 Member Statements, recognized and member from Sarnia-Lampton. Yes, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. I'm pleased to rise today to inform the House of the special significance of today's date. It was 30 years ago to the day, December 2nd, that Sarnia's Mayor, Mike Bradley, was sworn in for the first time to elected office as an alderman in the city of Sarnia. Three years later, Mike, at 33 years of age, would be elected to the mayor's office, the youngest mayor in the city's history. In October of 2014, Mayor Bradley was re-elected for a ninth term in office, achieving over 70% of the vote. During his 30 years in elected office, Mayor Bradley has demonstrated a tireless work ethic on issues that improve the quality of life, not just for residents in Sarnia, but for those in communities across Ontario. In the fall of 2014, Mayor Bradley was personally awarded the Lieutenant Governor's Community Volunteer Award by the Honourable David Sealon, the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, in recognition of the outstanding volunteer contributions to Ontario. Mayor Bradley's extensive record of service makes him the second longest-serving mayor in Ontario. On behalf of the province of Ontario and all the residents of Sarnia-Lampton, I would like to thank Mayor Bradley for his leadership and service to the community. There's no doubt in my mind, Mayor Bradley is just getting started. Thank you. Thank you. Further member statements? A member from Welling. Niagara Falls. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm proud to rise today to talk about my riding of Niagara Falls and I'll start with Fort Erie. This year, the Fort Erie race track, with its new owners and hard-working employees, had the best year they've ever had in their 117-year history. We still need more race dates and return of the slots to the track in order to continue to grow and protect the long-term future of our race track. The Canadian Motor Speedway presents the opportunity to create hundreds of jobs with nearly $700 million in direct and indirect private investment. Also in Fort Erie, the Milders Creek Marina Project has the potential to bring investment and help create jobs. Meanwhile, in Niagara Falls, we have a request for pre-qualifying out for the Entertainment Centre, which will have up to 7,000 seats. I know how important this project will be to help create good jobs and make Niagara a year-round tourist destination. And in Niagara and the Lake, tourists continue to pour into the town to support our wineries, our craft burrs, our craft ciders, and there is still no better place to go than the Shaw Festival to see us show. Niagara is in position to help lead this province in the economic recovery, with a go-train expansion all the way to Niagara Falls will be even more prepared to make it happen. Speaker, it's time for Ontario to recognize the opportunities my riding and help bring these investments to Niagara. They will build our communities, help our local businesses, support our local workers and their families, and will make my riding Niagara Falls an even better place to live and raise our families. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for the Member's statements, the Member from Etobicoke North. Merci Monsieur le Président, the privileged speaker of Rising and Informing, not only you, but this entire chamber and my residents, the great constituents of the riding of Etobicoke North, of a number of developments that are taking place in the riding. And I'll concentrate on three. First of all, with regard to the hospital, we are funding something on the order of about $200 million plus speaker to triple the footprint of the Etobicoke General Hospital, part of the William Osler site, and this will lead to a whole host of new services, whether it's a cardiorespiratory suite, the maternal newborn suite, diagnostic suites, entirely state-of-the-art new emergency department. Similarly, Speaker, we've made a $90 million plus along with the federal government, a new massive student centre at Humber College. I was pleased to meet with a number of students who are now benefiting from that facility, as well as, Speaker, the Finch LRT, which is a $2 billion plus new transportation infrastructure development, and we have about eight stops strategically located in my riding, and they are on Islington, Kipling, Stevenson Road, Albion, Martin Grove, Westmore Boulevard, Highway 27, and ending at the Great Humber College. So, Speaker, as you can see, Etobicoke North is on the move, and just in closing, I'd like to, as well, salute, recognize and congratulate the first MP of Somali Canadian background, who's just next door to me, York Southwest, and Mr. Ahmed Hassan. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank the member from Etobicoke North for their member statements, the member from Nipissay. Thank you very much, Speaker. I want to talk about a new business in North Bay, while not so new anymore. MetricAID Plus is a North Bay technology company that has developed a software solution providing financial benefits to hospitals. Their software transforms emergency department physician scheduling. Emergency departments using the MetricAID solution realized improved patient wait times, fewer workload spikes, and a positive environment for the practice of better medicine. This intellectual property, Speaker, was built by a local emergency room physician and a clerk to solve the wait time problem at our hospital. In fact, they have lowered wait times and improved care for over 500,000 Ontario patients in the last three years. From a North Bay perspective, this has repatriated many Northerners looking to fill high-tech jobs. They have also attracted many new Canadians. Speaker, when I visited their offices, and I must say they're about the most attractive offices in the city, it's built in a 100-year-old building. They've kept the old wooden floors and the loading decks and these types of things, but I met many of their staff. Two of them now have new babies. Two more are on the way. The staff have bought six new houses in the last two years. Speaker, as they continue to grow, they're looking to export their expertise to other provinces and around the globe. I congratulate MetricAid on their start and their existence in the City of North Bay. Thank you, Member, from Nipissing. Further member statements? The member from Ottawa, Orleans. Mr. Speaker, participating in the 21st Parade of Lights. My team and I were pleased to be joined