank you very much. Member Statements, the Member for Niagara West. Speaker, since COVID-19 burst into our lives earlier this year, we have all seen the remarkable perseverance and determination of our constituents in responding to this virus in our communities. Incredible acts of service, care and sacrifice from our frontline workers, those who work in essential workplaces, and simply everyday Ontarians in Niagara West and beyond have demonstrated the best of what Ontario has to offer the world. The families, workers and job creators in my riding are hurting. The health, social and financial impacts of COVID-19 have been devastating. And so my message to my constituents is clear. I hear you and I will work with the government you have sent to Queens Park to help you. To the families who are worried about their loved ones getting sick, we are investing in health care to protect our hospitals, doctors and nurses. To those who have lost their jobs and are worried about putting food on the table. To students coming out of school into a tough labour market, we are determined to rebuild Ontario as the economic engine of this country with a singular focus on creating good paying long-term jobs. To seniors nervous about making ends meet, we have your back and will continue moving to cut taxes and make life more affordable. To every man, woman and child in Niagara West, I hear you and will be working tirelessly with Premier Ford and your PC government to make sure tomorrow is brighter than today and yesterday. Together, I believe our best days are still ahead. God bless you all and God bless Niagara West. Thank you very much. Next statement, the member for Essex. I thank you very much, Speaker. Speaker, I'm going to make a prediction. A prediction that on June the 27th, we are going to witness a miracle. And Speaker, I'm not talking about the Leafs winning the cup. That would take more than a miracle. Speaker, I'm talking about a miracle of love, of community and support for one another. We have this program right in my riding of Windsor-Renesex County. Speaker, it was originally the brainchild of West Thompson and James Rasmussen from Chatham Kant, who initiated a grassroots effort to raise non-perishable foods for their community in light of the challenges that all communities face during COVID. Then Adam Lally, Josh Laine, Steve Truant and Steve Dujarde had a call with James and Brent to find out how they could put that together for Windsor-Renesex County. has spawned an incredible response from our community speaker right now we have over 10,000 volunteers that have signed up to take part in this grassroots effort there's others from Windsor-Essex County, Kerry Zould, Josh Spadafora, Mark Jones, Tracy Bailey and Steve Ileonich and 10,000 other people who on June the 27th are going to spread across Essex County to perform a miracle we're hoping they're hoping that everyone in Essex County can participate they're hoping to raise over 600 well we think we're going to raise over a million pounds of food and we hope that that record is broken in other communities speaker it is going to be amazing I encourage everyone in Essex County to take part go visit the website visit the Facebook page on June the 27th we're going to see a miracle in Essex County and I thank everyone from the bottom of my heart who is going to participate for this this incredible example and show of love and compassion for our community thank you speaker thank you very much the next statement the member for Oakville North Burlington. Speaker as our communities have battled the COVID-19 pandemic over the last few months one of the things we have seen is the thousands of people volunteering to help their neighbours and communities this has happened in my community of Oakville North Burlington and all across Ontario volunteers supporting our hospitals and communities contributing supplies and support yesterday I was honored to meet some of these individuals and thank them for their selfless service the Halton region Chinese volunteer group and caps for care Chinese community with more than 200 volunteers made and donated thousands of masks and other supplies to our health care organizations including Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital Joseph Brandt Hospital long-term care homes like the post-in village and retirement homes like Palermo village the Compassion Society of Halton and family doctors offices it is so often in times of crisis when we see individuals and communities come together caring for one another thank you to the Halton region Chinese volunteer group and caps for care Chinese community and all your many volunteers for your work when our community was in need you took action and assisted those who needed help you are an inspiration to us all thank you very much member statements the member for Temiskaming Cochrane thank you speaker as I'm sure many other members have done since the lockdown we have our office has been busy talking and calling a lot of our stakeholders and I focused on the tourism sector because we have a lot of tourism in our area and a lot of small mom-and-pop tourism operators who seem to have fallen through a lot of the cracks and are in some pretty desperate times right now now now that the state of emergency has allowed them to operate again some of them are breathing a sigh of relief but they're not doing the happy dance yet because as the American border still closed what they're trying to do is salvage their season but they're facing some other issues and one of them gave me some interesting information Terry Petsnick from Moose Haven Lodge from 2018 to 2019 in that period his general liability insurance went up by 41% 2019 to 2020 another 38% so when you add that period it's over his insurance in that period from 2018 to the end of 2020 over a hundred percent increase even in good times they can't withstand that right now they're in crisis the Ontario government needs to do more than child insurance companies it needs to actually work with them to allow businesses like Moose Haven Lodge to continue to serve our great province thank you very much the next statement the member for Don Valley West thank you very much mr. speaker happy pride everyone mr. speaker last week there was a CBC story out of Manitoba that reported and I quote current and former employees of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg say its management would sometimes ask staff not to show any gay content on tours at the request of certain guests including religious schools unquote this is a shocking story mr. speaker on so many levels including that a management of an institution that exists to a shine a light on human rights would accommodate bigotry that educators would choose to deny children the opportunity to learn and draw their own conclusions from history and that in 2020 in Canada we're still dealing with homo and transphobia every year at this time we celebrate pride we