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September 27, 2023

43rd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2023-Sept-27 (PDF)

L091 - Wed 27 Sep 2023 / Mer 27 sep 2023

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Wednesday 27 September 2023 Mercredi 27 septembre 2023

Orders of the Day

Transportation for the Future Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 pour un réseau de transport orienté vers l’avenir

Wearing of ribbons

Members’ Statements

Jour des Franco-Ontariens et des Franco-Ontariennes

Health care

Events in Kitchener-Conestoga

Ontario Place

Brooke Overholt

Government’s record

Events in Flamborough–Glanbrook

Prostate cancer

150th anniversary of Burlington

Victim services

Introduction of Visitors

Question Period

Government accountability

Government accountability

Government accountability

Manufacturing sector

Land use planning

Concussions

Municipal planning

Government accountability

Health care post-secondary education

Municipal planning

Government accountability

Forest firefighting

Amateur hockey

Affaires francophones

Municipal planning

Deferred Votes

WSIB Coverage for Workers in Residential Care Facilities and Group Homes Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 sur la protection à accorder aux travailleurs dans les établissements de soins en résidence et les foyers de groupe par la Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail

Introduction of Bills

South Simcoe Developments Inc. Act, 2023

Supporting Economic Recovery and Renewal in the Niagara Region Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 visant à soutenir la reprise et le renouveau économiques dans la région de Niagara

Kids’ Online Safety and Privacy Month Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 sur le Mois de la sécurité et de la protection de la vie privée des enfants en ligne

Hillsdale Land Corp. Act, 2023

Geranium (Hillsdale) Limited Act, 2023

Statements by the Ministry and Responses

Gender Equality Week

Petitions

Labour legislation

School boards

Alzheimer’s disease

Police funding

Tenant protection

School boards

Road safety

Tenant protection

Road safety

Animal protection

Alzheimer’s disease

Orders of the Day

Transportation for the Future Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 pour un réseau de transport orienté vers l’avenir

The House met at 0900.

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

Prayers.

Orders of the Day

Transportation for the Future Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 pour un réseau de transport orienté vers l’avenir

Miss Surma moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill 131,

An Act to enact the GO Transit Station Funding Act, 2023 and to amend the City of Toronto Act, 2006 / Projet de loi 131, Loi édictant la Loi de 2023 sur le financement des stations du réseau GO et modifiant la Loi de 2006 sur la cité de Toronto.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I look to the minister to lead off the debate.

Hon. Kinga Surma: I’m happy to rise for the second reading of Bill 131, Transportation for the Future Act. I will be sharing my time today with the Associate Minister of Transportation, my former parliamentary assistant, the MPP from Scarborough.

Infrastructure plays a critical role in supporting the quality of life enjoyed by all Ontarians. It’s what makes our roads safer, our travel more convenient, and our communities healthier and more vibrant. When we build hospitals and long-term-care homes, we’re ensuring the most vulnerable people and our loved ones are taken care of. When high-speed Internet infrastructure is deployed, we’re ensuring that all communities across the province can participate and thrive in the 21st-century digital world. When a new highway or transit line is built, we’re helping hard-working residents get home to their families faster.

Our government is moving forward with the most ambitious capital plan in Ontario’s history by investing more than $184 billion over the next decade. We are making historic investments in infrastructure that will make a difference in people’s lives while creating good jobs in communities across Ontario.

Every day, our ministry is working hard to improve the lives of millions of people. But to do that, we need to build better infrastructure, faster and more efficiently, while saving taxpayers money. That includes a well-functioning transit system that is critical for those who rely on it every single day, whether they’re travelling to work or school, visiting family or friends, or making their way to a medical appointment.

Now, more than ever, our province continues to grow at an unprecedented rate. There is an urgent need to build better transit for the future. We have much work to do, and we cannot delay. We know that we face challenges that, if left unchecked, will lead to much more significant problems down the road.

We know that our province, like many areas across the country, is facing a housing crisis. We also know that we’re experiencing the fastest population growth in years. Therefore, we need the necessary infrastructure to support this growth. We need to deliver a transit system that meets the challenges of today, while preparing for the needs of tomorrow. And we need new tools that will help fund and deliver new transit stations, while expediting transit-connected housing to meet our goal of building at least 1.5 million new homes by 2031.

That’s why, today, we are introducing the Transportation for the Future Act, 2023, that, if passed, would build more GO transit stations, spur more housing and create mixed-use communities around transit, resulting in a more convenient commute across the greater Golden Horseshoe. Speaker, before getting into the legislation, I’d like to talk briefly about why this is so important.

We have over 500 kilometres of GO rail service. As we expand service with OnCorr, we also have an opportunity to build new stations. These transit-oriented communities will bring more housing, jobs, retail and public amenities close to transit. People’s day-to-day lives are getting busier. Between work, family and other responsibilities, they not only want convenience; they need it. TOCs create places that are more livable and walkable.

By building transit where people live and work, we are increasing ridership, reducing gridlock, stimulating economic growth, increasing housing supply, and lowering the cost of building infrastructure for taxpayers. And we’ve made excellent progress. Work is already under way to deliver eight TOCs along the new Ontario Line and Yonge North subway extension, which will create approximately 77,000 jobs and about 48,000 residential units, including affordable housing. We are also creating new housing and mixed-use communities around GO stations within the greater Golden Horseshoe.

Through TOCs, we are taking a bold and innovative approach to city building. To support the delivery of GO expansion, several years ago, the province, through Metrolinx, introduced a market-driven strategy to help build new stations and improve existing GO stations. That meant new stations would be delivered by the private sector, where financially feasible. While that strategy has worked well and transit-oriented communities are being built, this approach typically relies on one single landowner or building partner, and it could mean years before a new station is actually built.

Our proposed legislation would, if passed, create a station contribution fee as an innovative new tool that municipalities can use to help spur the construction of new GO transit stations, leading to accelerated transit expansion and vibrant, complete mixed-use communities with much-needed housing. If adopted, it would allow municipalities to recover costs from funding the design and construction of new GO transit stations.

The station contribution fee would be charged on new developments within areas surrounding these new GO stations identified by municipalities, with revenue collected over time, as transit-oriented communities are built around them. The municipality would only collect the fee until the full station costs are recovered. Municipalities proposing to use this tool would be expected to show a reduction in other development costs to help offset the fee. To give an example, municipalities could reduce parking requirements, which is a huge development-related expense.

Such a reduction would be made possible because of the introduction of new transit, which would reduce the reliance on single-occupancy vehicles and the number of required parking spaces. Therefore, municipalities, builders and Metrolinx will have to work together to keep costs down. Together, we will build more stations, housing, and improve access for riders. Also, it is important to note that this would be an optional tool that could only be used in places where the province has determined a new GO station is warranted.

We have consulted with a number of municipalities, and they have indicated their support for such a tool to help them expedite transit expansion in their jurisdictions.

If passed, our proposed legislation would help municipalities take an active role in transit expansion and delivery, while serving as a catalyst for unlocking new transit-oriented communities without burdening taxpayers. It would lead to more housing, local businesses, investment opportunities, reduced travel times and better connections across the province, benefiting residents and municipalities, and encouraging more housing near transit. And it means stations will be delivered sooner in many communities.

This voluntary tool could help deliver new stations along the Lakeshore East extension into Bowmanville, Lakeshore West into Niagara, and along the Milton and Kitchener lines.

This is a win-win-win for the province, municipalities and residents. It would mean that transit stations are built sooner, at little cost to the province and taxpayers. The proposal would give municipalities an additional revenue tool to bring a regional transit connection into their cities and their towns, spurring economic growth and bringing vital housing to their residents.

Meanwhile, residents and local businesses will clearly benefit from a new transit station that connects to jobs, opportunities and destinations throughout the region, as well as the increased housing options that are built around them. It means more convenience. It means fewer cars on the road and less time spent in traffic. It means getting to where you need to go faster and more conveniently, with more travel options. And it means more businesses forming in those communities, and more jobs, along with opportunities for those businesses to reach even more customers.

It will be especially beneficial for less densely populated areas that have limited or no access to regional transit, as rural and urban areas are further connected. It will help boost local economies, such as local construction and engineering businesses that benefit from the design and construction of new stations.

And with increased growth around future stations, we’re also encouraging more walkable communities, further stimulating the local business economy as more people walk by and visit shops, restaurants, cafes and local services. It will mean people can have better access to vital services in their communities and across the region, such as education and health care, while benefiting those who rely on public transit every day. And this will help more people reduce their carbon footprint.

Everyone benefits from better transit infrastructure and greater regional connections. Should municipalities choose not to use this proposed funding tool, the province will continue to work with them through a market-driven strategy to help fund and build new GO stations.

Speaker, this proposed tool would be used with the utmost transparency, as municipalities will be required to conduct a background study and also consult with the community on that study before submitting a proposal to the province. The decision will then lie with the province to approve the use of the station contribution fee for each municipality. The province would only select proposals where the municipality is in a financial position to ensure they have sufficient borrowing capacity.

When we were developing this innovative new tool, we looked to other jurisdictions to find best practices. Studies have shown how collaboration amongst government, transit agencies, municipalities, builders and others can help finance world-class transit infrastructure. Fees like our proposed station contribution fee have been part of financing strategies for successful transit expansion projects such as new stations in various countries.

In fact, the use of land value capture funding methods similar to our proposed tool is well documented. These methods have, for example, been used to fund two world-renowned transit systems.

In Hong Kong, they have a model where transit is built simultaneously with residential development by capturing real estate income to finance the capital and operating costs of new transit. This approach has been adopted to deliver several projects in the city, including Kowloon station, Tin Hau station and the Island Line.

Meanwhile, in London, UK, you’ll find a major cross-London rail link that serves the entire region called the Elizabeth line. That line was made possible through an innovative program of project financing and land value capture.

We also found other examples of development-based fees in North America that helped fund the costs of building transit infrastructure.

The city of Vancouver has a development cost levy that applies to new development projects through the amount of square footage, similar to how our proposed station contribution fee would be implemented. The funds collected through this levy are used to support various infrastructure projects, including transit.

Portland, Oregon, uses a transportation system development charge applied to new development projects. It helps fund transportation infrastructure, including transit expansion and construction of new stations.

So our proposal follows in the same tradition of best practices used around the world.

TOCs have also been successfully implemented in cities like Sydney and Washington, DC.

Speaker, it’s time that we think of innovative, creative solutions that will help reach our common goals, help build much-needed housing, and ensure our infrastructure meets the needs of today’s rapidly growing population.

Earlier this year, I had the honour of leading an infrastructure mission to Japan to continue building on our history of friendship and close economic and cultural ties. I was there to strengthen relations, share best practices and exchange ideas with key Japanese builders on building urban railways and transit-oriented communities, while also promoting Ontario as a place to invest. We met with officials from various government bodies and transit companies, including Tokyo Metropolitan Government; Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism; Osaka Prefecture; Tokyo Metro; and JR Central.

