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April 11, 2022

42nd Parliament, 2nd Session

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Hansard Transcripts

vol. A

Hansard Transcripts

vol. B

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2022-Apr-11 vol. A (PDF)

L056A - Mon 11 Apr 2022 / Lun 11 avr 2022

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Monday 11 April 2022 Lundi 11 avril 2022

Orders of the Day

Getting Ontario Connected Act, 2022 / Loi de 2022 pour un Ontario connecté

Wearing of sweater

Members’ Statements

Scarborough

Priorities and Partnerships Fund

Craft alcohol industry

Post-stroke treatment

Affordable housing

Seniors’ services

Violence against women

Glen Abbey Golf Club

Introduction of Visitors

Question Period

COVID-19 response

Cost of living

COVID-19 testing

Energy policies

COVID-19 response

COVID-19 response

Northern transportation

Laurentian University / Université Laurentienne

COVID-19 response

Personal protective equipment

COVID-19 testing

Health care funding

Youth unemployment

COVID-19 immunization

Correction of record

Deferred Votes

Ending Automobile Insurance Discrimination in the Greater Toronto Area Act, 2022 / Loi de 2022 mettant fin à la discrimination en matière d’assurance-automobile dans le Grand Toronto

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs

Introduction of Bills

Centering Youth in Pandemic Recovery Act, 2022 / Loi de 2022 pour mettre les jeunes au centre de la relance après la pandémie

Pandemic Preparedness Act, 2022 / Loi de 2022 sur la préparation aux pandémies

Teach the Reach Act, 2022 / Loi de 2022 sur l’enseignement de la méthode d’ouverture pivot

Petitions

Social assistance

Sexual assault

Protection of privacy

Social assistance

Optometry services

Optometry services

Optometry services

Optometry services

Animal protection

Opposition Day

Northern Ontario

Orders of the Day

Tax Relief at the Pumps Act, 2022 / Loi de 2022 sur l’allègement de la taxe à la pompe

Royal assent / Sanction royale

Tax Relief at the Pumps Act, 2022 / Loi de 2022 sur l’allègement de la taxe à la pompe

The House met at 0900.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Good morning. Let us pray.

Prayers.

Orders of the Day

Getting Ontario Connected Act, 2022 / Loi de 2022 pour un Ontario connecté

Miss Surma moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill 93,

An Act to amend the Building Broadband Faster Act, 2021 and the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, 2012 / Projet de loi 93, Loi modifiant la Loi de 2021 sur la réalisation accélérée de projets d’Internet à haut débit et la Loi de 2012 sur un système d’information sur les infrastructures souterraines en Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Infrastructure will lead off the debate.

Hon. Kinga Surma: I am pleased to rise for third reading of Bill 93, the Getting Ontario Connected Act, 2022. I will also be sharing the government’s time with my parliamentary assistant, Amarjot Sandhu.

Mr. Speaker, although many of us have begun to return to workplaces, are visiting local businesses and taking

part in local activities in our communities, maintaining a strong online economy remains critical for our province’s continued economic growth. We still hear from people across the province who struggle daily to take

part in our digital world, which is crucial for today’s economic success.

Before our government began taking action to fill these service gaps, as many as 700,000 households and businesses across the province didn’t have access to fast and reliable Internet services. That’s about 1.4 million people being left behind.

Now, more than ever, the people of Ontario who live in the very communities that we represent need reliable high-speed Internet access. It is vital to access health care services, work, learn, start a business, participate in the agricultural sector and connect with our loved ones. That is why our government made a historic investment of nearly $4 billion to connect every region with access to reliable high-speed Internet by the end of 2025. This is the largest single investment in high-speed Internet in any province by any government in Canadian history. It is truly outstanding, Mr. Speaker.

Under Premier Ford’s leadership, our government has made it a top priority to help expand access to reliable high-speed Internet in unserved and underserved communities across the province. I mean it when I say that our government is taking the necessary steps to help bring access to every individual, every family, business and farm in Ontario. These are the people and communities that need it the most. They simply cannot wait any longer.

Mr. Speaker, these are real people who are impacted every day and frustrated about being left offline for far too long. I would like to take an opportunity to share some of their stories and the barriers they face on a daily basis.

In the Niagara region, a family is currently restricted to using LTE antenna Internet. They have a daughter who will be starting school soon and another child on the way. These parents just want their children to have the same access to learning and resources as everyone else.

A resident in central Ontario has no Internet access at home. When her company pivoted to working remotely, she was forced to rely on the homes of friends and family and public spaces to work. This continues to be an ongoing struggle that is impacting her ability to work.

For a family living in southwestern Ontario, only one person can use the Internet at a time. This makes working and learning at home nearly impossible. They were severely impacted during the pandemic, as their children were not able to participate fully in virtual learning and the parents had to miss many days of work due to Internet limitations.

Another resident in southwestern Ontario was unable to start a business due to poor Internet service in the area. When installing Microsoft Teams on their computer, it took them nine hours.

A mother in northern Ontario had to drive five kilometres to and from her nearest town so her child could participate in online courses for college to get the education that they deserve.

In south central Ontario, a family was forced to have their daughter stay in residence, even though her classes were all online, because of their inadequate Internet at home.

There’s also a couple who has been working from home for over two years, with Internet speeds of less than five megabits per second. They are fearful that this lack of reliable high-speed Internet may end up affecting their employment.

Mr. Speaker, these are only some examples from the many letters that hard-working Ontarians take the time to write to me and my ministry. These experiences are unacceptable, and that is why our government is taking action to ensure no one is left behind.

One of the ways we are ensuring no one is left behind is through our proposed Getting Ontario Connected Act, 2022. If passed, this bill would help us remove barriers, duplication and delays, and make it easier and faster to build critical broadband projects. This is needed for us to truly accelerate the deployment of high-speed Internet infrastructure to more communities sooner and remove additional obstacles that stand in the way. This important legislation builds on the progress we’ve already made as part of our plan to connect all Ontarians to high-speed Internet access, no matter where they live.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the many members of the House who support and welcome our government’s ongoing efforts to help connect communities faster. There is no question that many of you in this room have heard frustrations from your own constituents about the lack of reliable high-speed Internet services, and I’m sure, like me, you have also experienced frustration yourselves.

I also want to thank all of the interested parties who were consulted during the standing committee and who have shared their feedback.

These include groups like Enbridge Gas, Trans-Northern Pipelines, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus, Eastern Ontario Regional Network, Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology, Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus, Ontario One Call, the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario, Regional Public Works Commissioners of Ontario, Ontario Sewer and Watermain Construction Association, Ontario Regional Common Ground Alliance, Ontario Road Builders’ Association, the National Capital Heavy Construction Association and several other individuals.

It’s clear that we all share the same goal: to accelerate the deployment of high-speed Internet to the province’s remaining unserved and underserved communities. And we will continue to be transparent and actively engage with our partners, stakeholders and key sectors if the bill is passed, including during the regulation-making process. I am also encouraged that everyone we spoke to in committee was supportive of the overall objectives of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, we understand that building a strong province takes tremendous work, and it is not something our government can do alone. It takes collaboration from across ministries, all levels of government, our partners and our municipalities to deliver critical infrastructure projects, which is why I’m pleased to be working with the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services on this bill. Together, we are helping to get shovels in the ground faster for high-speed Internet infrastructure projects.

We are also working closely with municipalities across the province, who continue to be our number one supporters and advocates for the expansion of high-speed Internet in their communities. In fact, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario recently released its 2022 Provincial Election Strategy: Advancing Ontario’s Prosperity. This strategy outlines a strong message on behalf of municipal governments in Ontario: “Our success is foundational to the success of Ontario.” We completely agree with this statement, as we have shown through our municipal partnerships that we’re stronger and more resilient when we work together.

AMO’s strategy sets out a plan with eight fundamental points that represent their vision for the province’s future. Mr. Speaker, I want to bring this to everyone’s attention, because number 5 on the list of key priorities highlights the critical importance of access to reliable high-speed Internet: “Invest in broadband and connectivity to expand opportunity, access and economic participation in every part of Ontario.” AMO’s strategy speaks to all of us in the hopes that we will work towards fulfilling this commitment. They are relying on us to work together.

Mr. Speaker, I want to emphasize that we are all trying to achieve the same goal. Our province’s economic future and potential depends on access to reliable high-speed Internet. After all, tomorrow’s prosperity begins with shovels in the ground today, which is why the actions we take matter, so I truly hope that Bill 93 will be supported here today.

As I previously mentioned, municipalities have been a vital partner every step of the way to help expand high-speed Internet infrastructure across their communities. Many of these projects are dependent on municipal rights of way to install broadband on municipal land and access to data to ensure these projects are completed in a timely manner. Our legislation would help reduce delays and barriers in these processes, making it easier for projects to be completed faster.

Through this legislation, our government is proposing amendments to the Building Broadband Faster Act, 2021. If passed, these amendments would set new service standards for municipalities. These service standards would be 10 business days to respond to right-of-way permits for proponents with projects totalling up to 30 kilometres, and 15 business days to respond to proponents with projects totalling 30 kilometres or more. This would help ensure that municipalities provide timely responses to right-of-way permit applications related to provincially designated broadband projects.

The amendments would also require municipalities and other stakeholders to share relevant data when requested by Infrastructure Ontario, on the behalf of the Minister of Infrastructure.

Mr. Speaker, I want to address some concerns that municipalities have expressed with regard to the new service standard being proposed through this legislation. Some municipalities are concerned that they will not be able to meet these new timelines. Our government has been actively communicating with our municipal partners to design programs that will make it easier for municipalities and others in the sector to help build high-speed Internet projects faster. We have also been consulting with stakeholders in preparation for this legislation, and as we draft these amendments.

In November 2021, we released a technical guideline that was heavily informed by key stakeholders. We also issued a statement of intent that demonstrated our intention to strengthen the guideline through additional legislative, regulatory and non-legislative tools. Through this statement of intent, our government committed to removing further barriers to accelerate high-speed Internet deployment.

Based on the outcomes of our consultations, my ministry, along with Infrastructure Ontario, is creating a technical assistance team that will provide support to municipalities and other stakeholders, when needed. It will help stakeholders interpret aspects of the legislation, including permitting issues and the use of the Broadband One Window. This is an online platform that will help people exchange data and manage right-of-way access applications, creating a more efficient and streamlined process.

The technical assistance team will also help to quickly resolve any potential disputes that may arise between stakeholders. If necessary, they will work together with the Ministry of Infrastructure, Infrastructure Ontario and the impacted stakeholders to help ensure that timelines are consistently met. Through this initiative, we are providing more certainty and confidence for our partners to help us deliver high-speed Internet projects faster. I’m pleased to say that the technical assistance team will be ready this spring. We look forward to continuing to work with municipalities and stakeholders, and I would like to thank them for their ongoing support and dedication.

As you can see, Mr. Speaker, this proposed legislation will help support projects and programs currently under way to bring reliable high-speed Internet access to more communities—and that is not all that we are doing. Our government continues to find new and innovative ways to get Ontarians connected to the fast reliable Internet access they need and deserve. That is why, in 2021, we launched the new competitive process, led by Infrastructure Ontario, to connect more homes and businesses across the province.

