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March 10, 2022

42nd Parliament, 2nd Session

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Hansard Transcripts

vol. A

Hansard Transcripts

vol. B

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2022-Mar-10 vol. A (PDF)

L043A - Thu 10 Mar 2022 / Jeu 10 mar 2022

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Thursday 10 March 2022 Jeudi 10 mars 2022

Orders of the Day

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

Members’ Statements

Gasoline prices

Senior citizens

Events in Kiiwetinoong

Senior citizens

Energy rates

Economic reopening and recovery

International students

Mental health and addiction services

Dave Barrow

Insurance rates

Report, Financial Accountability Officer

House sittings

Visitors

COVID-19 deaths

Question Period

COVID-19 response

COVID-19 response

Housing

Tourism

COVID-19 response

COVID-19 response

Manufacturing jobs

Automobile insurance

COVID-19 response

Economic reopening and recovery

Public transit

Land use planning

Cancer screening

Réponse à la COVID-19 / COVID-19 response

Legislative pages

Deferred Votes

Supply Act, 2022 / Loi de crédits de 2022

Supply Act, 2022 / Loi de crédits de 2022

Business of the House

Notice of dissatisfaction

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on Social Policy

Introduction of Bills

1692783 Ontario Inc. Act, 2022

1712042 Ontario Ltd. Act, 2022

Protection from Coerced Debts Incurred in relation to Human Trafficking Act, 2022 / Loi de 2022 sur la protection contre les dettes contractées sous la contrainte dans un contexte de traite de personnes

Petitions

Optometry services

Skills training

Curriculum

Employment standards

Taxi operators

Mental health services

Affordable housing

Tenant protection

Orders of the Day

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

The House met at 0900.

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

Prayers / Prières.

Orders of the Day

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

Miss Surma moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill 93,

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

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

Hon. Kinga Surma: I’m happy to rise for the second reading of Bill 93, Getting Ontario Connected Act, 2022. I will also be sharing the government’s time with Ross Romano, Minister of Government and Consumer Services; my parliamentary assistant, the member from Brampton West; as well as the member from Sarnia–Lambton, parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Government and Consumer Services.

Today’s proposed legislation comes at a time when having access to reliable high-speed Internet is no longer an option; it is a necessity. The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the importance of high-speed Internet connectivity in our communities and to our economic resilience.

When the virus was first detected in Ontario, people had to quickly pivot online in order to access vital resources, connect with loved ones, and work and learn from home, all in order to keep themselves and those around them safe. But for too many Ontarians, that reality was an impossibility due to low-quality, unreliable Internet access, or no access at all.

Mr. Speaker, our plan ensures 100% connectivity. No one will be left behind. No one should struggle earning an income because of lack of connectivity. Families should never have to worry about educating their kids at home. And young people who miss their friends and family members should never feel isolated or alone. In today’s world, a lack of reliable high-speed Internet is detrimental not only for economic reasons but also for overall health and well-being.

Although many of us are beginning to return to the community in workplaces and schools and visiting local businesses, which I know we’re all very excited about, maintaining the strong online economy we’ve built, especially over the last two years, is critical to our province’s continued economic growth. Many of these in-person amenities have pivoted to more online service options and will continue to do so as we reopen because we have learned that online options to complement the way we do business have immense benefits.

There is no turning back in time with respect to the digital growth we have developed as a province, and we need to support how businesses and people are used to functioning now, which is more virtually than ever. We need to make sure the people of Ontario have equal access to participate and that no one gets left out.

Mr. Speaker, we have an obligation to build better infrastructure faster, strengthen our communities and lay the foundation for long-term economic growth. The people that every one of us here today represent deserve that. Our government is answering that call. We’re putting people and communities first, with the proposed Getting Ontario Connected Act, 2022.

If passed, this legislation will help build on our government’s ambitious goal to bring high-speed Internet to every single community by the end of 2025. We are supporting this ambitious endeavour with a historic investment of nearly $4 billion, the largest single investment in high-speed Internet in any province by any government in Canadian history, along with a strong plan which includes many programs and projects that are well under way.

In 2021, we launched a request for qualifications, led by Infrastructure Ontario, as part of a new competitive bidding process to connect more than 300,000 homes and businesses in unserved and underserved communities. We’ve received a lot of market participation, including from local small and medium-sized Internet service providers. I am pleased to share that the competitive procurement process is now coming to a close. I am anxiously awaiting the results and look forward to updating the public very soon. This, however, is a huge accomplishment already. We were the first jurisdiction in Canada to execute a reverse auction to connect premises to high-speed Internet.

Many of the broadband infrastructure projects in our plan depend on municipal approvals and access to data to ensure they are completed quickly. Delays and barriers in these processes can be obstacles for Internet service providers to check homes. This legislation, if passed, would further reduce duplication and delays in getting people the access to high-speed Internet they need.

In fact, this legislation, if passed, would build on the Supporting Broadband and Infrastructure Expansion Act, 2021, and the Building Broadband Faster Act, 2021, that the government introduced last April in an effort to remove those barriers. Both pieces of legislation were created to accelerate the deployment of high-speed Internet infrastructure by providing the Minister of Infrastructure with the authority to limit hurdles for provincially significant projects. It included key measures that have made an otherwise slow and tiresome process easier and more efficient.

We are doing everything we can to ensure unserved and underserved Ontarians can enjoy the online world that so many of us enjoy today.