I also met with private sector leaders with extensive experience in infrastructure development. It was a wonderful opportunity to be able to exchange ideas on building key infrastructure, including urban rail and transit-oriented communities. I visited Shinjuku Station, which had well over 200 exits, surrounded and filled with shops and restaurants. I rode the Shinkansen, also known as the bullet train, visited Tokyo Station, and learned about all of the different lines for the local subway system, the regional system, and the bullet train.

As we are also building transit-oriented communities here in Ontario, it was extremely valuable to learn how jurisdictions like Tokyo developed TOCs, which created mixed-use communities around their transit stations.

Japan has the world’s most extensive railway network and one of the most reliable transit systems, with countless examples of successful and vibrant communities centred around their stations. We found that what makes their transit-oriented communities so successful was thinking outside of the box, along with the partnerships between various levels of government, transit agencies and municipalities, and the adoption of various land value capture models.

If we want a world-class transit system, now is the time for creative solutions.

This proposed tool, if adopted by municipalities, will help accelerate transit expansion all across the greater Golden Horseshoe and unlock significant housing opportunities across the region. It will help address the challenges associated with the typical market-driven approaches that require a single landowner and building partner, especially for communities outside of Toronto.

If adopted, the proposed tool would apply to all landowners and developers looking to redevelop within a specific area around a GO station, which means that the funding contribution is spread out among many interested parties instead of just one. It would also provide more certainty around the timing and the delivery of the station, and it would allow municipalities to initiate and have more control over when the station will be delivered, while encouraging them to take an active role in spurring more housing in their jurisdictions.

If a municipality funds the delivery of the station using this proposed tool, the province, through Metrolinx, would be responsible for owning, operating and maintaining it upon completion.

It’s exciting to see various levels of government and our private sector partners working together to build better transit and create vibrant mixed-use communities along our transit lines, while addressing one of the biggest issues of our time by spurring the creation of more housing. Speaker, by passing this legislation and approving the use of this new tool, we will create more GO stations and transit-oriented communities so that people can get to where they need to go faster, while reducing gridlock and encouraging economic renewal and growth.

TOCs are a forward-thinking approach to strengthening the relationship between transit, employment, housing, commercial spaces and public amenities to create vibrant and mixed-use communities.

With today’s challenges, it’s time we build a world-class transit system that looks to the future. That’s why we are taking bold steps to build integrated mixed-use communities around the subway and the existing GO rail network. This will help families and businesses better access transit and jobs in their neighbourhoods so they can better participate in our province’s economy. By bringing jobs and housing closer to transit, we’re also helping the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, resulting from fewer cars on our roads.

Our Transit-Oriented Communities Program is allowing us to leverage third-party investment to explore new funding avenues and opportunities to deliver the cost-efficient transit solutions commuters have been waiting for, and we are making terrific progress.

On the Ontario Line, we have proposed transit-oriented communities at six stations. East Harbour will be an integrated transit-centric station that will include a diverse range of commercial, residential, affordable housing, retail, food, cultural uses, and community amenities. The site will be a multimodal transit hub incorporating GO train, TTC light-rail transit and the future Ontario Line subway. It will also become the gateway to the Port Lands.

At Corktown station, the site will provide a mix of new housing opportunities and commercial, retail and public realm space, while commemorating the history of the first Parliament site. The other three transit-oriented communities along the Ontario Line south will be at Exhibition, King and Bathurst, and Queen and Spadina stations, featuring new housing, office and retail space.

Most recently, we announced a proposed transit-oriented community on the northern portion of the Ontario Line at the future Gerrard station, which will create about two acres of public space including access to retail, a grocery store and other amenities, while adding housing and jobs and a new public park. The future Gerrard station will connect users to local TTC bus, streetcar and subway service.

Interjection.

Hon. Kinga Surma: You like that one station?

Mrs. Robin Martin: I do.

Hon. Kinga Surma: Meanwhile on the Yonge North subway extension, the proposed sites at Bridge and High Tech stations would bring new housing, parkland, commercial, retail and community spaces all within a short distance of transit.

We’ll continue to work closely with the city of Toronto and York region to identify and plan additional opportunities to bring more transit-oriented communities to subway stations. More will be announced very soon.

As I mentioned earlier, we are also creating new housing and mixed-use communities around GO. For example, Ontario is already working with partners to explore a transit-oriented community at the new Woodbine GO station in Etobicoke along Highway 27. This proposed station would help residents in Etobicoke and surrounding areas connect to the GO line and get to where they need to go, while serving as a future hub for economic development and jobs, and increasing housing opportunities.

We’re also working with a builder to construct key improvements to the existing Mimico GO station, including a new, fully accessible main station building and the extension of a multi-use greenway path for pedestrians and cyclists to use to access the station. This TOC is expected to create more than 2,000 housing units, including affordable housing options, along with retail, a passenger pickup and drop-off area, and enhanced station amenities, including hundreds of new underground parking spaces and spaces for bike storage. It will transform Mimico GO station and the surrounding area, bringing more housing, office and retail right next to transit in this rapidly growing area.

Having a third party construct and deliver improved transit infrastructure reduces costs for the taxpayer, while also creating opportunities to bring more jobs and housing closer to transit.

We continue to work with Metrolinx and local municipalities to plan additional transit-oriented communities at GO rail stations throughout the greater Golden Horseshoe.

Speaker, if passed, our proposed legislation will complement these efforts by helping to build stations in communities around Ontario sooner. It will bring new transit stations right to the doorstep of where people live, work and play, creating thriving communities and providing new ways for residents to get to where they need to go. And we can’t do that without our partners. It’s clear that we can no longer build transit stations in isolation. With our historic transit expansion, we cannot waste this opportunity.

By 2041, Ontario’s population is expected to grow by 30%; the reality is, our infrastructure needs to grow with it. To meet the demands of this rapid population growth, we need to continue to build new and better infrastructure. Our province also faces increasing risks and pressures on the capacity of its infrastructure if we do not make these critical investments today to keep up with a growing population.

Together, it’s time to move things forward, to get things done, collaborating with our municipalities and those who will help us build more infrastructure. It’s time to think outside of the box, and it’s time to build for the future—a future with better transit, more housing, and more vibrant, mixed-use communities so that we build a stronger, more prosperous and more competitive Ontario now and for many years to come.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Associate Minister of Transportation.

Hon. Vijay Thanigasalam: I am honoured to rise in this House for the first time, as the Associate Minister of Transportation, to speak on Bill 1, the Transportation for the Future Act, 2023.

I would like to thank my honourable colleague Kinga Surma, the Minister of Infrastructure, for her remarks. I’m thrilled to stand by her today as Ontario’s new Associate Minister of Transportation, having served as Minister Surma’s parliamentary assistant for over a year. I am forever grateful for her guidance and support.

Thank you, Minister Surma.

Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise to speak in support of Bill 131; specifically, on how the proposed legislation sets the groundwork for making travel more convenient for transit riders in and around the Toronto region. At a fundamental level, the City of Toronto Act amendments proposed in Bill 131 are proof that our government is a collaborative government—a government that is willing to work with municipal partners to get it done for the people of Ontario.

In the spirit of collaboration, the City of Toronto Act amendments are our direct response to the city of Toronto’s request to run its transit system the way it sees fit to better serve its residents and neighbours. In sum, the proposed changes in Bill 131 provide the city of Toronto with the tools to better integrate transit services with other regional transit networks by allowing the TTC to enter into cross-boundary service agreements with neighbouring transit agencies.

Speaker, this is great news for commuters, who, at the end of the day, don’t care about what colour bus they are getting on. They only care about getting from point A to point B safely, quickly and affordably.

Working in close collaboration with our municipal partners for the benefit of transit riders around the greater Golden Horseshoe is something our government, I’m proud to say, is making a habit of doing, whether that be in terms of improving existing service or building for the future. In regard to the former, our government is making transit more convenient and easier to use by offering riders more ways to pay.

Following the successful rollout of credit payments on GO transit and most local transit agencies across the 905 between September 2022 and early 2023, in May of this year we launched debit payment across much of the Presto system, including GO transit, UP Express, Brampton Transit, Burlington Transit, Durham Region Transit, Hamilton Street Railway, MiWay in Mississauga, Oakville Transit and York Region Transit, allowing riders to get on board with just a tap of their debit card, including debit cards stored on their smart phones or smart watch.

This upgrade marked another milestone for the Presto system, giving transit riders yet another convenient payment option when travelling for work, school and more, and demonstrating our government’s commitment to making the transit experience easier for Ontarians, no matter where they live.

The launch of credit and debit payment on GO and local transit agencies around the 905 served as another example of our government making transit more convenient. By increasing transit payment options, we gave more people more options to access public transit in ways that work for them.

We didn’t stop there. Last month, we made it even easier and more convenient for commuters in Toronto to take the TTC. Since August 15, TTC riders have been able to use their credit or debit card—including cards, as I said, stored on their smart phones or smart watches—to pay their fares. This is a game-changer for anyone who uses the TTC, and it has made life more convenient for people across the GTA area, once again proving that our government’s efforts, working in tandem with partners like the city of Toronto, are actually paying off.

Whether Ontarians are travelling for work, for appointments or anything in between, the transit experience should be safe, fast and as convenient as possible. Adding the option to tap a debit or credit card on Presto devices across the TTC gives riders more choices in how they pay their fares as they travel throughout the region. More choice is not only what Ontarians need; it’s what they deserve. And that’s exactly what we will continue to deliver.

Since our government took office, we have worked with municipal partners to make it easier for transit riders to get from point A to point B. We are continuing to do that by improving Presto services and introducing new and innovative payment options that make fare payments faster and more convenient than ever before.

In addition to making public transit more convenient, we’ve also made it more affordable. By working together with municipalities and transit partners, we have eliminated double fares on transit throughout much of the greater Golden Horseshoe. That means when you transfer from, for example, a Mississauga MiWay bus to a GO transit train, you only pay the GO fare.

Our government’s introduction of one-fare transit travel has been a game-changer for commuters around the 905, saving riders hundreds—in some cases, thousands—of dollars, leaving more money in families’ pockets at a time they need it the most. For example, a Mississauga resident who commutes five days a week using MiWay and GO Transit can now save $1,600 a year on their transit expenses. That’s a game-changer savings for riders. Imagine having an extra $1,600 or more each year to pay for your family expenses, save for a trip, or invest for the future of your kids.

Thanks to the work done by former Associate Ministers of Transportation Miss Kinga Surma and Mr. Stan Cho, in collaboration with our ministry partners and transit partners, these savings are now a reality for many Ontarians in the greater Golden Horseshoe. Because of their efforts and those of our municipal partners, today GO Transit riders pay only one fare when connecting to Barrie Transit, Bradford West Gwillimbury Transit, Brampton Transit, Burlington Transit, Durham transit, Grand River Transit, Guelph Transit, Hamilton Street Railway, MiWay, Milton Transit, Oakville Transit and York Region Transit.

That’s a lot of transit agencies that serve a lot of riders.

I’m happy to report that for riders right here in the city of Toronto—

Mr. John Yakabuski: The NDP obviously are going to support this.

Hon. Vijay Thanigasalam: Absolutely.