I’m proud to say that we were the first jurisdiction in Canada to execute a series of reverse-auction events to help expand access to high-speed Internet across the province. This has been a huge accomplishment already. During this process, we received market participation from Internet service providers of all sizes. Our legislation would provide Internet service providers with the tools and assurances they need to get shovels in the ground as early as this summer, which is only a couple of months away.

Infrastructure Ontario has been working hard to make enormous efforts to achieve positive results. We have provided information about this transparent and competitive process throughout each stage on the Ontario Connects website. I’m confident that this will have a significant impact on bridging the digital divide for more unserved and underserved communities. No one will be left behind, and I’m very excited to update the public on our competitive process in the coming days.

Our government is doing much more to support our plan of 100% access across Ontario. We have made it clear that access to reliable high-speed Internet throughout rural Ontario remains a priority, and our government continues to deliver on that commitment. We are supporting shovel-ready projects in southwestern, eastern and northern Ontario. Most recently, I joined my colleagues Todd Smith, Minister of Energy, and Dave Piccini, the Minister of the Environment, to announce exciting news for the municipality of Brighton.

Working with Hydro One, we will pilot a new way to leverage existing infrastructure and networks to bring faster service quickly and cost-effectively to customers. Through this approach, Hydro One will work with Internet service providers to connect up to 1,450 homes and businesses with access to high-speed Internet. This is great news for the residents of Brighton.

These new connections will help families and farmers to stay in touch and access critical health care services while providing a much-needed boost to the local economy. Recent graduates will no longer have to leave their hometown to move to large urban areas in order to find better job opportunities. Entrepreneurs will be able to start a booming business in rural Ontario by selling their products online to customers worldwide. Grandparents will be able to stay in touch with their grandchildren who have moved off to college or university. This new pilot project is an example of critical infrastructure that will benefit an entire community.

Mr. Speaker, access to high-speed Internet will have a transformative, life-changing effect for families, individuals, businesses and sectors in rural communities. Take agriculture, for example: We know that many family farms are having trouble expanding their business or struggle to conduct regular business operations with ease because of spotty Internet service. Our government understands the importance of the agricultural sector for our province’s economic growth, resiliency and prosperity. This is a major economic driver, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs.

According to the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, also known as the OFA, the agriculture sector generates over 860,000 jobs for the people of Ontario and contributes more than $47 billion to Ontario’s annual GDP.

For some of us here today, our great-grandparents and grandparents may have grown up working on a family farm, but this sector isn’t like it was many years ago, relying predominantly on manual labour. Ontario’s agriculture sector has rapidly evolved, with the use of new technologies to help produce food, fibre and fuel more efficiently. Many of these technologies, such as GPS mapping, smart sensors to measure soil conditions and tracking devices for livestock, require access to reliable high-speed Internet.

To be successful, Ontario’s farmers must leverage digital technologies to increase economic productivity, explore new markets and remain competitive worldwide. However, a survey conducted by the OFA found that 62% of respondents reported disruptions in their business activities caused by Internet outages, which have directly impacted their profitability. This is not only harmful for their growth potential and the sustainability of farmers and agriculture businesses, but it’s also detrimental to the province’s long-term economic growth. That is why we continue to hear from stakeholders who advocate for the expansion of high-speed Internet infrastructure across rural communities.

The OFA believes that high-speed Internet should be deemed an essential service, as it is vital to the continued growth and the development of rural Ontario. In January, at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association conference, the OFA identified the need for broadband infrastructure in rural communities as one of their top priorities. Vice-president Mark Reusser emphasized this importance by saying, “Reliable Internet supports our farmers and rural communities. Without it, rural businesses, residents and schools are at a competitive disadvantage. Our farmers run modern businesses that require innovative technology, high-speed Internet access and reliable cellular coverage.”

The lack of reliable high-speed Internet access hurts the productivity of thousands of farmers and their bottom line. It also hurts the livelihoods of their workers, along with the regional economies and communities they feed into. This is exactly why we have been advocating to pass this critical piece of legislation, which is another part our government’s comprehensive plan.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to take a moment to address some confusion I have heard about whether our approach will help northern communities. As I have already stressed, we know how important access to reliable high-speed Internet is for Ontarians, especially northern communities. In fact, to improve access to connectivity in the north, we announced an investment of $10.9 million to bring high-speed Internet access to several towns and First Nation communities across northern Ontario. Additionally, we have invested $30 million in the rapid fibre project with Matawa First Nations, which will provide access to high-speed Internet services to more than 670 homes.

Our government has also committed $63 million over five years to the Next Generation Network Program, which to date has supported the launch of 13 projects. This includes projects in Carling township, Iron Bridge, the municipality of Temagami and the city of Kenora, northern lake region.

Mr. Speaker, I want to emphasize that when our government says we are connecting every Ontarian to reliable high-speed Internet access, we mean every Ontarian. The examples I just mentioned clearly demonstrate our government’s strong commitment to prioritize high-speed Internet projects in the north. Today, with this proposed legislation, and together with your support, we have the opportunity to ensure that everyone has access to connectivity province-wide. High-speed Internet is a critical part of our province’s overall infrastructure, making it key for our long-term economic growth and the future of Ontario.

Our government has a responsibility to act now. We can no longer let access to high-speed Internet be a roadblock for our communities and a barrier to our collective success. If we’re going to leverage the potential of our future generations, we need to extend high-speed Internet access into all communities.

High-speed Internet access is as important and necessary as the roads and transportation systems Ontarians use each and every day. Think of it as our virtual roads and transportation system that connects us to the global economy. Just like people rely on these infrastructure systems to get them to and from their destinations quickly and efficiently, people also rely on high-speed Internet to provide them with access to the digital world. Instead of laying concrete and asphalt, we’re here today to help remove the obstacles to install fibre optic cables and lay down underground broadband infrastructure faster.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation is so incredibly important to Ontario’s communities for today and for the future. We cannot and will not leave those communities behind. We will continue to advocate on behalf of the people of Ontario and our communities so that everyone can participate in this growing digital economy. I thank all of you for joining us today to help make this a reality.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): The minister did state that she would be sharing her time this morning. I turn to her parliamentary assistant.

Mr. Amarjot Sandhu: I’m happy to rise today to speak more on Bill 93, the proposed Getting Ontario Connected Act, 2022. I’m also honoured for the opportunity to join my colleague, Kinga Surma, the Minister of Infrastructure, to speak about this important proposed legislation.

Mr. Speaker, now more than ever the people of Ontario need access to reliable high-speed Internet, and this cannot be delayed. We have heard countless stories from Ontarians across the province that emphasize how important access to high-speed Internet truly is.

From the registered nurse whose Internet service is impacted by poor weather, resulting in the inability to access online resources, to the couple in northern Ontario who work as a teacher and an IT manager but are unable to work from home due to the Internet restrictions in the area, to the physician from central Ontario who works from home with barely adequate Internet speeds, which impacts the ability to make video and phone calls to treat patients, to the small business owner in eastern Ontario who continues to question when they will have the reliable Internet speeds that they need to sell their products online, to the resident in southwestern Ontario that is forced to take calls outside the comfort of their home in order to get a better signal—these are all experiences and barriers that Ontarians face regularly and their lack of reliable high-speed Internet access is detrimental not only for economic reasons but for overall health and well-being.

That is why our government is taking action to make sure that no matter where you live, every Ontarian has access to reliable high-speed Internet by the end of 2025.

To deliver on this ambitious commitment, we have a comprehensive and bold plan to bring access to high-speed Internet across the province. As part of this plan, in 2021, our government introduced and passed the Supporting Broadband and Infrastructure Expansion Act, 2021, and the Building Broadband Faster Act, 2021, to help speed up construction of broadband infrastructure projects. In addition, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Infrastructure Ontario also released the Building Broadband Faster Act guideline in November 2021.

This was created to advance our work and to bring key sectors to the table to help get broadband projects built faster. We didn’t stop there. We’re building upon this legislation and guideline with the Getting Ontario Connected Act, 2022. Our government is putting people and communities first to ensure that no one is left behind.

I want to take a moment to address questions we have received about why another high-speed Internet legislation is necessary. This new legislation will help strengthen and implement the best practices in the guideline. If passed, it would provide provincial authority to enforce certain timelines and processes, such as requiring municipalities to meet a service standard to consider applications for certain right-of-way permits related to high-speed Internet projects.

Our legislation would help also further reduce barriers, duplications and delays with bringing high-speed Internet access for more unserved and underserved communities across Ontario. It will also make it easier and faster to get shovels in the ground to build critical broadband infrastructure. In addition, if passed, this new legislation would give Internet service providers the tools and assurances they need to start building as early as this summer.

We have also received support on this legislation and our other high-speed Internet initiatives from our stakeholders. I’d like to highlight what we heard from the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario: “We commend the government for tabling this bill, which is an important step toward meaningful improvements to a system that has caused considerable difficulties in the infrastructure and construction industry.”

In addition, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario welcomes the work that is being done, especially with the decision to also create the technical assistance team: “AMO is pleased that the Minister of Infrastructure has committed to strike a dedicated technical assistance team. While the exact functions and services of the team are still being developed, it should help our small, rural and northern members to meet their responsibilities.”

We are working together to build a stronger Ontario to ensure that everyone has access to health care services and so they can work, learn, start a business, participate in the agricultural sector and connect with family and friends.

Mr. Speaker, through our high-speed Internet initiatives we have already committed over $900 million to over 180 high-speed Internet, cellular and satellite projects to date. Some of these initiatives are already starting to connect homes and business as we speak. This includes up to $16.2 million for 17 projects under our provincial Improving Connectivity for Ontario Program, known as ICON.

ICON supports community-based high-speed Internet projects, and it will expand access to high-speed Internet for over 40 communities across Ontario, from the eastern region of rural Belleville and Rideau Lakes to Moose Cree First Nation in the beautiful north, from Featherstone in southern Ontario to the towns of King and East Gwillimbury in the outskirts of the greater Toronto area and further north in cottage country, such as the Muskoka Lakes area. These projects bring reliable high-speed Internet to as many as 17,900 homes and businesses across the province.

We’re also making a joint investment of over $1.2 billion in federal-provincial funding for 58 projects under ICON and the federal Universal Broadband Fund program. This investment covers projects across small-town Ontario, rural communities and remote and Indigenous communities, and it will provide high-speed Internet access for up to 280,000 homes and businesses across Ontario.

We’re working on initiatives that will help bring reliable high-speed Internet access to every corner of this great province. We know how important access to high-speed Internet is for Ontarians, especially for residents and businesses in northern Ontario. According to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, 87.4% of Canadians have access to high-speed Internet. For those living in urban communities, it accounts for 98.6%, but compared to other regions this percentage drops drastically.

Our government is also committed to connecting First Nation communities to health care services, education and access to compete in the global marketplace, and that begins by investing in broadband infrastructure to support the community, residents and businesses. That is why we’re rolling out programs and making investments in the north, as Minister Surma clearly outlined already.