To further support our bold commitment of 100% connectivity, in November 2021 we released a technical guideline to support the accelerated deployment of high-speed Internet. It was based on feedback from our stakeholders and new best practices with timelines for rights-of-way as well as hydro pole and underground infrastructure access. As part of this guideline, we issued a statement of intent to help provide more certainty and confidence to our high-speed Internet partners.

This statement further expressed our government’s commitment to accelerating the deployment of high-speed Internet through additional legislative, regulatory and non-legislative tools that would help pave the way for Internet service providers working with government. I’m pleased to say that today our government is taking continued action on this commitment with the proposed Getting Ontario Connected Act.

Amendments to the Building Broadband Faster Act, 2021, would set new service standards to ensure that municipalities provide timely responses to right-of-way permit applications for high-speed Internet infrastructure deployment. These standards would be 10 business days to respond to right-of-way permits for proponents with projects totalling up to 30 kilometres and 15 business days to respond to proponents with projects totalling 30 kilometres or more. It would also require municipalities and other stakeholders to share relevant data in a timely manner when requested by Internet service providers.

An online platform called Broadband One Window has been developed with our partners at Infrastructure Ontario to provide stakeholders with easy and secure access to datasets and to make the sharing of information more seamless. This will also help manage right-of-way access applications, ensuring a more efficient, streamlined process.

Internet service providers working on provincially designated projects need information on local infrastructure projects in a timely manner in order to deliver quickly. Under these new changes, organizations that own utility infrastructure near an identified high-speed Internet project would be required to provide timely access to that infrastructure data.

Together, these proposed changes are a critical

part in helping to ensure that provincial broadband projects can be built faster to provide access to all communities in Ontario by the end of 2025.

Today our government is also proposing amendments to the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, 2012. My colleagues will be providing more details on that soon.

All of these amendments would bring incredible benefits to the people of Ontario. They would support timely decision-making and save time and money. Most importantly, these amendments would bring the unserved and underserved people of Ontario the Internet and cellular access they need, faster.

Mr. Speaker, I want to take a few minutes to share a couple of stories from people who have written to me from across the province, frustrated about being left off-line for far too long. I think it’s important that we hear their stories. Their voices and experiences lay the foundation for everything we do.

A resident in Thunder Bay looking for a job wrote that he had found many good positions that he would have loved to take on, but without reliable Internet he couldn’t qualify.

In Wellington county, a couple found working from home difficult. Their Internet signal was too weak at times to even transmit a single file. On top of that, their Internet cut out during their son’s exam.

It was reported in northern Ontario that a resident along with his wife and teenaged sons had to ration how many hours they could go online, since they lived just over a kilometre away from the cut-off for unlimited Internet.

These are just a couple of unacceptable examples of why our government has taken action on this connectivity issue and set such determined timelines. The time is now. The people are counting on us.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation, with the changes that we are proposing, is important to Ontario’s communities for today and for the future. By enacting these measures, we will help to ensure everyone in this province has the access to high-speed Internet they need to succeed, connect with each other and contribute to our economic growth. The actions we take today matter.

I truly hope that the opposition will support this bill. Internet service providers will be selected to service geographic lots and the remaining homes imminently. It’s incredibly important that we have best practices and standards in place so that they can start building as early as this summer.

Mr. Speaker, the opposition constantly speaks about their challenges with connectivity in the north, so I say to them, do something about it and support this bill. Thank you.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): I see the member from Sault Ste. Marie is up. Minister, are you joining the debate at this stage?

Hon. Ross Romano: Yes, I’d love to.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): At the beginning, the minister did say she would be sharing her time.

Hon. Ross Romano: Indeed.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Indeed, so you now have the floor, sir.

Hon. Ross Romano: I appreciate the opportunity to rise in the House in order to speak to the Getting Ontario Connected Act, 2022. I will also be sharing my time on behalf of the government with our parliamentary assistant here at the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services, the member from Sarnia–Lambton and the godfather of Ontario One Call. I also want to thank Minister Surma, our Minister of Infrastructure, for her tireless work in getting this bill into the House.

Much like the rest of the critical infrastructure work that our government has been putting in place, this bill and the broadband network that it would expand would help the people of Ontario to recover from the economic effects of the pandemic, as well as help their communities get stronger as a result. This is an important bill that would not only help us get more critical infrastructure built in the province and do it faster, but would also ensure that Ontarians everywhere have the means to access high-speed Internet for them to work, learn and play. That almost deserves a round of applause, I think.

Interjections.

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: And a visit.

Hon. Ross Romano: And a visit, indeed.

Certainly, Speaker, I could tell you, I remember how ecstatic I personally was, because I live in an area where Internet is not always all that strong, so I was very, very happy to see the beginning of this.

For my ministry’s part, this bill would amend the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, 2012, to make improvements to the way that the location of underground infrastructure is obtained, and I will be speaking to that in greater detail.

First, I think there is some additional context required on setting out the need for change.

Earlier, during the bill introduction, Minister Surma said—and I might be paraphrasing her words a little bit—“Now, more than ever, everyone in Ontario needs access to reliable high-speed Internet. That is why our government made a historic investment of nearly $4 billion to connect every community with access to high-speed Internet by the end of 2025.” Speaker, I think we can all agree that this is a very ambitious and important goal, and that the pandemic has really demonstrated to us time and time again how enormously important it is for people to have access to high-speed Internet.

