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September 24, 2020

42nd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2020-Sept-24 (PDF)

L186 - Thu 24 Sep 2020 / Jeu 24 sep 2020

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Thursday 24 September 2020 Jeudi 24 septembre 2020

Orders of the Day

Helping Tenants and Small Businesses Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 visant à soutenir les locataires et les petites entreprises

Members’ Statements

Small truck business operators

Abdul Rashid Athar

Franco-Ontarian Day / Jour des Franco-Ontariens et des Franco-Ontariennes

Gordie Howe International Bridge Indigenous art project

Sports funding

Hospital for Sick Children

COVID-19 response in Scarborough Centre

COVID-19 response in Toronto–St. Paul’s

World Tourism Day

COVID-19 response

Wearing of pins

Question Period

COVID-19 response

Long-term care

Hospital funding

Building code

Education funding

Health care

Justice system

Education funding

Long-term care

Red tape reduction

COVID-19 response

Affaires francophones

Education funding

Infrastructure funding

Private members’ public business

Introduction of Bills

Huron University College Act, 2020

Moving Ontario Family Law Forward Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 faisant avancer le droit de la famille en Ontario

Petitions

Long-term care

Long-term care

Climate change

Women’s issues

Long-term care

Education funding

Social assistance

Economic recovery

Education funding

Education funding

Health care

Police services

Business of the House

Private Members’ Public Business

Change of Name Amendment Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 modifiant la

Loi sur le changement de nom

Private members’ public business

Health care funding

More Than a Visitor Act (Caregiving in Congregate Care Settings), 2020 / Loi de 2020 déclarant que les aidants naturels sont plus que de simples visiteurs (prestation de soins dans les habitations collectives)

Change of Name Amendment Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 modifiant la

Loi sur le changement de nom

Health care funding

More Than a Visitor Act (Caregiving in Congregate Care Settings), 2020 / Loi de 2020 déclarant que les aidants naturels sont plus que de simples visiteurs (prestation de soins dans les habitations collectives)

Tibetan Heritage Month Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 sur le Mois du patrimoine tibétain

Tibetan Heritage Month Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 sur le Mois du patrimoine tibétain

The House met at 0900.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Good morning. We’ll begin this morning with a moment of silence for inner thought and personal reflection.

Prayers/Prières.

Orders of the Day

Helping Tenants and Small Businesses Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 visant à soutenir les locataires et les petites entreprises

Resuming the debate adjourned on September 23, 2020, on the motion for second reading of the following bill:

Bill 204,

An Act to amend various Acts respecting municipal elections, to amend the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 and to provide for a temporary residential rent freeze and specified temporary protections for certain commercial tenants / Projet de loi 204, Loi modifiant diverses lois en ce qui a trait aux élections municipales, modifiant la Loi de 2020 sur la réouverture de l’Ontario (mesures adaptables en réponse à la COVID-19) et prévoyant un gel des loyers d’habitations temporaire et des protections temporaires précisées pour certains locataires commerciaux.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Further debate?

Mr. Aris Babikian: I rise today to speak to Bill 204, the Helping Tenants and Small Businesses Act. I would first like to thank the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, the Honourable Steve Clark, for the opportunity to speak to this bill today.

The COVID-19 pandemic, apart from its role as an unprecedented public health crisis, has also had substantial adverse economic effects on many in Ontario and in my riding of Scarborough–Agincourt. During the height of the pandemic, my constituency office and I were answering the phones and responding to emails. Seniors, laid-off parents, small business owners, single mothers and landlords all reached out to my office asking for relief, asking for a little room to breathe.

The top issue in my riding of Scarborough–Agincourt, as well as many ridings in Ontario, was residential and commercial rent. Our constituents, while preoccupied with keeping themselves and their loved ones healthy, began to worry about how they would make next month’s rent. Commercial tenants were telling us that day by day they were growing more fearful of seeing a lock on their units.

I brought these concerns to our hard-working ministers, and I am proud to say, Mr. Speaker, that as always, they were prepared to listen. Simultaneously, Minister Clark was engaging in constituent consultations with both residential and commercial tenants across all Ontario, listening to their concerns and taking notes. Our government was not going to let that fall on deaf ears. It is important to mention that I received calls and heard accounts from tenants and landlords that understood the effect of this public health crisis on families and came to the table to establish mutually beneficial terms.

Through these unprecedented times, in Scarborough–Agincourt, I have seen the community stand shoulder to shoulder to come to each other’s aid. Just a week ago, I rose in the House to recognize the organizations, businesses and individuals that have portrayed the Ontario spirit throughout this pandemic and have contributed to serve the community. These are hard times—there is no denying that. This bill, introduced to the House on September 17 by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Steve Clark, if passed, will provide Ontarians some relief—

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): Stop the clock. I’m sorry to interrupt the member. Just a reminder to all members, I’ve let it go a few times, but we must refer to all members by their riding or their title, not their proper times. Thank you.

Please continue.

Mr. Aris Babikian: —so Ontarians can work to get themselves back on track without the immediate fear of eviction. This proposed legislation will help both residential and commercial tenants, and it will also help our municipal partners.

Firstly, it addresses the struggle currently faced by many residential tenants. Tenants across Ontario who have been financially impacted by COVID-19 should not have to worry about rent increases.

Secondly, this bill speaks to the dire situation faced by businesses currently trying to get back on track. These businesses that qualify for the CECRA program, however, whose commercial landlords are not interested in applying, need time to calibrate.

Thirdly, and finally, this bill addresses municipalities’ concerns about often inaccurate and burdensome municipal voters lists. This bill will bring more efficiency, organization and transparency to the municipal elections.

We understand the pressure of uncertainty on Ontarians today. We have been taking every call and answering every email, and we want to send a message to them with this legislation: We hear you and we know that you need our support.

As the minister outlined, our proposed legislation will provide relief from rent increases for most of Ontario’s 1.7 million residential tenants who all need some sense of certainty in this unprecedented time. This legislation will ensure that the vast majority of families do not see a rent increase next year as we work towards our economic recovery.

Our government is proposing to freeze rent in 2021 for rent-controlled and non-rent-controlled units, to give the vast majority of Ontario tenants relief during these unprecedented times. This includes apartments, townhouses, detached homes, semis, care homes and rented sites in mobile home parks and land-lease communities. This also includes units in community housing where tenants pay market rent, geared-to-income rent, as well as affordable rental housing units created through various federal and/or provincially funded housing programs.

This bill will also provide relief for thousands of small businesses, the backbone of every city and community in Ontario. Whether deemed an essential business or a business that closed due to public health recommendations during the height of the pandemic, many businesses in my riding of Scarborough–Agincourt and in Ontario have been affected one way or another by the pandemic.

Madam Speaker, we recognize that businesses have had to make some of the hardest decisions they have ever had to make due to the repercussions of COVID-19. Many have had to scale back operations and let go of employees. Many have also had to make investments in PPE for employees and customers to ensure that they can continue operations safely. These are extraordinary costs for small businesses that have contributed greatly to an overarching air of uncertainty within our business community.

Many of these businesses that have reached out to my office to share their struggle are family-operated shops we have all come to love. They are the friendly faces you look forward to seeing on a daily basis. They are the staples of our communities.

I was heartened to hear that some of these businesses have reached out to notify us that their landlords have applied for relief under the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance program. To provide urgent relief for small businesses and their landlords across Ontario, we have committed up to $241 million as our share of this federal-provincial program, making more than $900 million available. Small businesses should not be alone in taking on the financial cost of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Landlords who apply to the program can receive forgivable loans, equal to 50% of the monthly rent their tenants would normally pay. In turn, their commercial tenants must still pay rent. However, they will only have to pay 25% of their normal monthly rent. The landlords must cover the remaining 25%. I would like to acknowledge those landlords for their initiative, compassion and, to be frank, their perceptiveness. Through this program, landlords can facilitate the viability of their commercial tenants, thus keeping the tenants in the units.

Many small businesses in my riding have called to inform me that although they qualify for the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance program, their landlords are refusing to participate in this program. I have been reaching out to these commercial landlords throughout the pandemic to outline the mutual benefit of these programs for both the businesses and the landlords. I have also unfortunately had a couple of experiences where I have reached out to commercial landlords on constituents’ behalf and the landlords have refused to speak to me.

I would like to take a moment to address what’s at stake here, and I can speak to my riding in particular. The local cafés, bakers, shawarma shops, Greek restaurants, local grocers, family-owned stores, local craftsmen and corner stores are under immense pressure. These are the businesses that call us by our names, ask about our health when we come in and know our orders by heart. They are the businesses we recommend with our eyes closed, knowing full well that they will deliver on quality and customer service. These businesses qualify for CECRA, but their landlords are not willing to apply.

It is also important to note that these businesses not only make the Scarborough–Agincourt riding such a wonderful community to live in, but their direct and indirect contributions to the economy at large are immense. This is why their viability is so important.

Our government understood the gravity of the situation and acted fast. As the Premier has mentioned many times throughout this pandemic, COVID acts fast and we need to respond even faster. We put in place a temporary ban on many commercial evictions from June 17 to August 31 of this year. It was what needed to be done, because small businesses form the backbone of our communities. The Helping Tenants and Small Businesses Act would extend that ban. We recognize that local businesses need more time to recover from the impact of COVID-19.

I have been touring the riding in the last two months to speak to business owners to get a better sense of progress on the ground in Scarborough–Agincourt. Our local businesses are informing me that they slowly are trying to get back on their feet. As customers begin leaving their homes, they are seeing a slow but steady rise in customers. These businesses should not, in this current climate, live in fear of being locked out of their businesses and having their assets seized because their landlord is unwilling to put short-term profit aside for enough time to assess the potential long-run costs of not working with their tenants.

On September 8, the federal government announced its decision to extend the CECRA program for the month of September. With that essential funding in place to support both landlords and tenants, we are proposing to extend the ban on commercial evictions from September 1 until October 30. This would ensure we continue to protect them from being locked out or having their assets seized. Our government continues to balance the needs of landlords with those of tenants. This is why, as before, the ban would continue to apply to businesses that are eligible for federal/provincial rent assistance.

By extending the ban to align with the extension of CECRA, we are protecting small businesses and helping them get back on their feet so they can create jobs and help rebuild their economy.

As mentioned by PA McDonell, we are not alone with our approach to small business recovery. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business, Restaurants Canada, local business improvement areas and Mayor Tory all stand with our government on this decision to extend the temporary moratorium on commercial evictions, giving our businesses more time to get back to normal operations.

If passed, this legislation would amend the Commercial Tenancies Act to protect small businesses from being locked out for nonpayment of rent. This ban is retroactive. That means any landlords that have already served eviction notices after the cessation of the previous ban will allow tenants back in their units. If landlords have seized any asset after the cessation of the previous ban, they must return any unsold goods. For the duration of this ban, landlords would not be able to get an eviction order for rent arrears.