Madam Speaker, right now, one-fare transit travel is coming soon to the city of Toronto. As with the introduction of open payment, we have taken a measured, phased approach to the elimination of double fares, starting with the local agencies outlined above and working our way up to the TTC, North America’s third-largest transit agency. Over the coming months, because of the great work done by the former Associate Minister of Transportation, our government, Metrolinx, the TTC and the connecting agencies in the 905 will continue to perform design and assessment work so that our collective systems are aligned for fare integration.

By early 2024, Toronto riders can expect one-fare transit travel. And do you know what, Madam Speaker? Our government is fully funding this initiative. To be clear: What this means for riders is that when connecting to the TTC from anywhere in the GTA, you will no longer have to pay double fare or triple fare; you will only pay one fare. Eliminating double fares for commuters in the city will save riders considerable money every year, helping families combat the affordability crisis that they’re facing right now, save for a rainy day, and relieve just a bit of that stress that so many people are feeling now.

Cutting costs for commuters is important to our government. That is why we didn’t just create one-fare transit travel for much of the greater Golden Horseshoe; we went further. In March 2022, we also increased Presto discounts for youth and post-secondary students. These riders now enjoy a 40% discount compared to a full adult fare. This applies to youth and anyone enrolled in post-secondary education who rides on GO Transit or takes the UP Express.

We also launched an affordability pilot program for low-income riders accessing GO Transit in the Peel region. Today, adult riders who enrol in Peel region’s affordable transit program are reimbursed 50% of their Presto fare when they travel on GO Transit. This has tremendous benefits for low-income residents of Peel region. We look forward to rolling out our affordability pilot to other cities soon.

Just last month, we reduced the cost of a physical Presto card from $6 to $4, cutting the price commuters pay to access the Presto program by one third.

All these initiatives have made life more affordable for Ontarians and have helped get people from point A to point B with less stress and less hassle.

Moving forward, we will continue to work in lockstep with our municipal partners to make public transit as affordable and as convenient as possible. That’s why we have created a Fare and Service Integration Provincial-Municipal Table made up of senior representatives from transit systems in the greater Golden Horseshoe and along the GO Transit rail network.

The table is focused on short-term building blocks that are needed to improve fare and service integration while developing a long-term vision that will see riders throughout the greater Golden Horseshoe transition seamlessly from one transit provider to another transit provider. Currently, the table consists of senior representatives from transit agencies in Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Guelph, Hamilton, Mississauga, Toronto, Durham region, Niagara region, Waterloo, York region, Peel region, Oakville and Milton.

As we continue to make progress on fare and service integration, engaging with our municipal partners and engaging with transit systems will be critical, especially as our population continues to grow at a rapid pace.

To make up for reduced gas sales during the pandemic, we provided an additional $80 million to municipalities to ensure they could continue supporting their transit systems as riders began to increase. Throughout Ontario, 144 communities across 107 municipalities benefited from this funding, which helped them deliver reliable service to riders at a time when ridership was booming after two years of slowdown. This was just one example of our commitment to working in co-operation and collaboration with municipalities across the province to improve public transit.

But our government’s stellar work to improve public transit doesn’t stop there. Not only are we improving the existing transit experience today, but we are building the necessary transit infrastructure for the future. In recent years, we have made historic investments in public transit across the province of Ontario. We have done this in collaboration and co-operation with our municipal partners, working together to get Ontarians, as I said, from point A to point B quickly and safely. And by doing that, we are keeping our economy growing.

Ontario’s population continues to grow at a rapid pace. Every year we are welcoming more than 500,000 new Canadians to Canada, who mostly settle in Ontario, in the GTA. These new Canadians are eager to contribute to our thriving economy and are proud to call Ontario home, but they can’t get ahead if they’re stuck in gridlock. Whether you’re new to the province or you have lived here all your life, you should be able to get to where you’re going safely and quickly.

Our government is committed to making sure that happens, and that is why we’re investing more than $70 billion over the next 10 years to transform public transit infrastructure throughout the province. Public transit is a key driver of economic growth in Ontario, helping connect people to their destinations, whether they’re going to school, going to appointments, going to work or running errands.

Our government is committed to working with our municipal partners, providing them with the funding they need to accommodate growing ridership on public transit, and this funding helps our municipal partners to continue to deliver a safe and reliable transit network for people in their communities, benefiting Ontarians across the province, improving their quality of life, and helping them contribute to our economy.

Madam Speaker, last year our government achieved several milestones en route to completing the largest transit expansion of its kind in Canadian history, including breaking ground on the Ontario Line.

The Ontario Line will add 15 kilometres of new subway track to the city of Toronto’s transit system. Once complete, the new line will have a total of 15 stations delivering up to 40 trains per hour, with wait times as short as 90 seconds, and add six interchange stations connecting to existing transit lines. It will reduce crowding by as much as 15% at some of the TTC’s busiest stations, including—

Mr. John Yakabuski: The NDP votes against this? Wow.

Hon. Vijay Thanigasalam: Absolutely.

The busiest stations that we’re going to connect are going to be Union station, Bloor-Yonge station and Eglinton station. This historic investment in Toronto’s transit system will reduce gridlock and get commuters from point A to point B safely and quickly and give more people access to rapid transit within walking distance of their homes, accommodating up to 388,000 riders per day. The progress we have made to date wouldn’t be possible without working in collaboration and co-operation with our partners at the city of Toronto.

Construction for the Ontario Line is currently under way at Exhibition station, at the site of the future Corktown and Moss Park stations, and in the joint rail corridor east of the Don River. Contracts have been awarded for the southern portion of the line, which will include four new underground stations, two new underground stations that will connect to existing subway stations, and one above-ground station that will integrate with the Exhibition GO station.

In April, our government reached another milestone in our plan to deliver fast, reliable transit for the greater Toronto area. We began issuing requests for proposals to design and build the Pape tunnel, underground stations, and the elevated guideway and stations for the Ontario Line. The contract for the Pape tunnel and underground stations will deliver three kilometres of twin tunnels and two new stations, one at Cosburn Avenue, another at Pape Avenue, where the all-new Ontario Line will connect to the subway’s existing Line 2.

The contract will also include the construction of two new portals where the Ontario Line will transition between above-ground and underground operations, and the contract of the elevated guideway and stations includes a three-kilometre elevated guideway, emergency exit buildings and five above-ground stations, two within Metrolinx’s existing rail corridor and three along the elevated guideway on the northern part of the route. This is important progress on the Ontario Line, on this monumental project—again, progress that would not have been possible without working in close collaboration with our partners.

Speaker, building our province through critical public transit projects such as the Ontario Line is vital to supporting our economy, alleviating the gridlock on our roads, and creating thousands of well-paying local jobs. The Ontario Line alone will support 4,700 jobs annually during construction over the next decade. It will reduce commute times and connect more people to housing across the greater Golden Horseshoe and beyond.

We are making it faster and easier for everyone to access reliable transit in their own neighbourhoods by improving connections to other subway, bus, streetcar, light rail transit and regional rail services. And we’re working with municipal partners in Toronto and surrounding regions to make sure this important work gets done quickly.

Madam Speaker, our government recognizes how important it is to build transit that will connect communities and create new travel options for people across the greater Toronto area. Another milestone initiative that will help us achieve that goal is the Yonge North subway extension, which will extend the TTC’s Line 1 subway by approximately eight kilometres up into Richmond Hill. The extension will include an approximately 6.3-kilometre tunnelled segment, as well as an above-ground segment that will run along the existing rail corridor on the northern

section of the route.

Once complete, the Yonge North subway extension will connect with local transit services and GO transit, improving access to public transit for area residents; reducing travel time for the residents; contributing to our economy by creating jobs and connecting Ontarians to employment opportunities; and reducing gridlock and gas emissions. Once complete, this vital piece of infrastructure will accommodate more than 90,000 daily trips and bring faster transit to more communities across York region and Toronto.

The Yonge North subway expansion will put 26,000 more people within a 10-minute walk of transit and is expected to reduce daily travel times for commuters by up to 22 minutes. The extension will create thousands of jobs during construction and generate over $3.6-billion worth of total economic benefits to help stimulate the economy, and it is a key part of our plan to deliver vibrant, complex and mixed-use communities around transit stations for the people of Toronto and York region.

Earlier this spring, we got one step closer to breaking ground on the Yonge North subway extension. In April, the province issued a request for qualifications for the extension’s advance tunnel contract. This marked another significant milestone in our plan to reduce gridlock, connect people to jobs and make travel between York region and Toronto faster and easier. The advance tunnel contract focuses on designing the tunnels and building the launch and extraction shafts that will be used for the tunnel-boring machines, and that contract also includes the design and construction of headwalls for stations and emergency exit buildings.

To deliver the new subway as quickly as possible, tunnelling will begin first, followed by a separate contract to build the stations, rail and systems. Early progress on the Yonge North subway extension is currently under way at Finch station, where workers are making upgrades to accommodate the future subway service. This is a great step forward for the Yonge North subway extension and the overall multi-billion dollar transit expansion under way across the GTA.

All said, the progress we have made to date demonstrates what we can achieve when we work together with partner agencies and municipal governments to expand transit for our residents. A project of this magnitude has far-reaching benefits for local jobs, for the economy, for the environment, and for commuters. By building critical transit like the Yonge North subway extension, we are ensuring sustainable growth for the region, providing future generations with the means to move freely and giving people access to more choices and more opportunities.

Speaker, York region is a fine example of one of our province’s rapidly growing communities. Every day, more families, businesses and commuters are moving to York region, and they’re choosing GO transit to get to their destinations. Throughout the summer, we continued to deliver on critical infrastructure upgrades for public transit systems by collaborating with our local partners in York region and investing in major infrastructure upgrades for the Aurora GO station.

By 2041, the Aurora GO station is expected to serve more than 5,000 commuters per day.

By 2055, GO rail will become one of the busiest railways in North America, with more than 200 million annual riders.

In our spirit of collaboration and co-operation with our municipal partners and transit agencies, we are living up to a promise to bring more GO Transit trips and more frequent services to communities across the entire GO network. Alongside our municipal partners, under the leadership of Premier Ford, the Ontario government is delivering a fast, frequent and reliable transit network to keep the province moving for generations to come. We do this through our continued collaboration with our municipal partners like York region and other parts of the province.

The new and improved Aurora GO station will accommodate a growing number of people who call York region home, while connecting more people to jobs and housing across the greater Golden Horseshoe.

The investments we are making today will ensure that our growing communities are well served by the public transit system for decades and for generations to come. These investments will also encourage even more people to rely on transit to get where they need to go, reducing gridlock, benefiting the environment and improving the quality of life for Ontarians throughout York region and beyond. The investments we are making today will pay dividends for years to come.

While we were busy announcing major upgrades to our GO network this summer, we were also busy completing others.

Commuters in Scarborough deserve the same access to reliable public transit as people living in downtown Toronto. And our government is making the critical investments needed to make this a reality. Just recently, on September 13, we were proud to announce the completion of major infrastructure upgrades at the Milliken and Agincourt GO stations along the Stouffville line. Enhancements at Milliken GO station include an additional track and platform, two new pedestrian tunnels, and additional vehicle and cycling lanes on Steeles Avenue.

