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March 11, 2021

42nd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2021-Mar-11 (PDF)

L235 - Thu 11 Mar 2021 / Jeu 11 mar 2021

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Thursday 11 March 2021 Jeudi 11 mars 2021

Orders of the Day

Supporting Broadband and Infrastructure Expansion Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 soutenant l’expansion de l’Internet et des infrastructures

Members’ Statements

Queen’s Career Apprenticeship program

Daylight saving time

Roland McLean / Firefighters

Sickle cell disease and thalassemia

Land use planning

COVID-19 response

Volunteer service awards

COVID-19 immunization

Volunteer service awards

Highway of Heroes cleanup

Report, Financial Accountability Officer

National Day of Observance

COVID-19 fatalities

Question Period

COVID-19 response

COVID-19 response

Indigenous health care

Assistance to farmers

Election finances

Long-term care

Mineral exploration and production

COVID-19 immunization

Land use planning

Consumer protection

University funding

Small business

COVID-19 immunization

COVID-19 response

Tenant protection

Notice of dissatisfaction

Deferred Votes

Supply Act, 2021 / Loi de crédits de 2021

Supply Act, 2021 / Loi de crédits de 2021

Introduction of Bills

Health Protection and Promotion Amendment Act (Temptation Be Gone), 2021 / Loi de 2021 modifiant la

Loi sur la protection et la promotion de la santé (Fini les tentations)

Petitions

Broadband infrastructure

Broadband infrastructure

Business of the House

Orders of the Day

Protecting Ontario Elections Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 sur la protection des élections en Ontario

Legislative reform

Private Members’ Public Business

Tenant protection

Royal assent / Sanction royale

The House met at 0900.

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

Prayers/Prières.

Orders of the Day

Supporting Broadband and Infrastructure Expansion Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 soutenant l’expansion de l’Internet et des infrastructures

Resuming the debate adjourned on March 10, 2021, on the motion for second reading of the following bill:

Bill 257,

An Act to enact the Building Broadband Faster Act, 2021 and to make other amendments in respect of infrastructure and land use planning matters / Projet de loi 257, Loi édictant la Loi de 2021 sur la réalisation accélérée de projets d’Internet à haut débit et apportant d’autres modifications en ce qui concerne les infrastructures et des questions d’aménagement du territoire.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I believe when we last debated this bill, the member for Windsor West had the floor.

I recognize the member for Windsor West.

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: Thank you, Speaker. I’m glad to have the opportunity to continue my time on this bill.

When I left off yesterday, I was talking about a provincially significant wetland in my riding, the South Cameron woodlot, where this government has approved development, and how the community is opposed to that.

As I was getting into that point—unfortunately, we ran out of time because the clock hit 6—the point that I was going to make prior to sharing that story was the thing that I found most interesting about this government, where they feel like they can pave over naturalized spaces, they can pave over wetlands and they can simply pick those wetlands up and put them somewhere else, and suddenly, we’re going to have another naturalized space or we’re going to have another wetland, just like that. It’s like they think they can fold it up, put it in a suitcase and move it over to another area.

But that’s not how it works. It takes not just months, not just years, but decades upon decades for these naturalized areas to regenerate the wildlife.

In this case, in the South Cameron woodlot and in many other areas within my riding, we have endangered species. You don’t just pick them up and relocate them and think that they’re going to do okay. You can’t just pick up a wetland—you can’t just say, “You know what? That piece of land over there looks great. I think we’re going to say that’s a wetland,” and then hook up the hose and start running it to see if the land actually does what the previous wetland did, which was to mitigate flooding.

I was sharing about the South Cameron woodlot that there are homes there now, around that protected piece of land—or what was protected until this government okayed building on it—that were flooding. We have seen two once-in-100-year storms happen back to back in my riding where there was mass flooding. There was flooding in my riding; there was flooding in the neighbouring riding of Windsor–Tecumseh; there was flooding in Essex. It’s not just these two once-in-100-year storms; it’s the frequency and the severity of the weather that we are seeing down in my area.

These homes near the South Cameron woodlot in south Windsor had flooding already, and that naturalized space was already there. Now, this government has given permission for builders to go ahead and build homes right on the wetland—not just on the border of the wetland—and it’s no secret to the people in my riding or in the whole city of Windsor that I opposed that.

And yesterday, the member from Sarnia–Lambton yelled across the way at me, “Your mayor asked for it.” My response was, “Of course he did. He’s a Conservative.” He’s a huge supporter. He’s just like them.

The community spoke up—

Interjection.

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: He is duly elected; absolutely. But what he failed to do and what this government failed to do was to consult the people in that area.

Speaker, I’m going to read something that came out of that decision.

And I will tell you that ERCA also opposed that position—not that this government at all respects our conservation authorities. We’ve seen in other bills where they’ve attacked the conservation authorities and taken away their decision-making in place of the government coming in, heavy-handed, and forcing decisions on communities.

This was the quote from an

article in Windsor around the decision to allow development on the South Cameron woodlot:

“The local Citizens Environment Alliance believes developing a wetland within city limits is not something to celebrate.

“The province has redesignated a part of the South Cameron woodlot, bounded by Totten Street, Dominion Boulevard, Daytona Avenue and Ojibway Street, in the area west of Holy Names High School.

“‘I know the argument is that it improves the property tax base, improves the ability of people to live in the city but so do the wetlands,’ says Alliance coordinator Derek Coronado ...

“‘This wetland and woodland area is one of the most significant features of its type in the city that is left and it is really unfortunate that the mayor took the time to lobby to redesignate it to open it up for development.’

“Coronado says this is backwards thinking”—and I couldn’t agree with him more.

“‘In the 21st century, it is really unfortunate that we are doing things now that would be out of the 1950s forgetting the fact that we have a climate crisis, we have a biodiversity conservation crisis and the city needs all the help it can get.’

“He says it is hard for the alliance to look at the municipal government as a defender or protector of natural habitat when these actions are taken.

“More than 100 acres of the property are still protected by the provincial designation.”

That raised concern in my community, because if they can open up a swath of that protected land, what is stopping them from doing it with the rest?

That was part of the debate yesterday. My colleague from Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas asked that about an area in her city. The member for Flamborough–Glanbrook got quite upset about that and said, “It’s just ridiculous that you would even think we would develop on that particular piece of land in Hamilton.” But it’s not ridiculous, because they’re doing it—in the debate yesterday, we were talking about the MZOs; we were talking about Duffins Creek and what’s going on there.

Why would any of us on this side of the House or any of our constituents believe that if the government is willing to take such heavy-handed measures to develop on wetland for American companies that are making billions—$22 billion, I believe, was the number they made in profit last year. If they’re willing to do that in one area, why wouldn’t they do it in other areas?

So I am unapologetic in reiterating that concern when it comes to developing our naturalized areas and not recognizing the importance of those areas.

Speaker, areas like the South Cameron woodlot, Ojibway Park in my riding and the Devonwood Conservation Area have been a lifeline for many in my community during this pandemic. There are few areas left in this province—and we know that the Premier was on record talking about opening up the greenbelt for development, so there’s another reason why people don’t trust that they’re going to do the right thing, especially when we see legislation like it come forward. But those three areas in my riding—and there are more; there are so many more.

Madam Speaker, during the pandemic, we saw just how important those areas are to the people in our ridings. Because on a nice day, instead of being stuck inside, they were able to go out and enjoy those naturalized areas. They were able to go for a walk, take their dogs for a walk, take their kids through the areas.

I put my granddaughter in a sling, tied her to the front of me in a sling and took her for a walk through Ojibway Park, where we saw a deer, we saw owls, we saw numerous different species of birds. You had that fresh air and that sunshine and that access to nature, which is something really, really hard to come by in many urbanized areas. It was good for people’s mental health. It was good for their physical health to be able to get out and enjoy those areas. So, Speaker, it’s really concerning, when you look at it just from the health and well-being of the people who live in these areas, that this government wants to pave them over.

Again, I go back to that you can’t just pick up something like that and move it. You can’t just say, “It’s okay; trust us. We’re going to create that somewhere else for you.” Because it doesn’t work like that. That’s not the way nature works. You don’t just pick up the trees; you don’t just pick up the rivers, the lakes, the streams and move them. You don’t just pick up all of the endangered species and move them somewhere else and think that they’re going to be okay.

I know that the question was raised around why the government would allow this. I’m going to point out that I believe it was the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry who yelled across at me when I was talking about the Duffins Creek project about 10,000 jobs and us not supporting 10,000 jobs. Madam Speaker, that is the narrative of this government: that it has to be either/or. It’s either our environment or it’s jobs. It’s either naturalized spaces or it’s our jobs. That is a false choice. With proper planning, you can have both.

My colleague from Timiskaming–Cochrane, when he was up, was talking about farmland. I know the Conservative side of the House likes to talk about farmland. Farmers are concerned that if you’re allowing this to happen in areas like the South Cameron woodlot or in Duffins Creek, what about their land? We talked about the change in the environment and what that means for farmers, because the farmers count on the land. They count on the weather. They count on some form of predictability. Weather is never completely predictable but it’s become more and more unpredictable.

While we do not have farms in my riding, I love taking drives out. It’s a beautiful drive. I would encourage everybody to come down and take the drive out into the county and enjoy everything that it has to offer out there. There are wineries out there. Believe it or not, we do have wineries down in our area.

I like to travel out into the member for Essex’s riding, where you can hit all the fruit and veggie stands out at the roadside. I’m talking mom-and-pop fruit and veggie stands, where they put them out in front of their homes and you drive by and you can pick up freshly grown and picked produce. There is nothing like it.

But those farmers are concerned. They are concerned because too much rain ruins the crops. Not enough rain ruins the crops. If it’s too hot or too cold, it ruins the crops. And if you want to talk about jobs, they employ people. If their farm is gone, they not only lose their livelihood but so do the people that work for them. Again, this narrative of having to choose the environment over development—you can only pick one or the other, jobs over the environment—is a false option. You can do both. You can do both, and you don’t even have to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time.

Speaker, one of the members yesterday was talking about going back to broadband and not wanting to talk about

schedule 3 in the bill and the MZOs. That was, again, another false choice. We can have both. We can have broadband in rural areas without paving over naturalized areas, without destroying farmland. It is possible. You just have to have the will to do it, and you just have to listen to the people in this province, because there are many out there that will tell you how it can be done.

One of the members from the government side had talked about broadband and the importance of having Internet for farmers to be able to run their businesses. I don’t disagree with that, but what I’m going to say is, when you pave over their land and you destroy the farms, they don’t need broadband because they don’t have a business anymore. You’ve taken their livelihood away.

Interjections.

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: I know the government side thinks it’s funny, but I don’t think the farmers think it’s funny.

Interjection.

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: I don’t think the farmers think it’s funny.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): Order. The Minister of Infrastructure will come to order—actually no, will withdraw.

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: Not only should she come to order, she should withdraw, because she just called me a liar.

Hon. Laurie Scott: I never said that. I never said that.