We continue to encourage commercial landlords to apply for the CECRA program and work with their tenants to help them stay in their current places of business and recover from their financial hardship. As of September 7, 2020, roughly 23,100 landlord applications for properties in Ontario had been approved for CECRA for small businesses, representing roughly 52,600 tenants.

As we look to the future of recovery, we naturally must facilitate an environment conducive to economic progress. That is why I firmly stand behind this bill brought to the House by the Honourable Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Currently this legislation is what Ontario’s economy needs. These unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures. Giving our businesses some relief while they get back on their feet is integral to increasing their viability, thus allowing the economy as a whole to get back on track. Creating the right environment to stimulate growth and increase employment is one of our government’s highest priorities.

This bill is a very important aid to the individual in Scarborough–Agincourt. During COVID-19, the cost of daily life on the family has increased greatly. Many are currently either working from home or have been laid off. Rent in Ontario and in Scarborough–Agincourt, in general, had already reached staggering rates prior to the pandemic. As families use their rainy day money for what are evidently rainy days, they should not also have the worry of awaiting residential rent increases in the coming days. Whether seniors or single mothers, newcomers or young families, residents have been calling my office to inquire about potential rent freezes for the coming year.

Ontarians are planners, Madam Speaker. They want to know that in 2021, after already having depleted their savings, they will not have the added financial burden of increases in rent. As mentioned already, Ontarians are not looking for a handout. They are looking for a period of relief when they can start recovering from this pandemic and work to get back on track.

Adding financial burdens on families during this time is only going to prolong the process of financial recovery for the individual. This will noticeably reflect on the financial recovery of the economy. This legislation will help create the right environment to move Ontario towards recovery.

I rise today not only to show support for this great bill introduced by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, but also to show how Bill 204 is a testament to our government’s dedication to facilitating the recovery of this great province. This bill is one of the many ways in which we are supporting our small businesses.

Madam Speaker, in the beginning of the pandemic, we made up to $10 billion available in support, through tax and other deferrals, to improve flows and help protect jobs and household budgets. We launched the Ontario Together Fund to provide financial support to innovative businesses to retool their processes and increase their capacity to make personal protective equipment. We made electricity bills more affordable for residential and small business—

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

Questions and comments?

Mr. Wayne Gates: Thank you for the comments, but, Madam Speaker, I asked a question in this House to the Premier and I sent two letters to the finance minister about a small business, a mini-mart, in Niagara Falls. I was begging the Premier and the finance minister for help for this owner, who is a single mom, and her staff’s jobs. The landlord, Alastair Kermack, wouldn’t apply for the rent subsidy and locked her and her employees out. She worked there for 22 years. She owned it. A terrible, terrible situation, but she couldn’t get any help from the Conservative government.

So my question to you, sir, is: Why isn’t it in the bill to give the tenants the 50% of the cost of the rent rather than going and asking landlords to apply—who aren’t applying in record numbers, as you know. There are billions of dollars in that fund that haven’t been used.

Mr. Aris Babikian: Thank you very much to my colleague from the opposite side. As you know, this program is a joint program between the federal and provincial governments. I sympathize with all the tenants. As I mentioned in my speech, I have faced that in my riding also. Businesses keep calling me and asking for relief, and I have tried to reach my federal counterpart in my riding to speak to the federal government to change the program, but unfortunately, so far, we haven’t heard any suggestions from the federal government, which is a partner in this program, to make the modifications so that we can bring relief to all these small businesses.

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

Ms. Jane McKenna: I just want to thank the member from Scarborough–Agincourt—sitting here listening to all that you had to say today. I know in my riding of Burlington, people struggling to pay rent will welcome this legislation. This move to freeze rents in 2021 is a positive step to protect the 1.7 million Ontarians who rely on rental housing.

Can you please tell the House more about what our government has done to support renters during the COVID-19 outbreak?

Mr. Aris Babikian: As was mentioned earlier, from the first day, we tried to bring relief to tenants, to small businesses. We brought the Ontario hydro rates to off-peak times so that we can help businesses—not only businesses but also residential tenants with relief. We brought so many different programs to help businesses cope with the current crisis that we are facing. It is something that is within our realm, and we tried our best to help the tenants.

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

Mr. Wayne Gates: I’m going to go back on your reply again. I don’t need a lecture on what the program is.

I was there, quite frankly, when they locked the doors. I was there when the owner was crying. I was there when the employees were crying.

What I’m saying to you is that we have an opportunity, because it is the responsibility of the provincial government and maybe federal: 25% of that money is coming from the provincial government, 25% is coming from the federal government. That’s 50%. So what I’m saying is, if landlords don’t want to apply, then why would we not say to the tenants, “You’ll get the 50%,” rather than have 100% or, quite frankly, 75%, or nothing. And what’s happening is they’re not getting anything. It doesn’t matter whether you are a hair salon, a nail—any small business isn’t getting anything if the landlord chooses not to apply.

What I’m saying is, you could put it in the bill where that 50% goes directly to the tenant, and they’re not losing their jobs and single moms aren’t losing their businesses in the province of Ontario. It’s absolutely—

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

Response?

Mr. Aris Babikian: There are so many ways to bring relief to tenants. I understand the difficulties—that some landlords are not applying for the program, and this whole issue is a process that is always evolving. We are looking at all the different options. How can we help the tenants to survive? How to help the businesses to go on? I can assure you, we are not going to hold anything back from those businesses. We don’t want to see small businesses going out of business. We are there for them. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with them to support them and we will not have anything—

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

Further questions?

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: I want to thank the member from Scarborough–Agincourt for his presentation. From listening to your remarks, it seems like you do care about small businesses. There are many small businesses in Scarborough, as you know. Scarborough is built up of small businesses. There is a company in my riding, the Olde Stone Cottage Pub, that has two different landlords. One landlord was very responsive to the program; the other one was not.

So I’m just wondering, from your point of view, how we improve our supports to these programs so that small businesses are not feeling the brunt of that and so that they can survive this pandemic? What more are you pushing for within your government to assist small businesses, given that you have the capacity to make those decisions?

Mr. Aris Babikian: Thank you very much for the questions. As a representative from Scarborough, I know Scarborough is a small business area, especially in my riding of Scarborough–Agincourt. We don’t have large manufacturing companies; all of them are small businesses—mom-and-pop shops.

The case you mention is a unique case, and we need to look at the various details of your case so that we can evaluate how we can help. But I can assure you that I am very much concerned with small businesses. I have always advocated to help small businesses get over these difficult times, and I will continue to advocate on their behalf.

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

Mr. Randy Pettapiece: Through you, Speaker, I’d like to ask the member from Scarborough–Agincourt this question: We know that the COVID-19 outbreak has affected every Ontarian, and it is clear that this is a challenging time for everyone. We also know that housing affordability has never been more important. Families need to know that they have a safe and stable place to call home in this time of uncertainty. Can the member explain exactly what this bill will do and how it will help protect renters?

Mr. Aris Babikian: One way this bill will help: As it is well known to everyone, people are struggling, so even $25, $50 a month will make a difference for a family. This bill, if it’s passed, will help save those families some money, regardless of how much it is. Today, a rent increase is substantial in Toronto and Ontario, and by saving them that rent increase for one year, it will help them save money so that they can put food on their table. That’s why this bill will be important for tenants. I have spoken to so many tenants in my riding and they are appreciative—

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

Questions?

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: Earlier this year in downtown St. Catharines, we lost a business—and it’s not the only one—SASS Fitness. Support came too late for this business.

Why does this bill not provide rent relief to residential tenants struggling during the pandemic or—

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): Question—I apologize to the member.

A very quick response.

Mr. Aris Babikian: This is relief for tenants. It will help them to overcome the difficulties for the next year.

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

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: It’s an honour for me today to add the voices of the great constituents in London North Centre to the debate today on Bill 204. Yesterday, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing said that Bill 204 was proactive, even though retroactivity to September 1 is written within the bill. I don’t think that his comments were meant in an ironic way, but I do feel that history will see that they are.

I would like to start my comments today talking about proactivity during this COVID-19 pandemic. Many people with health complications live in mortal peril about a potential COVID-19 infection. We should be ensuring that these folks are protected and don’t have to fear for their lives.

My constituent Kate’s daughter Susanna is a four-year-old cystic fibrosis patient in my riding. She has to travel to SickKids four times per year to meet with specialists. She needs hours of breathing treatment. It interferes with her quality of life. She was hospitalized three times last year with pneumonia, and this causes permanent scarring. Orkambi would prevent the progression of this fatal disease, but the overly strict criteria keep it from kids like Susanna.

New Democrats stand for universal pharmacare. Universal pharmacare should be in Bill 204. During this pandemic, access to life-saving drugs would complete the universal medicare dream of Tommy Douglas. Instead, Canadians are subject to relying on private workplace plans, if they have one. Many are now out of work as a result of this pandemic. Bill 204 talks about rent and talks about places to live and talks about businesses, but it doesn’t talk about the most vital thing, which is our health.

It’s time for Ontario to take the lead. Many countries make drugs like Orkambi widely available. Canada should implement universal pharmacare so kids like Susanna can have their best life. It’s time for the Conservative government to be truly proactive and expand OHIP+, rather than talking about making it cost-effective and cutting it to pieces. Families like Kate and Susanna’s have been waiting for years. Kids like Susanna can’t wait anymore. Get the deal with Vertex done.

For my next comments, I’d like to turn to the tenant issues that are mentioned within this bill. For months, the official opposition has been suggesting that this government provide direct relief to people who are renting. Tenants have had such a difficult time during this pandemic, and I don’t feel that this government has appreciated that. Many have suffered a job loss. Many have stayed awake at night wondering how they’re going to make ends meet.

In the first six months of 2020, huge corporate landlords reported a net operating profit increase of 17.4%. If we crunch the numbers, this means that they generated $64,000 per hour every hour of every day in the first six months of 2020. Let’s look at that for a moment. Tenants were losing their jobs because of COVID-19, and corporate landlords were raking in huge profits.

In this legislation, Bill 204, we need to see some direct relief coming to tenants. Instead, tenants have had to face a 2.2% increase this year, during a pandemic. We’re talking about 2021 within this bill, but what about 2020? We can’t pretend as though this government has not dropped the ball and allowed these increases to be enormous.

One constituent in London North Centre told me that the common areas in his apartment building, such as the meeting room, fitness room and other shared areas, still aren’t available for his use, and yet his landlord still decided to raise the rent this year. That doesn’t make sense. That doesn’t give him the full benefit of his rent.

We also can’t forget that there are tenants who are on ODSP. They’ve had a particularly difficult time during this pandemic. The government offered that paltry $100-a-month increase that recipients had to beg for; they had to ask for it. If this government was truly interested in ensuring that people had the supports they needed, it would have simply been given to them. Instead, they had to try to contact their worker, who was not always reporting to duty because of physical distancing restrictions within the office, and they had to beg.