by the recently elected Member of Parliament for Orleans, Andrew Leslie. Begun in 1994 in an effort to revitalize the former Gloucester Santa Claus Parade, the Parade of Lights has become the largest nighttime Santa Claus Parade in Canada. This year, we were approximately 140,000 FNDs, Mr. Speaker. And the Parade helped raise money for the firefighters' Help Santa Toy Fund. This fund helps provide Christmas toys to those who may not be able to afford them. I want to thank the organizers, the Ottawa Professional Firefighters Association, led by Bob Rainbow, Ken Walton, and Daniel Johnston. And thanks to the judges and event emcee, Denise Adeny. A total of 78 floats took part in the parade, and I wish to recognize a few of the floats. The prize for Best High School Float is going to École Secondaire public Louis Riel with Best School Float going to École Étoile de l'Est. The prize for Best Christmas Spirit went to Dance R Studio, who danced in sync the whole four kilometers, Mr. Speaker. The prize for Best Band went to Black Cherry Band, and the prize for Best Community Group went to Scouts and Guide Orléans. Congratulations to all the volunteers who helped make this year's parade such a huge success. Thank you for the member statements and member from Dufferin Calladin. Thank you, Speaker. I'm pleased to recognize Calladin for being one of the top 10 communities with the most improved organ and tissue donor registrations in Ontario. In the last three months, 351 residents of Calladin registered their consent to be an organ and tissue donor. I'm very proud to see communities like Calladin registering to help improve the lives of others. Overall in Ontario, the registration rates increased as well. From July 2015 to September, more than 89,000 Ontarians registered to be organ and tissue donors. Now there are more than 3 million Ontarians registered. But more can be done. Too many individuals are left waiting for too long. There are still 1,600 individuals in Ontario waiting for a lifesaving organ and tissue donation. As a result, every three days an individual passes away waiting for their lifesaving transplant. Donating your organ and tissues doesn't just save one life. One donor can save the lives of eight individuals and donating your tissue can enhance the lives of 75 individuals. I encourage everyone to take two minutes and register at www.beadowner.ca. Thank you. A further member statement. A member from Toronto, Danforth. Thank you, Speaker. Yesterday I asked the Premier about the privatisation of hydro. This morning the Leader of the Opposition asked the Premier about government purchase of snow-clearing equipment for private contractors. Instead of answering me or the Leader of the Opposition, the Premier tried to use comments about climate change to divert from the issue at hand. I know why the Premier doesn't want to talk about privatisation. It's unpopular. It's damaging to her image. But to throw climate change forward as a shield against answering questions is dangerous for climate action. It trivializes the issue. It makes it simply a shiny object of diversion. Speaker, the stakes are too high. The issue is too critical to have it used this way. The Premier and the Liberals are playing with fire, adopting this strategy. I urge them to abandon that strategy, answer questions, don't use climate change as your shield. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you. Further member statements? I recognize the member from Mississauga, Streetsville. Thank you very much, Speaker. Each year on the first Sunday of Advent, families from all across Mississauga line Queen Street in Historic Streetsville from Britannia to Old Station Road to start the Christmas season with the City's Santa Claus Parade. Organised by the Streetsville Business Improvement Association and sponsored this year by Ennersource and Tim Hortons, the parade showcased 75 groups led by the Streetsville Piping Drums and the Streetsville Legion Color Party. This year the weather cooperated with Santa. Marchers and spectators enjoyed a dry and warm late November afternoon. Rogers Cable 10 recorded the parade and it will play from time to time between now and Christmas. Many of our schools and community groups dressed for the season and marched for family, friends and neighbours in the kilometer-long procession watched by thousands. Spectators lined the sidewalks several deep in places. Andrea and I decorated a golf cart on loan from Braben Golf Course. Our cat, Bebe, made her first appearance in the Santa Claus Parade. Mr. and Mrs. Claus brought up the rear of the parade to join me, Ward 11 Councillor George Carlson, Ward 4 Councillor John Kovac and Mayor Bonnie Cromby in wishing everyone a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous 2016. Thank you Speaker. Terrible timing. Bless you. Further Member Statements. Recognize a member from York, Southwestern. Thank you Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honour and celebrate the life of Johnny Lombardi, pioneer of multicultural broadcasting founder of Chin Radio, TV International, who played a central role in transforming Toronto and Ontario into a society inclusive of diversity. December 4th, 2015 will mark the centennial birthday of Mr. Johnny Lombardi. He was born in the heart of downtown Toronto in 1915. Son of Italian immigrants, his father actually was born in Pistiche, the same southern small town my mother comes from Mr. Speaker. Johnny became a self-taught trumpeteer and entertainer before serving in the Canadian Army in the Second World War. After that war, a vast wave of Italian immigrants flocked to Canada and Johnny, a man of quick insight, realised that these new immigrants surely missed their food and their culture. He opened the grocery store. He started to produce a radio show, began bringing singers over from Italy. He then applied for a multicultural radio station and Chin Radio was born above the supermarket. Johnny quickly became successful and soon his radio station began broadcasting programs in 30 different languages. And Mr. Speaker, I first met Johnny Lombardi in the late 70s. He had offered me a summer job as a radio host. When he died in 2009, the Globe and Mail wrote he was adamant in his conviction that everyone in the world belonged here too, in the heart of the open city. And he made it his life's business to make this a big place for them. Fana Buonajoba, he would say, do a good job. Happy birthday, Johnny. We miss you. Where's the bed? That ends our member statements.