Interjections.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): Stop the clock. The House will come to order. Sorry to interrupt the member. I will concede that the Minister of Infrastructure should withdraw that—

Mr. Mike Harris: She didn’t say anything—

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): Enough, and the member for Kitchener–Conestoga does not have the opportunity to speak right now. The minister will withdraw. The member from the other side, don’t dial it up.

Hon. Laurie Scott: I withdraw, Madam Speaker.

Interjections.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): Enough. The Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry and the member—okay, enough. The minister said something that had to do with a deliberate falsehood. That is not appropriate. I asked her to withdraw. I don’t need it ratcheted up by the members in this—

Mr. Mike Harris: Speaker, point of order.

Interjection: She didn’t use the word at all.

Interjection: She never said that.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): I’m standing.

Hon. John Yakabuski: We now respond to complaints. Wow.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): The minister will come to order.

I will refer to the table right now.

Interjections.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): I will take this opportunity to recognize the member from Kitchener–Conestoga on a point of order.

Mr. Mike Harris: I can unequivocally say that the member from Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock did not use the words that the member across the way is alleging.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): It’s not your opportunity to correct anyone else’s record. I did and maintain that I heard what I heard from the minister. I have made my ruling. We have 46 seconds left on the clock to continue this debate, and then all members will have the opportunity to stand and discuss, during questions and comments, the comments from the member.

I return to the member from Windsor West.

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: Thank you, Madam Speaker. In the short time that I have left, all I’m going to say is this: We are not opposed to broadband. What we are opposed to is

schedule 3, giving this government the ability to push through projects, pave over wetlands and naturalized areas without consulting the people that are affected.

Madam Speaker, my colleague from Timiskaming–Cochrane has a bill, Bill 226, which would actually address this issue, and all this government has to do is look to that bill. They could pass the bill. They could incorporate that bill. But on this side of the House, for us it’s not about choosing broadband over the environment. Take

schedule 3 out.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): Questions and comments?

Mr. David Piccini: I thank the member opposite for her comments. Madam Speaker, I did take somewhat of an objection to the comment about the members of government liking to talk about farmers. You’re darn right: We do. We like to talk about farmers, because I and many of the people on this side of the House proudly represent rural ridings—ridings that have been ignored by previous governments—farmers, who depend on broadband to get their goods to market. So I have a simple question for the member opposite: Will she support broadband for farmers in rural Ontario, yes or no?

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: The simple answer to that is take

schedule 3 out of this bill, and absolutely, we would support broadband. But we will not support giving the government the opportunity to destroy our environment and to ruin farmland. If you truly support farmers, you can do both: You can bring in broadband, and you can take

schedule 3 out in order to protect our wetlands and protect farmlands. Again, it’s a false choice. It doesn’t have to be,

schedule 3 in this bill; it doesn’t have to be. Take it out.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): Questions and comments?

Mr. Taras Natyshak: Thanks to my colleague from Windsor West for her comments and analysis of this bill.

It has recently come to light that the use of MZOs—and primarily, now we know, as of yesterday, that one of the uses of the MZOs is for a project that will house an Amazon warehouse on significantly protected wetlands. I wonder if the proclivity of the government’s use of these MZOs for those specific industrial reasons—and that is their rationale, to entice big box Walmarts and Amazons into the province.

I wonder if what they’re sending is a message to small business that they’re no longer important at all in this province, because we know what the Amazons and the Walmarts do to small businesses in the main streets of our province. Are they giving up on the small businesses in the province of Ontario, as the Canadian Federation of Independent Business has said that this government is the worst anti-small-business province jurisdiction in confederacy? Is that what they’re saying? Are they locking on to that ideology?

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: Thank you to the member from Essex for that question. I think you just have to look at what they did, leaving Walmart and Costco open because they lobbied to be left open, when small businesses in our communities, in Conservative communities, in independent communities across this province, were shut down. And the Premier’s response was, “Well, it’s too difficult for Costco or Walmart to

section off the non-essentials, so we’re just going to let them stay open and sell whatever they want.” Meanwhile, businesses in my riding and other ridings who were forced to close, who would sell some of those same things, have closed permanently. Not only did they lose their businesses, in some cases, they’ve lost their homes. They’ve lost their place to live. It will be very difficult for them to come back from that. So, yes, Speaker, I would say to the member of Essex, this government certainly is on this bent to support these large corporations like Amazon, an American company making $22 billion, rather than our small mom-and-pop—

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): Stop the clock. Pursuant to standing order 50(c), I am now required to interrupt the proceedings and announce that there has been six and a half hours of debate on the motion for second reading of this bill. This debate will therefore be deemed adjourned unless the government House leader directs the debate to continue.

I recognize the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry.

Hon. John Yakabuski: It is the desire of the government for debate to continue.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): Thank you. Resume the clock.

Questions and comments?

Mr. Mike Harris: I find it very ironic that members of the opposition are standing up here today, talking about how small business and business owners here in the province think that our government isn’t doing a good job. The NDP had one shot at government here in the province of Ontario, and they blew it—the worst jobless numbers they have ever had, under Premier Bob Rae; the social contract where they actually were doing so poorly that they had to lay people off from public positions—never been done before, and it has never been done again here in the province.

I want to know why the member from Windsor West and her government that has perpetrated such things over the years, in the four years that they were in government, think that the people of Ontario want them to come back when they are going to be back in third party status in the next election.

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: Oh, the irony in that member asking that question, Madam Speaker. I will remind the member from Kitchener–Conestoga that when his father was Premier, we saw thousands of people on the lawns of Queen’s Park and protests across the province because of the numbers of workers who were losing their jobs. Nurses, teachers—

Interjections.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): Order.

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: I struck a nerve. If the member didn’t want to hear the answer, then he shouldn’t have asked the question. The truth hurts, I know. If I was on that side of the House, I would have told that member specifically that maybe he wasn’t the right one to ask that question.

So, Madam Speaker, I go back to the fact that this does not have to be about one choice, and one choice only: broadband or our environment. The government can take

schedule 3 out of this bill and we can support broadband across this province.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): Further questions and comments?

Mr. Wayne Gates: I appreciate having the opportunity to rise. Something that’s concerning to me is

schedule 3. If you take

schedule 3 out, we could probably work together and get a bill done, using Bill 226 that my colleague put forward.

We’re talking about a warehouse that’s going to go on protected lands—a warehouse. I would think that warehouse could probably go on a brownfield somewhere in the province of Ontario, on some industrial field. I’m just guessing.

It’s an American company that made $22 billion last year. It doesn’t treat their workers very well, by the way; we all know that. There’s a union vote in the States on Amazon going on right now.

My question is, why do you think this government put

schedule 3 in the bill when we know—and I want to be clear on this—when we know broadband is so important, not only in Ontario but right across the country? Why would you put this in the bill? It makes absolutely no sense.

On the farmer issue, we lose five farms a day in the province of Ontario.

Interjections.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): The House will come to order.

Response?

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: I’m going to read directly from Hansard. I’m quoting what was already in Hansard from my colleague from Waterloo, which I think answers that question:

“When you look at the Duffins Creek situation that Ontario is currently facing, and you relate it to Bill 257 and you look at the timeline—on October 30, the MZO was issued. On February 24, the Triple Properties owners”—Amazon—“made some donations. On March 4, the Ministry of Natural Resources made regulations forcing the warehouse to be built on top of a wetland.

On March 4, the same day, this piece of legislation was tabled in this House, which would likely stop a lawsuit against this whole thing, and allows the minister to ignore the previous planning laws by applying it retroactively to this one and all previous ministerial zoning orders. The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority issued on March 5 a late-afternoon release calling the new law ‘unheralded’ and says that their decision-making is being done ‘under duress.’”

So Madam Speaker, I think that lays out fairly clearly to the people of this province why this government is allowing that project to go forward on wetlands.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): We have time for another question.

Mr. David Piccini: I’ve listened intently to the members’ opposite very patronizing and, quite frankly, negative comments towards Amazon and other large businesses. I can only surmise—Ontario is a proud province, under a Premier that is attracting investment for small and medium-sized businesses alike. Players like Amazon take products from small businesses and transport them worldwide.

So my question is simple: Do you think Amazon should exist and have a part to play in Ontario’s economy: yes or no?

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: What I can tell you is I don’t believe that Amazon or any other company should be building on top of a provincially significant wetland, and this government should not be allowing it to happen. As my colleague pointed out, there’s other land. There’s brownfield that you could be building on. It doesn’t have to be on a wetland. It doesn’t have to be.

Again, Madam Speaker, I go back to what I said earlier: This government is trying to bill this as broadband or destroying the environment. But that’s a false choice. It doesn’t have to be that way. Take

schedule 3 out of the bill, and then put the warehouse somewhere else where you’re not building on provincially significant wetland.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): We do not have time for another question or comment. Before we continue the debate, I am going to point out the fact—

Interjection.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): I’m not going to be interrupted when I’m standing, member from Carleton, please.

It is 9:30 in the morning. We have a full day ahead of us, and already I’m feeling the need to tell the room to raise the level of debate.

The earlier ruling stands; the discussion around it is finished. Members are reminded that if they have questions about the standing orders, they are welcome to review them. No member may charge another member of uttering a falsehood, regardless of the wording. That is the earlier ruling. Enough.

The side chatter and the discussions—I have got a list of names and we will move to warnings. If people find themselves removed before question period, that would be disappointing.

Further—

Interjection.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): I find it difficult to identify voices, so if I name or if I miss—

Interjection.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): So the member from Kitchener–Conestoga, if that last one wasn’t you, my apologies.

We will continue the debate. Further debate?

Hon. John Yakabuski: It is a pleasure this morning to speak on Bill 257, the Building Broadband Faster Act, which is a real game changer here in the province of Ontario.

From the time that humans walked the face of the Earth, communication has been one of the most important things that they possessed: the ability to communicate. Without communication, if you can’t communicate, you can’t compete. They needed to communicate to be hunters and gatherers. They needed to communicate to survive.

Let’s move the clock ahead many, many millennia. We’ll talk about things in my time. That’s not that long ago.

Interjection.

Hon. John Yakabuski: They were talking by that time, John, yes.

I’m old enough to remember when, in little old Barry’s Bay, as my colleagues always tease me about, we didn’t have dial telephones. You had to pick up the receiver and the little crank on the side, you cranked it up and that rang the operator in the Bell telephone shop up the street. The operator would then ask you the number you wanted to speak to. Our number at home was 126. If you wanted to speak to somebody else, you gave them their number. The operator would then take the cords and plug into that.

The operator would then stay on the line to ensure that the calls were connected, and then, presumably, they would leave the call, but we all know that the people who knew most in every little town were the telephone operators. In fact, I put it to you, Speaker, that that may have been the earliest form of hacking that I’m aware of in the early telephone services in small towns. Of course, we still had party lines and stuff like that.

Then I think it was in about 1967 that we actually got dial tones in Barry’s Bay and our number was 756-2138; of course, you never forget that number. And it went from there. Then you started to get different services that Bell could provide.

Then I remember being a RadioShack dealer. When we were a Home Hardware in Barry’s Bay, we also had a RadioShack franchise. I remember the early cellphones. We didn’t actually bring them into stock, but I do recall actually selling one, ordering it in. Do you know that early cellphone, that it was just about $5,000 for that cellphone? Somebody was willing to pay that, and you think about what you could actually get out of that phone back then. All you could do was make a call—that’s it—if you were somewhere where there actually was a tower. But some people were willing to pay that.