In addition to the many programs and investments that Minister Surma has already clearly outlined, we’re also investing in projects to connect unserved and underserved areas in the north with access to reliable high-speed Internet through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp. This includes a $2.57-million investment to support eight projects with the expansion of high-speed Internet access in multiple communities. An example of these projects includes an investment that will increase access to high-speed Internet for 600 residents in the Mishkeegogamang Ojibway First Nation community.

These investments are just a handful of the broadband infrastructure projects our government has supported to ensure our First Nation residents lead safe and healthy lives.

By investing in the north, we’re also improving the quality of life for those residents and helping to create the vibrant communities they expect and deserve. Mr. Speaker, for example, through the Next Generation Network Program, a new tower was built in Carling township near Parry Sound to bring high-speed Internet access to the area, through fixed wireless access.

In a video about the Carling township project, one resident mentions that access to high-speed Internet is no longer something that is “nice to have,” and instead it is a fundamental driver to prosperity. This resident reflects on how their first Internet connection was made through the telephone line, and he described it as “painfully slow and frustrating.” As a photographer, he was unable to upload a single picture without his connection dropping off.

Another resident said that she tears up just thinking about the meaningful impact this will make in their lives. She talks about the powerful impact—the personal, gut-wrenching impact—that these projects will have on rural and isolated communities by providing access to reliable high-speed Internet, and how she can now better connect with her family without relying on her phone to get the hot spot she needs for Internet. “You have changed our lives for the better,” she says.

Mr. Speaker, we’re also providing northern businesses with a level playing field. We’re helping to drive economic growth by expanding access to education, training and skills development, as well as providing business opportunities to help the region compete in the global economy.

We can already see the benefits that these programs are providing for Ontarians. For example, a local northern business that makes handmade, specialty chocolate was able to get the supports they needed to enhance their online presence, just by having access to reliable high-speed Internet services. This ultimately helped to increase their sales, not just at home but across Canada.

A recent report by the Council of Canadian Academies called Waiting to Connect highlights the benefits of high-speed Internet connectivity in rural and remote communities across Canada. The report also addresses the challenges in achieving these benefits as well as the barriers that have limited the rollout of high-speed Internet in these areas. Rural communities without access to reliable high-speed Internet are removed from the economic and cultural benefits enjoyed by urban communities. These are benefits that so many of us here today enjoy and cannot imagine living without.

The report goes on to say, “Rural and remote communities in Canada have identified limited access to fast, reliable Internet as their main barrier to achieving economic growth and have stated that the lack of connectivity restricts their ability to retain youth, attract new talent, develop or expand existing businesses, train workers, and adopt new technologies.”

Mr. Speaker, the lack of reliable high-speed Internet limits our province’s long-term economic growth. We all know that for rural communities to succeed and to be where people want to live, work and raise their children, proper high-speed Internet infrastructure needs to be in place. That is why it is more crucial than ever to remove unnecessary barriers and cumbersome processes that prevent that from happening.

Ontario families, especially in rural areas, cannot wait any longer for better access to high-speed Internet. We know that for those in the service industry, whether it’s a bed and breakfast or a local bakery, the lack of reliable high-speed Internet often means a lack of opportunity. That is why this legislation is so important and our government is providing support for rural Ontario.

We are bringing high-speed Internet access to communities across southwestern Ontario through the Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology project, also known as SWIFT. Our efforts to bridge the gaps in high-speed Internet access in southwestern Ontario are part of a combined federal-provincial investment of more than $191 million to bring fast and reliable Internet.

SWIFT has already awarded 97 contracts, totalling $268 million in broadband infrastructure investments to connect more than 63,000 homes and businesses across the region to high-speed Internet services. In fact, there are currently 53 projects under construction. These projects are important for farms and businesses in this region. They will give them the ability to attract new customers, grow their businesses, create new jobs and stay competitive in an increasingly digital marketplace.

Rural farms need reliable high-speed Internet access to oversee operations, manage finances and respond to international market conditions. Access to high-speed Internet can help farmers predict production inputs, increase yields and access more customers worldwide. These projects will allow communities to attract new development and businesses, strengthen local economics and create more well-paying jobs and opportunities in rural Ontario.

To date, over 12,000 homes and businesses in southwestern Ontario have already received access to high-speed Internet through SWIFT. Beyond high-speed Internet, having unreliable cellular service is an economic, social and community safety issue. Many eastern Ontario residents are often left stuck or stranded without cellular service solely because of where they live, and this is evident from what we hear from Ontarians.

We heard about the young adult from Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock who does not have good cell service due to the lack of towers. Although there were several cell towers in the distance, none of them were close enough to reach their home.

We have also heard of the many stories of Ontarians driving down stretches of the highway and unable to get a proper cell signal, or they would be in the middle of a call and it would abruptly drop given the lack of cell signal. This is unsafe for motorists if their vehicle breaks down, especially in the middle of the night or in the dead of a cold winter and they’re unable to call for assistance.

Whether it’s a workplace injury or a medical emergency while hiking in the backwoods of your cottage, people need to be able to call for help. That is why we’re investing up to $71 million for the Eastern Ontario Regional Network Cell Gap Project, which brings the total investment to more than $300 million with partner funding. Through the great work under way in eastern Ontario, we are bringing near-complete cellular coverage to this region—something our government is proud to support.

Through our commitments to date, we’re bringing faster Internet access to 375,000 homes and businesses across the province and significantly improving cellular connectivity in eastern Ontario. We know that access to high-speed Internet makes a huge difference in the lives of hundreds of families and individuals. It means that people will be able to work remotely. Students will be able to access knowledge at their fingertips. It also means that local businesses will be able to reach new markets with their products, and families will be able to watch grandchildren grow up, even from several provinces away.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to highlight our progress on another initiative that brings high-speed Internet access to communities across the province. Last year, our government announced more than $4.8 million through the Connecting Public Libraries Initiative to upgrade high-speed Internet services at approximately 50 public libraries in unserved and underserved communities.

The Ontario Library Service continues to work towards implementing the Connecting Public Libraries Initiative on behalf of the government of Ontario. I’m happy to share that we have recently concluded the successful request-for-proposal process. Through this process they reported that they will be able to update 111 library locations. Mr. Speaker, this more than doubles the original target of 50 public library branches.

Through all the challenges over the past two years our province’s public libraries have become even more important to local residents, not only as a place of learning and discovery but as a hub for community building and a place to help residents stay connected with friends and family online, which is especially vital for those who lack reliable Internet access at home. Through the Connecting Public Libraries Initiative, these 111 library locations will have an opportunity to improve their high-speed Internet connectivity.

We’re also looking into new and innovative ways to help connect Ontarians. We’re working with Telesat, one of the largest and most successful satellite operators in the world. Telesat is a real homegrown success story that is based out of Ottawa. For over half a century, Telesat has been a key player in the development of satellite communications. From the world’s first commercial domestic communication satellite in orbit to other breakthrough launches that push the boundaries of satellite technologies, Telesat has a proven track record of innovation and success, so it should come as no surprise that they’re not only recognized and respected right here in Ontario but also globally.

Mr. Speaker, just this past summer, we committed more than $109 million to Telesat’s Lightspeed project so that Ontario will have dedicated bandwidth when the company launches its low-Earth-orbit satellite network. This technology drastically reduces a signal’s travel time between Earth and satellites, which allows for faster Internet speeds and will help meet the rapid rise in demand for digital connectivity. This is a made-in-Ontario solution for our communities to succeed in today’s digital world. It is expected to go into service in 2024.

This resource will help ensure that the furthest, most-remote communities are able to be connected. By strengthening our high-speed Internet ecosystem, it will not only help us prepare for the future but also help position a leading-edge Canadian company as a global player in satellite broadband.

Better high-speed Internet access will also help the health care sector as more organizations provide telehealth services. It will help support farms, including precision-agriculture techniques and smart sensors to measure soil conditions and tracking devices for livestock. Better high-speed Internet will help tourism businesses as we build a stronger Ontario. Whether it’s accommodations, food and beverage or recreation, businesses will need reliable high-speed Internet access to serve and book their guests and market themselves.

Better high-speed Internet access means smaller businesses can compete with larger e-commerce companies so that made-in-Ontario products can also arrive at your door. It will also help us produce great media content, helping to spread our culture industries far and wide around the globe. Better high-speed Internet access will mean businesses will be able to market their goods and services, from a local microbrewery to a bowling alley, from a new food product to outdoor recreational facilities.

Mr. Speaker, as you can see, we’re doing everything that we can to make sure Ontarians are connected to high-speed Internet access by the end of 2025, and the people of Ontario have our commitment that no one will be left behind.

I’m encouraged that there are so many in this room who understand how important high-speed Internet access is to our future. We appreciate the collaborative approach that members in this House are taking on this important issue. I know that we can all agree that we cannot delay any longer on closing the digital divide. We need to ensure that everyone can take

part in today’s digital economy. We need to be a province that is ready to lead in this increasingly competitive digital world, and that is exactly what we’re doing. We’re taking the necessary and bold action needed to make this happen.

Let’s work together through this legislation to ensure that we create a stronger, more connected Ontario for our families and for future generations to come.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): We have time for questions.

Mr. Wayne Gates: I just wanted to stand up and say this before I get into my question: I found out this morning at 9:05 that Bill 93, Getting Ontario Connected Act, 2022, was being debated this morning. I’ve stood up here before and said this: I don’t think that’s a fair way to do these bills. I’ve been available all weekend. I could have prepared for this. I think it’s very, very important. I think everybody knows that.

I believe the speaker, when she first started, talked about Niagara, and we’ve had some issues in Niagara. We’ve had issues in Niagara-on-the-Lake and Fort Erie. I would have liked to have talked to the mayor. I would have liked to talk to some of the residents down there so I can have a question that I think is fair and balanced on the bill. And when I find out at 9:05 when I walk in the House, I don’t think it’s fair to myself, quite frankly; I don’t think it’s fair to the rest of my colleagues; I don’t think it’s fair to the Liberals or the independents. I wanted to say that, and I guess I ran out of time. But maybe you could respond to that, please.

Hon. Kinga Surma: I thank the member for the question. This piece of legislation is going through the House just like any other piece of legislation. I was before a standing committee a couple of weeks ago. So there has been time in order to have those discussions with your stakeholders in your community. But it’s also not the only avenue in terms of debating in the House. You’re more than welcome to catch me and contact me and provide your feedback to me at any point in time.

What I will just say is that this is critical. We just went through a pandemic situation. We still have households that are not yet connected to high-speed Internet. We will have further construction in the fall in terms of building high-speed Internet infrastructure, and it’s critical that we move this as quickly as possible. People need access to high-speed Internet to connect with health care professionals, in order to work from home. You heard the very many testimonials, so I ask you to support this bill.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): The member for Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke has a question.

Mr. John Yakabuski: I want to thank the minister for bringing this legislation forward. She cited all kinds of circumstances where people are suffering because of a lack of access to high-speed Internet. A lot of those could apply to my riding of Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke.