One ODSP recipient wrote to me about her rent increase, “I’m afraid I’ll become homeless.” Her rent is increasing, despite the fact that she lives in a building with broken, inconsistent plumbing and peeling paint. If rent is going to be increased, should the building not be improved and her quality of life thus improved?

We need to make sure that this bill actually helps people keep their homes. I met with the London

chapter of ACORN earlier this summer. They are passionate tenants, and they delivered a strong message to the Landlord and Tenant Board opposing Bill 184. You see, we have Bill 204, and yet this government, during a pandemic, saw fit to pass Bill 184, making it easier for tenants to be evicted. It’s almost as though this government speaks one way out of their mouth and another way out of their mouth all within one season.

Bill 204 extends the commercial evictions ban so that it’s going to expire on October 30, and yet we are still within the throes of this pandemic, and many would say we are well within the second wave. How is making this time limited to October 30 logical? It simply isn’t.

Back in April, the official opposition brought forward our Save Main Street plan, and it was endorsed by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. That was back on April 16. It has been 23 weeks. It has been more than 160 days. It has almost been half a year, and we’ve seen none of these being implemented.

Rocco Rossi said it was a terrific suggestion and that fixed costs were ones that companies were unable to reduce, and that this would provide “critical operational flexibility ... valued leeway in adapting to an extreme economic environment and could save the economy greater hardship by ensuring the workforce is maintained....” And yet, despite the fact that it has been almost half a year since these suggestions were brought forward, this government is now tabling the bare minimum, the least they could do, with Bill 204.

Within my riding and during the pandemic, I was able to assist some great folks such as Sue and Brian, who operate Cyclepath on Richmond Street. They had tremendous difficulty because of the essential business list, because they operate a bike retail store. Big box stores like Walmart were able to stay open because they sold food, and yet they would be the ones selling the bicycles. We see a government that has allowed this to happen. You’ve allowed multinational, big corporations to thrive off of this pandemic while small business folks have suffered.

Luckily, Sue and Brian also repair bicycles, so they were able to be declared as an essential business, despite the fact that they had to call a number of times, getting alternate advice each time they called. Fortunately, we were able to step in and ensure that they were able to operate.

I also think about Teresa, who operates the Beauty Supply Outlet. She is an amazing community advocate. She has donated to My Sisters’ Place, the Red Cross, the humane society, the food bank, and she has done so much more. But yet, Teresa only saw a 54% decrease in her revenue, so that meant she was not eligible for CECRA. She also did not receive any rent relief whatsoever. But a 54% reduction in a business’s income? They will not be able to survive. My heart breaks for people like Teresa, who are amazing folks, who are not being supported by this government and not being supported by Bill 204.

We see CECRA, and it is a opt-in program—this government has allowed it to be optional. And, furthermore, this government was not willing to do the heavy lifting, because this is still yet another federal program that you simply attached your star to, or are riding on the coattails of.

We also take a look at large corporations that were able to use such things as the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy. They were able to pay 75% of their employees’ wages. Many small businesses were not eligible for this as well, as you know, and yet, tax dollars from the federal government are being spent to prop up multinational corporations, while small businesses are facing the greatest of human tragedy. You see, for many of these folks, their finances within their business are tied to their personal finances, to their houses. Bill 204 does not support businesses in the way that it ought to.

I also think of Jean Coles, within London, who operates three Sport Clips Haircuts salons. Now, she and her husband were fortunate enough to have her rent deferred, but it’s just kicking the can down the road. It’s like the CEBA that the federal government offered—the province, of course, wouldn’t offer anything to small businesses—but that’s just kicking the can down the road, allowing a business to take on yet more debt, and if they’re lucky enough to be able to pay it back in time, they will receive that relief. But what if they’re not lucky enough? What if we have to close again, because of this pandemic? What will happen to them? What will happen to all of these human lives?

So we see that landlords, in some cases, are deferring rent, but eventually, Jean will have to make double rent payments. She’s going to have to catch up or face eviction. Further, even though they’re open, revenue has dried up. An extension on evictions isn’t going to help these businesses if they can’t pay their rent. What this bill needs to do is offer a complete commercial eviction ban, which would offer more stability to businesses as well as their employees.

Another thing that New Democrats have suggested within their Save Main Street plan is a utility payment freeze. That would assist small businesses in a true and earnest way. It makes sense to include that within Bill 204, yet we don’t see that. Again, we see just the bare minimum. We have scraped the bottom of the barrel to support those great people who operate our small businesses.

Furthermore, should this pandemic end, we will need—the pandemic is going to be going on for quite some time and businesses will need support outside of the one-month extension for this evictions ban. I think of the Old East Village within my riding, a great up-and-coming area. It’s a hub of the arts, of restaurants, of so much economic and cultural activity. COVID-19 has had a dramatic impact on the businesses there.

In a report to the city of London, the Old East Village BIA reported that, “COVID-19 has drastically reduced employment in many sectors in our ... corridor.... We have a large number of salons, tattoo studios, foodservice businesses and four of London’s premier arts and entertainment venues.... All these businesses were significantly impacted and none have returned to business as usual.... These impacts significantly hinder employment and by extension successful economic recovery.”

So far, three businesses have closed in Old East Village, Speaker, and another nine businesses are facing temporary closures. The number of workers who have been laid off from those businesses is tremendous. It’s something that needs to also be addressed within Bill 204. We need a plan that helps these businesses reopen permanently. The OEV BIA has a number of suggestions, which I would like to share in this chamber today.

They have asked that CECRA be revamped to make tenants eligible to apply and receive direct support. Did you hear that, government? Direct support—none of this opt-in nonsense that you have put forward thus far. This would be the change that is necessary with federal policy. That was the huge gap that was within it. Landlords were not obliged to do it. This government could have more than simply encouraged landlords to do the right thing, standing up in front of the media and pleading with people, but actually providing solid legislation.

Freezing evictions would allow many businesses to keep their head above water, but it won’t fix the fundamental problem. The fundamental problem is that this province isn’t putting any money in their pockets to stay afloat. We have heard recently that the Premier and this government have billions of dollars earmarked for COVID relief, yet they choose not to spend it. We see that testing sites are overwhelmed in many jurisdictions, yet this government has decided to allow private operators to administer those tests. It’s really disappointing to me, Speaker, that small businesses aren’t invited to the backrooms of this government, where all of the supports and all of the money flows.

Not all businesses are going to be able to reopen safely at this moment; we know that is a fact. Their concerns are going to have a snowball effect. They’re going to become much more pronounced as we move towards what we call the second wave. We need to be able to help our businesses pivot online.

The OEV BIA recommends “additional grant funding available for digital improvements.” That’s grant funding—not repayable loans, grants. In our Save Main Street plan, we talked about a remote work set-up fund, which could help them pivot online and be able to offer their business and their products.

I’d also like to make some final remarks as I close my debate time here, Speaker. I think of the comments from the member from Waterloo and the member from Toronto Centre yesterday, who introduced quotes into this chamber which I think bear repeating. They include a constituent who asked, “Why would this government hand over full control of our future to our landlords, such as is found in CECRA?” That rent abatement and rent forgiveness is an investment in our economy.

I shudder to think about the number of places that will have to close their doors, the business corridors that will become akin to ghost towns as a result of this government’s choice, and it was an active choice not to act, not to provide direct support.

We will be supporting Bill 204, but it’s a disappointing thing to support. It’s supporting some of the weakest, bottom-of-the-barrel, bare minimum legislation. We’ve seen that throughout this pandemic there has been no shortage of human tragedy, yet in the business community, big-box operations have been allowed to thrive, while small businesses have sat waiting.

We have a government that prides itself on its business acumen, and yet I’m hearing from all of the business folks within my community who waited with bated breath. They felt that, “Oh, eventually this government is going to come through. They’re going to come through with these direct supports. We just know it.” You know, they talk a good game about how they support the little guy and they support businesses, but we see entirely the opposite. We see that big-box stores and big-box operations have thrived. We see massive corporate landlords which have raked in huge enormous profits. And who’s suffering?

The little guy you’re supposed to be standing for, the small business owner you claim to stand shoulder to shoulder with.

It’s time for this government to do what it says it’s going to do, to actually live up to its words, to provide those direct supports, to provide that relief, to make sure that these people can keep their heads above water. If you don’t act, if you don’t act now and if you don’t provide supports to these folks who are barely hanging on by their fingernails, then the cascading effect that will hit our economy will be what this government is known for forevermore.

Bill 204 is such a tremendous disappointment. Just as with the return to school, there have been months to prepare. There have been months to listen. We heard at committee all of the folks begging and pleading with you. It’s time for you to do the right thing. It’s time for you to provide direct support, and it’s time for you to make sure that those direct supports get into the pockets of our small business community. They’re waiting. They’re watching. Do the right thing.

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

Interruption.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): I will remind all members please to put their devices on silent. While I can’t figure out where the dinging is coming from, please silence your notifications here in the chamber. Thank you.

Interjection.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): We can point fingers, but I’d like all the fingers to turn off the devices. Thank you.

Questions and comments?

Mr. Rick Nicholls: Our government has been working hard from day one to increase housing supply, and it has been working. We’re seeing record highs for new rental starts, applications and completions. We are doing the right thing.

We have a housing supply problem in Ontario. To the member from London North Centre: In Chatham alone, we have new housing developments going on. We have single-family homes going up—about 350 of those going on. We have senior condo-style apartments going up, for 242 units. We also have geared-to-income units going up. Our plan is working, so why can’t the opposition admit that our plan is in fact working to create more—much more—needed housing in Ontario?

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: Thank you very much to the member from Chatham-Kent–Leamington for his remarks. However, we see in every jurisdiction that the cost of affordable housing has not gone down. We know it is a crisis.

For the last 15 years, the Liberal government had the opportunity, but they built very little social housing, almost none. That is something this government must do—to make sure that there is affordable housing as well as supportive housing.

During my remarks, we talked about business—and I’m surprised to hear the member talk about this government doing the right thing and building housing supply. When are you going to build affordable housing? You’ve removed the tools from municipalities to offer these incentives.

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

Mr. Jeff Burch: I thank the member from London North Centre for his passion for small businesses in London. I’ve had a lot of great times in downtown London watching the IceDogs beat the Knights. There are a lot of great businesses in London. It’s a great downtown that a lot of other downtowns have modelled themselves after.

The NDP has been asking for a 75% subsidy. Obviously, that’s very expensive. But what are the costs of not providing a direct subsidy to these downtown areas across the province that have worked so hard to revitalize their downtowns?

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: Thank you to the member from Niagara Centre for his comments. I’m glad you’ve visited London. It’s a beautiful place to be.

We have seen businesses that have struggled within our downtown core as we have revitalized Dundas Street. It has become an amazing go-to destination. Businesses have had a really difficult time as a result, because there was a tremendous amount of construction. It’s now in a new phase, in the Old East Village.