And if there weren’t those people who were willing to take that chance and believe in the technology and believe in the future—I don’t know. If you can’t sell it, it probably doesn’t work, right? If people won’t buy it, progress stops. But people did buy them.

Today, of course, we’ve got these phones—these aren’t cellphones anymore. There’s more power in this device than was in the computers that put man on the moon—umpteen times more power. That’s how technology has changed. That’s how society has changed.

Today, if somebody wants a new phone and they’re not getting it for free, they’re about ready to send a letter to the editor, because they think, “How can these telecommunication giants not give me a telephone for free if I’m willing to buy their service?” That’s how times have changed. So it’s time to get with the times.

We’ve had Internet service here for many, many years. I remember the first people in Barry’s Bay were mvigs.net. If you had to send a little bit of a document, it took forever to download it or upload it. We have come a long way, but we have so far to go. With Bill 257, the Building Broadband Faster Act absolutely builds—I want to say, by the way, Speaker, if I may, that I’ll be sharing my time with the member from Kitchener–Conestoga.

The Building Broadband Faster Act is the game-changer I’m talking about. I want to thank Laurie Scott, the Minister of Infrastructure, for bringing forward this bill. I remember back in 2018, when then-candidate for Premier Doug Ford came to my riding and made an announcement about our commitment to the Internet and broadband and cellphone gap. That was in my riding on the first day of the campaign. That signified to me just how committed this Premier would be to bringing broadband to the people all across Ontario, particularly rural Ontario.

I heard the members from the other side talking about rural Ontario. That’s what this is about: This is about expanding to those places that don’t currently have broadband. What the minister has done—which is unprecedented—working with our Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines, is to allow the use of utility poles to help drive this change, to help bring that service to more people faster. That is what it’s all about. This is a billion-dollar commitment on the part of our government to broadband services here in the province of Ontario.

I hope that the folks on the other side have some questions for me today about broadband. I’m really looking forward to it, because I want to see from them that they care about broadband and what it means to people as much as I do.

This is a playing-field leveller. This is so that those rural businesses that the member opposite was talking about can have the same access to the markets that the big boys have—that is what it is about—so that you can establish a business in rural Ontario, when today your only hope is to establish it within some urban boundary. If we’re giving that to those people of rural Ontario, we’re actually saying to those people that rural Ontario is a great place to live, and run a business, raise your family, enjoy the outdoors, but I did say “live,” and you can’t live without building, either.

That’s what this government is all about: giving people opportunities all across the province to live, work and play in the place that suits them and their family. That’s what this is about, Speaker.

In an unprecedented way, something that we’ve never seen before, the development in this bill will ensure that those people across rural Ontario have that opportunity, and the people who are there now don’t feel like—maybe not people my age. I’m not going anywhere. Hell, they’re going to take me out in a bag some day. But what about our children and our grandchildren? Some of them would like to stay. Some of them would like to stay back and raise their families where I was raised, in the beautiful Madawaska and Ottawa Valley.

Some of them would like to stay, but they need opportunities, and we, as a government, are doing exactly that: giving them the kinds of opportunities they’ve been asking for, to stay home in the place in this great province that they love so much.

Now, there’s a partner here that is wanting—or we’re wanting that partner. Let’s talk about the federal government for a moment. Our government has already made—and I am confident that we haven’t heard the last of Minister Scott. Her commitment and Premier Ford’s commitment—this is so strong. As he has said, this is the most important infrastructure project that we have in the province of Ontario—not “one of the most,” “the most.” With that kind of commitment, I am absolutely certain that we have not heard the last from Minister Scott. We have not heard the last on broadband in this province.

But you know where we’d like to hear something from? We’d like to hear something from the federal government. Broadband and communications through the CRTC are the responsibility of the federal government. The federal government is bringing $1.7 billion to the table. Minister Scott has already pledged $1 billion for the province of Ontario. They’re talking about $1.7 billion for the entire country.

I have a message for the Prime Minister: Canada is really, really big. Ontario is really big, but Canada is really, really big.

So if you’re going to tell me that the federal government has a commitment to broadband and to servicing rural Ontario and they’re only putting up $1.7 billion, I say, “Come on, folks, let’s talk turkey.” Let’s get the federal government to talk seriously about bringing broadband here to the rural people of Ontario.

This government is absolutely committed. This bill is just the first step. This kind of commitment that we have made to make everybody’s life better in this province—this is a first step. You can count on this government to help everybody in Ontario improve the quality of their life.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): The minister indicated that he was sharing his time.

I recognize the member from Kitchener–Conestoga.

Mr. Mike Harris: It’s an honour and a privilege to rise here this morning to speak in support of this legislation put forward by, as we’ve said here already today, the great Minister of Infrastructure.

Before I begin, I want to thank the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry for his remarks about the benefit that this will bring to Renfrew county.

Like Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke, the majority of my riding is farmland and small, rural communities. Some of my constituents are on the fringe of Kitchener and Waterloo, but they still are vastly underserved compared to those in the city. For years, before our government took office, they have been begging for access to fast, reliable, high-speed Internet.

There are 700,000 households across the province that lack reliable broadband. They are still using things like satellite Internet and dial-up Internet and, if you can imagine, in 2021 are still relying on the same infrastructure for Internet that we were using in the early 2000s. Well, this is the reality for my constituents and many others across the province.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, or CRTC, set the standard for adequate broadband as 50 megabits per second for download speeds—as high as 10 megabits per second.

By contrast, I’m going to tell you about some people from my riding. Paul and Marg from Winterbourne, in Woolwich township, have an upload speed of—get this—0.93 megabits per second. I don’t know how you can do anything on the Internet with speeds like that. That’s barely even a fraction of what’s considered adequate by our national standards.

Earlier this week, I shared an email that Keith, a Conestoga College student from Elmira, wrote to me about his “lousy” Internet.

My office receives countless emails, phone calls and even good old-fashioned posted letters from all over the townships in my riding.

Kim sent me an email earlier this year on behalf of his family and neighbours in St. Clements. I want to share a bit of his email with those in the House today because it really sums up the frustrations that are coming from a lot of my constituents: “My wife and I and the above mentioned names struggle to have any kind of Internet service let alone high speed.

“In our personal home, we have had Bell, Xplornet and others come to assess our location and they have all left without offering a solution.

“In fact we’d given up owning a computer and before COVID went to the library to access the Internet.

“Can you imagine if we were younger and the main caregivers to adolescents who needed to do online schooling?”

I think that’s a very poignant quote. Unfortunately, some of Kim’s neighbours are trying to do exactly that.

I spoke with Jason, who lives in St. Clements with his wife and kids, who are both in high school. He told me he actually jogs by where the fibre optic cables that are running into that area end. It’s only a quick two- to three-kilometre run, but his family are unable to connect to that line. Instead, they’ve been trying their best to make their inadequate and slow connection work, which was particularly difficult this winter when their children were home and participating in online learning during the pandemic.

I could bring a huge stack of emails and letters into this House and they’d all tell you the exact same story, which is why it’s so frustrating to me that all the members of this House are not on the same page with this bill. The opposition are the first ones to say that we’re not moving fast enough on broadband expansion, despite our nearly $1-billion commitment just for the province of Ontario alone.

I don’t disagree that these investments should have been made years ago and that shovels should already be in the ground to bring high-speed Internet into my riding and other areas of this province, so why don’t we ask the former Liberal government why they sat silently by and put red tape and barriers in the way of broadband expansion, instead of taking action like our Premier and our Minister of Infrastructure have since day one of us being elected? Maybe if they had seen rural Ontario as a priority, Madam Speaker, we would see those cables extended those two to three kilometres into St.

Clements so that numerous families and businesses could get online. Instead, we are just seeing the urban-rural digital divide widen even further.

I know that our Minister of Infrastructure understands this. She experiences it first-hand back home in her riding. Thanks to her advocacy and the work to put this at the forefront of our government, we have been able to deliver good news to Ontarians, including many communities in my riding.

At the end of this year, I had the pleasure of virtually joining my friend and neighbour the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs—the member for Perth–Wellington, sitting beside me here—for an announcement on broadband expansion. It was a great announcement, and I thank him for inviting me to that. Over $11 million is being invested to expand broadband infrastructure in five communities in Waterloo region, getting 1,300—that’s 1,300—households and businesses online.

This was a great announcement, and I want to thank my colleague and the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs for their work with SWIFT, which is the Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology board, for moving those RFPs forward.

But as great as this announcement was for those communities, it is only a small part of my riding, which is why we need the measures in this bill, Madam Speaker. I mentioned Paul and Marg from Winterbourne earlier in my remarks. I come back to them for a second so I can speak about a project in Winterbourne that could have benefited from the legislation that we have before us today.

Avetria Networks entered into an agreement in 2018 to bring broadband connectivity to 125 homes and a school in Winterbourne. This project was planned in two phases. The first was all underground fibre. However, the second was to be completed using existing hydro poles, and the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry talked a little bit about this before. Avetria had to work with Waterloo North Hydro to get access to that infrastructure, so the measures in the Supporting Broadband and Infrastructure Expansion Act that reduce the barriers and costs to using utility poles could have sped up the process and reduced costs in bringing Internet to those 125 homes and also a school.

These measures include the regulation of hydro pole attachment charges, prescribing the allocation methodology for hydro pole make-ready costs, and setting required standards for performance and timing when it comes to broadband expansion projects. I think that is very, very important, because we have heard time and time again how underserved communities, where they aren’t able to put fibre through, say, bedrock and different things like that, want to be able to string it along the hydro poles, but the companies just will not give them access.

If the previous government had made the expansion of broadband a priority and taken action like we have, many families in my riding, like I said, would already have this very important connection, so I ask the members opposite, who stood by and propped up the Liberals time and time again, what they have against Paul and Marg, Jason, Kim and Keith getting access to broadband service for all these years.

Despite having a provincial government that stands at the ready with a $1-billion commitment to improving connectivity, we are still waiting for the federal government to step up. Well, the families and businesses in my riding simply cannot wait any longer. I am proud to stand alongside my government colleagues who have stepped up while the federal government is still absent from this issue, because even when the days of Zoom meetings and working from home are over, families and businesses in my riding will still need access to fast, reliable broadband service to stay competitive through our economic recovery.

As I wrap it up, Madam Speaker, I’m looking across the floor to see whether my fellow members from Toronto, whose constituents already have the ability to answer emails or do video calls with their loved ones, are going to support this piece of legislation so that my community has the opportunity to do the same, without having to wait on utility companies or regional governments to make those changes.

We’re ready to take steps forward. The funding commitment is there. Now, let’s pass this bill, cut through red tape and unlock broadband for rural communities across this province, so that they have a chance to compete with urban centres and we can reduce the digital divide between those urban centres and rural communities.

Thank you very much for the opportunity today, Madam Speaker. I’m looking forward to the questions and comments.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): Questions and comments?