Maybe at one point broadband connections were only the purview of early adopters and gamers, but here, today, I will certainly not be the first to tell you that those days are long, long past.

The pandemic has shone a bright light on a number of things, and certainly one of them has been the digital divide. A large part of this is unfortunately due to broken Liberal promises of high-speed Internet access in places like my communities in northern Ontario and parts of rural Ontario. It’s hard to believe that after 15 years in power, the Liberal government of old had so little progress in this area.

The need for everyone to have access to high-speed Internet access is only going to grow. Particularly as millions have gotten more comfortable with the technology that connects us to others, that speed of change just went into overdrive.

I think a lot of us can say that at the start of the pandemic we were really challenged with dealing with a lot of the virtual elements of what was changing around us, but by the end I think a lot of us were quite comfortable with some of these new processes.

So it’s critical that every community has the chance to keep up with the pace of change and not be left in the rear-view mirror once again, like we were by the former Liberal administration, of course backed by the New Democrats 99% of the time.

People shouldn’t have to always go out on icy days to see their doctor for routine things that can be done securely from their homes.

Businesses should not have to settle for excruciatingly slow connections when they are trying to make their products and have those products get to the online marketplace.

People shouldn’t have to move away from their hometown if they’re working for an employer that has decided that remote work is the way to go.

Speaker, as you know, I come from a northern riding, and I’ve seen first-hand how many people, especially young professionals, feel that they have to move to Toronto or the area of Toronto just so that they don’t get left behind. We shouldn’t just stand by and let that happen. That is why I’m such a big supporter of this bill and so committed to having my ministry do anything we can to support it.

This is the largest single investment in high-speed Internet in any province by any government in the history of this country, and I want to say how proud I am to support the Ministry of Infrastructure in this mission. Our government is working across ministries to bring about changes that will help to get this work done so that Ontarians far and wide are able to do what they please when they please and where they please.

All across this province, there’s critical infrastructure criss-crossing under your feet, whether it’s telecom cables, gas pipelines, water mains or electrical wires. The Getting Ontario Connected Act, if passed, would in part amend the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, 2012, and make improvements to Ontario One Call. In particular, it would address immediate pressure points in getting location information for this underground infrastructure, also known as locates, that would help avoid accidents and get infrastructure in place sooner.

For example, amendments would require the use of a dedicated locator for certain excavation projects. This would allow a project owner to get all of their locate services done by one person, rather than having to wait on a different person for each utility.

Speaker, I recently went through a home construction process, and I don’t even want to begin, but it’s a very long, long process, going through a pandemic and having a construction project. Every time you need a different service, a new locate has to come out—more time, more money, more effort, more energy. That’s something that one person could do for the duration of the entire project, as opposed to all of these recurring visits.

Additionally, the locate information would be valid for an extended and standardized period of at least 60 days, to help avoid duplicative work and drive efficiencies. Duplication would also be reduced by allowing contractors working on the same dig site to share location information.

Speaker, these are all simple steps that would help us get work done faster, more easily and more efficiently, and, most importantly, it would maintain Ontario’s strict safety standards. There are more changes that are going to help this industry operate better that we look forward to discussing.

Putting more clarity around requirements for different types of locate services would make things run more smoothly. For example, a clear definition around terms like “emergency locate requests” would take the guesswork out of things and provide more clarity for the industry.

In addition, removing terms like “reasonable attempts” in relation to the timelines for locates would put a stronger onus on underground infrastructure owners and operators to get their locates done within a more predictable time frame to support construction activities and individuals who have to wait for those details before they can actually get in the ground to dig.

All of these changes will have a huge and positive impact on the businesses and the builders of our province, who can now get shovels in the ground sooner on projects, from broadband to new housing developments, and they will all be built faster, Mr. Speaker.

We’re promoting compliance, because we all know that it’s not enough to just put new rules in place. There has to be compliance. That is why we proposed to give Ontario One Call the authority to issue administrative penalties against non-compliant members and excavators within the industry. These administrative penalties are an important compliance tool for the purpose of ensuring that we are promoting compliance with the act and its regulations. Ontario One Call would be required to publish data on how each underground infrastructure owner and operator is performing on completing their locates on time.

Furthermore, Ontario One Call would also publish administrative penalty orders on their website. Lastly in this regard, excavators would also have an avenue to be able to seek recourse against members through the Ontario Land Tribunal for various matters, such as late or inaccurate locates.

We’re improving the governance model. Speaker, the last significant portion of the changes to the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act would be in improving the overall governance and oversight structure. For example, the bill would require a mandatory MOU—that’s a memorandum of understanding—between One Call and the minister. This bill would add tools that the minister of the day could exercise in the event that an organization does not comply with that very legislative framework. To be clear, Speaker, this is not a commentary on the work that Ontario One Call has been doing.

Rather, it is simply wise for our government, and any government, to have authorities that it can act on if a time comes where the public interest is not being met. Now, while these would be measures of last resort, I think it is nonetheless the responsible thing for our government to have contingencies in place. After all, as I have said in the past, we have to look out for the interests of the biggest stakeholders out there, and those are the people of the province of Ontario, Speaker.

This bill would also give the minister the authority to change the size of Ontario One Call’s board of directors and aspects of its composition, appointing directors to the board etc., if I may say—just simply put, as long as it is less than a majority of the board. These powers are not unique, Speaker. Rather, these enhancements are in line with the governance-related requirements placed on other entities that are overseen by my ministry in specific sectors and industries. They are put in place because they allow for our government to better look out for the best interests of Ontarians and their communities.