People are getting to their destinations with greater ease. Their lives are improving. The gridlock on our roads is starting to ease. These improvements could not have come at a more crucial time. With more people choosing to call Ontario home every year, building reliable public transportation has never been so important.

There is no greater champion for public transit than our government, under Premier Ford. We have a bold vision for the future of the province—a vision which we share with municipalities across Ontario. We are working together to build a world-class, fully integrated transit network that seamlessly connects people to all of their destinations—their homes, their jobs, their schools, and their hospitals.

Ontarians want choice in how they travel on public transit, and that’s what we are giving them by offering debit card and credit card payments on our busiest transit systems, saving people time during their busy commutes and making their lives much more convenient. That’s why we are rolling out our fare integration, our service integration, across the greater Golden Horseshoe.

We are working hard to upgrade existing infrastructure and get shovels in the ground on long-overdue transit projects to tackle gridlock, boost the economy and create well-paying jobs throughout the construction. We are not afraid to do the hard work that’s needed to get transit built, and neither are our municipal partners across the province.

We could not be prouder of our many priority transit projects in the GTA area, because these historic investments in public transit are game-changers for commuters across the region, and across the surrounding regions. They’re also key to economic growth in our province. Every $1 billion we invest in public transit supports 10,000 jobs and adds another $1 billion to our GDP. The subway projects we have under way in the GTA area alone will support more than 16,000 jobs annually.

We are so proud of what we have accomplished to date, but the best is yet to come. We’ll continue to work with our municipal partners to deliver world-class transit for the people of Ontario. We look forward to working with the city of Toronto on transit fare and service integration that will benefit Ontarians for generations to come.

I hope all the members of this House on both sides support this bill to make life more affordable and convenient for the people of Ontario.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Questions?

Mr. Joel Harden: I listened to my friends in the government intently, for both of those addresses. Thank you for those this morning.

My major concern as we looked through Bill 131, when it was given to us on Monday morning of this week, is that—the women and men who work in our transit systems do really difficult jobs, and they’re very proud of the working conditions they’ve built up in those jobs over decades. They’ve contacted me this week with concerns that

schedule 1 of Bill 131 is an unnecessary intrusion into their bargaining rights; that there is an aspect of their collective bargaining agreement that allows service integration to happen between transit agencies; that the government doesn’t have to go back to this particular provision of making the contracting-out language of their collective bargaining agreements null and void, as it did under Bill 2. So my question to the minister and to the parliamentary assistant is, are you prepared, this week, to work with those transit partners who could help you get to where you want to go without going down that road?

Hon. Kinga Surma: Thank you to the member for the question. It is a fair one.

I think that all of us in this House deeply express our gratitude to the front-line workers, the transit workers who kept transit going during one of the most difficult times. Certainly, we recognize how many sacrifices they had to make in order to make sure that nurses could get to hospital and society continued to operate.

That being said, we are mindful and respectful of collective bargaining, which is why I think the intention of this bill that’s before us is really to work with the city, to work with the TTC, in order to look for ways in which we can make transit more convenient for riders—and respectful of the collective bargaining that is occurring.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

Mr. John Yakabuski: I want to thank the minister and the associate minister, this having been his first opportunity to rise in this House and address the house as the new associate minister. Congratulations on a wonderful speech this morning.

When our government was elected in 2018 under Premier Ford, we embarked, led by Premier Ford, on a mission and a commitment to make historical investments and bring transformational change to public transportation here in the GTA, which is such an important part of our great province of Ontario. At every step along the way, we have made massive improvements—and I want to thank you for articulating in your speeches this morning just what they’ve done, because sometimes we take them for granted ourselves. We forget from time to time just how many advancements and improvements are ongoing. So I really appreciate that.

But what bothers me is, for everything we have brought forward to this province in public transportation, our friends on the opposite side vote against it. I’m asking you—maybe you understand better than me—why it is, when we are bringing forth such progress in—

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Thank you. Response?

Hon. Kinga Surma: From a member who doesn’t represent a riding in the GTA—you’re surely passionate about it, because it is extremely frustrating.

I am very proud to be part of a government that accomplished something that people didn’t believe could be done: expanding the subway system after so many years, under Minister Mulroney’s leadership, the Premier, Minister Cho’s leadership and, of course, all of the local members from Scarborough, Etobicoke and the city of Toronto who really advocated for that.

The subway expansion will improve the quality of life for people. People won’t be forced to buy a car, because they can hop on the subway. But we’re not just doing that. Madam Speaker, we’re building housing around our transit stations, as well, to provide a place for people to live, which will also include affordable housing options and other community amenities.

I want to thank the member from outside of the GTA for his passion. I really appreciate the comments.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

Mr. Peter Tabuns: I have a question for the minister. She references the transit-oriented development at Gerrard Street, in my riding. As far as I’ve been able to tell, so far there is no allocation of affordable units in those towers that are planned; the city of Toronto councillor I deal with can’t find any evidence of it. I know that in my riding people support more housing, but if they can’t afford it, if they are simply going to be locked out of it—it doesn’t really help the people who are right now stuffed into basement units, not being able to afford anything else.

So I want to know—in case that information is incorrect—how many of the units in those developments are going to be affordable, what is affordable defined as, and when will people be informed that they can buy or rent a unit in those places?

Hon. Kinga Surma: Thank you very much to the member for the question. I participated in that community consultation, and those comments are very fair.

We are actively having those discussions with the city of Toronto in terms of what quantity, number of units, may exist within that particular TOC. But keep in mind that we are building housing, we are providing for a grocery store, and we are providing for additional public realm space within that community as well. It is my understanding that city planning staff are quite satisfied with the draft planning that has occurred to date. So we will continue to work with the city of Toronto, and we will continue to keep the local community apprised.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

Mr. Mike Harris: To the Minister of Infrastructure: You touched early on in the hour leadoff this morning about some of the different experiences you’ve had when you’ve been overseas; namely, in Japan and some parts of Europe.

One thing I think we can all agree with here in Ontario—and, really, Canada, from a broader perspective—is that our rail transit is way, way behind, when you look at some of these other jurisdictions around the world.

I wonder if you could touch a little bit more on what you’ve seen in your travels, how that helps people get around a lot more efficiently, and what that will mean here in Ontario.

Hon. Kinga Surma: In my remarks, I mentioned that I led a mission to Japan in the early new year. I also want to thank the consul general of Japan, who was actually a stakeholder and a participant and a contributor to the development of the Transit-Oriented Communities Program, who provided for feedback here that I got to see when I went to Japan. Essentially, I think what’s most important is that they’re always building every single year. Their residents expect them to build.

In fact, if they are not building more subways, more regional transit and bullet trains that are almost as fast as plane, their constituents get very upset. So I think it’s really important that we take that back, in the sense that, we have to continue to build, because population growth will continue. We also can learn lessons from their Transit-Oriented Communities Program that they have.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Question?

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: My question is to the minister.

This government has a growing list of broken promises.

The Conservatives’ GO Transit pilot to London was doomed to fail from the beginning—the round trip nearly taking two times what it should, eight hours.

All morning, we’ve heard the Conservatives say GTA, GTA, GTA, completely neglecting rural partners.

On May 12, 2022, this government produced election ads promising to spend “an additional $160 million to improve the speed and frequency of GO train service between London and Toronto.” After the election, this promise was broken. GO service to London will end soon.

When will this Conservative government get out of their Toronto bubble, improve regional transit, and support rural communities in southwestern Ontario?

Hon. Kinga Surma: Perhaps the member opposite didn’t have time to read the bill in full, because actually the whole purpose of this bill is to help build new stations predominantly outside of Toronto. We’ve done this in consultation with municipalities.

I would like to thank the region of Durham, for example, which was very pleased with our latest government announcement, led by Minister Mulroney and Minister Cho, for the Lakeshore East extension—eager to build four new stations along that GO rail line, which could quite possibly bring to fruition approximately 35,000 housing units within that area.

I would just kindly say that perhaps the member opposite should take a look at the bill one more time.

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

Second reading debate deemed adjourned.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Point of order: the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

Wearing of ribbons

Hon. Neil Lumsden: Speaker, if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent to allow members to wear ribbons in recognition of September 27 being Rowan’s Law Day.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport is seeking unanimous consent of the House to allow members to wear ribbons today in recognition of Rowan’s Law. Agreed? Agreed.

Members’ Statements

Jour des Franco-Ontariens et des Franco-Ontariennes

M me Dawn Gallagher Murphy: Ce week-end dernier, le 24 septembre 2023, j’ai assisté à une cérémonie de lever du drapeau dans la ville d’Aurora à l’occasion de la journée des Franco-Ontariens et Franco-Ontariennes. J’ai été invitée à prendre la parole par Lori-Ann Seward, directrice exécutive, et Jean Bouchard, président de la Communauté du Trille blanc.

J’étais privilégiée d’observer ce magnifique drapeau vert et blanc hissé. Sa présence en tant qu’emblème officiel de l’Ontario témoigne avec élégance du fait que nos rêves, nos espoirs et nos dynamismes exceptionnels flottent avec ceux de toute notre province.

Le président de la Communauté du Trille blanc, son équipe, ainsi que les résidents de Newmarket–Aurora ont en effet déployé des efforts considérables pour mettre sur pied des renseignements pour honorer ce drapeau. Merci.

Mais c’est tout au long de l’année que les équipes de la Communauté du Trille blanc et autres leaders associatifs, comme l’AFRY, se mobilisent pour nous proposer de multiples occasions de nous rassembler, d’échanger et de célébrer notre francophonie.

Health care

M me France Gélinas: On Monday, the Ontario Health Coalition brought almost 10,000 people on the front lawn of our Legislature. The entire NDP caucus was present, but not one member of the Conservative Party came to hear their message. The thousands of people who came spoke with one voice. Their message to the government on behalf of millions of Ontarians is really clear: Stop privatizing our health care system. Many shared personal stories of being charged at private clinics for services that should have been free; of having to pay $200 to a nutritionist in order to get a colonoscopy or $1,000 for a lens that their ophthalmologist prefers to use but is not covered.

The Auditor General’s outpatient surgeries report’s findings are not pretty but not surprising. Her report shows private clinics overcharge, many double-bill, and there is no accountability for their actions. Yet the Premier and the Minister of Health continue to give more and more money to private clinics—clinics that poach staff from our public health care system, making the health care staffing crisis worse.

I am from the party of Tommy Douglas, the father of medicare, a program that defines us as Canadians and as Ontarians, where care is based on needs, not on ability to pay.

Ontarians are united. They want the government to stop the privatization of our health care system. We live in a democracy. I hope the government starts to listen to the people of Ontario, not just the donors who showed up at their fundraisers.

Events in Kitchener-Conestoga

Mr. Mike Harris: The leaves are starting to turn, and you can feel that chill in the air. That can only mean one thing,: It is time for fall fairs.

First, the community answered the call of “Come one, come all” for the 170th—170th, colleagues—Wellesley Township Fall Fair.