You’re right; the support that the NDP has been advocating for, the 75% rent subsidy for businesses, would make a huge difference in the lives of these businesses. They had to close their doors, and they weren’t able to generate revenue. If this is not implemented, the wave of human tragedy and business disasters that will happen to these folks is unfathomable. Many people will lose their businesses. Many people will lose their lives as well as their livelihoods.

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

Mr. Jim McDonell: I heard the member opposite talk about the program we’re putting through for commercial rent. This program provides 75% of the revenue to the landlord and 75% relief to the tenant—a pretty rich program. We can’t force anybody to take these programs, as you see, but we’ve certainly given that incentive. If you’re a landlord, six months of 25% is much better than nothing. It’s an all-in-or-all-out, and we’re matching the federal program. I know you think we should be doing more. But that’s a pretty good program. You can’t force people into it.

The comments on social housing: This government has started social housing projects, but it takes a long time to put a building up here. I’ve been downtown and I’ve seen buildings under construction for five years. It is money—we put over—

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

Response?

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: Thank you to the member from Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry.

When we talk about the CECRA program—and yes, it does amount to a landlord receiving 75% of their money that they would be receiving, but it’s, as we’ve said, an opt-in program. I did manage to talk to one commercial landlord who had decided to opt in to the program, which, I’ve got to say, was almost like finding a mythological animal. I didn’t know that such people existed within this province, because the federal government has made it so difficult for people to opt in to this program—the amount of paperwork that this individual had to go through in order to qualify for it.

What we’re calling for, in this instance, is that the province not ride on the coattails of the federal government and actually do something. They could provide that 25% back to landlords so that maybe there was an incentive for landlords to do it, but instead we just have mild encouragement.

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

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: Thank you to the member from London North Centre for bringing a light on small businesses and advocating for small businesses throughout the province of Ontario, not only in his riding but as well as—I will take these words that you have brought forward to St. Catharines.

As I spoke to earlier, we lost a significant business earlier this year in our downtown. The municipal government had put so much money into revitalizing the downtown of St. Catharines so that the community would thrive, our riding would thrive. Without a downtown and small businesses, our communities will not thrive.

I’m going to ask the member: Small businesses have been fighting to keep their heads above water during COVID-19. How do you think that this bill does not address helping small businesses?

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: Thank you to the member from St. Catharines for your remarks. You’re absolutely right. An investment into our small businesses will achieve greater results. I just spoke to the member from Niagara Centre about the investment within our downtown corridor. If we spend money, we generate money.

Now we take a look at this government. The measures that they have introduced have been very little by way of investment. We see that this government is sitting on their hands. They’re sitting on the sidelines while small businesses suffer. We see that they are withholding billions of dollars that have been earmarked for COVID relief. Why? How can you do this while small businesses suffer, while people risk losing their livelihoods? How can you possibly do this?

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

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: I can’t help but rise and comment on what I heard this morning from the member from Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry, who talked about the commercial rent relief program. I certainly have heard repeatedly about this program in my riding. I mentioned the Olde Stone Cottage Pub, which is a landmark facility in Scarborough where two different plots of land have two different landlords and two different responses to the CECRA program.

In terms of the generosity of the program, it could be more generous. You look at what the Quebec government has done, where it has doubled the provincial contribution to the program to provide more relief for businesses, and small businesses in particular, who need that support.

It’s important for this debate that we are having this morning to really recognize the difficulties that small businesses are having, and to do all that we can to help save them before they have to close their doors.

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: Thank you to the member from Scarborough–Guildwood for her comments. It is interesting to see other jurisdictions and how they have treated the CECRA program. I know that in Saskatchewan, they are calling on using that money, the billions of dollars that are still left within that fund, to provide those direct supports to businesses.

In my riding, I think of the Palace Theatre Arts Commons, a great organization that has been in operation for many years. It encompasses the London Fringe theatre and the London Community Players. It has hundreds of volunteers. It offers programming for youth as well as a new stage program for adults. It does phenomenal things, but they’ve had to lay off all of their workers. The board has taken tremendous cuts. It’s really frightening what could potentially happen to an operation that has been in business for a tremendous amount of time. They need emergency funding.

Businesses are waiting. It’s time for this government to act, and it’s time for this government to stop sitting on its hands.

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

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: I am pleased to rise in the House today to debate Bill 204. I believe it is an important piece of legislation that does offer some measures to help Ontarians. Ultimately, the government is offering too little, too late.

If this bill passes, the moratorium on commercial evictions would be extended by just mere days, when certainly businesses that we’re hearing from are asking for more time. This is not enough time, and it’s not enough support for small businesses.

I spent much of the summer at the committee on finance and economic affairs, listening to businesses and independent operators from across the province, across many sectors. No one expected that this pandemic would last as long as it has, and it’s taking such a devastating toll on Ontario’s businesses and our economy. There is a fear among small businesses, particularly on main streets across this province, that they won’t be able to hang on much longer. Small businesses in Ontario need support, and they need a government that understands that the supports need to arrive before they close their doors.

This proposed extension is really just a band-aid. It’s not what the vast majority of small businesses need or want.

Just yesterday, I heard about Laser Quest, this very iconic business based in Mississauga that spread into North America. They just simply could not hold on. They could not cope with the effects of the pandemic, so they are shutting down.

We know that Ontarians still have precarious finances. The CERB program is winding down, and many small businesses are closed or will close their doors permanently. I heard about the Wexford diner, an iconic location in Scarborough. They just decided they can’t sustain it, and it’s closing. So many sectors, such as tourism, travel and hospitality, have not been able to resume operations because of the pandemic and have lost the season in 2020.

We know that youth remain financially precarious, particularly students, who have lost the opportunity for summer employment, yet they still owe full tuition should they wish to continue their studies, as well as rent.

This recession is different, as I said, from others that we have experienced in modern history. A full recovery will require more supports than are being offered here in Bill 204, and really, in terms of the government’s measures and responses to this to date.

Bill 204 is a thin attempt to provide economic relief to Ontarians. It doesn’t scratch the surface of issues facing women and Black, Indigenous and people of colour, who are facing a devastating effect as a result of this pandemic. These Ontarians are disproportionately affected by the economic impacts of COVID-19.

The last three Statistics Canada labour force surveys have emphasized the consistent trend that job recovery for COVID-19-related employment losses are having. In fact, the recovery is more advanced among men than women despite the fact that women have been hit much harder. Unemployment is persisting at significant high levels amongst Black, Indigenous and Ontarians of colour.

Ontario is at a crossroads. Decades of progress towards gender equality in the workplace are at risk. Reports from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and submissions from the Canadian Women’s Chamber of Commerce to the finance committee warn that we are perilously close to reversing the gains made by women in the workplace. This would be a devastating result of the pandemic that we can’t allow to occur. We need women to continue to be part of the economic productivity of Ontario. There really cannot be a full recovery that leaves women behind. Without a she-covery, there cannot be long-term economic recovery.

We need more from this government to move forward, including investments in education to make schools and child care safe, and realistic options for families. The government also needs to take a forward-looking approach and make investments in education, re-skilling and entrepreneurship programs for women to be able to adapt to the changing economy and to help drive growth.

Indigenous and Black businesses have also reported facing additional barriers to receiving essential supports and emergency relief funding. Government policy and programs often overlook the needs of Black and Indigenous businesses, for example, excluding home-based businesses from Digital Main Street platforms by making the eligibility criteria tied to having a retail storefront.

In yesterday’s speech from the throne, the federal government announced their commitment to take action to address the “she-session,” or the “she-covery.” They acknowledged that women, Black, Indigenous and people of colour, and young people have seen the highest levels of job losses. I am calling on the Premier to do the same for Ontarians—to develop an action plan for women, for Black, Indigenous and people of colour, and to consult on a diverse table of efforts to make Ontario’s response equitable.

The message from small businesses across the province has been clear: They need tax relief, cash flow support, and they need a government that will implement policies to control COVID-19 so that we don’t go into further shutdown, and that we boost consumer and business confidence. For small businesses that are suffering, they have not seen their revenues return—even though many of them have reopened their doors, the customers just have not come back—and they have not seen meaningful support from this provincial government. These measures that are being put forward today don’t go nearly far enough.

As it stands today, small businesses will have to repay their deferred taxes by October 1 or else incur interest and penalties. That does not leave a lot of time for businesses to get their cash flow in order, and some businesses will have no choice but to close their doors, as they will not be able to take on even more debt when their sales and cash flow have not returned to normal.

I’ve called on this Legislature time and time again—for the government to extend the deferral period for provincial taxes, including payroll taxes, and WSIB, and provide a multi-year repayment plan with options for forgiveness. Ontario’s small businesses are still extremely vulnerable. They have not yet had the time that they need to rebuild and to recover. The province needs to do more to provide liquidity and support.

The commercial eviction moratorium is a low-effort response to a problem that has festered as a result of the government’s inaction and dragging its feet. The economic impacts of COVID-19 have been more profound than could have been initially anticipated. We get that. The government must adjust course to respond to the immediate and urgent needs of the province. The federal government has stepped up and is funding 97% of Ontario’s response to COVID-19, with the Ontario government funding just 3% of Ontario’s measures. The province can and should do more.

The FAO has estimated that the province has a further $6.7 billion in unallocated funds that are available to be directed to new measures, including $3.5 billion in cash transfers from the federal government that have yet to be allocated by the province to specific measures. Why are you hoarding this cash? The government should be putting this money to good use instead of taking the passive, cheapened approach that we see in Bill 204.

As we have seen in yesterday’s public accounts, the PCs inherited a strong economy from the Liberals, with increasing revenues from all sources. They have squandered that opportunity and have not stepped up to make the necessary investments during this pandemic. No meaningful investments for a safe return to school—we know that. We see that every day by the rising numbers of infections in our schools and the closure of classrooms and schools across this province. There’s no strengthening of our long-term-care facilities—even though you know that the fall and the flu season is coming—to prepare for a second wave.

There’s no second wave plan, despite receiving billions of dollars from the federal government in the summer.

Yes, Bill 204 does have certain measures, like the rent freeze, which we have been calling for for quite some time. In fact—

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French): I’m sorry to interrupt the member. It being 10:15, it is time for members’ statements.

Second reading debate deemed adjourned.

Members’ Statements

Small truck business operators

Mr. Guy Bourgouin: I rise in the House today to speak on behalf of small truck business operators in northern Ontario. Owner-operators, as we call them, are independent, family-owned operations. It is a business that is passed from one generation to the other. But the current insurance regulatory framework is killing these small businesses.

Speaker, Ontario regulations impose a three-year benchmark for truckers, which means that business operators may have to pay a premium that may be five times higher. If they wish to hire young drivers or anyone willing to enter the business, there are extreme situations, like Peter LaRocque in the riding of Timiskaming–Cochrane, who cannot hire his own 30-year-old son, even if he has completed the provincially mandated training, received 200 hours of in-class and on-road training and has operated a tractor-trailer for more than two years.