We’re connected to other priorities as well, Mr. Speaker. I think we have outlined the importance of this bill and the need for change in light of the digital age that we live in, exasperated by the pandemic and exasperated, exacerbated—that’s a tough word for me right now—by a 15-year backlog that has been left behind by the Liberals, supported, of course, 99% of the time by the NDP. Mr. Speaker, no wonder I struggle with the word. It’s just so exasperating—15 years.

We cannot—no, we will not—allow Ontario to be separated by those with broadband and those who are out of luck. The proposed changes that I am speaking of today would go beyond this. In fact, one of the biggest challenges I hear these days is around the price of housing, especially when we’re talking about young families trying to be able to get a home nowadays. That is why my colleague the Minister of Municipal Affairs has been working so hard with the Housing Affordability Task Force to identify and implement real solutions to addressing the housing supply crisis.

Whether it’s a new developer who is building a brand new subdivision or a homeowner who is digging a foundation or even an extension to accommodate a growing family, or whether it be a multi-unit housing complex, these changes to the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act would help get this important work done faster while also maintaining public confidence to ensure that everybody can know that it is being done safely.

Mr. Speaker, to wrap up, I just want to again thank the Minister of Infrastructure for the work that she has done and her ministry has done to getting the Getting Ontario Connected Act into this House. I also want to thank in advance my parliamentary assistant who will be speaking to this. He is, as I said, no stranger to Ontario One Call; in fact, the godfather of it.

This province desperately needs communication infrastructure. We have to ensure that we are participating in our digital economy and making sure we have excellent access to our digital economy, but we also have to ensure that we have access to the critical services that it enables. Making sure we have reliable and fast Internet is so important. It is not simply a luxury anymore. It is a necessity, Speaker, and it is necessary in every corner of the province.

I’m thrilled to bring forward these complementary changes that are going to allow our government the ability to bring the reality of more affordable housing and more choice—more homes, more choice, of course—to the market when it is so badly needed.

Thank you, again, Speaker, and I will now turn it over to my good friend, the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Government and Consumer Services.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Thank you.

The Minister of Infrastructure did say she would be sharing her time with a number of her caucus colleagues, and the next one up is the member from Brampton West.

Mr. Amarjot Sandhu: I’m pleased to rise today speak to Bill 93, the proposed Getting Ontario Connected Act, 2022. I am thankful for the opportunity to speak about this proposed legislation in addition to the remarks provided by Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure; Ross Romano, Minister of Government and Consumer Services; and MPP Bailey, who will be speaking shortly after this.

Mr. Speaker, now more than ever it is of critical importance to build infrastructure faster to help connect the remaining unserved and underserved communities across Ontario with access to reliable high-speed Internet. Two years ago, all of our lives changed drastically when we were hit by the global pandemic. Within a matter of weeks, our lives and those living in the very communities we represent shifted to a digital economy. People all across the province were relying on their Internet service more than ever to work remotely, learn online and stay in touch with family and friends through online platforms.

This was all done from the comfort of their homes, and this shift to an online world was necessary to help protect the health and safety of Ontarians.

For many people, this quickly became their new normal, to wake up each morning and turn on their computer to start their work or school day and participate in video calls without ever having to commute into an office building. For many people, this transition to a new way of life was easy, as they didn’t have to worry about their Internet connectivity. However, we understand this wasn’t easy for everyone. Hundreds of thousands of people across Ontario are being left behind in today’s digital world.

Mr. Speaker, before the government began taking steps to fill these service gaps, as many as 700,000 households and businesses across the province didn’t have access to reliable high-speed Internet. Some had no Internet at all, from the local mom-and-pop store on the corner that needs to source supplies, sell products online and connect with their customers; to the students who should not have to sit outside of their school on a cold bench just to catch a WiFi signal to download learning materials to prepare for an upcoming exam; to the families trying desperately to see their loved ones’ faces over Skype or FaceTime but unable to due to a poor Internet connection.

That is why our government is taking the bold and necessary steps to ensure every individual, every family and every business in Ontario has access to high-speed Internet. We have made a historic investment of nearly $4 billion to connect every community with access to reliable high-speed Internet by the end of 2025. It is important to echo what Minister Surma said: This is the largest single investment in high-speed Internet by any province, by any government in Canadian history.

Mr. Speaker, we are ready to take the steps to help ensure that more unserved and underserved communities have access to reliable high-speed Internet sooner. That’s why, earlier this week, we introduced the proposed Getting Ontario Connected Act, 2022, which would, if passed, build on the progress our government has already made as part of its plan to get Ontario connected.

This proposed legislation, if passed, would help to further reduce barriers, duplication and delays, making it easier and faster to get shovels in the ground on more high-speed Internet projects.

Investing in and supporting infrastructure projects, including high-speed Internet projects, has always been essential, but now, more than ever, we cannot delay. The stakes are too high, and as I mentioned before, people in Ontario are being left behind. So it is our responsibility to take action and to act quickly, because our communities cannot wait any longer.

Mr. Speaker, as Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy said when he introduced our 2021 fall economic statement, tomorrow’s prosperity begins with shovels in the ground today. This legislation, with the changes that we’re proposing, would be key to helping get those shovels in the ground sooner to build Ontario. And if passed, the proposed legislation will help us to meet our government’s ambitious commitment to provide access to all communities by the end of 2025.