One thing I did hear throughout the pandemic from parents and educators in rural areas like mine, especially when the students were required to work remotely from home, was that they just didn’t have that same access. You’ve talked about how important that is. Could you give a little more detail as to how this is going to change lives for students in areas like mine that don’t have access today that, after 2025, will?

Hon. Kinga Surma: Thank you so much to the very hard-working member from eastern Ontario. I think the member was very pleased in terms of the investment that we made as a government, with my predecessor Minister Scott—$300 million to the Eastern Ontario Regional Network to connect homes in your very community.

But education is key. During the pandemic, the Minister of Education worked so hard to develop online courses for students across the province so that they could be safe and learn from home. It’s just important that every single child in Ontario, every single family has that access.

Certainly, none of us want to be in the position that we have been in in the last two or three years—absolutely not. It’s important for us to be ready. This is why this legislation is so important: We want to make sure that we accelerate the deployment of building high-speed Internet infrastructure across the province of Ontario.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): The member for Nickel Belt has a question.

M me France Gélinas: I fully agree that everybody in Ontario, including the people who live in Nickel Belt, need access to the Internet. I cannot tell you how many times I went and saw the minister to say, “Hey, the kids in Foleyet cannot get access to the Internet, yet the school is closed.” “The kids in Whitefish have to sit in their car next to the school, because this is only place that has Internet in town”—and it’s only minus 40 below. It’s just fine to sit in your parent’s car in that kind of circumstance.

Let me tell you, Speaker, there are areas in my riding—I talk to every Internet provider that comes to the north, and they say, “It doesn’t matter if the government gives us 100% of the cost of the infrastructure. There is no money to be made in Benny, in Bisco, in Westree, in Shining Tree.”

Why are you so opposed to having a government-run Internet service for hard-to-reach areas, where the private sector will not go?

Hon. Kinga Surma: Again, I want to thank the Minister of Education, who worked tremendously hard, prior to and during the pandemic, to make sure that there were online courses available for students across the province of Ontario.

Mr. Speaker, we have formed partnerships with the Internet service providers. They are keen to make sure that municipalities, every single household and business, farmers and everyone—absolutely every single premises in the province of Ontario—is connected. We’ve worked with the federal government. We created application-based programming in the province of Ontario. Now, we are working our way through our reverse auction, which we hope will help us connect the remaining 300,000 households.

I will be updating the public on the outcome of this reverse auction in the next few days.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Your colleague the Attorney General has a question.

Hon. Doug Downey: Mr. Speaker, through you to the Minister of Infrastructure: I am so thrilled. My constituents in Barrie–Springwater–Oro-Medonte need good connectivity, so thank you for driving this forward on our behalf.

It’s another part of the failing legacy of the previous Liberal government, which just did not pay attention to the needs of the people of the province of Ontario. I want to thank you for bringing this.

My concern is in terms of the supply chain. I know that you’ve turned your mind to that. We know that there are construction delays in other areas. Could you please address, for the public, some of the things we’re doing to make sure that we’re not affected by delays in the supply chain?

Hon. Kinga Surma: Thank you to the very hard-working member. I can assure his constituents that he talks to me about connecting his constituents and his riding very, very frequently. So thank you very much for that.

Listen, we understand that there are, obviously, supply chain challenges across the province of Ontario, as the Minister of Infrastructure myself and Infrastructure Ontario are monitoring this very closely. But the market is very pleased with the investments that we are making in terms of the $4 billion. We are looking at all options—application-based, reverse auction—and we’re also investing in Telesat to make sure that we absolutely pick up the last remaining premises in the toughest geographic areas and most-remote places.

Mr. Speaker, we are looking at all options available to make sure that nobody is left behind and that we can reach our goal of connecting every home by the end of 2025.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): The member for Niagara Falls.

Mr. Wayne Gates: Seeing that I didn’t get my question out last time, I’ll try again.

The broadband budget is interesting, in the last few years. The FAO recently revealed that the Ford government cut the 2022 rural broadband budget by $207 million, which was more than half. Then they only spent 0.06% of the reduced budget, 1.37% of its $45.7-million broadband infrastructure budget in 2021, and they spent zero of $31.8 million for broadband in 2019-20. That’s coming from the FAO.

My question is, if high-speed Internet is important—and I believe it is. I think we’re ahead of the curve, quite frankly, in Niagara Falls, and if you’ve been there you probably know that. I was on council, going back 10 or 12 years ago. Why did you not spend all the budget over the course of the last four years? I think that’s a fair question.

Hon. Kinga Surma: I responded to this question in the standing committee when your colleagues asked. We enter into transfer-payment agreements and contracts with Internet service providers and various organizations that are helping us make sure we connect to every single home. We do not make payments until we reach certain milestones that are agreed to by both parties.

Our government has the responsibility to make sure that we’re accountable, to make sure that every single home is connected. So we will make those payments when that connection is there.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): We have time for a very quick question from the member from Perth–Wellington.

Mr. Randy Pettapiece: The agricultural industry is very important to our province, and I want to thank the minister for recognizing that. Farmers rely on high-speed Internet to operate their farm technology and maximize their farming techniques.

I wonder, Speaker, if the member can tell me what our government is doing to help farmers, and others across the agricultural sector, access reliable high-speed Internet.

Hon. Kinga Surma: We certainly appreciate the hard-working farmers across the province of Ontario. Their contribution to the gross domestic product in Ontario is tremendous. We want to make sure that they have access to high-speed Internet so that they can use the technologies they need to make sure that our food supply chains are sustainable and resilient, and that we continue to grow in the province of Ontario.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Further debate?

Mr. John Vanthof: It’s always an honour to stand in the House, and today on third reading of Bill 93,

An Act to amend the Building Broadband Faster Act, 2021 and the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, 2012.

M me France Gélinas: It’s a

long title.

Mr. John Vanthof: It’s a

long title.

I would like to pick up where the member on the government side was speaking about agriculture and how broadband is so important to agriculture. A lot of people have said it, and it’s absolutely true. I’d like to—just for a minute, because it’s something I know well—talk about why, or give you an example.

I was a dairy farmer for 35 years. We milked in a parlour. It wasn’t a very big one. We milked eight cows at a time, twice a day. It took three hours in the morning, three hours at night. Not too many people in newer facilities have parlours; they have robotic milkers. Now, if you’ve never seen a robotic milker work and you’re thinking it’s R2-D2 from Star Wars, going from cow to cow, it doesn’t work like that. On a farm like mine, when we milked about 70, you would probably need—one robot does about 60 cows, I believe. But it milks one cow at a time, 24 hours a day.

The cows come to the milker, so the farmer is not always there. But that robot has to be monitored all the time. So someone’s monitoring that robot, usually the farmer or someone who works for the farmer. Just like we have a smart phone and we get lots of emails, you will have that robot connected to your phone, and that takes a lot of broadband capacity. You can fix some things from your phone, but often that is your link to know when you have to go at 3 o’clock in the morning, if something has gone wrong, or if a cow gets stuck in the robot, or the robot doesn’t read correctly.

There are all kinds of little things that can go wrong. Many farms have multiple robots and so you need a lot broadband capacity. It needs to be very reliable because you’re living depends on it. So when we milked cows, when you are done milking at 7 o’clock at night, you knew that you didn’t have to milk again until the next morning at 5 o’clock. But when you have robotic milkers, they milk the cows, but they milk them 24 hours a day by themselves, but they need, like every machine, constant supervision, and that’s constantly through Internet.

We have had complaints from some in the agricultural community in the past that, actually, the lack of broadband is one of the reasons why they couldn’t go to the next level of technology. That’s a very significant issue because if you don’t—and any business is like that and so is agriculture—if you don’t go along with the times, one day you wake up and you’re too far behind to catch up, so it’s extremely important.

I commend everyone who is speaking about agriculture because it’s near and dear to my heart but it’s very important to us all and very important to our stomachs as well. But farms tend not to be in the most populated areas. Farms depend on land. There are farms in populated areas; obviously, there are lots of farms in the GTHA. But there are also many farms in areas that aren’t very highly populated, and those are the areas that tend to have problems getting Internet service.

The way that Internet service was developed in this province—I guess worldwide, but certainly in this province—it’s been a for-profit delivery model. I’m not opposed to for-profit; I was in a for-profit business most of my adult life. Dairy farming is a for-profit business. I liked doing it. I liked it. I wish my kids wanted it, we’d still be doing it, but I had to make money doing it. I didn’t do it just for fun.

Broadband is the same thing. So private broadband companies tend not to go to places—especially the big ones—where you have a sparse population. Like the member from Nickel Belt, in her questions, I have those areas too. I have a little town, Gowganda. People are moving to it and wondering why there’s no broadband. I can tell you why. Because it doesn’t make the company money to provide the service.

M me France Gélinas: But it’s a beautiful little town.

Mr. John Vanthof: Gowganda is a fantastic little place—beautiful lake. If you ever go to Gowganda, go to the post office. The post office in Gowganda is right on the lake. When you look across the lake, you look at Maple Mountain. Maple Mountain is one of the highest points of land in Ontario. I’m telling you, Gowganda should be on people’s bucket lists—the post office in Gowganda. When people see the house prices in Gowganda they get pretty excited and they move to Gowganda. But it’s hard to get Internet in Gowganda.

I can’t use the person’s name, but we had someone move to Gowganda and they were unaware of this. They spent quite a bit of time researching what was the best Internet, telephone and TV package. When they were done researching, they called the company. That didn’t work out very well because that company didn’t serve—the only company at the time that served Gowganda was Xplornet, a high-altitude Internet provider, but they didn’t have any room on the satellite. So at that point there was no service in Gowganda.

We have low Internet satellites now, Starlink. I believe I heard the minister and a couple of other members talking about Telesat. That’s also, I believe, a low Internet provider, kind of like Starlink. They can provide it. That would help. I do listen, and I give credit where credit is due.

I don’t know what the price is on Telesat, but I know Starlink is not affordable for everybody. Again, I listened to the whole lead on third reading of this bill, and—please correct me if I’m wrong—I didn’t hear one person mention affordability.

Where I live right now, I have a small Internet provider. It does a great job. I’ll give credit: Paralink, in New Liskeard. They do a great job. I had a big Internet provider, the same one that does Gowganda, and their satellite got fuller and fuller and fuller. At one point, I think I was better off with the original northern Ontario—you know, when you first got computers and you heard that squeaky—I’m not going to try to make the sound, but you know that terrible sound? I’m not going to try.

Paralink does a great job. For my job, I buy—and credit where credit is due, because I have this job, the Ontario government pays for my Internet at home, because I do a lot of work at home. But it is, I believe, 140 bucks a month. As I’ve said in this House before, I have a child—a daughter; she’s not a child anymore—who does computer programming for a living, and she can’t do it on my Internet. It’s not fast enough. I’m paying $140—or I would be paying, and I will still be paying, some day. The Conservatives want me out on June 3, and then I’ll be paying it myself, if I’m not here past June 3.