Speaker, business operators like Peter LaRocque, Guy Nolet, Gaétan Dorval and Don Godard are those heroes who ensured that food was on the shelves and that medicine would arrive to our pharmacies during the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

I demand the Minister of Finance to once and for all side with the small business owners of this province and put an end to the insurance underwriting rules that are killing small, independent businesses.

Abdul Rashid Athar

Mr. Michael Coteau: As we know, social isolation is becoming a bigger problem for people as COVID continues to spread here in Ontario.

I’d like to take a moment to really thank one of my constituents in Don Valley East who literally stepped up and who is trying to change the behaviour associated with social isolation. Abdul Rashid Athar immigrated from Pakistan. He’s a Canadian who lives in my riding of Don Valley East and lives in Flemingdon Park. He’s an avid walker and he puts in 14,000 to 15,000 steps a day, something he learned from his father.

Looking at his community during the pandemic and noticing that more and more people were becoming isolated, he started to get out there and talk to people by putting up posters, meeting people and letting people know that they could actually get out and start to walk.

He got a grant from the Balsam Foundation, and more and more people started to join him in this initiative. Collectively, through this initiative, they’ve put in 23 million steps and covered almost 18,000 kilometres around Toronto.

It’s this type of initiative that I think as legislators we need to recognize in this House, as heroes step up and actually motivate people in our community to get out of their homes, and of course to make sure that they’re safe, but at the same time, get the physical exercise they need.

Franco-Ontarian Day / Jour des Franco-Ontariens et des Franco-Ontariennes

Ms. Natalia Kusendova: It is a privilege to rise today to speak to an important and symbolic day of recognition of francophones in our province. September 25 is Franco-Ontarian Day, a celebration dedicated to recognizing the history and strength of Franco-Ontarians.

On this day in 1975, the Franco-Ontarian flag, created by history professor Gaétan Gervais and political science student Michel Dupuis, was first flown at the University of Sudbury.

Je suis également fière de dire que, grâce à mon projet de loi 182, adopté en troisième lecture lundi, ce drapeau attend la sanction royale pour être dès lors un emblème officiel de la province de l’Ontario. Cet accomplissement personnel est celui que je porterai avec moi pour le reste de ma vie.

I am looking forward to the day when the beautiful Franco-Ontarian flag will join the others in this chamber as a reminder to all future MPPs and all future generations that will visit this House of the rightful place of Franco-Ontarians in our province.

Vive la francophonie.

Gordie Howe International Bridge Indigenous art project

Mr. Percy Hatfield: Speaker, allow me to tell you a current story about our living history.

We all know the First Nations people were here long before we arrived. Some of us accept that we need to consult with the First Nations on major projects we undertake on their ancestral lands. A case in point: the new international border crossing—the Gordie Howe bridge—between Windsor and Detroit.

Native artists and volunteers from the Walpole Island First Nation are involved with the bridge builders in a massive undertaking. They’re creating huge panels which will be erected on the main pillar of the bridge on the Canadian side—painted panels on all four sides of that pillar—and Speaker, they’ll eventually rise to something like 800 feet in the air. Just imagine. The panels they’re working on now depict four bears: white, red, black and yellow bears, the sacred colours of the First Nations medicine wheel.

Below the bears, there will be four arrowheads sticking into the brown ground, representing ancestors who walked these lands long before we came along. Another panel being prepared is of the familiar eagle staff.

Island artist Teresa Altiman is creating these panels, 17-year-old Daisy White is working on the Turtle Island creation story, and Caldwell First Nation artist Naomi Peters is also doing a panel with a hoop dancer. These panels will rise with the construction timetable and possibly be repurposed after construction is complete. It’s an amazing undertaking and an exciting way to acknowledge our shared history.

Sports funding

Mr. Deepak Anand: As Canadians, we love sports, and our love turns into a passion when our athletes win medals. When I think of the value of a medal, I truly believe that we can’t put a price tag on the medals, because the prestige that comes with it is priceless.

Sports are a big connector. Every time our athletes win a medal, it brings the whole country together, celebrating the success of our athletes as their victory and success.

Supporting athletes from playground to podium is an important part of making Ontario the best place to train and play sports. That is why, through the Quest for Gold program, the government of Ontario is providing $6.36 million in direct financial assistance to 1,438 high-performance athletes to ensure they can pursue their dreams of excellence at home in Ontario.

I would like to say thank you to the Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, Lisa MacLeod, for supporting our champions. Quest for Gold funding benefited 83% of Olympic and 95% of Paralympic athletes from Ontario who participated in the 2018 games.

I want to give a special shout-out to the four recipients from Mississauga–Malton: Radane Wright, Navreet Suhan, Mary Adarkwa and Kyle Duke-Simpson. I’m proud of you. Congratulations on being a Quest for Gold athlete.

Due to COVID-19, this year has been challenging. I wish the best of success to all recipients of Quest for Gold this year. I hope this funding allows you to reach the stars and the medals. You want to push yourself to be the best you can. We look forward to your success, as your success is our victory.

Hospital for Sick Children

Mr. Michael Mantha: Speaker, do you believe in miracles? I believe in miracles, and miracles have names. A name like Landon, a little boy from Manitoulin Island who survived his cancer treatment. A name like Elijah—I call him the “Little Bean.” He’s from Elliot Lake. He’s my little heart warrior.

And just last night, I had Drew, who came into my condo and spent the night with me, along with his mom. He’s a two-year-old boy. By the way, he sang me his ABCs last night and he did a little bit of a fashion show for me. But his mom, Malisha Alloway, and Dylan Spooner were also there. His grandma, who is Oma, who normally comes down, unfortunately, is in the Sudbury district hospital getting treatment. I hope you’re doing well, Oma. I’ll see you next time during Drew’s visit. But Opa surprised me with a visit last night. They were up here for his regular visit down to SickKids. Since he was born, he’s had esophagus challenges and multicystic kidney issues. He’s got a variety of issues.

But the reason why I raise this—and I want to go back. Remember when I talked to you about miracles? Those miracles happen, and they happen just down the street from here over at SickKids. There are some amazing things that are happening there, and day in and day out, over the course of the years that I’ve been elected as the member for Algoma–Manitoulin, I’ve seen, I’ve lived and I’ve experienced all these miracles.

I want to thank the doctors, the nurses and all the health care professionals for your care, your love and your attention. To all the great people of this province, thank you, thank you, thank you.

COVID-19 response in Scarborough Centre

Miss Christina Maria Mitas: This is just a quick tribute to the people of Scarborough Centre and Scarborough more generally. We’re going through very difficult times, but the people of Scarborough are truly rallying. I just want to give a few shout-outs to some of our Scarborough super stars:

J’Danse dance studio held an outdoor recital where they rented a huge stage for their kids just so that they could see each other and dance.

Baskits: Robin is running this place amazingly. They are seeing growth. She is hiring people, and I was actually visiting when she announced to four staff that they’re getting raises during this time.

Cas Co Signs is working so hard to get signage that all of our businesses need to the community.

Energy Shack: You’re thriving and you’re supporting your very loyal customer base. I am one of them.

And Nova Ristorante, the winner of the Big Hearts award: Even as you’re struggling, you’re still committed to charity and helping the community.

I want to thank all of the amazing and resilient people of Scarborough Centre. I saw many of you on my ice cream tour, and I was so happy to connect and share in the common experience that we’re currently going through. You truly give me hope, and although we’re going through unprecedented and extremely challenging times, this too shall pass, as all things pass. I know in my heart that the people of Scarborough and Scarborough Centre will come back stronger than ever.

COVID-19 response in Toronto–St. Paul’s

Ms. Jill Andrew: During COVID-19, my community has mourned the death of loved ones, devastating loss of income, small businesses and, for some, the loss of their home. Many seniors and disabled neighbours have seen their cupboards bare. But we are still here.

Our community is as strong as the Shofar, and to borrow from the teachings of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year in Jewish tradition, we continue to cry out with a full throat in our commitment to each other.

Thank you, Joanne, for dreaming up our first community food table. Thank you, Sheri, Honey, Rob Murphy, Robert, Ingrid, Prophetess, Abdisa, Gini and Megan for joining us in scaling this project. Our message was simple: Take what you need and give what you can. Thank you to our 100-plus volunteers who have helped us grow. And thank you to my staff and to my amazing riding association.

Speaker, we have about seven food banks that serve our community, four hot meals programs, six Out of the Cold program drop-in shelters and several community gardens, but it’s never enough. Many of these supports shuttered during COVID; some still are. And for some, that has meant social isolation and a lack of access to the very basic needs that make us human.

As Sharon, a single mother, told me during the pandemic, “Jill, may you never have to hear the screams of your hungry child.” Her words continue to haunt me.

St. Paul’s, I see you and I will continue to stand with you.

World Tourism Day

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: I rise today to draw attention to an important date for tourism here in Ontario and across the globe. On September 27, the world commemorates the 40th anniversary of World Tourism Day. This year has been designated as the Year of Tourism and Rural Development to promote the potential of tourism to create jobs and opportunities in rural areas like my riding of Niagara West.

Mr. Speaker, it would be an understatement to say that 2020 has not been the best year for tourism here in Ontario or, frankly, anywhere else in the world. Tourism has always been a key economic driver here in Ontario, supporting more than 400,000 jobs and generating over $36 billion of economic activity. Tourism supports a spectacular double bottom line: contributing to the economic growth of our province and to our cultural identity and pride of place. But this sector was hit hardest, was hit first and will take the longest to recover.

Throughout this crisis, our top priority has been the health and well-being of the people of Ontario, as it should, and it will remain so. But World Tourism Day gives us a chance to thank Ontario’s tourism and hospitality workers for all that they do and to acknowledge all they’ve been through in this difficult year.

On World Tourism Day, we recognize the important role tourism plays in smaller rural communities in Ontario, in the north and other places across Ontario. These areas and sectors that are heavily reliant on visitors internationally and from the US have suffered greatly, and I know that the minister is working with them to discuss the impacts of COVID-19 on this industry.

I invite all members of the House to celebrate World Tourism Day this coming Sunday, September 27, and to remember that Ontario is yours to discover.

COVID-19 response

Mr. Stan Cho: Today, I rise to recognize the small businesses, non-profits and community organizers who have stepped up during the last six months to provide essential support and PPE to those in need. Through all of our communities, I’ve seen thousands of Ontarians deliver food, run errands and connect with seniors and vulnerable people during COVID-19 as part of the government’s partnership with SPARK Ontario.

In my riding of Willowdale, hundreds of volunteers have been generously giving their time and money to serve our community through the Willowdale Covid Response Network, the Kindness Project, Valleyview day program and other groups. Small businesses such as Luglife and Levelwear have donated PPE to organizations like the Canadian Helen Keller Centre and Willowdale Welcome Centre.

Most recently, I was invited by my constituent, Andy, and his mom, Mrs. Chung, to visit their family-owned small business, Soletta Dry Cleaners, to pick up over 500 cloth masks, masks that will be donated to Eva’s Satellite, a youth facility in Willowdale that helps provide shelter, transitional housing and programming for young people. When I arrived at their store, Andy and his mom were hard at work sewing and packaging masks in between serving their regular customers. When asked why they were donating, their reason was simple. They said, “We want to support our community, because our community has always supported us.”