As you all know, building Ontario is not something we can do alone. It takes tremendous work from across ministries, all levels of government, our partners and our municipalities to deliver critical infrastructure projects. That is why we are pleased to be working with the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services on the proposed Getting Ontario Connected Act, 2022. Together, we’re doing everything we can to ensure that no matter where you live, you will be able to participate in the online world.

We’re also working closely with municipalities, who continue to support and advocate for the expansion of high-speed Internet in their communities.

The Association of Municipalities of Ontario just recently offered this feedback: “Internet connections have been a lifeline for Ontarians throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. High-speed Internet and cellular services lay the foundation for continued prosperity into the future. AMO welcomes the Ontario government’s commitment to connect all Ontario homes and businesses by the end of 2025.”

As part of our plan, we’re working closely with our agency Infrastructure Ontario to make it easier for municipalities and others in the sector to help build these projects faster. This includes Broadband One Window, an online platform that will help people to exchange data and support permit processes more easily. It also includes a technical assistance team that will provide support to municipalities and other stakeholders when needed.

We’re providing more certainty for our partners to help us deliver high-speed Internet projects faster.

In September, we launched a competitive process in partnership with Infrastructure Ontario to help us meet our commitment of bringing high-speed Internet access to every community by the end of 2025.

Mr. Speaker, the proposed Getting Ontario Connected Act, 2022, would provide the tools and assurances that Internet service providers need so they can start their projects as early as this summer.

Minister Surma explained that this proposed legislation would build on our government’s existing initiatives, many of which are already well under way. Our government has already committed $900 million in more than 180 broadband, cellular and satellite projects across the province.

Mr. Speaker, we are also continuing to support shovel-ready projects in southwestern, eastern and northern Ontario.

As I have said before, our government is committed to leaving no one in the province disconnected, including farms and businesses in rural Ontario. That’s why, in southwestern Ontario, we have invested more than $63 million through the Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology project. In total, this project will invest nearly $255 million to expand high-speed Internet. This project will bring high-speed Internet to more than 58,000 homes, farms and businesses across southwestern Ontario. And I’m pleased to say that construction is under way for more than 60 individual projects all across southwest Ontario.

This means that the people living in these communities are already benefiting from our hard work.

We have also partnered with the Eastern Ontario Regional Network, also known as EORN, to help improve cellular service in eastern Ontario. This project is part of a $300-million partnership between the Ontario government, federal government, Rogers Communications and EORN. This project will help rural communities take

part in the digital economy and have access to the wireless services they need to succeed. Once completed, residents will get near-complete cellular voice coverage and increased access to mobile service in areas where they work, live and travel.

Mr. Speaker, I want to take a moment to share how we are helping to improve access to reliable high-speed Internet services in northern Ontario. We are investing $10.9 million to bring faster high-speed Internet access to several northern towns and First Nation communities. This will help bridge the digital divide across this area of the province, ensuring that no one is forgotten.

Ontario has already invested to improve connectivity through the broadband and cellular expansion initiative of the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp., and has committed $63.3 million over five years to the Next Generation Network Program, and to date 11 projects have been launched. Projects include bringing high-speed Internet access to 200 homes in Parry Sound and Carling township, and the introduction of reliable high-speed Internet services to the communities of Dawn-Euphemia township.

Mr. Speaker, we know that improved access to high-speed Internet will have a transformative, life-changing effect for those across Ontario still lacking access to reliable connectivity. That is why we proposed the Getting Ontario Connected Act, 2022. It would eliminate delays for builders, accelerate construction and connect more communities to reliable, high-speed Internet access sooner. This is key to reducing red tape, building better infrastructure faster and strengthening all communities across the province.

We are stepping up to ensure that no matter where you live, you can participate in today’s digital economy to access vital health care services, work, learn, start a business, participate in the agriculture sector, and connect with loved ones online. The proposed Getting Ontario Connected Act, 2022, if passed, would help us connect every region to reliable high-speed Internet by the end of 2025.

Mr. Speaker, we are building a future for our province that is better, brighter, stronger and more resilient today and for generations to come.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): To continue the debate, I recognize the member from Sarnia–Lambton.

Mr. Robert Bailey: I’m pleased today, Mr. Speaker, to rise in the House to speak to the Getting Ontario Connected Act, 2022. I’m very happy to have the opportunity to speak to this bill in addition to the remarks made by the Minister of Government and Consumer Services and, previously, the Minister of Infrastructure, and also my colleague from Brampton West.

I also want to echo Minister Romano and credit Minister Surma for the work that she has done to expand and upgrade the network of infrastructure in this province.

Minister Romano also spoke earlier about some of the improvements being proposed to the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act—I don’t think I’ll say all of that again—and I’d like to add to that a bit more. Minister Romano comes from a riding well outside the Toronto area. And, while Sarnia–Lambton has some access to high-speed Internet, there are still areas in my riding where that’s not the case. I think its critical that the government does what it can to get this kind of infrastructure built faster, more efficiently and with less duplication and delays.

While I was waiting for my time to speak, I listened keenly to both ministers and my colleague about what the Getting Ontario Connected Act proposes and, in addition, the improvements overall that it would have in getting broadband infrastructure built.