But $140 a month is a lot of money, and I didn’t hear anything about how we’re going to combat that. I commend the government if they make it. I have my doubts whether 2025 is attainable. I’m not blaming this necessarily on the government, but in the question from the member from Niagara Falls and the response from the minister, the reason that they haven’t invested a vast, vast majority of their budget is because the companies, according to the minister, haven’t been able to install the services. And that hasn’t been for just six months; I believe that’s been happening for three years.

Mr. Wayne Gates: Four.

Mr. John Vanthof: Four years.

The Attorney General brought up the issue about supply chain issues. The supply chain issues are only getting worse now. They’re really coming to a head now. So I appreciate the minister’s answer on that, but I think the supply chain issues could very well knock that further back than 2025.

Having said that, it still doesn’t answer whether the majority of people or the people who really suffer from the digital divide are going to be able to pay for those services. Right now, as we speak, in my riding, there are people who technically have access but can’t afford it. We’ll take the obvious example: someone on ODSP who could use the Internet to improve their lot in life. Where are they going to get 140 bucks a month when they’re on ODSP? Where? And they’re not the only ones. There are a lot of people now who work for minimum wage in my riding who have to take two cars.

They both work minimum wage; they both have to drive cars to get to those jobs. There’s no public transportation. The cost of food is going up. We know all these things. Where are they going to get 140 bucks a month? It’s a legitimate question.

Everyone’s going to have it, according to the government, and God bless. Everyone is going to have access by 2025, but will everybody be able to pay for if it? I haven’t heard anyone on the government side in both leads—I listened to the second reading lead; I brought it up. I listened to the third reading lead; I’m bringing the same issue up. And there are many other issues I bring up, but the affordability one is a huge one, because just the fact that the satellite is there or that the cable is there doesn’t mean that they have true access.

I think the affordability issue is one that we need to look at, and especially in areas—we’ll go to little towns, getting back to the member from Nickel Belt’s question, where you know it will never pay a private operator to provide the service. It will never pay.

Low-Earth satellites are great, but at the end of the day, the best Internet is cable. Fibre optic cable to the farm is the best, the most reliable, but if there are only two farms on that road, you know what? That cable’s not coming, and that’s a problem. It’s a very big problem.

So we’ve identified affordability. We’ve identified the issue of once the program is over—I think this is the crucial part. Once the program is over and said and done, and the government of the day—whoever—says, “You know, everyone’s got service,” then what happens when the money’s gone and the private sector goes, “Well, we’re not going to continue providing service?” I’ll give you an example. This has changed a little bit, but I’ve brought this up before. Another beautiful town that should be on everybody’s list is River Valley, home of the bluegrass festival. It is a beautiful little town.

Now, this happened a few years ago in River Valley. I came. They have a school, and a former parish priest—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I apologize to the member from Timiskaming–Cochrane—

Mr. John Vanthof: I was just getting started, Speaker—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): And we look forward to the remainder of your speech, but it is 10:15 and the standing orders compel me to rise and now announce that we will begin members’ statements.

Third reading debate deemed adjourned.

Wearing of sweater

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’ll recognize the member for Scarborough Southwest.

Ms. Doly Begum: I seek unanimous consent to wear a “Love, Scarborough” hoodie today in the chamber.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Scarborough Southwest is seeking unanimous consent to wear a Scarborough T-shirt—

Ms. Doly Begum: Hoodie.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): —hoodie. Agreed? Agreed.

Members’ Statements

Scarborough

Ms. Doly Begum: I’d like to recognize the entire team behind the film Scarborough and congratulate them for their immense success at the Canadian Screen Awards, winning eight awards earlier this weekend, including Best First Feature Film and Best Motion Picture.

Adapted from Catherine Hernandez’s novel of the same name, the film is a heartfelt and raw love letter to Scarborough, its resilience and its people. Growing up in Scarborough and seeing my own family navigate similar struggles to those in the movie, when my mother tried to make ends meet while raising my brother and I and while being a caregiver to my father—there was something so personal about watching our community’s stories on the big screen.

Shasha Nakhai, Rich Williamson and Catherine Hernandez’s amazing artistry made so many in our community with similar stories feel seen in an incredibly powerful way.

The strength of our community—not just in my riding of Scarborough Southwest, but across Scarborough—lies in how we have found support in one another despite decades of being forgotten by our governments and leaders. Because that’s what Scarborough is about: You find ways. You find friends, resilience and hope.

This film told stories that are so similar to my own, and I am sure many felt the same way who grew up in Scarborough. So I want to take this moment to thank the entire team behind the film and congratulate them for their immense success. It is a testament to the importance of investing in local creative projects, arts and culture.

Priorities and Partnerships Fund

Mr. Aris Babikian: The priorities and partnerships funding investment, commonly known as PPF, is part of our government’s COVID-19 equity supports, which fund various initiatives that help promote a positive and supportive school climate, support healthy relationships and address bullying, cyberbullying and trauma.

I would like to extend my gratitude to the Minister of Education for initiating this program and making the health, safety and well-being of the students a priority. Due to his efforts, Parents Engaged in Education, Community Family Services of Ontario, the Chinese cultural association of greater Toronto, Canadian Tamil Academy, Sara Corning Centre and the Zoryan Institute received a $50,000 grant each. I would like to commend the outstanding work and the essential service the above-mentioned organizations provide to our families and students.

The PPF provides a much-needed culturally responsive mental health and community support to students during and after the pandemic. Supports provided to students may include short-term counselling via an online platform, text or phone; one-on-one personalized lesson plans; and pairing students with professional mentors. Furthermore, students will celebrate and learn about our diverse communities, cultures and traditions, in addition to the ramifications of hate and racism in our society, and try to eradicate them from our daily life.

Craft alcohol industry

Mr. Wayne Gates: Today, I’d like to discuss an important issue to Niagara and the province: our craft alcohol industry. Many of you know, down in Niagara, we have some of the world’s best wineries, craft cideries and breweries. It creates an enormous economic impact for the entire province. The Ontario wine industry alone has a $4.4-billion economic impact on the province that results in creating 18,000 jobs. In Ontario, there are roughly 104 areas of production for craft cider, with 10 cideries in my riding alone.

However, I think we need to do more to ensure this creates an environment in this province where they can grow. We need to come together and look at realistic policy solutions that could have a significant benefit to this growing industry that highlight some of the most beautiful farm products we grow in Niagara and Ontario.

In terms of our wine industry, we must look at ending the basic tax which foreign wineries do not pay. Think about that: Foreign wineries do not pay. It would have a significant impact on small- and medium-sized wineries producing wine with 100% Ontario grapes.

In the cider industry, I had the privilege of working with members from both the Conservative and Liberal parties to introduce legislation which would bring a more fair and realistic tax structure to craft cider producers in the province.

Even these two small policy changes would have a significant impact on protecting 18,000 jobs in these industries. We grow and produce some of the amazing craft products in Niagara and Ontario. Let’s work together and fight for these industries.

Post-stroke treatment

Mr. Norman Miller: Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare provides top-notch emergency and in-patient care with sites in Huntsville and Bracebridge. Last week, MAHC announced they will also be able to offer endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) screening to patients at both hospital sites.

EVT is groundbreaking stroke treatment. If a patient is within four to 24 hours of stroke system onset, highly specialized teams can use a guidewire to remove the blood clot from the brain. This therapy has impressive outcomes and widens the window for intervention to 24 hours, where previous treatments using clot-busting drugs had to be initiated within just a few hours of the start of symptoms.

Teams at MAHC worked with partners like Central East Stroke Network to launch a new protocol that will offer timely EVT screening at both hospital sites. Eligible patients will be transferred to specialized facilities in the GTA to receive EVT treatment.

Now, when residents and visitors to Parry Sound–Muskoka recognize the signs of a stroke and call 911, they will have access to this newest stroke treatment.

I also want to take a moment to recognize Natalie Bubela, who recently retired as president and CEO of Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare. Natalie managed the hospital for the past 10 years and expanded the services available at both sites. On behalf of the residents of Parry Sound–Muskoka, I want to thank Natalie for all her hard work and wish her well in her retirement.

Finally, I want to the welcome incoming president and CEO Cheryl Harrison, who will start next month.

Affordable housing

Ms. Marit Stiles: Mr. Speaker, I want to tell you, there are few issues more pressing for the community that I represent than housing and the affordability crisis. Throughout my term as MPP, my team and I have worked to help tenants push back against illegal renovictions and sudden above-guideline increases. We hear from young families every day who haven’t only seen their dream of owning a home shattered, but they can’t even find a place they can afford to rent. As massive new developments go up in their neighbourhoods, they already know that they won’t be able to afford a place there.

That’s why this government’s new housing bill was such a disappointment. It could have been a chance to correct years of failure on housing, but instead it’s one final gift to big developers that will leave ordinary people behind with: nothing to help renters; no rent control; nothing to build the missing middle; nothing to build more affordable homes; nothing to curb speculation.

This government has had four years to protect tenants and build affordable homes that meet the needs of Ontarians, but at every single opportunity they’ve shown whose side they’re really on.

This June, we’re going to show them the door, Mr. Speaker. We’re going to show them the door and we’re going to elect an NDP government that will actually deliver homes that the people of this province and my community can afford.

M. Stephen Blais: Le 22 mars a marqué la Journée de la solidarité franco-ontarienne. Malheureusement, la francophobie coule toujours dans les veines des gouvernements conservateurs ici en Ontario. Depuis la bataille des épingles à chapeaux, les francophones se battent pour leurs droits car les conservateurs veulent toujours les piétiner. À l’époque, ce sont les gardiennes de Guigues, Béatrice et Diane Desloges, ainsi que des mères de familles francophones, qui ont refusé les ordres de fermeture du gouvernement.

N’oublions pas qu’il y a 25 ans, jour pour jour, notre communauté francophone a fait front et a battu le gouvernement conservateur de l’époque pour sauver l’Hôpital Montfort à Ottawa. Plus de 10 000 francophones et membres de la communauté se sont unis pour s’opposer à la décision irréfléchie du gouvernement. C’est le leadership des membres de la communauté franco-ontarienne qui a permis de sauver l’Hôpital Montfort.

Sous la direction de Steven Del Duca et avec le leadership de Lucille Collard et Amanda Simard, notre parti a tenu et continuera de tenir le gouvernement responsable de son traitement déplorable et de son mépris envers la communauté francophone de l’Ontario. Je suis fier d’appuyer un parti qui continue de reconnaître et de célébrer les racines historiques franco-ontariennes de notre province.

Seniors’ services

The town of Whitby is part of the World Health Organization’s Global Network for Age-Friendly Cities and Communities. As an age-friendly community, they are committed to providing supportive physical and social environments for older people. Through their 55-plus recreational spaces, services, programs and resources, local seniors are able to live an active, safe and meaningful life while contributing in all areas of the great community of Whitby.

Speaker, our government remains committed—absolutely committed—to the safety, independence and well-being of Ontario’s seniors and continues to support the seniors active living centre programs and services that offer so much to a growing seniors population here in Ontario.

Violence against women

Ms. Catherine Fife: Five years ago, the #MeToo movement spread across the globe. This movement reached our community, helping to strengthen survivors’ voices so that they could courageously tell their stories. Local survivors reached out to the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region in record numbers. Their team responded by showing up for survivors in court, in hospital rooms and in police stations, and by holding space in their counselling offices. Their wait-list grew as more survivors reached out.