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Andy and Mrs. Chung. They truly embody the Ontario spirit. The people of Ontario’s compassion, grit and willingness to assist one another is what makes me proud to call Ontario home.

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

Wearing of pins

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Mississauga Centre has informed me that she has a point of order.

Ms. Natalia Kusendova: Although we do not need unanimous consent to wear our beautiful Franco-Ontarian pins, I’d like to encourage all members of this assembly to wear theirs proudly. As of this afternoon, this will become an official emblem of Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to allow members to wear a Franco-Ontarian pin today. Agreed? Agreed.

It is now time for oral questions.

Question Period

COVID-19 response

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My first question this morning is to the Premier. Families are watching across Ontario with growing concern as our province slides backward in our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. People have been desperately waiting for news from the Premier about the plan that the Ford government has apparently been working on since the mid-summer.

Today, CBC News reports that they have a copy of a plan which is entirely incomplete, despite us being in the midst of the second wave, and has virtually no investment—none whatsoever—in containing outbreaks in schools and no investment—virtually nothing—to address the serious risks in long-term care.

Why, with the second wave of this pandemic upon us, is this government still scrambling to chase the crisis?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: In fact, we are prepared for a second wave, which is happening in other countries in the world and across Canada as well. We knew this was going to happen. We have been preparing for it.

The plan that appeared in the CBC

article was a very early draft of the plan. We’ve been working on it for several months. What appeared then was a portion of what we’re planning to do, and we are unveiling our plan as we speak. We have indicated several aspects of it. But we have a comprehensive Keeping Ontarians Safe: Preparing for Future Waves of COVID-19 plan that contains six elements and that is based on protecting our most vulnerable citizens in long-term-care homes, retirement homes, other congregate living settings and in education as well.

I would be happy to speak about the plan further in my supplemental response.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Ever since cases began to increase weeks and weeks ago, the Premier’s unpreparedness and feigned surprise have garnered widespread criticism throughout the medical community.

The backlog of tests is growing. The Premier couldn’t even say yesterday how many people had been turned away from testing. Cash-strapped hospitals say the system is “heading for a crash.” To quote the medical director of the Michael Garron Hospital, the plan is “wholly insufficient.”

Why has the Premier waited until the second wave is well under way to even begin to take any action?

Hon. Christine Elliott: In fact, our Keeping Ontarians Safe: Preparing for Future Waves of COVID-19 plan is integrated. It’s complex. It addresses all of these issues. It hasn’t even been fully rolled out to the public yet. That is what we are in the process of doing. It is so integrated and complex that each individual part of it deserves its own day to be discussed, because there are so many elements to it.

The plan is focused on six different areas: maintaining strong public health measures, including the continued expansion of testing and case and contact management. We are building on what we have already built very quickly in the last few months, but we’re building on that again. And I will remind everyone here that we have now exceeded over 40,000 tests per day in Ontario, and we are building on that. We will be close to 50,000 very shortly.

We’re implementing the largest flu immunization program in Ontario’s history. We’re accelerating efforts to reduce health service backlogs—

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

The final supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Well, Speaker, a plan to deal with the second wave of this pandemic should have been in place before the second wave actually happened. It should have been in place before. Now we have an incomplete plan that is several weeks late and billions of dollars short. Instead of a plan to cap class sizes, to staff long-term-care homes and to end the chaos in testing sites, we see a government that is once again chasing the crisis and a Premier who is angrily blaming everyone but himself for the lack of preparedness in this province.

Why, with the second wave of the pandemic upon us, is this government still scrambling?

Hon. Christine Elliott: I would say, through you, Speaker, to the leader of the official opposition that we have a comprehensive plan that we are already implementing.

We have already taken steps—and have over all of the summer months—to be prepared for a dramatic increase in the number of cases of COVID-19 that we have coming forward with the flu season approaching, with the issues that we have in trying to deal with the backlogs, the procedures and surgeries that we had to postpone during wave 1 and with the increase in patients that we’re receiving because we are doing the infection prevention and control in our long-term-care homes by decanting some of those residents back into hospital where they will continue to be safe and healthy.

We have invested hundreds of millions of dollars into implementing all of these measures and dealing with the situation so that today we can handle those increased volumes in terms of testing, the lab tests that need to be done and making sure that we can keep our vulnerable populations safe. That’s what we are doing now.

Long-term care

Ms. Andrea Horwath: To the Premier: The government’s leaked plan is especially concerning for residents of long-term-care homes. Yesterday, there were already 31 homes in outbreak, and that compares to only 19 on the weekend. So in a couple of days’ time, it went from 19 to 31.

Long-term-care operators, staff and residents have all been imploring this government to adopt infection control and prevention plans and help them to deal with that, but the incomplete plan falls drastically, drastically short of what’s absolutely needed for our long-term-care system.

So my question is: Why is protecting seniors in long-term care missing from the plan?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: The draft plan that was received by the CBC was just a draft. It was an early draft that went through several different iterations dealing with primary, secondary and post-secondary students; dealing with protecting our most vulnerable citizens: people in long-term-care homes, in retirement homes, in other congregate living settings for people with perhaps intellectual disabilities.

All of that is contained as part of our plan because we need to limit the community spread which is now dealing with people in our community and moving into some of our long-term-care homes, which we are dealing with as well.

My colleague the Minister of Long-Term Care and I are working together to deal with the situation with our long-term-care homes to make sure we can continue with the testing that needs to be done and also to limit the community transmission, which is why we are talking to people on a daily basis about how they need to please continue to follow public health measures: keeping that physical distancing, wearing a mask, frequent hand hygiene and staying home if you feel ill. That is—

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

The supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, in a letter to long-term-care operators earlier this month, the government literally walked away from any responsibility for staffing shortages, and I’m going to quote what the ministry said to these homes: “Staffing is ultimately the responsibility of the licensee....

“Homes that are part of a chain are encouraged to look to the chain to assist in addressing staffing issues....

“Going forward, the supply of hospital resources is becoming more scarce ... and they may not be available to assist to the extent that you may require.”

The government is walking away from the help that long-term care needs. In other words, these homes are on their own. After the horrors of last spring, where the Premier promised he wouldn’t spare any expense to protect seniors in long-term care, why is he breaking his promise?

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

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you to the member opposite for the question. That is categorically wrong. This is a situation where we have a comprehensive plan that will address the issues in long-term care to stabilize homes, and we have never stopped working on this. It has been continuous, in fact, with even more focus—knowing a second wave is coming—to stabilize the homes, to stabilize the staffing. There is a robust plan. There are dollars behind it. We are continuing to work with IPAC, investing capital for modifications of homes and, as well, increased personnel.

This is ongoing, and we are in consultation with our sector, to understand their needs and continue to meet them, particularly with the IPAC situation.

I want to remind you that we have never stopped working on this. It is our government’s number one priority—the safety and well-being of residents and staff in long-term care—and we will continue to focus on this.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Well, Speaker, the quote that I just repeated to the government is the result of the consultation. The result of the consultation the minister’s talking about was basically a letter to long-term-care-home providers that they’re on their own and that they have to solve their own problems with staffing.

The Premier has yet to show any sort of plan to deal with the staffing challenges in our long-term-care homes. In fact, he’s making it clear that the government doesn’t have one and has no intention of providing one—that’s what that letter says.

Now, we all know that the government hasn’t done enough to get ready for the second wave in the first place, but, in long-term care, this is literally a matter of life and death, and the deaths are occurring again in the second wave.

When will the government acknowledge the very real danger the second wave poses for residents of long-term care and make the desperately needed investments that operators, staff, residents and the government’s own experts have been calling for?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you for the question. I’ll repeat: Next week, we will be rolling out a comprehensive plan that addresses a robust number of long-term-care issues: stabilizing homes, helping with IPAC, helping with staff.

Our homes need to be reminded that they need to do as much as they possibly can as well. This is a collaborative effort. Multiple ministries, the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Ontario Health, Public Health Ontario, Ottawa Public Health—where some of the homes are hardest hit with those outbreaks right now, but they are stabilizing. I am receiving information every day. I’m in constant contact with the hospital involved and the medical officer of health in Ottawa to know what is happening on the ground, and the majority of our outbreaks have no resident cases.

Wave 1, we had many learnings from that, and we will continue to focus on long-term care.

Hospital funding

Mr. John Vanthof: My question is to the Minister of Health. The CBC is reporting that the government’s now-leaked draft fully comprehensive plan will plow hundreds of millions of dollars into for-profit health care—that

part is not a surprise. But for months, hospitals have pleaded with the government for funding and collaboration to deal with the pending crisis of a second wave. The public health care system is fully capable of carrying out surgeries and diagnostics when the government actually invests in public care. But this government, according to the plan, is choosing to ignore them. So now, our hospitals are literally laying off nurses while the plan promotes for-profit clinics.

Why is this government ramming through for-profit health care instead of investing in publicly paid for and publicly delivered health care that Ontarians deserve?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

Minister of Health to reply.

Hon. Christine Elliott: That is categorically wrong, I would say to the member—absolutely, categorically wrong. Our fall plan—and it was only a draft, I will continue to tell you; it was only a draft of that plan that the CBC received. It—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m going to ask the official opposition and the independent members to come to order.

Minister of Health to reply.

Hon. Christine Elliott: It has gone through several other iterations. It has changed significantly from the draft that the CBC obtained.

But I can tell you that what we are doing as part of our fall plan is to work on the several hundred thousand tests and surgeries that were postponed because of the first wave. We don’t want to do that anymore, because people have been waiting. I’m sure you all have constituents who have been waiting for months to have knees or hips replaced or to have cardiac or cancer surgery. We don’t want to have to do that anymore. Our public resources, our public hospitals are working as hard as they can, but we need to work through this backlog as we face a second wave of COVID-19 and as we face flu vaccinations and flu season coming forward.

I will have more to say in my supplemental.

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

Mr. John Vanthof: It’s bad enough that private health care was even in the draft plan; the hospitals need funding and support, not shifting precious public dollars into for-profit health care.

The Ontario Hospital Association said the plan for dealing with the backlog of health care should be built from the ground up in partnership with hospitals. They said, “It will need to be implemented by doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff, who’ll need time and resources to continue mobilizing.” Yet instead of working with hospitals, doctors, nurses and front-line heroes, the government continues to listen to insiders with deep pockets. They’re even issuing pink slips to nurses.

Why is this government refusing to invest in public health care to clear these backlogs? But more importantly, why is there always money available for for-profit care when we have a public system? Publicly delivered health care is what we need, and that’s what we need to keep. Why are we always fighting you for it?

Hon. Christine Elliott: There is absolutely no fight going on about that. We are investing hundreds of millions of dollars in our public hospitals to allow them to continue to deliver excellent patient-centred care. But we are in the middle of a pandemic—have you noticed?