Mr. Tom Rakocevic: History repeats itself. The Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry spoke about how, under the last Liberal government, well-connected, super-rich people were dumping money on the Liberals, and that he himself would invite the same people, but he couldn’t get the money. But now, developers across this country have stained ties and T-shirts from spaghetti sauce from spaghetti dinners.

It is so patently obvious what’s happening here—

Mr. Mike Harris: Point of order, Speaker.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): Stop the clock. I recognize the member on a point of order.

Mr. Mike Harris: We’re going to do this again. I believe the member opposite is imputing motive.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): I recognize the member on a valid point of order.

I will caution the member to ensure that he is in no way suggesting motive in his question. Please continue the clock.

Mr. Tom Rakocevic: Speaker, I believe in the possibilities of coincidence; I certainly do.

I have a couple of questions. Developers are giving thousands of dollars just before they get MZOs approved. We are seeing time and time again legislation to help the most rich developers across the province and in turn developers—

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): Question?

Mr. Tom Rakocevic: Okay. The question is, why did you add

schedule 3 to this bill? Will you remove it?

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): Response? I recognize the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry.

Hon. John Yakabuski: I want to thank the member for Humber River–Black Creek for the question. Based on the first part of his question, which you almost ruled out of order, Speaker, I would have to ask: Does the NDP—do their donations fall down like manna from heaven, or do people actually make them to their party as well? We’re not here to have that discussion today. This is a free democracy. People choose to donate, and some donate to all political parties.

But I do want to talk about that the member never mentioned broadband. This is the bill that is going to equalize service across the province of Ontario so those families that my friend from Kitchener–Conestoga was talking about—I think of my family, too—have access to the online learning that we found through COVID-19, without that Internet across the province being equal, we have challenges—

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): Thank you.

Further questions?

Mr. Lorne Coe: What’s clear when you read the legislation is that the broadband access is a vital piece of modern infrastructure. We’ve heard discussion about that. We’ve also heard discussion—on this side, at least—about the importance of broadband access to economic competitiveness across the province of Ontario.

Could the members who just spoke talk more about how this legislation builds on the Ontario Rebuilding and Recovery Act, creating jobs and enhancing the overall economic competitiveness in the province of Ontario?

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): I recognize the member from Kitchener–Conestoga.

Mr. Mike Harris: Thank you to the member from Whitby for the question. I know he has a lot of very important rural communities that are centred just outside of his riding in Durham—not unlike yourself, Madam Speaker.

Listen, when we look at what modern farming and especially modern agriculture look like, I can tell you there is a massive opportunity here for farmers in my riding who I’ve spoken to, to be able to take advantage of broadband and getting their goods to market. They need to be able to compete on a level playing field with folks who are in urban areas.

This is certainly a huge issue in my riding. We hear time and time again how—I believe the member from Carleton yesterday was talking about how tractors and farming equipment use GPS, where they need to be able to have cellular service in their tractors. So getting this bill forward is absolutely going to help those small, medium and large farmers in agriculture businesses compete on a global level.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): Further questions?

Mr. John Vanthof: It’s always an honour to listen to the members and particularly the Minister of Natural Resources. We really enjoy sparring with each other.

As the critic for agriculture and rural affairs, I can safely say we fully support the first two sections of the bill. I know how important broadband is to rural Ontario. But as a farmer and as a representative of agriculture, the third part of the bill, which includes MZOs and jumping over the provincial policy framework, directly threatens agriculture, and farmers know that. The bad planning and minimum distance separations hurt agriculture.

Why are you pitting the agriculture community against each other, those who need broadband and those who know that their businesses are threatened by bad planning? Why? Are you also lobbying to take the third

schedule out of that bill?

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): I recognize the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry.

Hon. John Yakabuski: I thank the member for Timiskaming–Cochrane for his comments and his compliments, and I share those and pass them back to him. We’ve had a long history here.

I want to ask him—look it, this Bill 257—if you don’t like it, just pretend it isn’t there, because this is about the people of Ontario and their future. This is about rural Ontario and people in your riding, too, who have been begging and crying and screaming for equal access to Internet for years, ignored by the previous government but not being ignored by this government.

Let’s be clear: We’ve all been invigorated in this direction by the challenges of COVID-19. We can wait no longer. This has to happen. Stand up and support broadband.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): Further questions?

Mr. Parm Gill: I want to thank both of my honourable colleagues for their very passionate remarks. A lot of members may not know that I represent a significant part—part of my riding in Milton is a rural community, and also a northern part of Burlington falls in my riding of Milton where broadband continues to be a serious issue, especially during COVID-19. We all know that students are having to study from home, parents have to work from home, farmers, small businesses—you name it.

Especially knowing that Milton is actually part of the GTA and broadband is an issue within the GTA in certain communities, I’m wondering if the members can highlight how this bill will help my constituents in my riding of Milton with the concerns about broadband.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): I recognize the member from Kitchener–Conestoga.

Mr. Mike Harris: To the member for Milton: I have personal experience. I used to commute to Burlington almost on a daily basis in a previous life before politics, and there is on Appleby Line an area where you actually cannot get cell service. We’re talking about being theoretically in the greater Toronto area—one of the most densely populated or highly populated areas in North America—where you actually cannot get a cell signal. It’s almost disgraceful to think that there are people who don’t have an opportunity to be able to connect with loved ones, don’t have an opportunity to be able to take

part in online learning, don’t have an opportunity to be able to grow their business.

This bill will help move that process of getting service to some of those areas in the member’s riding along much, much faster, and I’m looking forward to seeing this bill hopefully pass with all-party support here in the House.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): There’s time for one more question.

Mr. John Vanthof: In my previous question to the Minister of Natural Resources, where I identified

section 3 of this bill, which would be damaging to agriculture, his response, a minister of crown, was, “Well, just rip it out. Pretend it isn’t there.” I was wondering, is that also his attitude or the policy of his ministry when it comes to issues like paving over wetlands? “You know what? It’s not really right, but we’ll just do this: just pretend it isn’t there.”

Sir, is that how you plan to protect agriculture from bad planning, from the MZOs that will hurt, will damage, will crush some agriculture sectors in this province? Is that your response: just pretend that isn’t there?

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): Response? I recognize the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry.

Hon. John Yakabuski: The member can feign his anger if he wants, but he knows what we’re talking about.

Schedule 3 is there for a reason. MZOs are a vital tool in the toolbox of government when they must act in the provincial interest, and let me tell you, Speaker, and I say to the member there, our commitment to protecting land has never changed. It will always be there first and foremost.

But I will say this: If this government is going to use an MZO as one of those tools, as a vehicle, it will only be done so at the express consent of the municipality concerned. If you have a concern, talk to your municipalities. They want to grow. They want to see their people—they want jobs in their communities. They want to be able to have economic prosperity for their people as well.

Stand with us. Support this bill. Bring broadband to the people of Ontario.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): Further debate? I recognize the member from Kitchener Centre.

Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I don’t even know where to start. I had all sorts of notes about how I was going to organize my debate, and then I just got told that I need to pretend that a

schedule in a piece of legislation isn’t present so that we’re able to vote for a bill about broadband. I can’t believe that that just happened.

To be honest, it’s like I need to do some healing work in this space, because

schedule 3 has been raised repeatedly—repeatedly—by environmentalists because of the damage that it can do to the environment. And we’re now being asked to pretend? It doesn’t make any kind of sense to me.

So here’s where I’m going to start. While the minister would like us to pretend that

schedule 3 isn’t there, I need to speak on behalf of the people of Waterloo region. I’m going to go back to November 13, 2020. There was an editorial in the Waterloo Region Record. The title is “Don’t Give Free Rein to Ontario’s Developers,” and the very first line says the Premier “is moving quickly but quietly to give Ontario’s developers the upper hand over Ontario’s environment.”

I’m starting there because I’m not allowed to pretend that

schedule 3 isn’t there. I was elected by the people, who are saying to me, “Your job, MPP Lindo, is to actually be present, to pay attention to what’s in the legislation and to make sure that you protect the environment.”

The

article goes on, but I’m not going to read more from that one; instead, I’m going to jump ahead to February 26 of this year. From the Waterloo Region Record, it’s an editorial: “Beware Premier When He’s Bearing Greenbelt Gifts.” I’m going to spend a bit of time here, because again, I’m literally being asked by all of the constituents in Kitchener Centre who are writing to my office, by folks across Waterloo region who are c.c.-ing me on letters that they are sending to other members of the government—they’re telling me that I have to speak to

schedule 3. While they on the other side want to believe that it is not appropriate for me to speak to

schedule 3, then I ask, why is it in the bill? Because if it’s in the bill, I have to speak to it.

Interjection.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): The Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry will come to order.

Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: And I quote: “So, when we hear the region of Waterloo asking tough questions about” the Premier’s “Greenbelt expansion, we say keep talking. And when we hear regional officials warn that the municipality might actively oppose the plan if it turns out to threaten the local environment, we say do what is necessary.”

The people of Waterloo region actually want us to challenge the government when they put legislation forward that can potentially hurt the environment, because the signals from the government have already been made. The signals were already there. This is not new.

So again, I quote: “To anyone who suggests these greenbelt worries are off-base, we’d say look at” the Premier’s “own dubious environmental track record.

“He’s the Premier who cut money and power out of the province’s conservation authorities—including the Grand River Conservation Authority. On his watch, the province increasingly uses ministerial zoning orders to fast-track environmentally unsound developments.”

Part of my role as an elected official is to actually bring the voice of my constituents into this chamber. And as much as the folks on the other side would like to heckle and complain that I’m doing my job, I have been elected to do this, and I take this duty very, very seriously.

When a bill gets tabled that talks about MZOs, that talks about retroactively allowing the damage to the environment to continue, I go back to this line, and I read it again, “The province increasingly uses ministerial zoning orders to fast-track environmentally unsound developments.”

Interjections.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): I’m sorry to interrupt the member. Stop the clock.

Could I ask, please, that the side conversations not be louder than the member who has the floor. I’m having difficulty hearing the member who does have the right to speak right now. Thank you.

Please continue.

Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I think it’s really important for us to recognize that when legislation gets tabled in this House, every single

schedule of the legislation needs to be examined. We can’t pretend that things aren’t there. That does a disservice to the people of Ontario, especially at a time where we are having this debate in the midst of a pandemic—in a pandemic where we’ve had moments where schools have been closed and people have had to rely on the Internet and the lack of broadband to try and figure out ways to navigate so their kids can stay online or they can get to work—which brings me to the rest of my debate.

The MPP for Timiskaming–Cochrane tabled Bill 226, the Broadband is an Essential Service Act. Within that bill, it talked about declaring broadband to be an essential service. It had targets; it asked for targets and timelines to make sure that the work gets done, especially in rural areas. The bill passed. To my knowledge, it passed unanimously, and yet here we are looking at Bill 257, where none of that information is in the bill and Bill 226 is sitting in committee, just waiting. There’s no accountability embedded within this piece of legislation.

In theory, it’s wonderful that we want everybody in rural Ontario to have access. It’s wonderful that we’re sitting in this House and we’re saying that it’s really important; it’s essential. Why isn’t that language in the bill? It would be wonderful if that was there.