In response to this cultural shift, the government of the time increased the funding to community-based sexual assault centres across the province. In Waterloo region, these funds would have secured two additional counsellors. But after the last provincial election, these promised funds were clawed back, and since that time, the shadow pandemic—an increase in gender-based violence during COVID-19—has increased the demand even more, resulting in critical underfunding in the sector. The wait-lists continue to grow.

Last week I was in North Bay and I met with the ED of Amelia Rising. They have not seen an increase in operational funding since 1994, and at that time it was only $20,000. These agencies cannot stretch these dollars any further.

Speaker, we should not have to fundraise in the province of Ontario to keep women and survivors of sexual assault safe. Will this government reverse the clawback to sexual assault centres so that every Ontarian has access to life-changing counselling in the province of Ontario?

Glen Abbey Golf Club

Mr. Stephen Crawford: It’s an honour to rise in the Legislature today to bring attention to the key to the town of Oakville ceremony that occurred last week for saving the treasured Glen Abbey green space. On Monday, April 4, I had the honour of hosting the Premier of Ontario, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and the member from Oakville North–Burlington in my riding, where we attended the key to the town ceremony, alongside members of the Save Glen Abbey group and residents’ associations.

At this event, Mayor Rob Burton awarded a key to town leaders and volunteers from Save Glen Abbey, residents’ associations presidents, the Premier, the minister, the member from Oakville North–Burlington and myself. I want to congratulate the members of Save Glen Abbey. The personal sacrifices they made to save this important green space for our community cannot be understated. Their hard work and organization are admirable, and the outcome is something we can be proud of. Saving this land was a grassroots movement.

I want to thank the mayor and council for collaborating with the province to save this open space. I’d also like to thank my colleagues in government for listening to the residents of Oakville. Glen Abbey is an essential place for both the environment and local history and culture. Saving Glen Abbey is an example of residents, municipal council and the province coming together and delivering results that benefit our local community.

Introduction of Visitors

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): We have with us in the Speaker’s gallery today Ms. Idit Shamir, the consul general of Israel to Toronto and western Canada. She is accompanied by Ms. Shani Azulai, the deputy consul general, and Mr. Jordan Falkenstein. Please join me in welcoming our special guests to the Legislature.

Mr. Faisal Hassan: I would like to welcome members of the York South–Weston youth council who are joining us today. Welcome to Devron Swaby, Jamila Wynter-Scotland, Saherla Osman and Rhythm Rana. Welcome to the Ontario Legislature and thank you for the great work you do in our community of York South–Weston.

Mr. John Fraser: Our page captain is from Ottawa South: Vivian Lozada. She’s here this morning. Joining her are her parents, mother, Nancy Macdonald, and father, Dominic Lozada; sister Naveen Lozada; other sister, Vanessa Lozada; Craig Macdonald, her grandfather; Doris Macdonald, her grandmother; and Veronique Lozada, her grandmother. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Question Period

COVID-19 response

Mr. John Vanthof: My question is to the Premier. Last week, Dr. Peter Jüni, the science table head, called COVID right now in Ontario a “tidal wave,” a wave that’s hitting our province hard. Public schools are being closed because there are not enough staff to keep them open. With the science table’s best data suggesting we have over 100,000 cases per day right now, that wasn’t what the government predicted would happen.

So why did the government remove the mask mandate for schools so early?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply on behalf of the government, the Deputy Premier and Minister of Health.

Hon. Christine Elliott: We have always taken a very cautious approach with COVID when it comes to protecting the health and safety of the people of Ontario. We were one of the last provinces to lift the masking requirements.

I think it needs to be said that Dr. Moore has cautioned Ontarians for quite some time that as we lifted the public health measures, and with the increased transmissibility of the BA.2 strain of COVID, we were going to see the numbers go up.

We are seeing the numbers going up. However, Dr. Moore has also indicated that because we have so many Ontarians who are now fully vaccinated, with the increased use of antivirals such as Paxlovid and the capacity in our hospitals, we are prepared to weather this and to continue. This is something that was entirely predictable from the beginning. We knew this was going to happen, and we’re prepared for it.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question.

Mr. John Vanthof: Public Health Ontario released some evidence last week. They state, “With expected increased infections among children associated with increased transmissibility of BA.2, removal of public health measures, and limited vaccine eligibility and two-dose coverage in children less than 12 years, the number of children with severe disease is likely to increase. This may impact pediatric hospital and intensive care unit ... capacity, and also lead to further disruption to in-person learning in Ontario.”

Speaker, Public Health Ontario is calling for bringing back the mask mandate in schools, especially as schools are now closing. If the government won’t do that, will the Premier and the chief medical officer explain why not?

Hon. Christine Elliott: As I’ve indicated before, the Chief Medical Officer of Health does not believe that that’s necessary. We knew that the numbers were going to go up, but—and I’ll quote Dr. Moore—“We have tools that we did not have just two years ago, including highly effective vaccines that have changed the course of the pandemic, high vaccination rates that continue to improve as more and more Ontarians see the value of getting boosted to protect themselves, their families and their communities.”

Thankfully, the people of Ontario have responded to the call for higher levels of vaccination. We are seeing higher levels of vaccination in young people as well. So while the numbers are increasing, we know that we have capacity in both our adult hospitals as well as our pediatric hospitals. The numbers have risen slightly as the number of people with COVID increases. However, people are not generally requiring hospitalization or requiring admission to intensive care units.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The final supplementary.

Mr. John Vanthof: Speaking of tools that were supposed to help change the fight against COVID, a new investigative report by the Star found that the rapid tests this Premier said would be “game-changers” didn’t end up helping to protect hot-spot communities. In fact, the Premier sent 175,000 publicly paid for kits to private, for-profit schools. That’s more than they sent to paramedics, child care centres, shelters and other front-line services. Small businesses that could have deployed these tests to stay afloat weren’t offered what the Premier’s friends got.

Why didn’t hot-spot communities and front-line staff get these tests? Why weren’t they at the front of the line?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Here it is, the NDP, right? During the exact same time frame that the member is talking about, how many times did the NDP talk about rapid tests? Not once—not one time, Mr. Speaker. In fact, this government has sent out 150 million rapid tests to the people of the province of Ontario. Now, all of a sudden, the NDP have come to the party.

Let me tell you, we were sending out those rapid tests to schools. We were sending them out to chambers of commerce. The member for Peterborough ensured that chambers of commerce across the province had access to those tests for our small businesses. We were sending them out to hot spots. In fact, we were handing them out at subways, at shopping malls. We were doing everything that we could to get rapid tests out.

All of the time, we said how important it was. The Ontario science table said that we shouldn’t do it, the Chief Medical Officer of Health said that we shouldn’t do it, but we knew that we had to get those rapid tests out. Today, over 150 million of those rapid tests are out—more than the rest of the country combined—and we’re very proud of that.

Cost of living

Mr. John Vanthof: I seem to have touched a nerve.

To the Premier: The Premier’s high-cost and low-wage policies have hurt people looking to keep a roof over their heads. The cost of buying a house in Ontario has doubled since he was elected Premier, and for renters, the average cost is up $192 a month.

The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corp. says that affordable rent should be no more than 30% of your income. But if you live in Toronto, this year alone, you’d have to work an extra seven and a half hours a month just to stay afloat. In London, it’s an extra 15 hours a month, and in Peterborough, it’s a stunning 36 hours a month, just to pay the extra rent.

Why has the government done nothing to help Ontarians afford a safe roof over their heads?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Steve Clark: I might want to ask the honourable member the same question: Why has his party done nothing in the last four years to support all our initiatives that we have accomplished since being here?

We know there is much more work to do collaboratively with our federal colleagues and with municipalities. But I want to remind the honourable member that when it came to the fall economic statement in 2018, when we adhered to our campaign promise to protect existing tenants through rent control, it was his party that said that there wouldn’t be any increase in purpose-built rental in the province. What’s happened? Three years later, we have now seen record purpose-built rentals being built in the province—13,000 purpose-built rental starts last year, the highest in 30 years.

Speaker, through you to the honourable member: Why did your party keep voting no? Why did they keep not supporting all the initiatives—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you.

Supplementary?

Mr. John Vanthof: Especially up north, Ontarians have no choice but to pay for the high prices of not just rent but gas. Under this Premier’s watch, gas prices are higher than ever. When this Premier was elected, gas in Ontario was $1.33 a litre, on average. The April average is now $1.74 a litre and even higher up north. That’s 41 cents more a litre. For a person who has no choice but to—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order. Stop the clock. The member will take his seat.

I need to be able to hear the member who is posing the question.

Please restart the clock. Member for Timiskaming–Cochrane.

Mr. John Vanthof: For a person who has no choice but to drive to work, that’s an extra $35 for every tank, just to fill up the F-150.

This Premier promised in 2018 to “have a frank discussion with the oil companies” and said he’d be watching their every move, putting them on notice if they gouged consumers. But instead, he has let them gouge drivers every time they fuel up.

Why has the Premier sat back on his hands while gas prices shot up 41 cents a litre while he has been Premier?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: The Minister of Finance recently brought a bill into this House that would lower the gas tax for the people of the province of Ontario, for every single person who drives—and not only for the people who drive but everybody who relies on a product that is delivered to a store because of fuel consumption. And how did the NDP vote? They voted against that. They voted against putting more money in the pockets of the people of the province of Ontario, more money in the pockets of small business people. That’s how the NDP voted.

And we’re not even talking about the carbon tax—a carbon tax that they fought for. After we eliminated the carbon tax in the province of Ontario and saw gas prices come down, by one, two, three, four, five cents, they fought to put it back onto the people of the province of Ontario.

And now, recently, we saw—he talks about driving. Well, it was under their watch, with the Liberals, that they got rid of the Ontario Northland, making it even more difficult for people to get around the north. But it was this Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade and this Premier who brought it back.

Under their watch, they closed things down; under our watch, we unleashed the power of the Ontario economy.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): And the final supplementary?

Mr. John Vanthof: Every Ontarian buying food knows the prices are skyrocketing. When the Premier was elected, a Canadian family spent just under $1,000 a month on food. But these prices are projected to jump by 21% this year, or $3,000 more a year, for a family of four just to eat the same meals they always have. And it’s not all supply chain issues, because one study found that food prices are up because of corporate profits.

Why has this government ignored the high cost of living for Ontarians when it comes to putting food on the table and let companies get away with charging consumers so much?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Minister of Finance.

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: Mr. Speaker, through you to the member opposite, thank you for the question. As the House leader just highlighted, this government has been working to reduce the costs of living for many Ontarians.

Let me just highlight another area where we focused on putting more money back in the pockets of the people of Ontario: In 2012, as I note here, the cost of the licence plate sticker went from $82 to $90. In 2013 to 2014, it went up to $98. Who supported the Liberal government at that time? It was this member’s party that supported those increases. And then, in 2014, the Minister of Transportation and the now leader of the Liberal Party increased it again, up to $108. On September 1, 2016, again, it was up to $120. That was this party, supported by that party.