The arguments in favour are overwhelming. For example, speeding up the process to build broadband networks by implementing stronger service standards for municipalities to provide timely locates and access to infrastructure data is a good place to start. These are great ways to get shovels in the ground faster. We know that there are too many delays and too much red tape for project owners to cut through, and we need to do more to help them get their projects under way.

But of course, there’s one other thing that needs to be done. Everyone always needs to remember to call before they dig—where did I hear that before? To many, this might sound like a simple thing, but it’s a very critical step to ensure that communities and workers are safe and that we don’t accidentally create service outages or damage underground infrastructure when we build projects.

Some parts of the province’s underground infrastructure obviously create more immediate dangers than others, but they are all important nonetheless. Breaking a gas pipeline or an electrical cable with a backhoe can have tragic consequences, and those can happen literally in the blink of an eye. By contrast, breaking a water main might only be a short-term inconvenience for some, but if it takes a fire hydrant out of commission, the consequences can be devastating, and being without water for an extended period of time in any home means no cooking or cleaning. That’s certainly a long way from just an inconvenience.

At the same time, Speaker, telecommunications barriers can cripple a business or cut off a person’s access to emergency medical care. This is why the work that Ontario One Call does is so important. It is also near and dear to my heart because the corporation we know today was actually created as a result of a private member’s bill that was brought forward by myself and my colleague from across the aisle, the member for Hamilton East–Stoney Creek, in 2012.

Interjection.

Mr. Robert Bailey: Yes, to thunderous applause.

But we know that the legislative framework needs to be updated over time to take into account changes in the industry, and they cannot remain static.

It says here, “MPP Bailey should take time to speak about the history in creating One Call from his own experience,” so I’ll do that. I’ll expand upon that. The genesis, or the background behind Ontario One Call: The sewer and water main people, actually, were here at Queen’s Park a number of years ago now—way over 10—and I got talking to one of their employees, one of their managers. We were talking about business in general and how things were going, and this gentleman was explaining to me how difficult it was getting permits to do work.

This was basically in Toronto, where you could have as many as up to 20 different agencies and corporations over the years—the old city of Toronto and the new parts that were added. You had to call all these people before you could even start a job.

He was telling me about how difficult it was getting any work done, and I said, “Oh, yes, I know all about that. Before I came here, I worked in industry, and that was my job, to do locates and make sure that all the paperwork was done.” He stopped me and he said, “Do you understand locates?” I said, “Oh, yeah.” I said I just thought everybody had to do them. It wasn’t until I came here that I found out they weren’t universal across the province. The industry I worked for, Nova Chemicals, was very safety-conscious, so we probably went overboard to what other industries and businesses were doing at that time in Sarnia.

So I said, “Yes, I understand them. I had to work with them every day and make sure they were okay before I signed off on them for my boss.” So he said, “Well, just wait a minute.” He went and he got a couple of his colleagues, and he said, “This guy understands what we’re going through every day. He understands locates.” And he said, “We’d like to come in and see you,” and I said, “Well, okay.” It’s like anybody down here. There are people you meet at receptions or in the hall, and they want to come and see you, and you say, “Yes, okay. Here’s my card.”

I forgot about it, and about three or four days or a week later, one of my staff at the time, who helped draft this bill, said, “Mr. Bailey, there are people who want to meet you over in the conference room. There’s a bunch of lawyers.” I said, “Lawyers?” and he said, “Yes.” He said, “I don’t know. It’s something about somebody you gave a business card to the other night.” I said, “Okay.” So I went over.

Anyway, the nutshell was they were having very great difficulty, and every time a new minister—and I understand exactly where they were coming from. They said, “We’d explain what we needed, that we needed something better for locates.

We’d bring a minister and their staff up to date, and we’d just think we were across the finish line and the government would change the minister, and we’d have to start all over again.” He said, “In fact, just recently, we sat in a meeting with the minister” at the time—not our government, but it didn’t matter—“and the minister argued with us that we already had what we wanted in place,” and we all looked at each other and said, “Okay.

We’ll just leave it because we’re not going anywhere.” Then they had to call back a few days later and apologize—obviously not the minister but one of his senior staffers who said, “The minister was misinformed. Sorry, we don’t have what we thought we had.” Anyway, that was the start of One Call.

Well, I said I could maybe introduce a private member’s bill to give it creditability, get it discussed in the Legislature to give it some credence, never thinking that eventually it would pass. Anyway, that’s the background on Ontario One Call. I’m very pleased and happy where it is today. It’s grown a lot more involved than I ever dreamed of that evening when I stood and talked to that gentleman. I couldn’t picture where it went. But the member for Hamilton East–Stoney Creek and I worked together on that. I’m very pleased there was an opportunity, an example of working together with your colleagues across the hall or across the way.

I’m so pleased today to be here with Minister Romano and Minister Surma bringing these important changes forward. I better get back to my remarks.

I’m proud to be part of this initiative that supports hard-working men and women in the province in the construction industry while keeping the people and businesses of Ontario safe.

Improving Ontario One Call service: It’s been 10 years since Ontario One Call was mandated to be the single point of contact for all underground infrastructure locate requests in the province, and in that time I think they’ve clearly proven their worth.

I think it’s all important to note that Ontario One Call is not a part of government and doesn’t receive any public funding. They are funded by their own members, who are owners and operators of underground infrastructure. All owners and operators of underground infrastructure are required to register as members, including gas/oil utilities, electrical utilities, telecommunication utilities and municipalities.