The New Hamburg Fall Fair took place earlier this month, with the theme of “Farm Gate to Dinner Plate.” Guests enjoyed midway rides, exhibitions and the ever-popular demolition derby.

Coming up, the Wellesley Apple Butter and Cheese Festival famously starts this weekend. Come on out to Wellesley and enjoy a pancake-and-sausage breakfast, and be sure to visit the new hard cider tasting, which I’m sure, Mr. Speaker, you’re very interested in.

And Oktoberfest is back. The official keg-tapping will take place on Friday, October 6 in the Willkommen Platz Biergarten. Raise a stein, grab your lederhosen, and come join me for a polka at the world’s largest Oktoberfest outside of Germany.

There is plenty to see and do across the region of Waterloo and my riding of Kitchener–Conestoga. I invite all my friends, family and colleagues to come down and enjoy.

Ontario Place

Mr. Chris Glover: Ontario Place is a scandal on the scale of the former Conservative government’s sell-off of the 407, which sentenced Ontarians to 100 years of paying unlimited tolls on what has become one of the world’s most expensive toll highways. It’s on the scale of the Liberals gas plant, Ornge and cash-for-access scandals and their privatization of Hydro One and eye exams. No wonder that Ontarians cannot afford housing, food, student debt payments and hydro bills. Successive Liberal and Conservative governments have pillaged this province and given away our public assets and services to their donors.

Ontario Place is one of the most valuable public parklands in Canada, but this Conservative government is giving it away to a private, for-profit Austrian mega-spa for free and throwing in 650 million taxpayer dollars to boot. Every Ontarian is contributing approximately $100 in tax dollars to this mega-spa company, even though most of us will never use it.

Last week, in the same week that he apologized for breaking his promise not to touch the greenbelt, Premier Ford broke his promise to respect the city’s planning process on Ontario Place. The Conservative government announced that they will begin obliterating the trees and wildlife on the West Island in defiance of the city’s planning process.

What does an apology mean if the Premier continues to break his promises? How can anybody have any trust in anything that Premier Ford says?

Brooke Overholt

Mr. Matthew Rae: I rise today to recognize the amazing achievement of a local athlete in my riding of Perth–Wellington. Brooke Overholt, hailing from the beautiful town of St. Marys, made headlines over the summer when she competed at the world track and field competitions in Budapest, Hungary. She is the first athlete from Perth country to compete on the world stage. The St. Marys athlete ran 56.20 seconds in her women’s 400-metre hurdles heat at the 2023 World Track and Field Championships, finishing just five spots back behind the qualifying run for the semifinals.

Even before competing on the world stage, she made headlines when she earned a bronze medal at WOSSAA, OFSAA regionals, OFSAA, and in 2019 she represented Canada at the under-20 Pan Am Games.

Brooke is not one to rest on her laurels. She is a true embodiment of the relentless spirit of our athletes. She now sets her sights on the greatest stage of all, the Olympics. She is working to improve her times so that she can compete for a spot on Canada’s 2024 Olympic team.

Her teammates describe her as a paragon of confidence and humility. In victory and defeat alike, she remains a class act and a shining example for athletes everywhere.

Brooke, know this: The entire community and the province of Ontario is behind you as you strive to compete at the Olympics in 2024.

Government’s record

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: On Monday, the Premier claimed Ontarians are 1,000% better now than they were when he took office in 2018.

We have an affordability crisis, a housing crisis, a health care crisis, and an environmental crisis. We have a government that’s wrapped up in scandals while Ontarians are struggling to make ends meet. The Conservative government has had five years to make things better for Ontarians, but instead they are only working to benefit their rich developer friends and donors. Life has gotten harder and harder for everyone else.

This government is solely focused on selling off and privatizing vital land and public services: the greenbelt, Ontario Place, highways, health care, and social services.

The greenbelt giveaway was never about housing. This government’s own housing task force stated that the goal to build 1.5 million homes is possible without opening up the greenbelt.

We are all elected to serve the people of this province, to make their lives better, but the Conservative government is withholding billions of dollars for health care, mental health and addiction care, social assistance, women’s shelters, and the list goes on.

We need ODSP and OW income rates at least doubled.

We need profit out of long-term care and home care so quality care comes first and seniors, our loved ones, can live with respect and dignity.

We need better, faster and more reliable public transit.

We need to respect Indigenous voices, concerns and consent.

Better is possible, and as New Democrats, we’ll continue to fight for better, because we believe in putting people over profit.

Events in Flamborough–Glanbrook

Ms. Donna Skelly: It is great to be back at Queen’s Park after the summer break, in the midst of one of the best times of the year in Flamborough–Glanbrook: fall fair season. It’s my pleasure to rise today to recognize the people who make the fall fairs such a memorable time of the year in our communities.

In the month of September, the people of Flamborough–Glanbrook enjoy both the Binbrook Fair and the Ancaster Fair.

This year was the 170th Binbrook Fair, and I’m proud to have sponsored the demolition derby for the fourth year in a row.

And as Thanksgiving is fast approaching, we are preparing for the annual Rockton World’s Fair. Since 1852, the Rockton World’s Fair has been a Thanksgiving tradition for many in not only Flamborough–Glanbrook but from surrounding areas as well.

These fairs are an opportunity for us to recognize our commitment to agriculture and to bring people together.

I encourage everyone to make your way to the Rockton World’s Fair, October 5 through October 9, to support our community and to enjoy livestock shows, live entertainment, demolition derbies, a variety of vendors, and much, much more.

Prostate cancer

Ms. Bobbi Ann Brady: I rise today to advocate on behalf of the men we love—our grandfathers, fathers, sons, brothers, nephews, all of whom should have access to OHIP-covered PSA testing. As a female, I have access to early detection tests, yet Ontario refuses to alter the current OHIP coverage for PSA testing, allegedly due to national guideline recommendations, yet eight other provinces have managed to make this change.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer amongst Canadian men, and the PSA test is an early step in early detection. This government covers a PSA test for those whose practitioner suspects prostate cancer or those who have already been diagnosed. That’s not the definition of early detection.

I was honoured to speak recently at the Ride for Dad, a charitable motorcycle ride with the mission to save men’s lives—20 years of advocacy and nearly $40 million later, and yet this government spins its wheels on the issue. On the day of the ride, we heard stories from survivors who were blessed with early detection, but also tragic stories from those who lost a loved one.

The cost to treat cancer is far greater than the $3 million projected for regular PSA testing for men over 50.

Our colleague from Niagara-on-the-Lake and Fort Erie brought this issue forward last year, and today I am joining him in the fight to do the right thing.

I want the men in my life to be around for Christmas, birthdays and summer barbecues.

150th anniversary of Burlington

Ms. Natalie Pierre: I rise today in this House to celebrate a truly remarkable milestone in Burlington’s history. This year, we celebrated Burlington’s 150th anniversary. This momentous occasion allowed me to reflect upon the rich tapestry of my community’s past.

Burlington has deep Indigenous roots that flow through the city’s history, giving way to a present community that is strong, enduring, diverse, spirited, resilient and full of culture.

This milestone is not just about looking back at the early pioneers and visionaries who laid the foundations of this great riding; it’s also a celebration of our accomplishments and a testament to how we’ve grown and how we will continue to evolve together to build a brighter future. From humble origins rooted in agriculture to the bustling commercial and cultural hub that my riding has become, the evolution continues as we forge an identity that is uniquely Burlington.

Call me biased, but Burlington is one of the best cities and ridings and is truly a wonderful place to work, raise a family and call home.

Victim services

Mr. Nolan Quinn: It is great to be back at Queen’s Park after a busy summer with my constituents in Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry.

It was recently announced that the Ontario government is investing more than $4 million in victim support grants to Ontario police services through the Victim Support Grant Program. I am pleased to share that three local police services in Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry—the Cornwall Police Service; the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry OPP detachment; and the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service—are each receiving $100,000 to support victims and survivors of intimate partner violence, domestic violence, human trafficking, and child exploitation.

Mr. Speaker, this funding is extremely important to my constituents and law enforcement officers in Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry and across the province. I’ve heard first-hand from my constituents about their concerns about abuse and violence. These stories serve as a reminder of the important work that has been started by child abuse survivor Erin Merryn, through Erin’s Law, which educates on the importance of knowing the signs of child sexual abuse and ensuring children are taught age-appropriate content to protect themselves.

One week from today, my private member’s bill, Erin’s Law, will be up for second reading, with consideration to bring an additional level of education and support to our children in schools across Ontario.

Introduction of Visitors

Hon. Jill Dunlop: This morning, I would like to welcome Jordan Falkenstein, who is the former director of government relations to the Consulate General of Israel and the current head of Canada and Australia desk public affairs at Tel Aviv University.

Welcome back to Queen’s Park, Jordan.

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: It’s my honour to introduce some visitors from Windsor and Essex county.

We have Mike Kessler, a client of the Alzheimer Society of Windsor and Essex County, as well as an incredible advocate for people living with dementia, and his caretaker, Karen Kessler.

I would also like to introduce the CEO of the Alzheimer Society of Windsor and Essex County, Sally Bennett Olczak.

I also have other guests I would like to introduce. It’s my incredible honour to welcome directly into Queen’s Park the chief of Caldwell First Nation, Chief Mary Duckworth; Larry Sault; Councillor Ian Duckworth; and Councillor Doug Heil.

Welcome to your House.

Mr. Rick Byers: Colleagues, it’s my pleasure this morning to welcome Benjamin Mubiru to the House. He has been my new EA for the last couple of months. Ben is a great fellow. He has worked in the Minister of Finance’s office.

Thank you for your great service to the people of Ontario, Ben. Welcome.

Ms. Chandra Pasma: It’s my pleasure to welcome, from the Ontario Autism Coalition, Michau van Speyk to the House this morning, along with a page from Ottawa West–Nepean, Kian Denissen. Welcome.

Ms. Donna Skelly: It is my absolute honour to mention that today’s page captain, from Brantford–Brant, is Ella Knill. And with us today in the gallery are Ella’s family: parents Alycia and Steve, brother Charlie, and grandmother Kim. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to welcome my constituency staff—Grant MacLean, Shelly Cameron, Elise Lewis and Samantha Moore—who are visiting us here today.

Mr. Anthony Leardi: We are honoured today to have a representative of the Randolph College for the Performing Arts. She’s the program coordinator for the youth dance program. She’s also a professional dancer in her own right. Her name is Carmen Leardi, and she happens to be my daughter.

Mr. Stephen Crawford: I have the pleasure to introduce some folks from Oakville here today. I’d like to welcome and recognize them here in the Legislature. We have Shawn Fang, Larry Gong, Daisy Yao, Eric Zhang, Jing Wen, and Jeff Mo.

Question Period

Government accountability

Ms. Marit Stiles: Yesterday, this government tried to bob and weave on questions of their integrity, but people still have many questions.

On September 14, 2022, the chief of staff to the housing minister, Ryan Amato, was handed brown envelopes from speculators requesting greenbelt removals at the BILD dinner. The very next day, Amato sought clarity directly from the Premier in a meeting the Premier conveniently “does not recall.” In fact, Ryan Amato texted a colleague that the Premier and his chief of staff were “very serious.” Can the Premier tell us what happened at this meeting?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the government House leader and Minister of Municipal Affairs.