We’re putting more money in the pockets of the hard-working people of Ontario, and we have a lot more that we are going to do.

COVID-19 testing

Ms. Marit Stiles: This question is for the Premier. Well, that was quite a report in the Toronto Star this weekend: A bombshell investigative report confirmed what many of us already knew anecdotally—that the distribution of rapid antigen tests was anything but equitable, especially when it came to Ontario’s schools.

In the fall, as cases were rising and schools were closing yet again, parents were forced to crowdsource rapid tests for their local public schools until this government forbid them from doing that, saying they weren’t recommended. I stood here in this House on October 5 and I asked the government, “Why are you stopping parents from sourcing those tests?” This government said, “They’re not recommended. They’re not necessary.”

Speaker, through you to the Premier: If those tests were not recommended, why was the government shovelling nearly 200,000 of them to private schools at the same time?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: You will recall, at the time, Mr. Speaker, the Ontario science table did not recommend the distribution of rapid tests. The Chief Medical Officer of Health did not recommend the distribution of rapid tests, nor did Ontario Public Health. But, you know what, and my colleagues will know this, despite those recommendations, we got over 50 million rapid tests out to education and child care centres—despite those recommendations, because we knew how important it is.

Colleagues, how many times did the Leader of the Opposition get up in her place and ask about rapid tests? Not even one time. Welcome to the importance of rapid tests.

That is why we’ve got 150 million rapid tests out to the people of the province of Ontario, thanks to the hard work of this Minister of Health, thanks to the hard work of this Premier, and thanks to the hard work of this caucus that worked every single day to ensure that all communities in this province were safe from COVID and that our schools were the safest in Canada.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary.

Ms. Marit Stiles: Well, despite all that, the Star report showed that private schools received more tests than paramedics, than daycares, than shelters and jails combined. Mr. Speaker, this government forced women’s shelters to beg for rapid tests. You told public schools, “No, you don’t get them yet; it’s not necessary.” And then, worse still, over the 10 months after these publicly funded rapid tests were made available, only 20% of them went to those COVID hot spots that were designated.

They made schools break down kits of five into two. Meanwhile, in August, St. John’s-Kilmarnock School got 14,000 rapid tests. Branksome Hall, where you have to pay $36,000 a year to get your kid into that school, they got 9,600 tests on August 26. And this government would not put those tests in the hands of our public school students, let alone our shelters, our jails, our paramedics.

Mr. Speaker, knowing this, how can the Premier possibly justify a rapid test rollout that saw the wealthy and the well-connected get first dibs on an essential public health tool?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Of course, Mr. Speaker, when the NDP think that they’ve got you, they start asking questions about it. One day they want masks; the next day they don’t want masks. One day they want closures; the next day they don’t want closures. One minute they want more money in your pocket, but in the next minute they’re voting to take it out of your pocket.

Where was this member, where was this party and where was the Leader of the Opposition when we were distributing 150 million tests, including over 50 million to our schools and to our child care centres? They were sitting on their hands. They didn’t even talk about it. They never even knew about it.

We had them at GO train stations. We sent every student home with a rapid test. What did you do? Nothing.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Davenport, come to order. The member for Hamilton Mountain, come to order. The member for Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke, come to order.

The next question.

Energy policies

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: My question today is about Ontario’s electricity supply and it is to the Minister of Energy. The rapid growth of the greenhouse and automotive sectors in southwestern Ontario, under the leadership of Premier Ford, has been nothing short of remarkable. For 15 years, we watched the Liberals and NDP work together to drive good-paying manufacturing jobs out of this province. But under our government, we’re bringing forward policies that ensure these jobs are coming back to our province, and we’re working to make our energy grid more competitive. However, this record level of growth means that the demand for power is also greater than ever before.

My question to the Minister of Energy is, what is our government doing to ensure southwestern Ontario’s economic boom has access to the electricity it needs?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The parliamentary assistant.

Mr. Stephen Crawford: The member is absolutely correct: After years of seeing jobs and investment flee this province, we knew something needed to change. That’s why we’ve been hard at work restoring Ontario’s clean energy advantage and providing the stability that job creators rely on—and we are seeing the results. Just a few weeks ago, our government announced the $5-billion Stellantis-LGES electric vehicle battery plant, which is the largest automotive investment in the history of this country, creating 2,500 jobs in the region.

But Speaker, these jobs need power, and we need to be ready to support these job creators. That’s why last week I announced that our government is taking action to facilitate the timely development of five new transmission lines in southwestern Ontario so that we can power southwestern Ontario’s economic boom.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question.

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: Thank you very much to the minister for that answer. Of course, we know that the nuts and bolts of Ontario’s economic engine are energy, and we’ve had a fantastic track record when it comes to delivering on much-needed reforms in the electricity sector to ensure that we have clean, green energy that’s produced for all of the growth that we’re seeing across our region.

Since our government first came to office, we’ve been working every day to make Ontario open for business and open for jobs. I know that Ontarians across Niagara and southwestern Ontario expect their government to understand that economic growth benefits everyone, and that by creating the conditions for new investments in our province, we are creating opportunities and prosperity for all.

Could the member speak a bit about how these transmission projects will enable even more investment and economic growth in Ontario?

Mr. Stephen Crawford: Thank you again to the member for the question. With new projects often facing lengthy development times, we have taken action by declaring these transmission infrastructure projects as priorities, to ensure we are meeting the needs of southwestern Ontario’s economic boom. Our government knows that ensuring transmission capacity is built in a timely and efficient manner gives business confidence to expand or invest in operations and create new jobs.

While these measures will create efficiencies, I do want to be clear that they do not remove the obligation of Hydro One to meet the requirements of the Environmental Assessment Act. This will ensure each line is planned responsibly and in consultation with Indigenous and local communities.

By working hand in hand with job creators and communities, under the leadership of Premier Ford, we are enabling economic growth and more jobs for the people of southwestern Ontario.

COVID-19 response

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: My question is to the Premier. Omicron is spreading like wildfire. Two London schools closed last week because they couldn’t even cover the absences. Thames Valley District School Board chair Lori-Ann Pizzolato writes that 400 education positions remain unfilled every single day. That’s 400 each day—400.

My constituent Mary wrote to the Premier and Minister Elliott:

“What are you doing to address this sixth wave of COVID-19 in Ontario? I don’t want to the hear about your hospital beds—which ... are very difficult to staff as more and more health care workers also become infected. I want to hear how you are working to keep people out of those hospital beds, especially elders, children too young to be vaccinated, people with disabilities, immunocompromised people, people with cancer or with organ transplants, Indigenous peoples, people from underserved communities who have been hit the hardest.”

Speaker, why did this government accept that children would be left unprotected when they made masks optional and said safety was optional?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Health.

Hon. Christine Elliott: Thank you for the question. We have, at every step along the way, taken every possible step that we could take to make sure that the health and well-being of the people of Ontario is protected. The best way to protect yourself is with a vaccination. We recognize that some can’t be vaccinated yet, although there are some very promising developments working their way through the system for approval.

But we recognized that we were going to see an increase in cases. Because we have dropped some of the public health measures, that doesn’t mean that people should just ignore all of the other precautions that should be taken. Wearing a mask, of course, is optional now. It’s not mandatory. But it’s up to every person to assess their own level of risk. So we are recommending, of course, that people continue to wear masks in crowded public spaces like public transit and so on, continuing with the usual measures of mask wearing, frequent hand washing and all the rest.

It’s not mandatory, but it is something that everybody needs to assess under their own personal circumstances to determine whether a mask continues to be in their best interest.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question.

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: Respectfully, Speaker, masks are tools—tools this government has left gathering dust on the table. Children need help assessing risk. They need direction from this government. They need leadership.

Back to the Premier: The science table, SickKids hospital and numerous school boards fought for masks to continue so kids would stay safe in school, but leading experts were undermined by this government, whose reckless, politically motivated decision made masks optional in schools. This government ignored science, ignored their own expert table and threw caution into the wind when they should be protecting children.

My constituent Cathy wrote me a letter urging me to help the government “understand the change about their previous decision regarding masks is all about protecting us and helping us stay healthy.” When will the Premier call the Chief Medical Officer of Health and make him answer the growing number of parents who want their kids to stay safe? Will the Premier and the Chief Medical Officer of Health answer the growing flood of parents and families who are terrified about the dangerous amount of illness in our schools? Yes or no?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Every decision our government has made since the beginning of this pandemic has been based on clinical evidence, based on science, based on recommendations from Dr. Moore, our Chief Medical Officer of Health, and his advisers. This has been the course that we have always taken and the course that we will continue to take.

With respect to the overall view of whether masking should be mandatory or optional at this point, as Dr. Moore has said on a number of occasions, we are at the stage now where we need to learn to live with COVID. We’re not going to eliminate it in the next short while.

We will still have cases, but it’s important that people continue to be vaccinated. We have increasing numbers of antivirals that are coming into the province—Dr. Moore is going to be speaking about that this afternoon—and we do have capacity in our hospitals. But we know that people are following these measures. We are making these recommendations based on what Dr. Moore and the epidemiologists have told us. We have always done that in the past, and we will continue to do that in the future.

COVID-19 response

Mr. John Fraser: My question is for the Premier. After being kept under wraps by the Premier for more than a month, Dr. Moore is giving a briefing today, and here’s what we have known for a few weeks: We’re at 100,000 cases a day, so the sixth wave is a tidal wave; people who need Paxlovid can’t get it; and vaccination rates have stalled, which is leaving way too many people unprotected. There is no plan for testing. Local medical officers of health, Public Health Ontario and the science table have called for masking indoors, yet this government is still planning to lift masking mandates in long-term care, hospitals and public transit on April 27.

Will the government do the right thing and not remove masking in LTC homes, hospitals and public transit, and also return today to require masks in essential settings like schools?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Health.

Hon. Christine Elliott: As I just indicated, our government is going to continue to follow the recommendations made by Dr. Moore and his colleagues with respect to masking, with respect to the taking of antivirals. Dr. Moore himself is going be available for questions and to discuss the increasing use of Paxlovid and other antivirals, both in terms of eligibility and availability, because we are receiving larger quantities now and we know that there are many more people who will want to take these antivirals to avoid having to go into hospital, to avoid having to be in intensive care.

Any questions with respect to those issues can be put to Dr. Moore. He is going to make himself available. We continue to follow his advice and guidance.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary.

Mr. John Fraser: There’s a six-year-old at CHEO in Ottawa. He has something called orbital cellulitis, and had some other symptoms. We don’t know what it is. That’s our grandson, and he’s not the only one in the province who is in hospital who is a child, or anyone across the province.

We know that lifting the masking mandates has created greater spread. It’s not anecdotal. Public Health Ontario has told us. The science table has told us. Last week, in Ottawa, all the hospitals and all the medical officers of health in the area said we need to return to mask mandates. They’ve called for a return to mask mandates. So my question is really simple: Will the Chief Medical Officer of Health allow local public health units to issue masking requirements in their own communities? Will he do that? A

section 22 isn’t good enough. You know the restrictions there are with that. They should be able to order a letter of instruction. It’s either that, or Dr. Moore has to do it.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I ask the members to make their comments through the Chair.