One Call currently has approximately 835 members, and in the year 2021 it processed more than one million requests. That’s hard to believe, but one million requests to locate underground infrastructure. This is important work that helps keep the people of Ontario safe.

Mr. Speaker, as I said, improvements can always be made. In particular, I think that every organization should continuously be looking for ways to be more efficient, reduce duplication and get things done faster without compromising the original mission. For Ontario One Call, their mission is public safety and supporting timely locate delivery in the province or, more completely, their mission is to “protect Ontario municipalities and communities from the loss of service and harm caused by damages to underground infrastructure by educating the public on the need to ‘Call Before You Dig.’”

I know Ontario One Call is working hard to improve the way they work so things can get done accurately, safely and quickly.

Speaker, I was watching the Leafs game the other day and one of the announcers said something about great goalies. He said the best ones make the hard saves look easy and the easy ones look spectacular. That is Ontario One Call’s goal. Even though the work to locate underground infrastructure might be complicated, it doesn’t have to be complicated to request and obtain this information. It should be simple. And so, doing things like requiring a dedicated locator to do all of the locating work for certain projects would be an excellent improvement. It would help with the manpower shortages that I know the locate industries—for example, G-Tel—and others, experience every day.

Providing for a minimum validity period to minimize duplicative work over a short period of time—I think the minister spoke about the 60 days. That’s something we absolutely should do. Or allowing contractors who work on the same job to use the same locate information? That would also, in my opinion, be a no-brainer.

Taken together, I think this is a great suite of proposed improvements that would help builders get the services they need, faster and with less delays.

Speaker, before I move off this topic, I also want to touch on an additional point that the minister made about the far-reaching effect that these improvements would have.

Certainly housing is an obvious one. With a drastic shortage of housing and housing options, we need to do things that are going to help bring options to the marketplace and make it more affordable. The amendments being proposed would help support that important initiative.

I know the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing has been working diligently on this, and I know that I, for one, am looking forward to seeing what more the government can do in this regard.

Speaker, even if the projects are different, these changes would help anyone who needs to get information about what’s in the underground area before they dig. Commercial property developers, a homeowner building a new fence or a deck or planting a tree, road work, transit construction or a municipality building a new park—all of these projects need accurate, timely information to get their projects done, and these proposed improvements would help them all.

Minister Romano also made points about compliance and governance that I also support. Giving Ontario One Call the authority to issue administrative penalties and being required to publish data about the performance of underground infrastructure, owners/operators and administrative penalty orders would be meaningful compliance tools to promote good behaviour. And allowing excavators to seek recourse against members through the Ontario Land Tribunal for various matters such as late or inaccurate locates would also provide a less costly avenue than civil proceedings, which might otherwise proceed.

My last point in this vein is to support the changes that would improve the overall governance model of Ontario One Call and strengthen the government oversight. Some of the things, like a mandatory memorandum of understanding between Ontario One Call and the minister, would reflect the best practices by clearly outlining what the corporation does and the expectations of the government of the day. I know that some of the other measures, while they may never be necessary, are, as Minister Romano stated, prudent measures to ensure that the public interest is protected.

Speaker, allow me to close out my time on this item; I just wanted to reiterate how important I feel this bill is overall. It’s hard to overstate just how important high-speed Internet access has become in a daily person’s life, and I should note you don’t necessarily have to connect in your home day to day. I know plenty of people who don’t want to be immersed in the wall-to-wall Internet style. That’s their choice. We all know how overwhelming that can be, and being able to disconnect can be as important as being able to connect in the first place.

But we are at a point in our development where communities are suffering if they can’t get access to these things—things that other areas of our province may take for granted. When entire sections of the province are being left behind and they can’t take

part in the digital economy, that is a real issue with significant consequences, and the government can’t afford to let that happen.

As I said, the understanding of the reasons behind the development of Ontario One Call—at that time, I couldn’t have envisioned what we’re doing with the Internet today: expanding it across the province, trying to give everyone access to broadband, taking on those kinds of projects. I know that in my community the construction safety record there is very good, and I’d like to think that this bill, Ontario One Call, which the member from Hamilton East–Stoney Creek and I drafted and passed through this House over 10 years ago now, has led in some small part to that safety of infrastructure, less injuries and less deaths.

We have all seen cases—mostly in the States, thank God—where homes are blown up. There’s a gas leak. Somebody was doing some work and the gas flowed back through the trench and into the house, and the hot water heater kicked in and blew the house to smithereens. So, knock on wood; thank God we haven’t seen a lot of that in Ontario. I attribute a lot of that to the Ontario One Call and the workers themselves, of course, who are on the job, doing the locates.

I also had the privilege of going to Ottawa, to the Senate. The Senate, when they heard about this bill, wanted to know more about it because the Ontario One Call bill doesn’t apply to federal property. It’s one of those strange creatures. Railroads, pipelines, rights-of-way, federal airports, I suppose, Ontario One Call wouldn’t necessarily—they should use it and they probably do in most cases, but the federal government at the time and the Senate wanted to study it because they wanted to see it applied across the country.

They knew that on their property and the lands that they controlled—military bases—that there was a need for something like Ontario One Call at that time. So it was interesting to go there and answer a lot of questions from senators from all across the country.

I don’t know whether they really ever got that off the ground—too many competing interests. But it was interesting that they said that if Ontario passes this bill—and I remember the proponents at the time, when I was first working with them way back 10 years ago. I said, “Well, what’s going on in the rest of Canada?” They said, “Nothing. If we can get Ontario, that’s the big nut to crack. If we can get this bill in place, get it working the way we want in Ontario, the rest of the country will be”—well, they said “simple,” but I don’t think so.