Hon. Paul Calandra: I think that was addressed in the Integrity Commissioner’s report.

I think the Premier was very clear last week when he said that opening up the greenbelt was a mistake. That’s why we are introducing legislation that will not only protect the greenbelt but will ensure that it is protected for many, many, many years to come in a way that has never been done before.

Again, I draw the member’s attention to the report of the Integrity Commissioner himself—page 135, page 140, page 141, and page 142—where the Integrity Commissioner was crystal clear that the Premier’s office did not direct, nor was it responsible for, any of the lands coming out of the greenbelt.

You can’t pick and choose which parts of the Integrity Commissioner’s report you choose to believe. If you believe that the Integrity Commissioner has done a good and effective job, which I do believe, then obviously, the Leader of the Opposition should also accept those parts of the report where the Integrity Commissioner was clear that the Premier had no knowledge of what was happening with respect to the greenbelt.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, the coincidences don’t end there.

The people won’t be satisfied with responses like that because one day after that meeting, which the Premier doesn’t recall, Mr. Amato informed the Ministry of Housing that they wished to initiate a site-specific review where three priority sites were identified to be removed from the greenbelt. Two of those sites were in the packages delivered to Mr. Amato at the BILD dinner.

In just three days, this government had moved from criteria-based selection to three site-specific properties accounting for 91% of the land that this government was trying to remove from the greenbelt.

Did the Premier ever discuss site-specific removals with ministers or staff prior to October 2022?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Again, I refer the member to page 135 of the Integrity Commissioner’s report: “In fact, I have found that the Premier’s office staff were not providing such direction. The Premier’s office was kept in the dark by Mr. Amato as to the process he drove for the selection of properties to be removed from the greenbelt until very near the end before the briefing of the minister.”

On page 140: “I accept the purpose of the decision to remove lands from the greenbelt was to address the housing crisis.”

The Integrity Commissioner was very clear.

Last week, the Premier was also clear that he accepts responsibility for a policy direction that was not supported by the people of the province of Ontario. That is why we are restoring those lands to the greenbelt. That’s why we’ve added an additional 9,400 acres to the greenbelt. And that’s why, very soon, I will be coming with legislation put forward to this House that will guarantee the boundaries of the greenbelt not in regulation but in legislation.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, how can anybody believe this? The Integrity Commissioner, the Auditor General’s report—they all make it very clear that the Premier is hand-selecting chiefs of staff to ministers. He’s writing mandate letters. He has got a close interaction, and we see this repeatedly—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Government side, come to order.

Ms. Marit Stiles: There’s a record of close interaction between political staff in the Premier’s office and chiefs of staff to ministers. The Premier has had his hands in everything except this one meeting?

So I want to ask the Premier again: What happened at this meeting on September 15?

Hon. Paul Calandra: The Leader of the Opposition can’t have it both ways. She either agrees with what the Integrity Commissioner has said or she doesn’t. If she does not agree that the commissioner has done his job properly, then she should stand in her place and say that she does not have confidence in the Integrity Commissioner. On page 135 of the report, the Integrity Commissioner was very clear. I draw her attention to page 140, to page 141, to page 142. She can’t have it both ways. Either you agree with what the Integrity Commissioner has said or you don’t.

That is why we have moved forward. The Premier was very clear last week; he accepts responsibility for a decision that the people of the province of Ontario were not in support of.

That is why we are restoring those lands to the greenbelt. That is why we’re adding 9,400 acres to the greenbelt. That is why I am coming forward with legislation to codify the boundaries of the greenbelt not in regulation but in law—a protection that has never been afforded to the greenbelt before. We’re getting it done. I hope they support us in that.

Government accountability

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, Global News reported that shortly after the 2022 election, the Premier gave out his personal phone number to a packed room at the Empire Club. There were a lot of lobbyists there—a lot of lobbyists. The Premier told attendees that they could text him and that his chief of staff Patrick Sackville helps him to manage the messages and requests he receives on his personal phone.

Curiously, a request for the Premier’s phone records during the same time period that the decision to carve up the greenbelt was made returned no records—no calls, no texts.

Is the Premier using his personal phone to conduct government business to avoid freedom-of-information requests?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: Mr. Speaker, I don’t know where the member has been. In fact, the Premier gave out his phone number here in the Legislature in 2018; it wasn’t at a dinner in 2022—he might have retold everybody again. He actually stood in this place, as Premier, and gave his phone number out to everybody. It’s in Hansard; it’s on the record.

Yes, he gets lots of calls from a lot of people, and it is a shocking concept for people when they can call and get the Premier on the telephone. Many of us in caucus have been on the opposite end of this—that you have to call somebody back, because he has been at Walmart doing some shopping, and he spoke with somebody, and they want some action from a minister or from a caucus colleague. That is the difference between this Premier and that member over there. We actually listen to people.

And it is exactly that type of leadership that saw the Premier last Thursday say, “I’m listening to people. We acknowledge we made a mistake. We’re returning those lands, and we will move forward with building 1.5 million homes.”

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Just to be clear: The Premier is using his personal phone to conduct government business—on the record.

Speaker, we may not know what the Premier was texting or who he was calling at that time, because he won’t share that. But we do know that Mr. Amato was busy texting. On September 23, Mr. Amato sent a message to a fellow staffer: “I will call you in a bit. I have some clear direction ... On everything greenbelt and official plans bill. Just had an hour chat with Pat.” And then he continued—“timelines aren’t helpful but clear direction.”

Can the Premier tell us which Pat this was and what clear direction he gave to Mr. Amato?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Again, I think the Integrity Commissioner was clear on that. I’m not sure if the Leader of the Opposition has read the report—but if she does, I’ll make it easier for her. She can start on page 135, where the Integrity Commissioner said, “In fact, I have found that the Premier’s office staff were not providing such direction.” That is in the Integrity Commissioner’s report. She either accepts the report or she doesn’t.

If she has lost confidence in the Integrity Commissioner, I invite her to put a motion in front of this House saying that. If not, then she can join with us in ensuring that we put policies in place that build 1.5 million homes across the province of Ontario. In fact, she won’t be alone on that, because this is what the member for University–Rosedale said: “Some pockets of solutions I see: One is around increasing supply. We do have a housing shortage and it will require”—wait for it—“our government to provide incentives to open up land and change zoning rules in order to build more supply.”

I’m not sure what land the member for University–Rosedale was talking about. But the land that we opened up, people were not in support of, and that’s why—

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Why don’t I try to answer the question for the member opposite?

To the Integrity Commissioner, the Pat in question was Patrick Sackville, the Premier’s chief of staff. So we’ve got the Minister of Municipal Affairs’ chief of staff seemingly relaying a conversation to the Premier’s chief of staff where he received clear direction on everything greenbelt just a week after receiving an envelope at a speculator dinner.

We know civil servants had proposed a criteria-based approach for removing these lands.

Back to the Premier: Who made the call to give these speculators preferential treatment instead?

Interjections.

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

Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Again, I refer the honourable member to page 135. The Auditor General and the Integrity Commissioner outlined the fact that the Premier and his office were not giving any direction. The report itself said that that direction came from Mr. Amato. Again, if she does not have confidence in the Integrity Commissioner, she should table that motion before this House and we can deal with that.

At the same time, the Premier said last Thursday that we made a mistake, we’re putting those lands back.

He also said another thing—and this is where they can help. He also said that we will not stop in our quest to build 1.5 million homes for the people of the province of Ontario. I’m glad that we now have the support of the member for University–Rosedale to actually move on this commitment, like we are going to. I hope that the rest of the NDP caucus will follow the lead of the member for University–Rosedale and work with us as we move forward to build 1.5 million homes for all people in the province of Ontario and continue to grow our economy.

Government accountability

Ms. Catherine Fife: This question is to the Premier.

Speaker, this government is refusing accountability at every turn. Yesterday, they denied our request for a Speaker’s warrant to compel testimonies from developers we know had undue influence on government decisions. They have refused to request an investigation from the Integrity Commissioner about ministers taking trips with developers with business before this House. But don’t worry; we will get answers for the people of Ontario. But it does beg the question—it truly does—is the scandal worse than we thought?

Why is this Premier avoiding accountability at every turn?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: I guess that’s the difference between the NDP and our caucus and our team and our Premier. The Premier has responsibility to this House, but he also has a responsibility to the people of the province of Ontario, and last Thursday he showed that when he went out there, admitted that we had made a mistake in removing those greenbelt lands, and returned those lands to the greenbelt. He went a step further and ensured that the greenbelt will be protected not only in regulation but in legislation, and I will be bringing that forward.

There is also another commitment that we made to the people back in 2018, and that is to get the economy moving; that is to build more homes across the province of Ontario; that is to fix the infrastructure, to improve our education system, so that we can move forward to build a bigger, better province of Ontario. We’re turning our backs on the policies of the Liberals and the NDP, the high-interest-rate policies that have put so many people out of the market for a home. We’re not going to do that. We’re going to get the job done for all families across the province of Ontario.

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

Ms. Catherine Fife: Speaker, the people of this province deserve answers on a scandal that has lost this Premier three ministers, two senior staff, and the respect of the people of this province.

The Premier says he is very, very sorry and that the buck stops with him, but he continues to backtrack on any involvement he or his office may have had. They denied our call for a Speaker’s warrant and refused to request an investigation from the Integrity Commissioner about his minister’s trip to Vegas.

Why hasn’t the Premier requested the Integrity Commissioner’s opinion about his own minister’s conduct on the greenbelt and on the Las Vegas trip—because it tells a different story than this government is sharing with the people in this province.

Interjections.

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

The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Paul Calandra: It is very hard to take ethics advice from the only member of this Legislature who was found guilty of an ethics violation since I have been here.

Having said that, we are going to double down. Do you know what we’re going to double down on? We’re going to double down on building a bigger, better province of Ontario.

Interjections.

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

Order.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order. Both sides of the House will come to order so we can continue with questioning and so that I can hear the member who has the floor attempting to respond to the question. If it happens again, I’ll start calling you out by name.

Start the clock. The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing had the floor.

Hon. Paul Calandra: We are going to double down on making sure that we build a bigger, better province of Ontario that includes all of the people of the province of Ontario. We’re turning our backs on the Liberal and NDP agenda. We’re seeing the same agenda in Ottawa: high taxes, high spending, out-of-control debts and deficit, red tape, regulation, jobs fleeing. We’re turning our back on that, because do you know what it has led to? It has led to increased interest rates. Do you know what increased interest rates mean?

Thousands of people who could have otherwise owned a home in the province of Ontario can no longer own a home. That’s what they stand for. We stand for something different. We stand for the people of the province of Ontario and giving them the homes that they deserve.

Manufacturing sector

Ms. Laura Smith: My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Since taking office, our government has recognized the importance of building a resilient manufacturing sector. That’s why, in July, we added more manufacturing jobs to our economy than all 50 US states combined.

Interjections.