celebrate but as one activist said yesterday as we were raising the flag here at Queens Park the seeds of pride are in protest and that protest has to continue to be a part of the pride celebration the situation in Winnipeg highlights why and so when we hear the question that we always hear during pride why do they need a parade the answer continues to be because we're not done the story about the Human Rights Museum makes that clear this year pride will be very different from last year and the last 20 years but it is no less important and in fact mr. speaker it may even be more important because of the isolation that's been our reality for months that isolation is even harder on people who are living in a closet of fear who need the warmth of pride to feel that they belong that at some point they will be able to be open and proud about who they are especially to you I want to say you are important you are loved just as you are and next year let's hope we can get together and dance thank you very much the next statement the member for Kitchener Conestoga well thank you mr. speaker graduation is typically a time when families friends mentors and colleagues come together to celebrate the achievements of our students but the class of 2020 their ceremonies will not be the way they imagine them I want to congratulate all Kitchener Conestoga's graduates of this extraordinary year they have worked hard to get to this point especially over the last few months but whether you're graduating from elementary school middle school from high school college or university I hope that you are still able to celebrate this momentous occasion the ceremonies at Waterloo region's world class post-secondary schools are going to be very different this year mr. speaker the newest alumni from the University of Waterloo are celebrating this year virtually and Conestoga College and Wilfred Laurier University are making arrangements to honor their graduates in the months to come on lawns across my riding parents have put up signs so show just how proud they are of their children and my house is no exception mr. speaker two of my sons are graduating this year Jackson Jackson is off to high school and Maverick will be starting middle school in September and I know they are watching right now and I just wanted to say how proud I am of you to all the classes of 2020 you are our future leaders the future members of this house and while this may be a challenging time your future is very bright congratulations thank you member statements the member for nickel belt thank you so much speaker students in nickel belt are having a very hard time since the school closed with due to covid why because they cannot participate because the internet is so so slow the the students are frustrated they're isolated they seated alone in front of their screen and they're trying to load up in neverkins the school board had a nice spectacle with dancing but nobody had the lawfully at school could not participate because internet was too slow the same thing with any online graduations children and school boards they are organizing very beautiful ceremonies online but for the children's in foley at the school I don't know they not be able to participate because the internet is too slow to the minister of education and told him that there are solutions to help the students of foley at the Ivan hole we can help these kids get access to what they need online it has been two months and so far radio silence we have followed up twice with the minister's office and still no answer it feels to me like the minister doesn't care about the challenges of northern and rural kids but I care and it's not only places like Biscoe and foley at it is also in and around Sudbury and Whitefish and one of the day the minister has a role to play to make sure those kids learn thank you speaker thank you number Steve the member for a political lecture thank you mr. speaker and I rise today to play tribute to the Ontarians who are making a difference in people's lives in these challenging times many organizations and individuals in Etobicoke Lakeshore have gone above and beyond to support our community first I want to mention my neighbor Jeanette who rain or shine at 7 30 each night leads our street and banging pots and pans to cheer on our frontline workers the pastors who pitch in to help when it was not safe for volunteers at Haven on the queue who had the pleasure to join one afternoon to pack groceries for those in need Jasmine at lamp who I visited with my staff a few weeks ago to bring dry goods for her to hand out to those who need that extra little bit of help at the end of the month the Downing Street group who generously donated empty rental space to global medic so they can house much needed supplies the amazing people at Humber College who generously donated their north campus to global medic so they can set up a place to package food and supplies the headquarters for global medic is also in Etobicoke Lakeshore and last week last month along with my staff I had the honor to pack thank you hygiene kits for frontline workers working in hospitals seniors homes and long-term care facilities the products were generously donated by Proctor and Gamble and also distributed to local food banks and shelters around the province these are a few of the many local heroes in Etobicoke Lakeshore who exemplified the Ontario spirit but I would be remiss if I didn't thank the numerous outside organizations such as the Canadian Indian Foundation who I joined last week to distribute meals to Mrs. Saga fire 101 thank you to everyone member statements the member for Markham Thornhill thank thank you Mr. Speaker as the MPP for Markham Thornhill I represent one of the most ethically diverse riding in all of Canada Mr. Speaker what I have to say might make some uncomfortable but we cannot stay silent about things that matter new racism is to deny that racism exist I believe our diversity defined as a Ontarian as a Canadian however as we have all seen lately racial inequality discrimination and unfair treatment of marginalized communities are very much with us this is especially true for indigenous and black Canadians people of colors and other minorities Mr. Speaker it is a privilege to learn about racism instead of having experience it as a person of color myself I have experienced my own fair share of racism and discrimination I could tell so many stories the purpose of the point is to say that we need to know it's an action the solution is not to be a colorblind but to acknowledge that for many people in this country racism is a fact of life Mr. Speaker I have no doubt that we will overcome these challenges I want to say that people of Markham Thornhill I'm your voice and to the people of Ontario our government understand that we must do better thank you Mr. Speaker that concludes the time that we have today for our member statements it's now time for oral questions I recognize