Just this week, I believe, the MPP for Algoma–Manitoulin had a motion, motion 142. It would enable Internet rate relief, HST exemption for rural and northern Ontarians and a ban on Internet disconnections for all Ontarians during the pandemic. The motion did not pass and the opportunity for us to say that we are going to work collaboratively to ensure that nobody is left out of this expansion for broadband has now been put into question in this House. Because if we don’t ensure that we have language and an opportunity to ensure equitable distribution of broadband, then some people will, in effect, be left behind.

We can’t pretend that that’s not going to happen. We have to be honest in these roles. That’s part of our job. We have to be forward-thinking in this job. We have to understand that if we don’t use words in legislation, things won’t happen. How do we have legislation that the government has said is to increase broadband access in rural Ontario if the word “rural” isn’t in the bill?

How do we ensure that it’s accessible to everybody if we don’t actually make sure that everybody can afford it or that there aren’t these kinds of weird tensions between wanting to ensure the expansion happens and destroying our environment? Because if we don’t keep the planet safe, we won’t be here to get online anyway. It’s really, really important for us to recognize what those priorities are.

So in this last minute or so of the debate, I just want to put something into the universe in this chamber. It doesn’t have to be fighting all the time. The government could actually allow us to help them help themselves. They could take some of the information, the bills, the motions, the ideas, the words that are coming from our own constituents, and they could embed that language into the bill. They could remove

schedule 3 so that we could start doing the important work. They could decide that we can, in fact, do better so that people have access to broadband—not just words about broadband, but actual access so they can get online—small businesses, parents who are trying to ensure that their kids are online for school.

We could look at rural areas far, far north; we could make sure that they have access to what they need. We could develop an equitable plan that doesn’t leave anybody behind, and we could do it at the same time that we protect the environment. No matter how hard it is, that’s literally why we were elected to be here. We were elected to be here to do this hard work. We were elected to be here to find ways to ensure that we protect the planet, the environment, and that we also do what is necessary to keep things moving—and I have faith in us; I think that we can.

But we can’t do it if we’ve decided that the starting point is to pretend. We can only do it if we decide to look directly in the face of the challenges and work collaboratively for everybody in Ontario.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): We have time for a few quick questions and comments.

Hon. John Yakabuski: I thank the member for Kitchener Centre for her address this morning.

I just want to point something out. They were going to have a little fun, but let’s be clear: Whether you want to pretend something is in it or not, you’re getting one vote. I need the folks over on that other side to stop pretending that they oppose this bill because of

schedule 3. The people across Ontario know that they’re going to get one up or down question on this bill—and the question is going to be not on one page, but on 12 pages: Do you support the expansion of broadband in the province of Ontario or not?

Stop pretending this fake anger about

schedule 3, about something that the government needs to do in the best interests of the people of Ontario, and answer the question: Do you or do you not support Bill 257 and broadband expansion in the province of Ontario?

Interjections.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): Order.

Response?

Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: I support really solid legislation; not legislation that includes things that I’m supposed to pretend aren’t there.

I support working collaboratively with my colleagues on all sides of this House to ensure that the access to broadband is equitable and that the language and legislation is clear. I support timelines and deadlines and actually doing the work.

I do not support pretending.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): Further questions?

Mr. Michael Mantha: To the Minister of Natural Resources, a member—I was elected here in 2011—I have a lot of respect for: You are masterful, my friend.

I have stood many times in my place in support of broadband. I’ve even put in a motion. Just this week, I spoke on the need for broadband in my riding. I am not pretending.

The thing that I cannot pretend, my friend—I cannot pretend

schedule 3 is not in this bill, because it is.

To the member: Can you pretend that

schedule 3 is not in this bill?

Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: Thank you very much for that question.

On record: No, I am not able to pretend that

schedule 3 is not in this bill.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): We do not have time for any further questions or comments.

Second reading debate deemed adjourned.

Members’ Statements

Queen’s Career Apprenticeship program

Mr. Ian Arthur: Today I want to highlight the Queen’s Career Apprenticeship program. Piloted in 2018, the program consists of a one-year paid apprenticeship for new grads from Queen’s. Candidates commit to a full-year term, and employers are reimbursed for four months of salary. This initiative helps graduates in the arts and humanities transition from academia into the workforce.

The program was made possible due to the generous financial support from business leader and philanthropist Mr. Alan Rottenberg and thanks to a partnership between Queen’s and Kingston Economic Development.

The program is both successful and growing. In the original year, eight jobs were created, with seven of those turning into permanent employment. The program now has 32 positions in Kingston, is launching in London and Guelph, and similar initiatives are beginning in Hamilton and Kelowna.

The Queen’s Career Apprenticeship program has broad appeal for municipalities like Kingston, where talent retention can be a struggle. A 2018 survey of eastern Ontario businesses identified the shortage of skilled workers in the region as one of the top three challenges to growth. This hurts small and medium-sized businesses, which can’t compete with larger corporations in recruitment.

Unique initiatives such as these are especially important for those graduating in such fraught times as we currently face. So I want to thank Queen’s University, Mr. Alan Rottenberg and all involved for their success and wish the program all the best in the future.

Daylight saving time

Mr. Jeremy Roberts: This Sunday, Ontarians will take

part in yet another outdated biannual tradition: the spring forward time change. What this will mean is that Ontarians will lose an hour of sleep. We will gain an extra hour of sunlight in the afternoon, but at the cost of great disruption to our sleep schedules.

Thankfully, this Legislature passed the Time Amendment Act back in November, a bill that I brought forward to end the biannual time change. But of course, we want to do this responsibly. We want to make sure that this change doesn’t come into force until we get Quebec and the state of New York on board.

I would like to take a moment to update this House and all Ontarians on how that work is progressing. Speaker, I have sent a letter requesting a meeting with both Premier Legault and Governor Cuomo to discuss this very important initiative. While we haven’t yet heard back from either the Premier or the Governor, there have been some positive signs. Premier Legault was asked about this in a media interview and indicated that he was open to the idea.

Meanwhile, in New York state, a state senator has introduced legislation to bring about permanent daylight saving time in the state of New York, and at the national level in the United States, a senator from Florida has brought forward legislation to bring permanent daylight saving time across the United States.

I look forward to us working together to make this a reality.

Roland McLean / Firefighters

Mr. Michael Mantha: It is with sincere regret that I inform the Legislature today of the passing of one of the township of Nairn Centre’s brave volunteer firefighters, Roland McLean.

Roland served as a volunteer firefighter for the town of Spanish and then the township of Nairn Centre for a combined total of 50 years. He was a retired captain from the Nairn Centre fire department. We extend our sympathies to his family, friends and fellow firefighters. We offer our thanks for his many years of dedicated service in protecting lives and keeping our communities safe.

Speaker, at this time, I wish to acknowledge the contributions of the hundreds of volunteer firefighters across Algoma–Manitoulin and this province. They stand, shoulder to shoulder, on guard, day in and day out, to protect us all from the destructive forces of fire. They are among the first ones on the scene when all forms of danger arise and when there is no one else to come. They work proactively in the community and remind us how to be safe in our daily lives.

These men and women we call heroes are ordinary individuals in our communities who find the strength to overcome their fears because of their deep compassion and love for people. Thank you to all of them, and we pray for your continued strength and safety.

Sickle cell disease and thalassemia

Mr. Rod Phillips: Following the debate on Bill 255, the Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Day and Thalassemia Awareness Day Act, 2021, I was fortunate to be able to continue to work with those impacted by the disease in both Ajax and Durham region. I was fortunate to be able to continue to listen to the effect that these two horrible diseases have on their daily lives.

As such, I have since had the opportunity to write a letter to the federal Ministry of Health, which oversees Health Canada. The letter is a request as to when we will see Endari and other medicines currently available in the United States available to help those living with this disease approved in Canada. I’ve asked for more transparency from Health Canada and the federal government to ensure that this community is informed of potential decisions about upcoming medical trials and the approval of these important life-changing drugs.

Mr. Speaker, the heartbreaking stories of marginalization and the suffering of those living with these diseases is unacceptable. We, as Ontarians and Canadians, have work to do to enable access and support for those suffering from sickle cell and thalassemia.

As a result of the great work done by the MPPs for Barrie–Innisfil and Mississauga–Lakeshore, we will continue to work with local communities, Ajax residents and advocates to ensure those suffering from sickle cell and thalassemia are heard clearly in Ottawa and in this chamber.

I believe that we must collectively act together to ensure that the marginalization suffered by those with the disease comes to an end, and I’m hoping that all politicians and health care professionals will join those in this Legislature to do that in the future.

Land use planning

Ms. Jessica Bell: My office has received many emails and calls from residents of University–Rosedale who are concerned about the Ontario government’s decision to ignore communities and planning rules and issue municipal zoning orders to developers.

Now, the Premier says he’s proud of these controversial MZOs to fast-track development. Well, I’ll tell you what I’m not proud of: I wouldn’t be proud of issuing a zoning order in Stratford to impose a glass-manufacturing plant that would put the water supply at risk. I wouldn’t be proud of approving an MZO so Amazon could build a warehouse on wetlands in Duffins Creek. I wouldn’t be proud of the MZO that was filed to secretly demolish the Foundry buildings in Toronto Centre, and I wouldn’t be proud of the fact that Ecojustice is taking the Ontario government to court over this very issue.

Now, rapid construction of projects that are in the public interest, like expanding Sunnybrook hospital—I get that. That’s not what I have issue with, but what I have issue with is the government’s decision to ignore planning rules and environmental needs and genuine community concerns to issue MZOs to fast-track development for developers who give the PC government money, like PC donor Mitchell Goldhar, chair of SmartCentres, who got an MZO to build big in Vaughan; or Carmine Nigro, a donor for Vic Fedeli and former president of the PC Ontario Fund, who is connected to the MZO in Kawartha Lakes to build a Walmart. The list goes on.

This is not how development should proceed. Development should not be about building for personal political gain; it should be about building for the public good.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m going to remind members that it is inappropriate to impute motive. I just lay that out as a general reminder before we begin question period and remind members that we refer to each other by our ministerial title or our riding name when talking about another member.

The next statement?

COVID-19 response

Mr. John Fraser: Today marks one year since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. COVID-19 has changed the way we look at things. Tragically, more than 7,000 Ontarians have died, many more have suffered and many, many more families have suffered as well. Later on this morning, we’ll honour them when we join for a moment of silence.

We’ve learned a lot from COVID-19. We’ve learned that the front lines are literally everywhere and just how important we are to each other. We all owe a debt to all workers in health care settings who’ve put themselves and their families at risk to care for us and our families in this pandemic. We owe a debt of gratitude to people who stock shelves, run cash registers, deliver goods, operate public transit—literally everything people do that helps us meet our families’ daily needs. Again, we just see how interconnected we all are. COVID has made that so clear.

Vaccines are coming, and along with that, hope. We still have a ways to go. I know that we’ll get through this together, and when we get through it, things have to change. Whether it’s how we care for our elderly or how we make sure people have a living wage or paid sick days, we have to take the opportunity to change things, and change things for the better.