Ms. Laura Smith: Absolutely. And we’ve made sure that these jobs are being created in every region of the province.

Can the minister provide an update on some of the manufacturing investments we’ve welcomed since we last met in June?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Speaker, over the summer we were thrilled to welcome many job-creating investments across the province through our government’s various regional development programs.

Numesh announced an almost $40-million investment to build a brand new facility in Brantford. They are the largest Canadian manufacturer of welded steel and wire mesh used in concrete reinforcement. With nearly $3 million in support from our government, the new facility is creating 56 new, well-paying jobs in Brantford.

Siltech Corp., a silicone-based chemical manufacturer, announced a $100-million investment to build a new state-of-the-art facility in Fort Erie. The new facility was supported by a $5-million investment from our government. That boosts Siltech’s manufacturing capacity, and they’ve hired 50 new workers.

Speaker, these investments will strengthen our world-class manufacturing sector and create jobs for hard-working families in Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary.

Ms. Laura Smith: Thank you to the minister for his answer and the great work. It’s so positive to hear about the manufacturing jobs that are being created in places like Brantford and Fort Erie, after years of hearing about manufacturing jobs fleeing our province under the Liberals.

Our government recognizes how important the manufacturing sector is to the success of our economy, which is why manufacturing employment is now at one of the highest levels since December 2008.

Can the minister tell us and tell the House about other recent manufacturing investments?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Speaker, we welcomed a $15-million investment from Cavalier Tool and Manufacturing, a global manufacturer of molds used in several sectors, especially automotive. With $2.25 million in support from the province, this investment will help the company increase production at their Windsor facility and create 30 new jobs.

Breadsource Corp., a family-owned company that produces absolutely delicious baked goods, announced an $18-million investment to build a new baking facility in Scarborough. The new facility was supported by an almost-$3-million investment from our government. It will triple the company’s production and create many well-paying jobs.

Speaker, we are creating the conditions for job growth in every single region of the province by lowering the cost of doing business by $8 billion every year. These game-changing investments are just the beginning.

Land use planning

Ms. Jennifer K. French: My question is to the Premier. The greenbelt land along the proposed Highway 413 belongs to many of the same donors and developers the Premier’s office favoured in his greenbelt disaster. The 413 is a mess, won’t deliver any measurable benefit to drivers, is a project delivering favours, again, to developer friends, and will cost untold, undivulged billions.

Will the Premier scrap this terrible project and also return those greenbelt lands?

Hon. Doug Ford: Well, Mr. Speaker, I know the NDP and the Liberals don’t believe in building roads. They don’t believe in building highways or infrastructure of any type at all.

We’re going to continue our focus on infrastructure, building the 413, building the Bradford Bypass and Highway 7, and widening Highway 3. But guess what? I will guarantee you those same NDP members and the Liberals will be on that highway, driving on the 413 when we build the 413.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

The supplementary question?

Ms. Jennifer K. French: Again, to the Premier: The former Minister of Transportation has never come clean about the costs of the proposed 413. Ecologically, it’s a terrible idea. Financially, best estimates put it at untold billions.

The “Friends with Benefits?”

article by the Toronto Star laid it out pretty clearly: The highway is a gift to powerful, mega developers who each own land along the proposed route. The highway is for them and not for the people, but the people will be on the hook for these untold costs again.

Again, will the Premier scrap this terrible project and return those greenbelt lands?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the Minister of Transportation.

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: I want to remind the members of the opposition that the people spoke loud and clear. Thanks to many of my new colleagues in the House today—the member for Brampton East, the member for Brampton North, and the member for Brampton Centre—we put this question to the people of this province, the people of Brampton, and they resoundingly told us loud and clear to build Highway 413.

Mr. Speaker, we’ve got one of the fastest-growing populations in the entire country. The Peel region is one of the fastest-growing regions in the entire province. We need to be able to build infrastructure. If it was up to the NDP and the Liberals, we would get nothing built.

We’re going to build Highway 413. We’re going to build the Bradford Bypass. We’re going to build the Ontario Line and the Scarborough subway extension. And we won’t let these members opposite stop us from building Ontario.

Concussions

Ms. Goldie Ghamari: My question is for the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

Today, on Rowan’s Law Day, we remember and pay tribute to Rowan Stringer’s life and legacy. Rowan’s Law, introduced and championed by the great member from Nepean, Lisa MacLeod, was named for Rowan Stringer, a high school rugby player from Ottawa who tragically died in the spring of 2013 from swelling of the brain as a result of experiencing three concussions over six days while playing rugby.

I’m pleased to join the members of this assembly by wearing a purple ribbon to honour Rowan’s legacy, promote safer play in sports, and ensure that athletes and coaches have the information they need about concussion safety.

Speaker, through you: Can the minister please provide information on the measures implemented by our government to raise awareness about concussion risks, to make sports safer in Ontario?

Hon. Neil Lumsden: Thank you for the question. And I’d like to thank my colleague for all the work she does in her riding. I’m happy to support whenever I can.

Ontario is an international leader in concussion safety. Ontario is the first and only jurisdiction in Canada to pass concussion safety legislation. We’ve made important investments to support concussion awareness and prevention since 2018. Funding and other supports to the Concussion Legacy Foundation Canada, Coaches Association of Ontario, Canadian Mental Health Association, and Special Olympics—they’ve all made a massive difference in working towards safety around youth and head trauma.

We continue to work with our partners and sport organizations to increase concussion safety and awareness, which I’ll talk about a little bit more in the supplemental.

I’d also like to thank everyone in this House for their support around Rowan’s Law, our working group, who have worked for years to get this right, and, of course, my colleague from Nepean, who championed the successful passing of Rowan’s—

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

Ms. Goldie Ghamari: As noted by the minister, Rowan’s Law was passed in 2016 and has been strengthened by our government since taking office. Rowan’s Law remains a piece of groundbreaking legislation that not only honours the legacy of Rowan Stringer, but has also changed the way Ontario’s sport organizations identify and address potential concussions. Over the past five years, since Rowan’s Law was implemented, we hear that there has been a considerable increase in the awareness, prevention, detection and management of concussions.

However, we know that educational programs, protocols and codes of conduct only go so far. These must be implemented and enforced in order to create a safer culture in sport across our province.

Once again, through you, Mr. Speaker: Can the minister please provide an update on the effectiveness of Rowan’s Law in fostering a safer sport environment for all participants?

Hon. Neil Lumsden: Again, thank you for the question. One of the key words in that question was “culture.”

Our government recognizes the importance of being able to measure the effects of concussions. That is why we are partnering with select sport organizations on a pilot program to collect and report concussion data on and off the field of play—or any surface, quite frankly.

Additionally, stakeholders are telling us that Rowan’s Law is making a difference. I can tell you first-hand, at all levels, Rowan’s Law is making a difference.

I have coached in the community of Burlington and Hamilton for a number of years. Just a couple of years ago. coaches were mandated to take a course, understand concussions and awareness and then, before players in my sport of football could take the field with equipment, they had to go through a full practice with the coaches understanding getting the head out of contact. It is helping in all sports.

Ontario Cycling is doing something. Any time a rider goes down and there is contact, they examine them before they get back into play. This is really important and—

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

Municipal planning

Ms. Sandy Shaw: My question is to the Premier.

Hamilton city council and the people of Hamilton voted overwhelmingly to meet our housing targets within existing urban boundaries, but this government forced an undemocratic urban boundary expansion on Hamilton. Just as we saw with the greenbelt scandal, the ministry’s review of Hamilton’s official plan gave insiders preferential treatment. The Integrity Commissioner’s report revealed that developers were privately consulted on the urban boundary changes even before the city of Hamilton.

Instead of enriching favoured insiders, when will this Premier do the right thing and reverse the forced expansion of Hamilton’s urban boundaries?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: The member ought to know that an expansion of the urban boundaries in and of itself does not necessarily mean that housing will be built on that expansion. The city still remains in control of the process. The city will determine when homes or if homes will be built in that expanded area. The city determines if the land will be serviced and when it will be serviced. That is the reality with an expansion of the urban boundary.

It really all comes down to the same thing—over and over and over and over again, it is “no homes.” The legion of doom and gloom over there have one thing in common: Neither one of them wants to work on behalf of the people of the province of Ontario.

We are going to continue to do our job for all of the people of the province of Ontario, because people deserve to get out of their parents’ basements and live in homes. That is their dream, and we’re going to make sure that they can have that dream come to a reality.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question? The member for Ottawa West–Nepean.

Ms. Chandra Pasma: Back to the Premier: Last November, this government unilaterally added 654 hectares of land inside Ottawa’s urban boundary. According to media reports, the main beneficiaries of these urban boundary expansions are donors to the PC Party. The forced expansions included land no one had even considered for development but had been purchased a year earlier by five people who had donated thousands to the PC Party.

Does the Premier support giving preferential treatment to insiders, or will he reverse this forced urban boundary expansion?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Again, as I just said, an expansion of the urban boundary in and of itself has no impact on when homes will be built.

The city of Ottawa is still in control of that decision. The city of Ottawa will still be in control of whether those lands will be serviced. The city of Ottawa is still in control of when homes will be built in that area. That is the reality—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order. The member for Ottawa South, come to order.

Hon. Paul Calandra: I can hear the leader of the Liberal Party hollering and complaining. Of course, he’s upset, because we’re moving ahead with building homes. They failed. He was part of a failed government for 15 years. This is a guy who stood up and built, what, 611 long-term-care beds across the entire province in 15 years?

This minister has built more in your riding than you built in 15 years. That’s your record. You closed hospitals. You didn’t build—

Interjections.

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

The member for Ottawa South will come to order. The member for Brampton North will come to order. The member for Kitchener–Conestoga will come to order—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Brampton North, come to order.

I will remind members to make their comments through the Chair, not directly across the House. I will remind members that all interjections are out of order.

Start the clock. The next question.

Government accountability

Ms. Stephanie Bowman: Last December, I asked the Premier if the people who told him to pave over the greenbelt were the same people who stood to benefit. I didn’t get an answer then, but we know now, thanks to the Auditor General, that that is exactly what happened.

This government’s decision to finally accept the Auditor General’s most important recommendation—to reverse the greenbelt land swap—is a welcome decision. However, it’s not that simple. There are still lots of questions that need answers. What will happen now? Developers and companies that bought greenbelt land were expecting an $8.3-billion payday from their close relationship with this government.

My question to the Premier: Will he assure this House and the people of Ontario that not one red cent of taxpayer money will be spent to make good on their $8.3-billion payday deal with developers?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: I’ve been clear on that, as well.

I will be bringing forward legislation in this House that will do what the Liberals never did, and that is codify the boundaries of the greenbelt in legislation and not regulation, so that we don’t have what the Liberals did—going in and out 17 times under the cover of darkness and making changes. We’re not going to do that.

We also are not going to be providing any compensation with respect to any potential changes that were contemplated. The Premier said very clearly it was a policy decision that the people of the province did not support. That is why we’re returning those lands to the greenbelt, and that is why we’re adding 9,400 acres to the greenbelt as well. But there is no compensation that will be made available to any of the people who might have been building in that area.