We have hundreds of thousands of procedures that we have to move forward with. We also have independent health facilities that have always been there. We’re not creating any more; they have always been there, and we need to use every resource that we can right now in order to deal with COVID and to deal with these procedures.

As a matter of fact, the Ontario Medical Association just issued a release yesterday where they are encouraging the government to provide necessary resources to increase capacity and enable more procedures and services, including expanding independent health facilities, and so what we are trying to do is to make sure that we use all of our public facilities. We have given hundreds of millions of dollars to our hospitals, and they are doing excellent work, but the reality—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member will take her seat. The Leader of the Opposition has to come to order.

The next question.

Building code

Mr. Rick Nicholls: My question is to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Minister, since day one, you have been a strong advocate of modernizing Ontario’s burdensome building code. You have been focused on taking a complex document that was overlooked by previous governments and using it to stimulate our economy, while maintaining Ontario’s high standards for energy conservation and public safety.

Our government is committed to reducing barriers to Ontario’s manufacturers to keep the cost of construction affordable and, at the same time, make housing more affordable as well. Minister, I understand that on August 27, 2020, you and our Solicitor General signed the reconciliation agreement on construction codes, so, Minister, could you please share more about this exciting initiative with the House?

Hon. Steve Clark: I want to thank the member for Chatham-Kent–Leamington for his advocacy. I also want to thank him for some of the projects that I got to tour in his riding. He’s a real champion when it comes to the housing file.

Our government is committed to reducing red tape and regulatory burdens that cause unnecessary delays, duplications and barriers. That’s why I was excited to join with the Solicitor General in signing the reconciliation agreement on construction codes under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement last month. By taking this very important step, our government is committed to further harmonizing Ontario’s building code and Ontario’s fire code with the national construction codes. This harmonization will reduce barriers related to trade, product manufacturing, building design and maintenance.

We’re also committed to continuing to work with our federal, provincial and territorial counterparts to reduce all unnecessary barriers to interprovincial trade while putting the people of Ontario first.

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

Mr. Rick Nicholls: Thank you, Minister, for your historic work on this file. I’m also reassured to hear your continued commitment to further harmonize our building code with the national standard, while ensuring that buildings in Ontario remain among the safest and most accessible in North America.

Our government continues to work to cut unnecessary red tape. I’m interested to hear more about what the reconciliation agreement entails and how it will help Ontario. Minister, could you please explain the key elements of this signed agreement?

Hon. Steve Clark: Thanks again for that excellent question.

The reconciliation agreement contains several key elements for our government. It will ensure timely and consistent adoption of construction codes across Canada so that the same rules are in place at the same time. It will also transform the national code development system, including a new governance structure that is more responsive to both provinces and territories. And it will ensure there is digital access to free national construction codes right across Canada.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to reducing barriers to Ontario’s success across every sector of our economy, and the building code is just one example of that. Thank you for the question.

Education funding

Ms. Marit Stiles: This question is for the Premier. It has been a week since the Conservative members defeated our motion to cap class sizes at 15 kids. We’re still hearing of more collapsed classes of 25 or 30, with no way to keep our children physically distanced. But yesterday, the Premier told the press that classes were capped at 15 in Ottawa, in Toronto and in Peel. I have to ask, Mr.

Speaker: Why, then, are we hearing of collapsed kindergarten classes in the Ottawa area with 27 little ones; or in Toronto, in my own riding, with grade 4 classes of 30; or in Mississauga, where we have more kindergarten classes collapsed together with 25 or more kids? This is happening all across the province. The government failed our students by holding back when they should have put those children first.

Will the Premier correct that error today and give us a fully funded plan to protect our schools in a second wave?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Education to reply.

Hon. Stephen Lecce: The Premier is indeed correct: In high schools and the adapted models of Ottawa, Peel, Halton, Toronto, York and many other boards across the province, this government did in fact mandate a maximum of 15 students in a blended model, taking the advice of the public health table.

Mr. Speaker, we have really broken down the silos of government between the Ministries of Education and Health Care, ensuring that we defer and we work with and be informed by the public health table and our doctors at the COVID command table, working with the Minister of Health to ensure that our schools are safe, as noted as recently as this week by local public health officers. Every layer of prevention is in place to ensure that they are safe.

We have ensured the funding is in place, the evidence has been informed by the chief medical officer, and obviously we will continue, as we see this risk rise, to do more, invest more and be more prepared to deal with the second wave as well as with the flu campaign.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, schools are not okay. Daycares are not okay. Virtual schools are not okay. Our province is not okay right now. As of today, we have 31 more cases of COVID-19 in our schools. We’re up to a total of 210 in 178 schools across this province, and we know that that’s going to keep rising, unfortunately.

Families across the province are watching those numbers very closely, wondering if their school is going to be next, worried how they’re going to get time off work to wait in a day-long testing line. Speaker, parent to parent, I need the Premier to understand that the only thing worse than dealing with this uncertainty is knowing how hard it’s going to be on our kids when they are forced out of schools again because this government failed them.

Mr. Speaker, will the Premier look at what’s happening on the ground, stop making these excuses and bring forward a second wave plan that’s going to keep us at a 15 cap for our schools and for our children?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: The Premier has been clear, as well as the Deputy Premier, that the government is increasing testing capacity province-wide, moving from 25,000 to 35,000 to 40,000 and upwards of 50,000. I know that the Deputy Premier will be unveiling further plans to expand beyond that.

Mr. Speaker, we have expanded through pharmacies: an additional 60 pharmacies available as of tomorrow for asymptomatic testing. We are expanding capacity, including in our labs—within our schools. We benefit from the single-largest investment in flu vaccination—700,000 more ordered, $70 million provided to buy more vaccinations—that I know our young people will benefit from.

Obviously, in the context of our schools, we’re working very closely with the Chief Medical Officer of Health to ensure those classroom numbers stay low, that the additional layers of prevention are in place, and that we continue to follow the public health advice as we respond to COVID-19.

Health care

Mr. Michael Coteau: My question is to the Premier. Leaked documents obtained by the CBC show that this government presented a last-minute plan that includes sneaking private health care into Ontario, specifically around surgeries being performed by the private sector. Can the Premier tell this House what exactly this means and who actually made this recommendation?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: I will repeat once again that the draft that was obtained by the CBC was a draft. It has changed during that time. It addresses many of the issues that you have raised, but the issue with respect to dealing with the several hundred thousand procedures and surgeries that were delayed as a result of wave 1 are now being dealt with.

People have waited long enough. They’ve already waited months to have orthopaedic surgeries. They have waited for cancer surgeries, for cardiac surgeries. They shouldn’t have to wait any longer. Our public hospitals are doing a wonderful job. They are working under very, very stressful circumstances. They are doing their best.

We are taking a regional approach to dealing with some of those surgeries and procedures, but a time like this, during the course of an epidemic—we are in wave 2—at this point, we are seeing our case numbers rise, but we still need to complete those surgeries and procedures. If some of our independent health facilities have that ability to help us, they should be doing that. We aren’t creating any more of them. They have always been there. They have always—

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

The supplementary question.

Mr. Michael Coteau: There is no secret about this government’s agenda. It has been known in the past that the Minister of Long-Term Care has advocated for the privatization of the health care system here in Ontario, but to use the pandemic as way to push privatization here in Ontario is a new low even for this government.

Earlier this week, we found out that 100 public sector nurses were laid off in the Minister of Health’s own riding. How could the government lay off nurses when we have a crisis in long-term care; we have a crisis in public education, where cases are increasing; we have a crisis in testing, where we’re seeing people wait days to get tests and in lines for eight hours? How can they actually push privatization and fire nurses during this pandemic?

We’ve seen the report, and it’s starting to connect the dots. Mr. Speaker, as we enter a second wave in this pandemic, can the Premier confirm to this House that not one single health care worker will be fired during the pandemic?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock. The government side has to come to order. Start the clock.

Minister of Health to reply.

Hon. Christine Elliott: I would say to the member opposite, through you, Mr. Speaker, that that is an absolutely ridiculous assertion. That is absolutely incorrect. We believe in our public health care system. That is what we’re trying to transform.

Before the pandemic hit us, we brought forward our plan to transform Ontario health care, the creation of Ontario Health. If we had not created Ontario Health, can you imagine getting 14 LHINs to agree to a plan? We would be in a terrible—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I apologize to the Minister for Health. The member for Don Valley East has to come to order.

Minister of Health.

Hon. Christine Elliott: Thank you, Speaker.

We are in the midst of transforming our public health care system to make it responsive to the needs of patients across the province, and to integrate care to make sure that people are receiving the care they need wherever they are: whether they’re in hospital, whether they’re in long-term care or whether they’re receiving home and community care. We are committed to public health care—nothing private—but there are some private health facilities that have already existed in our system for many, many years through previous governments going—

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

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I will ask both sides of the House to come to order.

The next question.

Justice system

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: COVID-19 has impacted the systems and the services that Ontarians rely on day in and day out. Some of these impacts are seen by Ontarians in the way that we work, shop and eat. Others are less obvious and perhaps only noticed when they are not there when we look for them. Our justice system, which is one of the cornerstones of our life here in Ontario, is one that Ontarians may not always encounter, but when they do, they expect it to be there for them.

On Tuesday, Ontario’s justice partners marked the annual opening of the courts, and with it was an opportunity to reflect on the justice system, on what they have learned in the past year and the opportunities that can be improved upon in the justice system in the year ahead.

My question to the Attorney General is if he could tell the House and the people across this province what our government is doing to ensure that our justice system remains strong during COVID-19 and beyond.

Hon. Doug Downey: I want to thank the member for Niagara West for this question and for all his potential and ongoing input in so many practical areas.

This is an important issue for Ontarians. It impacts all Ontarians. The people in the province need to know the justice system will be there when they need it the most. They need to be able to access it.

Earlier this week I had the privilege of attending the opening of the courts virtually with three Chief Justices of our province, who are tremendous justice partners. The message I want delivered and the message I want all Ontarians to hear is that we are, in fact, delivering and ensuring that the justice system remains functional during COVID through the rapid implementation of online, remote and in-person matters. And, yes, we will continue to build on this success to drive change that will improve the lives for all those who need to access the justice system.

Over the course of the summer, we introduced several important initiatives to establish new and innovative ways of offering justice services remotely, in-person and online. There are more than 400 new filings online. We have access to data online that wasn’t there before. We’ve modernized estates and wills. I will have more to say in my supplementary.

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

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: My thanks to the Attorney General for his response and for providing Ontarians with the assurance that the justice system in Ontario is here for Ontarians when they need it.

It’s encouraging to hear that these modernization efforts were able to be implemented in short order. I know one of the things that I’ve heard is that the amount of work that has been done in the last six months normally would take six years, and I want to thank the minister for his advocacy on that.

Ontarians need to know that the strides that have been made this summer will not go by the wayside as we continue on our path to recovery here in Ontario. They need to know that they have a government that understands and is listening.