Volunteer service awards

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: Last night, I had the opportunity to attend the 2020 Ontario Volunteer Service Awards. Throughout Ontario, over 6,000 volunteers have been recognized.

Volunteers are so vital to communities like mine in Barrie and Innisfil. Even throughout an incredibly challenging year, our communities had the loyal support of volunteers. They all demonstrated the very best of the Ontario spirit.

The 2020 Ontario Volunteer Service Awards highlighted the volunteers who tirelessly and selflessly risked and continue to risk their lives to support their communities. It is so important that we take the time to celebrate those volunteers. The awards recognized individuals for continuous years of volunteer service at single organizations, such as hospitals, like Royal Victoria hospital; seniors’ centres, like Hospice Simcoe; and community associations.

Organizations from Barrie–Innisfil had recipients win awards for the five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 40 and 60 years of service awards categories. They included our Furry Friends Animal Shelter, MS Society, the Aga Khan Council for Ontario, Epilepsy Ontario, Barrie Art Club, Canadian Red Cross, Georgian Bay Volunteer Search and Rescue, Barrie Integrated Baseball Association and the Barrie Public Library.

I could go on, Speaker, but I wanted to thank all these volunteers who have touched our lives in so many ways. Whether it’s providing comfort to the sick, companionship for older Ontarians or coaching children and youth soccer teams, they’re the backbone of our community.

COVID-19 immunization

Mr. Tom Rakocevic: Two weeks ago, Ontario’s COVID-19 science advisory table released a report recommending that our vaccination strategy should not just be delivered based on age alone, but it should also target those in communities with the highest amounts of COVID-19 transmission.

These public health experts argue that this could not only lower Ontario’s overall case count, it could also save lives. Dr. Peter Jüni, one of the report’s authors, warned that if those who have suffered the greatest burden during the pandemic aren’t among the first to get the vaccine, then we could risk having a third wave.

Black, Indigenous and other racially marginalized communities have been amongst the most affected by this pandemic. According to Toronto Public Health data, as of December 31, 77% of all reported COVID-19 cases in Toronto identified as being part of a racially marginalized community, even though they make up just over half of Toronto’s overall population.

Black Creek Community Health Centre has held multiple town halls in my community to help educate people about the vaccine. Throughout this pandemic, they have helped to organize many mobile COVID-19 testing centres, where thousands of people who might have otherwise not been able to be tested received COVID-19 tests.

Many essential workers in my community cram into crowded buses just to put food on the table to feed their families. If this government continues to deny them paid sick days, it must immediately bring mobile vaccination clinics to the communities where it is needed most, and at times where workers can get vaccinated without having to lose pay. Otherwise, many who are most at risk simply will not receive the vaccine and many more lives across this province could be lost.

Volunteer service awards

Ms. Lindsey Park: Earlier this week, we celebrated International Women’s Day. Every single day, women in Durham make invaluable contributions to our community, whether on the front lines of the pandemic, in running businesses, educating the next generation or serving as leaders or volunteers in the community.

Last week, I had the privilege of attending an event recognizing the contributions of some of our most outstanding and longest-serving volunteers in Durham region. The Ontario Volunteer Service Awards are provincial awards given in recognition of committed and dedicated volunteer service to an organization. This year, the awards recognized those who have continued to serve our communities in hospitals, seniors’ centres and community associations, even during one of the most challenging years on record.

Speaker, of those volunteers who received an award in Durham—whether it was a youth award, an award recognizing five or 50 years of service—70% were women. They served at Grandview Children’s Centre, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Durham, Lakeridge Health, Port Perry Seniors Club, Community Care Durham, Oshawa Senior Community Centres, Feed the Need in Durham and the Durham Children’s Aid Society, as just a few examples.

I want to thank all the incredible women of Durham—the mothers, the daughters, the sisters and the grandmothers—who serve our community every day.

Highway of Heroes cleanup

Mr. David Piccini: I rise today to thank a very special person to our community of Northumberland–Peterborough South: Kerri Tadeu. It was in November 2016 that Kerri, along with Master Corporal Collin Fitzgerald and Corporal Nick Kerr, adopted a one-kilometre-plus stretch of the Highway of Heroes in Grafton, starting a litter cleanup to honour Major Michelle Knight Mendes, Canada’s 118th Canadian soldier who died abroad in service of our country in Canada’s mission in Afghanistan.

Major Mendes grew up just outside the small town of Grafton, Ontario, graduating from RMC and then going on to pursue a master’s at Carleton University. She was seen as a rising star in Canada’s Armed Forces. Her family tribute said she “touched so many lives it would be impossible to name everyone. She lived everyday to its fullest potential and saw the best in everyone.”

It’s in that spirit that her friend Kerri Tadeu brings together a truly remarkable group of volunteers, Silver Cross Mothers and veterans to clean up the on- and off-ramps along the Highway of Heroes. This cleanup has now stretched to mark the Highway of Heroes from Trenton to Toronto. Folks like myself growing up along this stretch of highway fondly recall shops closing and community members gathering along the bridges to mark the fallen who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Mr. Speaker, I’ve had the opportunity and honour to join Kerri, along with the Premier and our parliamentary assistant for the Minister of the Environment, to mark this important cleanup. I’d like to thank all the remarkable volunteers for honouring our brave men and women, for taking

part in the cleanup, and I would encourage everyone to do it this season.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): That concludes our members’ statements for this morning.

Report, Financial Accountability Officer

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I beg to inform the House that the following document was tabled: a report entitled Expenditure Monitor 2020-21: Q3, from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario.

National Day of Observance

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I understand that the Premier has a point of order that he wishes to raise.

Hon. Doug Ford: I do, Mr. Speaker; thank you. If you ask, I believe you will find there will be unanimous consent to observe a moment of silence, recognizing all Ontarians who have been impacted by COVID-19 on this National Day of Observance.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Premier is seeking unanimous consent of the House for a moment’s silence to remember all the Ontarians and Canadians who have been impacted by COVID-19 on this National Day of Observance. Agreed? Agreed. Members will rise.

The House observed a moment’s silence.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you very much. Members may take may take their seats.

COVID-19 fatalities

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I understand the Leader of the Opposition has a point of order.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: As I’ve done every Thursday, I seek unanimous consent for the House to observe a moment of silence to pay tribute to the 75 Ontarians who have succumbed to COVID-19 over the past week.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Leader of the Opposition is seeking unanimous consent of the House for a moment’s silence to pay tribute to the 75 Ontarians who have succumbed to COVID-19 over the past week. Agreed? Agreed. Again, I’ll ask members to rise.

The House observed a moment’s silence.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you. Members may take their seats.

The member for Brampton North has a point of order.

Mr. Kevin Yarde: I seek unanimous consent to bring forward a motion requiring the government to implement paid sick days legislation to help protect workers in Brampton and across Ontario from COVID-19, and so no one has to make the difficult choice between staying home when sick and being able to pay the bills.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Brampton North is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to bring forward a motion requiring the government to implement paid sick days legislation to help protect workers. Agreed? I heard a no.

It is now time for oral questions.

Question Period

COVID-19 response

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, there’s a new report being released today that raises serious concerns about Ontario possibly facing a third wave of COVID-19 in our province.

We know that the second-wave strategy for the government was to, really, do nothing and wait for the vaccines to arrive. As a result, thousands of people lost their lives in long-term care and elsewhere, and we went into another lockdown.

My question for the Premier is, is this the strategy to prevent Ontario from going into a third wave: do nothing, wait for the vaccines, hope for the best and perhaps end us up in another lockdown?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: I can assure the leader of the official opposition that we are taking every step we can to prevent going into a third wave.

We have the vaccinations well under way. As a matter of fact, yesterday we overcame one million vaccines being administered. So we’re well on our way to doing that. We are ramping up with pharmacies, mass immunization clinics and primary care so that as we receive these vaccines in increasing quantities, we’re going to be able to get more needles into people’s arms to provide them with the protection they need.

We’re also taking every step we can because we know there are variants of concern out there that are expected. The modelling has said to us that it’s going to be the dominant strain very shortly; we’re now at about 40%. So we’re preparing our hospitals, creating additional capacity. We’re dealing with preventing greater outbreaks, and we’ve put a six-point plan in place to make sure we can deal with that, which I will discuss in the supplementary.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Back to the Premier: The vaccine rollout has been slow, it has been sloppy, it has been poorly planned and poorly executed. And the government hasn’t put in place the kinds of things that were necessary to stop the spread of COVID-19; for example, paid sick days for workers.

Here we have a situation where they’ve rushed the reopening and they haven’t put any additional measures in to stop the spread. It looks like they’re hanging their hat on a failed strategy from the second wave, which was simply to rely on the vaccine.

Is this really all the Premier has to offer to Ontarians—a failed strategy to prevent us from a third wave and going into another lockdown?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Premier to reply.

Hon. Doug Ford: Through you, Mr. Speaker: If our strategy has failed, what do you say about the rest of the country? We’re leading the country in most vaccinations—over a million vaccinations.

We’ve also put mandatory on-arrival testing for international travellers, and if we didn’t do that, we would see the cases go much higher.

We had enhanced screening and sequencing, maintaining public health measures, strengthening case and contact management, implementing enhanced protections in vulnerable populations, leveraging the latest data to inform public health.

Every day, people are going into long-term care—they’re getting rapid tests. We’re deploying hundreds of thousands of rapid tests all throughout the system—long-term care, education, manufacturing.

Now, with the distribution of the vaccines, we have mobile units going out there—we have hospitals, public health units, mass vaccination centres.

Maybe the NDP should hop on board and give us suggestions rather than sitting here and complaining every single day.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: I guess the Premier doesn’t listen when he comes in to question period. We’ve been offering all kinds of solutions for a whole year now; they just don’t want to implement them, Speaker. That’s the problem.

But you know, we’re not in the clear and I think people are worried. The rollout of the vaccines has been completely confusing and messy.

We needed new measures to protect people, like the ones the NDP has been asking for, things like paid sick days, things like smaller class sizes, and things like paid time off to go get your vaccine. But this government doesn’t seem prepared to do any of that, and in the meantime, it looks like we’re waiting for the vaccines to prevent a third wave.

It didn’t work in the second wave; that strategy did not work.

Why is this Premier not prepared to learn from his mistakes and actually put a plan in place to prevent us from sliding into a third wave and yet another lockdown in our province?

Hon. Doug Ford: Through you, Mr. Speaker: I just want to remind the Leader of the Opposition again that not only are we leading the country in vaccinations—we obviously need more—but we are still, as of today, and we’ve never moved from this spot, number one with the lowest cases, with the exception of the Maritime provinces, anywhere in the country. We’re number one in the lowest cases in any jurisdiction our size in North America.

So, it’s not about us. It’s about all the front-line health care workers. That’s what the Leader of the Opposition misses. Every time she gets up and criticizes, she’s criticizing the doctors, the front-line health care workers, PSWs, paramedics, the tens of thousands of people who are out there giving it everything they can.

Again, maybe she can hop on board and help out once in a while.