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

Ms. Stephanie Bowman: Last week, we heard the Premier apologize that his government created “a process that moved too fast” and that he was “very, very sorry.” This apology followed the Auditor General’s report on the greenbelt which revealed, to put it mildly, a flawed process and an $8.3-billion windfall for his developer friends.

Speaker, usually “sorry” means “I will do better,” and yet the Premier’s apology has not extended to other major files that the people of Ontario are concerned about. We have Ontario Place, where this government made a 95-year deal with an Austrian mega-spa, and the names of the people who own it are not known. We have the surprise decision to move the science centre, another flawed process with no public consultation.

Speaker, my question to the Premier: Is he sorry enough about the greenbelt’s flawed process that he will open the books on Ontario Place and the science centre and assure the people of Ontario know that he has put an end to brown-envelope backroom deals?

Hon. Paul Calandra: What do all of these things have in common? She talks about Ontario Place, an asset that they allowed to be run into the ground for 15 years and got so bad that it had to be closed and we now have to fix. The science centre that never got any repairs or anything done to it and that is on its last legs because they did nothing—it had to be closed.

We’re building subways. Why? Because they couldn’t build subways. We’re building roads. Why? Because they couldn’t build roads. We’re building long-term care. Why? Because they didn’t build long-term care. We’re renewing our hospitals. Why? Because they didn’t build hospitals.

On every single matter that matters to the people of the province of Ontario, the Liberals failed. They drove away jobs. This minister is bringing it back. And do you know why? Because this Premier had a vision to restore the province of Ontario to the economic engine of the country, and 700,000 jobs and billions of dollars in investments show that it’s working. So will we turn our back on that? No. We’ll continue to move forward because that’s what—

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

Health care post-secondary education

Mr. Trevor Jones: My question is for the Minister of Colleges and Universities.

September marks the beginning of a new academic year, and our post-secondary students are already well into their studies at campuses across Ontario.

With the continuing demand for professionals in the health care human resources sector, students enrolled in health care-related programs are needed in communities across the province.

Our government has a strong track record of making meaningful investments that prepare students to enter the workforce with rewarding, good-paying jobs right here in Ontario. That’s why our government must continue to prioritize measures that support students and prepare them for careers which will strengthen our entire health care system.

Can the minister please share what actions our government is taking to prepare Ontario’s post-secondary students to enter the workforce?

Hon. Jill Dunlop: Thank you to the member for the important question. Also, I’d like to thank him for the incredible tour of his riding this summer.

I’m proud to say that because of our government’s unprecedented actions to strengthen the health care workforce through expanding education for those on the front lines, almost 2,600 students have started classes as part of the first ever Ontario Learn and Stay Grant cohort. This means that thousands of students have entered into nursing, medical lab technician and paramedicine programs in priority communities at over 20 institutions across the province, with full, upfront funding to cover the cost of tuition, books and other expenses in return for working locally and caring for the people in the region where they studied for a term of service after they graduate.

Mr. Speaker, we inherited a health care crisis thanks to the previous government, but through our work, alongside the Premier and the Minister of Health, our government is taking meaningful and concrete action to improve the health care system today.

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

Mr. Trevor Jones: Thank you to the minister for her response, her dedication to our students, and her commitment to improving our entire health care system.

Financial supports available through this grant program are a positive step in building up our workforce. However, Ontario’s health care system is in desperate need of more health care professionals to provide this essential care.

In my riding of Chatham-Kent–Leamington, my constituents are looking for connected care and services closer to home. Our government must continue to take decisive steps to educate and retain more health care workers across our province—something I heard loud and clear at my health care round tables that were also co-hosted by the amazing member from Newmarket–Aurora.

Can the minister please explain how the investments made by our government into the Learn and Stay grant program will benefit communities across Ontario?

Hon. Jill Dunlop: I am more than happy to provide the House with details on the uptake of this grant.

To the member from Chatham-Kent–Leamington: I’m proud to say that in your region of southwestern Ontario alone, there are over 1,000 confirmed students beginning their studies as nurses and medical lab technologists—students who will go on to make immediate impacts in local hospitals and health care facilities like Windsor Regional Hospital and Chatham-Kent Health Alliance.

In eastern Ontario, there are almost 800 enrolled nursing students across six institutions, like St. Lawrence and Algonquin College.

And in northern Ontario, there are over 700 students enrolled in nursing, med lab tech and paramedicine programs.

Speaker, this means that in regions ranging from Thunder Bay to Chatham-Kent to Ottawa, students are beginning to pursue critical degrees across Ontario, which will directly address the health care shortages felt in Ontario’s underserved regions, the ones that need the support the most.

These outstanding numbers speak for themselves. Students are eager to begin lifelong careers in the health care sector, and our government is supporting them every step of the way.

Municipal planning

Ms. Sarah Jama: This question is to the Premier.

Hamilton is currently exceeding its housing targets for this year despite the greenbelt fiasco. Hamilton city council and many organizations such as Environment Hamilton have been loud and clear in saying that we need both more homes in our urban centres and to preserve our farmland.

Will this government let Hamilton get on with its plan to build the new homes we need, stop creating chaos and enriching favoured speculators, and reverse the forced expansion of Hamilton’s urban boundary?

Hon. Paul Calandra: In fact, I will say that at AMO, I had a wonderful conversation with Mayor Horwath. She was very gracious, and we talked about not only, at the time, long-term care but building homes in Hamilton. She agreed that we do have to get on with the job of building homes for the people of the province of Ontario, including in Hamilton. So I am very excited to continue to work with her.

This is something that the member for Flamborough–Glanbrook has been talking about since 2018, really. Since 2018, she has been talking about the need to build homes in and around Hamilton. She has voted in favour of removing obstacles to build homes in that community. That’s what she has done. The members opposite have voted against every single one of those measures.

So I would say to the member opposite, I appreciate your support for building homes in your community. We now have the member for Hamilton Centre and we now have the member for University–Rosedale endorsing the work that we’re doing to build more homes.

I see a trend happening here, Mr. Speaker. Who knows? By the end of this week, we might actually get the entire NDP caucus on board to build more homes for the province. This has all been done in such a short period—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question? The member for Hamilton Mountain.

Miss Monique Taylor: Hamiltonians, the mayor and city council have been clear. We want you to reverse the urban boundary expansion and stop the sprawl.

Speaker, the Conservative government has no real solution to their housing crisis. We know that the greenbelt land grab was never about housing.

Hamilton has already exceeded its housing goals without touching the urban boundaries or the greenbelt lands; 134% of actual growth targets have been met within our former boundary.

Will the government respect our local autonomy and reverse their decision on our urban boundaries today?

Hon. Paul Calandra: As I said in an earlier question, the urban boundary expansion does not necessarily mean that homes will be built in that area. It is still up to the municipality to decide when or if homes will be built, when there will be servicing in that area.

But imagine this member getting up and asking a question about housing. When the Minister of the Environment was ensuring that we had clean steel being made out of communities in Hamilton and in Sault Ste. Marie, that member voted against it. When this minister and this Premier were signing big deals to return the automotive sector to Ontario and manufacturing to Ontario, that member and that party voted against it. Do you know who will be making the steel for those cars? It will be the members from Sault Ste. Marie and Hamilton—her riding that will be making the steel for those cars.

That member votes against everything. It’s not surprising to me that, unlike University–Rosedale and Hamilton Centre, that member is still not on board with building more homes.

But don’t worry; you and I will work together with those—

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

Government accountability

MPP Karen McCrimmon: My question is for the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

My fundamental belief is that the key to our democracy—indeed, the guiding principle of everything we do here—is truth and integrity. There are still too many unanswered questions about how this government allowed a small group of insiders to obtain a significant financial advantage.

Not long ago, my colleague from Beaches–East York put forward a motion to the Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy asking for a full parliamentary investigation into the dealings of the $8.3-billion greenbelt land deals. The motion called on government ministers and staff to testify before a committee and for a report to be tabled. It was an opportunity for this government to be fully transparent with Ontarians, but unfortunately, the government members defeated the motion.

Will the new minister do the right thing and allow a committee to investigate the entire truth?

Hon. Paul Calandra: First, let me welcome the member and congratulate her on her victory and thank her for her service to the country for many, many, many years as a member of the Armed Forces.

Having said that, unlike Ottawa where, for instance, on an SNC or something like that, the Prime Minister’s office directs his people on what they should do; here at the Legislative Assembly, a cabinet minister, a Premier, or other members of the executive council do not direct the work of committees. They make those decisions on their own. I would suggest to the member that that is the principle by which we will maintain ourselves here at the province of Ontario.

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

MPP Karen McCrimmon: Thank you to the honourable minister.

The government has admitted that mistakes were made, and I do appreciate that. But critical to making sure that these mistakes are not repeated and that individuals are held accountable is to thoroughly investigate everything that happened. Yes, the reports by the Auditor General and the Integrity Commissioner have helped shed some of the light on these issues, but there are still questions that are unanswered.

Ontarians deserve transparency from this government. If we really want to regain the trust of Ontarians, this government needs to hear testimony from those directly involved.

I will ask again: Will the minister allow the committee to discover what parliamentary processes and procedures were or were not followed, by whom and when, so that all Ontarians can learn the whole truth about the $8.3-billion greenbelt land deals?

Hon. Paul Calandra: I’m not going to overrule a committee. That’s not the job of the executive, and I don’t think that is the job—that parliamentarians would expect how their committees would work. We’ll let committees decide what it is they want to study and when they want to study it.

I know in the fullness of time, the report of the Auditor General will make its way to public accounts. That is the process that happens here. That will be studied, in fact, here at the Legislature. Public accounts does actually review reports of the Auditor General. They are mandated to do that work. They will do that work, regardless of whether there is a motion or not.

Forest firefighting

Mr. Dave Smith: My question is for the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry.

Over the last decade, the number of active wildland fires has increased in Ontario. Unfortunately, forest fires are unpredictable, costly and resource-intensive. These fires have devastating impacts on our communities, putting people, property and livestock in danger.

Wildfires also negatively affect economic activity and create unsafe conditions. That’s why it’s crucial for our government to continue to dedicate the necessary resources and planning measures to ensure community safety.

Can the minister please update the House on what steps our government has taken to enhance wildlands fire management?

Hon. Graydon Smith: Thank you to the member from Peterborough–Kawartha for the question. Of course, this is an issue that we take very, very, seriously.

We have the very, very, best wildland firefighters here in Ontario. We are so very proud of them and the work that they do. They are internationally recognized. I want to take a moment to say thank you for the great work that they have done through this fire season and previous fire seasons—the men and women on the ground, those who are in the air, those who are doing all the logistics and supports to supply everything that is needed to keep communities safe, keep people safe.

We continue, as a government, to make the investments that are needed—$135 million in base budgeting. That’s a 92% increase from the previous Liberal government, to make sure that our communities are safe from wildland fires.

We’ll continue to invest in the men, the women, and the equipment needed to get the job done here in Ontario every single year.

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

Mr. Dave Smith: Thank you to the minister for his response on this important issue.

This year