Minister of Health to reply.

Hon. Christine Elliott: First, let me say I am very sorry to hear about your grandchild and I hope that he will be well.

Secondly, with respect to the wearing of masks, as Dr. Moore has indicated in the past, we need to learn to live with COVID. That said, it is not compulsory anymore, but every person has to do their own risk assessment. Many people are choosing to continue to wear their masks and they don’t feel comfortable not wearing them in crowded public spaces.

With respect to what’s going to be happening in hospitals and long-term-care homes and other places where there is higher risk, that is something that we are constantly assessing with Dr. Moore’s guidance and the guidance of the other epidemiologists that are advising him. We are awaiting Dr. Moore’s recommendations but, as I said before, many people are choosing to continue to wear their masks. That is their own preference.

The local medical officers of health, I know, are conferring on a regular basis with Dr. Moore as well. That is something that we will await their guidance on and if it is a requirement that they recommend that we return to mask wearing, we will. But it will be based on—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you.

The next question.

Northern transportation

Mr. Norman Miller: My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Over the past week there has been some exciting news for northern Ontario. Announcements have been made that would secure the economic future for the north and provide them with the critical infrastructure to remain prosperous for years to come. Can the minister please provide an update to this House on how the government is supporting good jobs in northern Ontario?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Ten years ago the previous Liberal government, only with a hand from the NDP, gutted northern Ontario by putting Ontario Northland railway up for sale and cancelling the Northlander train service. Well, that’s all changed now. For several years our government has been funding the plans for the return of passenger rail, and yesterday Premier Ford and Minister Mulroney announced $75 million to bring our train back. This funding will replace the tracks and stations that are needed, as well as provide the passenger rail cars.

Ten years ago, the union leaders called it the darkest day at ONTC. Well, the sun is shining today on a bright, new and hope-filled future, thanks to our government returning passenger rail to our north.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question.

Mr. Norman Miller: Thank you, Minister. It’s great to hear that our government is supporting the workers and jobs for people all across the province, including the north. Our government understands the importance of regional economic development and announcements like these show our commitment to local communities in Ontario.

Back to the minister: Can the minister please inform this House how else we are supporting people in the north?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Ten years ago, when the Liberals announced that they were selling off Ontario Northland, the NDP did not stand up to support the north. They sat on their hands. So the Liberals, with the NDP support, dealt the very first blow to Ontario Northland. They shipped 100 GO train cars to Quebec to be refurbished. They knew there was no way they could shut down Ontario Northland if they were given that valuable contract—the one they’d held for years. To add insult to injury, it cost more taxpayer dollars to ship those rail cars to Quebec to have them done.

That changed on Friday. The province announced a $109-million contract to refurbish 56 GO Transit rail coaches in North Bay. That’s work for 100 women and men in North Bay for three years, and vindication for that hard-working team at Ontario Northland.

Laurentian University / Université Laurentienne

Mr. Jamie West: My question is for the Premier. This week is the one-year anniversary of massive cuts to Laurentian University’s programs and staff. The parliamentary assistant asked me when I was going to stand up for the north: every single day for the last four years.

One year ago, the Premier failed to provide the funding needed to avoid the process that led to these devastating cuts at Laurentian University. Will the Premier finally end the chaos of the CCAA process and protect what remains at Laurentian University and provide the funds to help rebuild it?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Colleges and Universities.

Hon. Jill Dunlop: Thank you to the member for that question. I had the opportunity to meet with the member as well as the member from Nickel Belt to discuss the situation at Laurentian, which we’re obviously—it’s a priority for all of us to ensure that there is successful post-secondary education in the north. That’s why this government stepped forward on December 16 and took over the DIP loan for the university. That was a $35-million loan that the university has. We also took additional measures to provide cost-saving measures by providing a $6-million COVID grant for Laurentian University and the suspension of recovers and reductions, including those linked to enrolment targets.

My priority as the Minister of Colleges and Universities is to ensure success for the students at Laurentian University, which is why this government stepped forward with financial assistance of up to $4,000 to students who needed to transfer to publicly assisted post-secondary institutions when their programs were cut in these situations.

We will continue to work with the Laurentian University board and administration to ensure success.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary question? The member for Nickel Belt.

M me France Gélinas: Also to the Minister of Colleges and Universities: Laurentian University is a world-class institution in part because it is surrounded by freshwater lakes, conservation lands, cross-country and hiking trails, world-class green spaces. Any Laurentian University student or community member can tell you the added value of the green space to their quality of life and to their education.

Fifteen local organizations, including HSN physicians and all four school boards have written to the minister. As the debtor in possession, the government has the right to Laurentian’s property. The government has to agree and can oppose the sale of any of Laurentian University’s assets, including its green space.

Can the government reassure my community now by making it clear that they will use their powers as DIP lender to oppose and stop the sale of any green space at Laurentian University?

Hon. Jill Dunlop: Thank you to the member for that question. I know Laurentian University is a priority for you in your community, as the government understands as well. Post-secondary education in the north is very important not only to the community, to the local labour needs but also to the local sectors in the north that offer some remarkable programming.

As I said, my priority at this time is to monitor the process with the CCAA that the university is going through right now but to ensure that there’s support given for the students and that students are supported during this difficult time. I did have the opportunity to meet with some students and discuss the situation. I know it has been difficult on students as well as the community.

But we’ll continue to monitor, to work with the Laurentian University faculty, staff, administration and the board as we work through the CCAA process and the work that this government has done to step in and help move forward.

COVID-19 response

Mr. Stephen Blais: Last spring and summer, every health leader, every teachers’ union, every school board, every parent was begging the government for a safe back-to-school plan in the fall. When that plan eventually came late in the summer, it was lackluster. There was no rapid testing for anyone in public schools. The rollout for vaccines for teenagers was slow because they didn’t use schools as vaccination centres. There was almost a late rollout for younger aged children, as you know, Mr. Speaker.

And as a result, the fall was interrupted with COVID exposures, missed class, both for teachers and for students, and a very disruptive session. As it turns out, there was money available for rapid testing: 175,000 rapid tests to private schools while parents of public school children were forced to buy their own and spend hundreds of dollars or go without.

Why did this government choose to prioritize kids in public school over the millions of Ontarians that send their kids to public school, Mr. Speaker?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: What can you say about the Liberal Party? They do one thing when the cameras are on and another thing when the cameras are off, right? We’ve seen this from them before. When the cameras are on, mainly in the Legislature now, they mask up, but when nobody’s watching, mainly at a Liberal convention, all crowded around the leader, no masks on. The next day they say we have to wear masks. Then they say we shouldn’t wear masks—open, close. They’re all over the place, Mr. Speaker—all over the place.

When we were shipping 150 million rapid tests throughout the province of Ontario, what were they doing? Nothing, Mr. Speaker. As a matter of fact, the Liberals’ hand-picked candidate, Dr. Nathan Stall—what did he say about rapid tests? He said testing with rapid antigen testing is not recommended. The Liberal medical adviser, the candidate in St. Paul’s: It’s not recommended. He went even further: “We don’t have evidence to support and the risks are ... high.” So what is it? Is it the Liberals hand-picked medical officer adviser or is it not, Mr. Speaker? They can’t even agree amongst themselves on the appropriate path.

Thankfully, a strong, stable Progressive Conservative majority government is getting Ontario through it better than any other jurisdiction.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary question? The member for Ottawa South.

Mr. John Fraser: Well, the Premier called rapid tests game-changing, and he managed to send the game-changers to private schools but not to public schools. But since the member brought up masking, here’s the point I was trying to get across.

Interjections.

Mr. John Fraser: It’s not funny. It’s actually not funny.

In hospitals across Ontario right now, there is a crisis because of absenteeism, and you all know it. We all know it. The hospitals tell us. That’s why we should be masking. That’s why we should be worried about everyone who’s in hospital, that they’re able to have the people they need to be there to care for them.

We can joke about all this stuff, we can point fingers and quote things, but at the end of the day, right now, we need to go back to masking: Keep it in LTC, keep it in hospitals, keep it on public transit and, for God’s sakes, do it in schools and places where people have to go. You know why? People are getting sick, people are absent from work and there’s going to be a state where people aren’t going to get the care they need, and you know it. So please do it. Thank you.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’d ask members to make their comments through the Chair.

Government House leader to reply.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Speaker, if the member had only had the exact same passion under the 15 years that he had the opportunity to govern, then we wouldn’t have had the lack of ICU capacity in this province. We wouldn’t have had the health and human resource issues we’re having in this province. We wouldn’t have had old outdated hospitals that need to be rebuilt. Had he only had the passion then, we wouldn’t have gone into a warehouse of PPE that was expired. That is the record of the Liberal Party. That is the record that saw us have to endure lockdowns longer than any other jurisdiction because they did not prepare the province of Ontario.

However, Mr. Speaker, because of a strong, stable Progressive Conservative majority, we are making PPE right here in the province of Ontario. We have 90% of our population vaccinated. We have the safest return-to-school program in North America. We are building long-term-care homes. They built 611 beds. There’s more than that being built in my own riding, and in his community—30,000, Mr. Speaker. Had they only had passion for anything, we wouldn’t have been where we are now. But we’re getting through it better than any other jurisdiction because of the hard work—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock.

Restart the clock. The next question?

Personal protective equipment

Ms. Donna Skelly: My question is for the Minister of Government and Consumer Services. Minister, last week you were joined by the President of the Treasury Board Secretariat to share a message with Ontarians about what our government is doing to ensure that they have the PPE needed to keep them safe.

After two difficult years, Ontarians want reassurance that their government is doing what is necessary to ensure we never let our guard down when it comes to public health. As such, I’d like to ask the minister what measures his ministry and our government are taking to secure the future of Ontario’s health and safety.

Hon. Ross Romano: I thank the member for Flamborough–Glanbrook for her question. Last Wednesday, I had the privilege of joining our President of the Treasury Board in visiting a warehouse. It was under the Personal Protective Equipment Supply and Production Act, which is the first piece of legislation of its kind.

Through that act, our government is ensuring that we have a very robust and healthy stockpile of PPE and critical supplies that are available at all times, and that we are always ready to tackle any future emergency that we may face, unlike the previous Liberal government, who left behind a hollowed-out stockpile of our critical emergency supplies. Warehouses like the one that the President of the Treasury Board and I visited last week stood empty and quiet. To this failure, Premier Ford and myself and our entire government have one thing to say, Mr. Speaker, and that is: never again.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question.

Ms. Donna Skelly: COVID-19 has taught us many different lessons, including how we can better prepare for any future threats to public health and safety. Even more so, as the government House leader has so passionately argued, we have learned what not to do when it comes to being prepared, thanks to the previous Liberal governments and their NDP allies, who are responsible for the sorry state of our PPE stockpile when the pandemic first struck.

My question, through you, Speaker, is again for the Minister of Government and Consumer Services. Now, more than ever, Ontarians are looking for leadership and confidence in our ability to pro