COVID-19 response

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is also for the Premier. Speaker, Thunder Bay is in absolute crisis. They have the highest per capita cases of COVID-19 in our entire province. I want to share something that the medical officer of health there has said.

Dr. Janet DeMille says, “There is no sense in sugar-coating it. Things are not looking very good right now.” This is from a couple of days go.

“A significant and uncomfortable amount of cases are being reported every day....

“COVID-19 is essentially everywhere. It’s in many different places, and it’s spreading.”

Speaker, why didn’t the Premier announce yesterday that they were sending a whole bunch of vaccines to Thunder Bay, a place that clearly needs them desperately?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: Thank you very much for the question. I can advise that, while the situation in Thunder Bay is serious, there’s no question about it, the number of cases has actually gone down today, from 67 to 48.

We have sent significant resources in there to help them deal with that. We have provided 20 assigned provincial case managers who have gone up there. They’ve asked for 10 more; we’re going to do that.

I’ve had conversations with the federal minister, Minister Hajdu. The federal government is doing what they can as well to provide some isolation housing.

But we are doing the case and contact management: 92% of the cases are being reached within 24 hours. We’ve also funded the hospital by another $2.7 million to create 30 new beds.

We are containing it; it’s coming under control. We know there are significant resources that are still needed to help them, and they will be receiving additional vaccines as well.

But right now, the important thing is to stop the spread of this and to make sure that we can keep this contained and get these numbers down even more, and put them into another framework when they’re ready to do so.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Since February, the NDP member for Thunder Bay–Atikokan has been ringing the alarm bells about what’s been going down in Thunder Bay. All we got from this government was another failed slogan. This time it was called “an emergency brake.” It was never a plan. It was just a slogan for the government.

We have a crisis in Thunder Bay. We have not had the kind of response necessary. We didn’t hear that the vaccines are going to pharmacies yesterday. We didn’t hear Thunder Bay on the list of hot spots that was announced.

How can it be that since February there has been a crisis unfolding in Thunder Bay and weeks later the government still has not sent the vaccines necessary to get the virus under control in Thunder Bay?

Hon. Christine Elliott: There are several steps that need to be taken. One is to contain the outbreaks, and that is what we are doing right now. We are providing the case and contact management. We’ve done what we needed to do to boost the hospital capacity so that if people need to be admitted to hospital, there is a place for them in their community and they don’t have to be transported hundreds of kilometres away.

We’ve also done whatever we can to deploy rapid tests. We’ve deployed over 82,000 of the Abbott Panbio test. We’re doing all the testing that we need to do.

We are sending vaccines and they are being used as well, but there are two pieces: dealing with the outbreak and then making sure people are vaccinated. We are dealing with both of those issues, and we are working very hard with the local medical officer of health to bring the situation down. As I indicated earlier, the number of cases has gone down by 19 cases from yesterday, so the plan is clearly working.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: People in Thunder Bay have been begging since February for some help. They were begging for isolation centres. They were begging for more supports. They were begging for things like paid sick days. And all the government said was they have an emergency brake. They basically had a slogan, but they didn’t have a plan. They acted with no urgency when it came to helping Thunder Bay.

So I guess my question is, why has the government been missing in action when it comes to Thunder Bay, unwilling or unable to actually provide that community with the vaccines they need to keep people safe and stop the virus from spreading throughout the community?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Our government is dedicated to maintaining the health and safety of every single person in Ontario, regardless of where they live. Dr. Williams, our Chief Medical Officer of Health, looks at this data on a daily basis, is in regular contact with the local medical officers of health, and together they make recommendations to our government as to what should be done, whether the emergency brake should be applied, where they should be in the framework.

There are certain things that can be done in different parts of the framework, as the member very clearly knows. We are watching every part of Ontario very carefully, particularly with respect to the variants of concern, and we’re taking action where we need to, as we have done in Thunder Bay.

Indigenous health care

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: Meegwetch, Speaker. Remarks in Oji-Cree.

My question is to the Premier. All Indigenous people across Ontario have not received equitable access through the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, even though they are part of the phase 1 priority group. The majority of Indigenous people live off-reserve in cities, including Toronto and Thunder Bay. Vaccination efforts for off-reserve Indigenous people were delayed by the lack of access to vaccines and resources to develop Indigenous-led vaccine programs.

Where is Ontario’s plan to respond to the urgent need to vaccinate urban Indigenous people living in Toronto and Thunder Bay who are currently being hit with the third wave?

Hon. Doug Ford: Well, through you, Mr. Speaker, our government is working with Indigenous partners right across the province to ensure they have the tools to mitigate the challenges of COVID-19.

Ontario has dedicated over $37 million in support for the unique needs of Indigenous people during COVID-19, including $16.4 million for the transportation of people and goods, support for urban Indigenous people, self-isolation, and prevention and awareness of the pandemic. We also made it a priority for the 31 fly-in communities. Ornge did an incredible job going in there—well received. People were as happy as punch.

I’ll tell you, $10 million to ensure continuity of the services offered by Indigenous social service agencies to vulnerable children, and $7.4 million—I’ve got a list all the way down here. I could keep going all day. At the end of the day, do you know who gets all the credit? Chief RoseAnne and Minister Rickford. That’s the reason—as I’ve heard from numerous people, the Indigenous community has never been treated better, ever—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you. And the supplementary.

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: Back to the Premier: Indigenous communities off-reserve are not happy as punch when we talk about this pandemic.

We know Indigenous people are overrepresented in correctional facilities and living without homes in urban areas. There have been multiple outbreaks in First Nations and among urban Indigenous people due to incarcerated Indigenous community members having COVID-19 upon release. Public health units have acknowledged the rapid spread of COVID among those in correctional facilities and people without homes. It should be a critical priority for these groups to be vaccinated.

I ask again, what has Ontario done to work with Indigenous-led health providers to vaccinate vulnerable urban Indigenous people as part of phase 1 priority rollout?

Hon. Doug Ford: Again, through you, Mr. Speaker, that was one of our highest priorities, to go into the 31 fly-in communities. Not only did Ornge fly in, but the member flew in, too, to get his vaccine, so thank you for doing that and kind of jumping the line. I talked to a few chiefs that were pretty upset about that, for flying into a community that he doesn’t belong—but that’s here nor there.

We have also provided $11 million in emergency funding to First Nations tribal councils and PTOs to address urgent needs. Ontario is prioritizing residents of the First Nations elder care homes in fly-in Indigenous communities as part of phase 1 of our vaccine rollout.

Mr. Speaker, the first round of vaccinations has been offered to adults in the 31 fly-in First Nations, which was a massive, massive success. As of March 7, Operation Remote Immunity has administered 15,324 doses, including 12,660 first doses and 2,664 second doses. So thank you, Ornge, for doing such a great job.

Assistance to farmers

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: Speaker, we know it’s been a challenging time for everyone in Ontario, but especially to farmers. I speak to many farmers, and they say owning, running and operating a farm can be very stressful, and this has been a particularly difficult year for them.

Last week, I had attended the virtual AgKnowledge Forum, hosted by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, in partnership with the Holland Marsh Growers’ Association and Nottawasaga Futures. While on the forum, the topic of mental health was discussed, and I can say I had a plethora of information to give to the forum when it comes to this government’s work on mental health for our farmers.

But I wanted to ask the Minister of Agriculture if he can provide us an update on some of those extra actions we’ve taken when it comes to attention for our farmers and their mental health.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Perth–Wellington and parliamentary assistant.

Mr. Randy Pettapiece: Speaker, through you, I’d like to thank the member for Barrie–Innisfil for this important question. She represents a truly beautiful riding right here in Ontario.

Mr. Speaker, mental health is an extremely important topic, and I am happy to bring attention to some of the initiatives our government has been working on to highlight mental health within the sector. This government cares about the well-being of farmers and farm families in Ontario. We acknowledge there are unique challenges faced by them when dealing with mental health. Research has shown farmers are experiencing stress, depression and burn-out at levels higher than both the general population and other occupations.

Because of this, I believe it is more important than ever to make sure we take the time to talk about farmers’ mental health. Earlier in this term, the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs brought attention to mental health struggles faced by farmers, and we put together a first aid tool kit that allows farmers easy access to resources available. These include information about immediate help, financial difficulties and mental health resources.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: Thank you for that excellent answer. I know our government wants to continue to encourage farmers and farming communities to help address the stigma around mental health and know that it is okay for them to seek that help. Obviously, we have lots of support through the Ministry of Agriculture for them to access.

I know the Minister of Agriculture has also been working to expand some of the supports for farmers, and I wanted to give this as an opportunity to the minister to expand on some specific ways that our government is planning into the future to assist farmers to continue with this very important conversation.

Mr. Randy Pettapiece: Mr. Speaker, thanks again to the member for the question. Our government is focused on ensuring the well-being of everyone in Ontario, and as I stated earlier, we know that farmers face a unique set of mental health challenges. Because of this, the minister will be hosting a round table this afternoon to encourage open dialogue, highlight what we have done and continue to do to get farmers the help they need. It will also identify possible gaps in where we go from here.

We are also investigating ways to enhance and expand CMHA Ontario’s role in the In the Know program developed at the University of Guelph, as well as how to expand the Farmer Wellness Program, a program supported by OFA across the province.

Our government is committed to being a champion for farmers’ mental health, and we will continue to work with the sector for innovative solutions and ideas.

Election finances

Mr. Taras Natyshak: My question is to the Premier. The question is about election financing and ethical standards.

This week, we saw the Premier rewriting the law to protect developers’ rights to build a warehouse on significant and protected wetlands.

Now we see that the Premier has two big-ticket fundraisers lined up in the next week, starting tonight—on the one-year anniversary of the pandemic declaration, no less—with a $1,000 ticket to get onto a Zoom call with the Premier. For a minimum wage worker—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m going to interrupt the member. The question has to be about policy, it has to be about a bill, and it—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): —not about internal party matters.

Again, I’ll recognize the member for Essex.

Mr. Taras Natyshak: Thank you, Speaker.

For a minimum wage worker, that’s about 70 hours at work—so we can be pretty sure those folks won’t be joining the call with the Premier tonight.

The question to the Premier is: Who is on the attendance list to lobby the Premier tonight at the $1,000-a-ticket fundraiser, and what new pieces of legislation or MZOs will he be writing tomorrow as a result?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m going to disallow the question. Do you have a supplementary opportunity?

Mr. Taras Natyshak: Speaker, yesterday, the PC Party let it slip that the Premier is planning another $1,000-a-ticket fundraiser in Vaughan next week.

A year into this pandemic, the Premier seems more concerned about raising cash for his PC Party than bringing in relief for Ontarians who need it the most. That’s why he brought in legislation to double up the donations. This is legislation that is currently on the floor of this House. This is live legislation that’s currently on the floor, which doubles the donation limit for deep-pocketed donors, especially those who want development permits to pave over wetlands.

When Ontarians and small businesses are barely holding on a full year into this pandemic, why is the Premier rewriting election laws and taking in big-donor cash for developers who want to pave wetlands to build warehouses?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Members will please take their seats.

The government House leader to reply.

Hon. Paul Calandra: This is a member and a party which launched their election campaign on the weekend with respect to environmental policy.