Could the Attorney General please explain what the government is doing to ensure that these modernizations are sustained as we move forward?

Hon. Doug Downey: In fact, we are transforming the system; we’re not just automating the system. We are moving the system forward decades in a matter of months. Our government has shown that we have the vision to bring forward practical changes to the justice system. The changes we have introduced will have impacts well beyond the crisis.

Over the summer, we brought in Thomson Reuters CaseLines digital document submission. It’s a sharing and e-filing system that will make it better for people in remote or in-person matters; this has been called for by the profession and by the public for decades. We passed legislation to allow provincial offences courts to operate remotely and reduce in-person court appearances. We fast-tracked legislation to allow online notaries and commissioners. We’re building a justice system that is more responsive, more resilient and better prepared to overcome not only this challenge, but future challenges.

Initiatives like these that I’ve mentioned were previously regarded as too great to overcome, but we had a vision, we focused, we worked with our partners, and we got it done. Mr. Speaker, to the member from Don Valley East: That is how you connect the dots.

Education funding

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: My question is for the Minister of Education. Speaker, every London parent’s worst fear came true this week when a student tested positive for COVID-19 at H.B. Beal Secondary School. Parents have been sounding the alarm bell for months, demanding that this government take safety concerns in the classroom seriously. Instead, cases are going up, and parents and students are waiting hours in line to get tested, if at all.

Ontarians can’t even gather in groups larger than 10 indoors, unless it’s a school. When will this government do the right thing and cap all class sizes at 15 before we see another outbreak in London schools?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Obviously, we have worked on a plan province-wide that has been supported and endorsed by the Chief Medical Officer of Health, an additional $1.3 billion in net investment, providing school boards with the financial latitude that they need to hire more educators, reduce classroom sizes, improve ventilation and, ultimately, ensure that all of the public health advice is implemented.

In London, the public and Catholic school boards are well resourced. They are hiring more educators. They have reduced the classroom sizes below the provincial average, pre-COVID, and obviously we’ll continue to be there for them.

We recognize the risk. It continues to evolve, and the province needs to continue to really do everything we can. I think at a more macro level, increasing capacity in testing, increasing vaccination for young people and for families, these are the types of steps that are going to help reduce the risk and improve the safety of our communities and our schools.

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

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: Experts such as at SickKids and RNAO don’t support your bargain-basement plan. COVID outbreaks in our schools should be a wake-up call for this government.

Parents like Lily in my riding want to send their kids to school, but only if it’s safe. Lily’s son was supposed to start kindergarten in a class of 16 at Orchard Park Public School. Then she discovered that her son’s class collapsed into a group of 26 students. Lily told me, “Safety wasn’t prioritized. Pedagogy wasn’t prioritized. For [the] government, saving money means more than [saving] lives or [providing] the best education possible. It’s a pandemic—we can no longer live like we did prior to March.”

Speaker, why is this minister forcing pre-pandemic class sizes on kindergarteners instead of trying to keep them safe?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Mr. Speaker, 35 million additional dollars was provided to the Thames Valley District School Board, and an additional $10.6 million to the London District Catholic School Board. Quite obviously, the Premier and the government are doing everything we can to provide the investments in place to our school boards to reduce classroom sizes, to improve ventilation, to hire more custodians and cleaning staff and, obviously, to make sure buses, playgrounds and our classrooms are safe.

At each and every level in this province and in this country, we lead the nation by any measurement, with more than twice the area of expenditure than the British Columbia New Democrats. We’re doing that because we understand the risk. We’ll do everything we can in our province, communities and, most especially, our schools to reduce the risk and keep all students safe in Ontario.

Long-term care

Mr. Mike Schreiner: My question is for the Minister of Long-Term Care. Back on May 28, the Premier promised that we are now working to prepare our long-term-care homes and that we will spare no expense.

Earlier in question period, the minister said there was a stabilization happening in long-term care. But front-line workers and health care leaders are saying that nothing has changed, and they’re on the brink of another disaster. As of yesterday, there were outbreaks in 31 long-term-care homes.

Speaker, we all knew months ago about the staffing shortages in long-term care. So can the minister please tell this House and the people of Ontario how many new PSWs and registered nurses were hired over the summer for our long-term-care homes?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you to the member opposite for the question. As I said, next week, you will be hearing our comprehensive plan that addresses stabilization in our long-term care, including staffing, including IPAC, including PPE. All of these efforts have been ongoing.

In terms of our homes, the staffing supports are there. We are not only looking at increasing PSWs from a number of sources, but we are also looking at using—and are using right now—paramedics to support our homes in need.

And to your comment about the outbreaks, I want to remind everyone that an outbreak in long-term care means one resident or one staff member, and in the case of the staff member, that person is isolating at home. So the majority, 604 of our homes, have absolutely no resident cases.

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

Mr. Mike Schreiner: It breaks my heart, actually, that the minister can’t tell us how many new PSWs or registered nurses were hired over the summer. We all knew there was a staffing shortage. Heck, there was a report that said there was a staffing shortage. We knew a second wave was coming. We knew that our elders were the most vulnerable in long-term care. And now that we are in a second wave, to say that sometime maybe next week there might be some sort of plan released just isn’t good enough.

Speaker, through you, I ask the minister why the government didn’t hire additional personal support workers and registered nurses in our long-term-care homes to protect our elders?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you for the question.

The reality is, you just don’t snap your fingers and make staff appear. There is a process that we have been working very hard on since the very beginning—and not only PSWs, nurses, aides. We’ve—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Ottawa South, come to order. The member for Davenport, come to order. The member for Niagara Centre, come to order. The member for Don Valley East, come to order.

The Minister of Long-Term Care to reply.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: The reality is, the neglect left by the previous government is so severe that we are requiring to use flexible emergency orders, amendments to regulations, to be able to create training capacity in our long-term-care homes, to create a pipeline and recruitment process for PSWs. The neglect of the previous government was so severe. It set the stage for the issues.

We are working extremely hard to make sure we’re using all tools, whether it’s PSWs, nurses, IPAC, paramedics, aides, and creating that flexibility for our homes. We will continue to do that despite the crises that were left by the—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I am about to move to warnings because of the repeated interjections from a small number of members. Come to order.

The next question.

Red tape reduction

Mrs. Daisy Wai: My question is for the minister of small business.

Many business owners I have spoken to in my community are facing significant challenges because of COVID-19. One of the biggest issues businesses are facing is outdated regulations. Ontario continues to have the highest number of regulatory requirements of any jurisdiction in Canada, in addition to an overly complex regulatory environment that hinders competitiveness by driving up costs for business.

I would to like to thank the minister for coming to my riding of Richmond Hill, sharing at round tables, talking to businesses and explaining and sharing to them the situation—how to help them.

Can you now tell the House how the government is taking action to make regulations better for people and businesses as they work towards recovery?

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: Thank you to the member from Richmond Hill, and especially for her leadership in her community during this very tough time.

During this pandemic, we have completed many round tables and heard from many small business owners on the unique challenges that have been created by COVID-19. On April 28, in response to many of these conversations, we launched the COVID-19: Tackling the Barriers Web portal. This gave businesses the opportunity to pitch the government on temporary rule or process changes to help them get through this pandemic.

After receiving over 1,300 submissions and hosting over 90 round tables, we have implemented over 50 temporary changes and are investigating another 400. Some of these changes include enabling trucks to deliver 24/7 to areas across this province to keep our shelves stocked, and allowing municipalities to quickly pass temporary bylaws for the creation and extension of patios.

We will continue to remain committed to supporting businesses throughout.

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

Mrs. Daisy Wai: Thank you very much, Minister. This is good news for small businesses.

We know that because of the pandemic, small businesses continue to face many hurdles as they try to recover. Ontario still has too many regulations that are ineffective and outdated.

Can you please tell the House how our plan can allow Ontario and its businesses to have a more competitive advantage when it comes to unnecessary regulations so businesses and people can recover?

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: Thank you for that question. Making Ontario more competitive by having a more efficient regulatory environment is a key priority of this government, something we have been focused on since being elected. We agree that less time on unnecessary regulations will free up Ontario businesses to focus on what is most important: recovering and re-emerging stronger than ever before.

That is why we passed a made-in-Ontario plan for growth, renewal and economic recovery, one that is focused on modernizing rules, digitizing government, and further tackling the barriers that COVID-19 has created.

Underpinning these changes to how Ontario does business is our commitment to seven modernization principles for government to consider before making decisions, one of the most important being digitizing. We’re going to continue to work hard to address these—

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

The next question.

COVID-19 response

Ms. Jill Andrew: Speaker, to the Premier: This week is Gender Equality Week across Canada. I cannot think of a better time to remind this Conservative government that their broken COVID-19 policies have a disproportionate impact on the lives of women and their families. It is long overdue that they develop and implement an intersectional gender equity strategy, as I proposed last year.

Rachel is my constituent. She is seven and a half months pregnant and is the mother of two elementary school children. She had to wait five-plus hours to receive testing for her daughter at the Etobicoke General Hospital drive-through. Yes, you heard me correctly, Speaker: Etobicoke. In fact, she had to go twice, as she went beforehand and had to wait hours for her son’s testing. Premier, the long wait time for testing—and for results—has mentally exhausted Rachel.

Also notably missing at the testing centres were enough public washrooms. There was one porta-potty for the endless lineup.

Premier, will you commit today to creating public testing centres in Toronto–St. Paul’s, with extended hours, adequate staffing and public health resources so pregnant mothers like Rachel, with two kids strapped on her hip, don’t have to travel cross-country to get a COVID test and fast results?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: We are already taking steps to expand testing centres and capacity across the system. We have reached, last weekend, over 40,000 tests that we were able to do in one day. We are rapidly getting to the point where we will be able to process over 50,000 tests in one day, and we’ll continue from there.

Many of the assessment centres have already expanded their hours of service. We have also created some mobile pop-up centres to take some of the pressure away from some of the assessment centres. We have 148 of them across the province.

We also have other groups that are coming in to do the testing. Yesterday, we made an announcement in Huntsville that, as of Friday, there will be 60 pharmacies that will be available to test asymptomatic residents, and we’re going to continue to expand that.

We have been ramping up since the beginning of COVID-19, and we will continue to do that to alleviate the strain on the assessment centres.

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

Ms. Jill Andrew: If I suspect that I have COVID-19, I don’t think it’s smart for me to walk into a pharmacy where I could infect others, but that’s just me.

Many in St. Paul’s are frustrated with having to travel outside of our community to get tested. I have been told by some of my constituents that they have left the line because they’re afraid of losing their jobs.

Speaker, the Premier promised all of us, the entire province, a robust COVID-19 fall preparedness plan. We’re still waiting. And while we are waiting, the COVID-19 numbers are soaring back to stage 1 numbers, and my community members have nowhere to go fast. Their Premier appears to be saying yes to COVID-19 tests for sale, but no to families who expect an