We have been working very hard throughout this pandemic to ensure that all Ontarians—first and foremost, that their health and safety is taken care of. The Minister of Health has been working very, very hard with all members on this side of the House. That’s what we’ve been focusing on—health and safety, small businesses, getting the economy back in order, investing in long-term care, investing in health care.

The Minister of Finance has been doing an exceptionally good job of working across party lines to try to ensure that the economy gets moving.

What you see again, Mr. Speaker, is exactly why the NDP never forms government in the province of Ontario: They flip-flop all over the place, but ultimately they are an angry party without policies, which Ontarians could never see electing into government.

We will focus on the future, optimistically seeing what Ontario has to offer all Ontarians—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you very much. The next question.

Long-term care

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: My question is to the Premier—and Speaker, I extend my heartfelt condolences to all who have lost their loved ones due to the pandemic in the past year.

A year ago, I stood in this Legislature and asked the government to close the doors in long-term care to protect our most vulnerable, who are susceptible to respiratory viruses. Sadly, there was a delay, there was slow action, and we failed our residents in long-term care in the first wave. Then we had an opportunity to make up for it in the second wave, but we did worse, and the results were devastating.

A year on, we are now staring down a third wave. People who work in long-term care are still struggling to get the supports that they need to do their jobs safely.

My question to this government is, what are you doing to improve these long-term-care homes and to prepare for the third wave?

I have a suggestion: How about immediately implementing paid sick days? You have $4 billion that you’ve put aside in contingencies. There’s a budget coming up on March 24. Will you do that in that budget?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Minister of Long-Term Care.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you to the member opposite for the question. Our government has been actively and decisively working to address the COVID-19 issue in long-term care and across Ontario.

We’ve been doing that all along from the very beginning with staffing and were able to hire over 8,600 staff with the pandemic pay with the first wave; and then planning with the staffing in the longer term and creating the necessary staffing that was so badly neglected by the previous government to create 27,000 new positions in long-term care to get to that four hours of direct care for per resident per day in four years.

We’ve put up to $1.9 billion by 2024-25 for that, and we’ve been renovating, redeveloping and modernizing long-term care this whole way through, not only dealing with COVID but understanding the imperative to address the urgency of staffing and capacity and to retain staff. We will continue to do it.

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

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: Long-term-care homes in our province need resources today, not years into the future. Your $4.2 million that you announced will only allow 372 PSWs to receive their training, and they won’t be ready for another four years. This is not going to address the immediate concerns that we have. For the Thunder Bay region alone, they need 500 PSWs and other front-line-care workers to respond to the essential workers that they need in that region. There is a province-wide deficit in this area.

Now is the time for your government to develop a career path that people want to aspire to in PSWs, to improve the working conditions and the standards of care, to make sure that they can work in a safe environment without risk, and to provide higher wages for these essential workers to recognize the work that they do in long-term care so they don’t have to take on two or three jobs outside of long-term care.

Will this government in the upcoming budget invest in personal support workers and the money required—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you very much. Again, the Minister of Long-Term Care.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you for the question. For anyone who has been listening for many, many months now, they will understand that our government has been working diligently to address the long-term staffing crisis in the long-term-care sector and the emergency response: the pandemic pay $4-an-hour increase for PSWs, $461 million for that; on top of that, the temporary wage increase, a $3-per-hour increase for that; a $1.38-billion expansion across the sector; the 8,600 people that we were able to hire into long-term care with the resources we had in the first wave; added to that, 8,200 PSWs alone to be trained in the next coming months to be ready for the fall.

Billions of dollars have gone towards staffing and COVID-19 support, and we’ve been at this the whole time. Where have you been?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Again, I’ll remind members to make their comments through the Chair, not directly across the floor at each other.

The next question.

Mineral exploration and production

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: Across the globe, governments and businesses are examining strategies to build back stronger and emerge from this pandemic with a competitive advantage. While approaches may vary from one jurisdiction to another, one thing is certain in Ontario: Natural resources, innovation and technological advancements will be the centre of our economic recovery, and the critical ingredients to today’s technology are critical minerals.

Ontario is home to a vast number of critical minerals, including copper, zinc, platinum, lithium, chromite, nickel and other materials that are in high demand. With the global demand for critical minerals set to increase exponentially, can the Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines expand on how Ontario is seizing this great opportunity in a very ethical and safe manner?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Peterborough–Kawartha and parliamentary assistant.

Mr. Dave Smith: Thank you very much to the member from Barrie–Innisfil for that question. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of joining Minister Rickford, Minister Fedeli, First Cobalt, Frontier Lithium and Indigenous community engagement to announce that Ontario is developing a critical mineral strategy. This is part of our commitment to drive investment, increase Ontario’s competitiveness in the global electric vehicle and green technology marketplace, all the while creating career job opportunities in Ontario’s mining sector.

Last year, the World Bank estimated the demand for critical minerals will increase by as much as 500% by the year 2050. These minerals are essential components in medicine, aerospace, defence and zero-carbon-emission electric vehicles. Ontario is positioned to supply the entire world with critical minerals that are vital to the strategic high-growth industries, like electric vehicles, computer and telecommunication technology and other clean technologies that support a low-carbon future. This presents a tremendous opportunity. I’ll have more to say in my supplementary.

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

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: Countries all over the world are racing to find suppliers of responsibly sourced critical minerals to support their manufacturing and technology sectors. Whether it’s graphite, lithium or platinum, it can be found here in Ontario. Mining companies have a lot of options when it comes to deciding where they would like to go and develop their new operations. It’s important that, from the very beginning, we have a development strategy here in Ontario and that we develop it as soon as possible, not to lose on this incredible potential investment and these jobs and to highlight Ontario’s great ethical and safe practices.

Will the minister tell us here in the Legislature and the rest of the world what we are doing to really amplify this sector?

Mr. Dave Smith: As demand grows for critical minerals, Ontario is positioned as a stable, reliable and responsible supplier. Environmental, social and governance factors have never been more important. People want to know that they’re investing in areas with responsible, environmentally conscious governments, and that is exactly what investors are getting in Ontario. We’ll continue to collaborate with community stakeholders, business owners, regulatory bodies, conservation groups and Indigenous community rights holders.

The Ontario Mining Association had this to say about it: “We applaud this initiative and look forward to working with government on developing Ontario’s Critical Minerals Strategy. This is a great way to support Ontario’s transition to a low-carbon economy and boost our ability to meet growing global demand for responsibly sourced minerals.”

Mr. Speaker, the industry is excited, our government is excited, and we look forward to developing this strategy in collaboration with all of our partners.

COVID-19 immunization

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: My question is to the Premier. In many ways, Niagara is uniquely vulnerable to COVID-19, with one of the oldest populations in Ontario. We can’t turn back time; however, when you diverted 5,500 doses of life-saving Moderna vaccines from Niagara, we were in the middle of a crisis where we had one death every three and a half hours over a span of a week.

As I said, we cannot change the past, but you can consider Niagara now and today. Yesterday, Niagara was not included in either the family physician or pharmacy pilot vaccinations. Niagara has one of the highest percentages of variant COVID-19 cases in the province. To be excluded yet again is a disgrace.

Mr. Speaker, my question is, will the Premier immediately include Niagara in these pilot projects and treat Niagara fairly in its vaccination rollout?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: I can certainly assure the member opposite that Niagara has always been treated fairly and will continue to be treated fairly, with respect to all things related to COVID.

I can advise, with respect to the comments that you first made with respect to the distribution of vaccines, that the initial plans for the Moderna distribution were changed when protocols for the movement of Pfizer—it allowed these vaccines to be transferred to long-term-care homes as well as other high-risk congregate homes. Vaccinations for these vulnerable populations were prioritized for both vaccine types, including for residents, staff and essential caregivers.

Niagara’s initial allocation of Moderna vaccines was reallocated to ensure that second doses were available in areas that had first administered Moderna vaccines, while the Pfizer vaccine was allocated to Niagara. Allocations to Niagara have been monitored carefully, and Niagara did and continues to receive vaccines above its population-based share of vaccines. So they are absolutely being treated fairly—

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

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: Speaker, through you, back to the Premier and to the minister: I would like that answer given to the people who had a member of their family pass away every three and a half hours during the first wave.

Back to you, Acting Premier: Yesterday, my office reached out to our family physician clinics and pharmacies to ask them if, given the chance to be in the vaccination pilot, would they have the capacity to get vaccines into the arms of seniors in Niagara? The response was simple: a resounding yes. Niagara North Family Health Team was able to administer 800 flu shots a day, with the capacity to do even more.

Mr. Premier, they are just waiting on you. With over 370 deaths in Niagara from COVID-19 and a diverted shipment of Moderna, we know the cost of the slow rollout to Niagara’s seniors population. Mr. Premier, when will this government make the people of Niagara a priority, and give the green light to our pharmacies and family physicians to administer the vaccines to continue to save lives?

Hon. Christine Elliott: First, we regret the loss of any life in Niagara or any other part of Ontario. But the reality is that we did not receive significant volumes of vaccines from the federal government until recently. They are only starting to come in in quantities.

With respect to the vaccinations that can be provided through primary care physicians as well as in pharmacies, we are going to be using the AstraZeneca vaccines because they’re easily transportable and can easily be used. We are working with pharmacies and we are working with the OMA to bring this forward. This is going to be done as soon as we receive additional doses. We’ve only received 194,500 doses of AstraZeneca so far, which are going to be used in the three areas—in Windsor, in Toronto and Kingston Frontenac—because they are time-limited. They expire at the end of this month.

We will be receiving more doses, and as we receive them they will be expanded to pharmacies across the province. I can advise you that the area of Niagara is considered to be a hot spot and will be receiving additional allocations of vaccines.

Land use planning

Mr. John Fraser: My question is to the Premier, but first I have to say the comment the Premier made to the member from Kiiwetinoong this morning was beneath the office.

The government has put forward Bill 257. It essentially does two things: It expands access to broadband in Ontario, which is a good thing, and, secondly, it gives the Minister of Municipal Affairs and the Premier unfettered power to allow building anything anywhere they see fit, with no right of appeal. And it’s retroactive, Speaker.

They’ve taken expanding broadband, which is about creating economic opportunity for all, with a measure that’s about creating wealth for the few—their friends. Speaker, through you, will the Premier do the right thing and remove

schedule 3 from Bill 257, protect our wetlands, protect our green space and protect our environment, our communities and our families?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The parliamentary assistant and member for Milton.

Mr. Parm Gill: Mr. Speaker, first and foremost, we’ve been clear in this House: Every single ministerial zoning order that has been issued has been issued at the request of the local municipality. For the first time in over a decade, this provincial government has a very good working relationship with all of our municipal partners, unlike the previous Liberal government.

I would also like to remind the member opposite, when he and his party were in power they made use of MZOs regularly. On this side of the House we issue an MZO only at the request of the municipalities, where projects are important and are going to be a main economic driver to the local economy and create tens of thousands of jobs. We will continue to do that.

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

Mr. John Fraser: You’ve used it 33 times in the last few months, so I’d stop using that line.

This

schedule has such a McVety feel to it—sorry, I