I think Alberta has got a version of this, and a couple of the Maritime provinces, but it isn’t yet across the country, as I’d like to see it. So that’s maybe something I can take up in the future, working with some colleagues from across the country, and we can try to implement this, because I think it has been proven the one number to call has certainly made a big difference in safety and less damage, certainly, with more and more work being done online, with the telecommunications features.

Like the gentleman said, you could be working in Lambton county or Middlesex county on a drain or something, with a backhoe, and disrupt the telecommunications cable. That could affect someone who’s lying in the university hospital or one of the Windsor hospitals, having surgery. If their telecommunications goes out, it could be very serious. So for a lot of those kinds of reasons, I’m really glad that we passed this bill a number of years ago.

I’m glad to see it improved today. It’s like any piece of legislation, that you need to take a good look at it after a number of years, because you can always improve things, and that’s what we’re all about, hopefully, here: continuous improvement. Just like in industry; one of my bosses told me a long time ago, “The only thing that’s constant is change.” That’s what you’re going to see in industry, and I don’t think it happens quite as much, as often, in government as what we see in the private sector but, hopefully, we’ll see some of that as well here.

I’m looking forward to seeing this bill pass, these improvements to this. I think it’s a great move on the part of the minister. Of course, it will help the Minister of Infrastructure in enabling her ministry to get the kind of work done, whether it’s roads—I recall a conversation I had with the former Minister of Infrastructure four years ago. Minister McNaughton, the Minister of Infrastructure at the time, said, “The biggest fear we have”—and I don’t know whether we knew; we didn’t see COVID coming four years ago. But he said, “We’ve got all this infrastructure we want to build in Ontario.

We’re concerned that we won’t be able to get the locates done.” If you think about it, that’s one of the key parts if you’re building the foundation of a house. Before you can build house, you’ve got to put the foundation in, right?

He said, “Our bureaucrats are telling us it’s fine to spend all this money, but if you can’t get the work done, if we can’t get the locates done—and they’re worried about staffing.” He said they were concerned. So I took that back at the time to Ontario One Call. I said, “Look, we’ve got concerns in the government,” so then they went on a hiring binge.

That’s another opportunity this has opened: As we repatriate a number of people from the armed forces who are looking to return to Canada to employment, sometimes—they’ve got all of the skills, in my opinion, and I know they’ve been able to place a few in that sector because they’re well trained, they’re used to taking orders most of the time and they’re used to discipline and technology.

When I talked to Ontario One Call about this, I said, “We’ve got a program called Helmets to Hardhats in Ontario that we’re trying to implement. I think Ontario Helmets to Hardhats would be an ideal example where you could take these men and women from the armed forces and do some more training with them, put them out in the field to do the locates that we need done in this province.” I think that has worked out very well.

I know they’ve got some other options there that they’re looking at as well, because there is a real manpower shortage right now in the province: 338,000-plus jobs going wanting every day. I know in my area, Sarnia–Lambton, we’re just swamped with requests for workers, people flooding in from different parts of Canada and the States, down in the Maritimes, because we’ve got a lot of work for the next two to three years there.

They just announced a distillery the other day. That was news to me. They’re going to build a distillery. I know distilleries are at your heart, Speaker; you’ve got a number in Windsor. This is the Diageo label, I think. They make “royal crown,” I think—Crown Royal. I’m dating myself. I don’t partake as much as I used to. I’d know what the labels used to be. At one time, I would have known all those. But anyway, there’s always improvement. That’s going to take locates there. That’s going to create employment.

We’re very fortunate in Ontario, I think. We’ve got our issues, we’ve got problems, but overall, I think things are going very well here. This example here of what we’re doing with Ontario One Call, making improvements to it, is certainly going to make a difference.

When entire sections of the province are being left behind with the Internet, they can’t take

part in the digital economy. That’s a real issue with significant consequences, and the government just can’t afford to let that happen, especially now, when people have become more accustomed to the benefits and potential of being connected, often relying on access to survive, make a living or even to get an education—of course, during COVID a lot of people had to do their studies online.

In fact, we here in the House did all our committee work by Zoom. I enjoyed that Zoom. I thought it was the best way. I hope that it stays on. I liked the Zoom committees, personally. I think it was great for our witnesses. They didn’t have to travel all the way down to Toronto for a 15- or 20-minute presentation at committee. So I’m very in favour of that type of telecommunication, that kind of technology that we were able to put in. We didn’t have to stop. I’m very proud that this Legislature kept working, unlike in the city of Ottawa, the House of Commons, where they were virtually shut down most of the time.

I was proud that we as members were able to work here, whether it was on committee or in cohorts. We were able to keep doing business.

Speaker, I see my time is slowly coming to an end. I’d like to thank you and the House for giving me this time today. I hope everyone, when they consider this bill, will vote in favour of the motion.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): We do have time now for questions and responses. I turn to the member from Sudbury with the first question.

Mr. Jamie West: Thank you to the members opposite who responded.

I guess I’ll ask the Minister of Infrastructure. One of the things my grandmother used to say was, “You can argue with me, but you can’t argue with math.” Yesterday, I talked about the Ontario Autism Program and the shortfall of $137 million in 2021. I see that here there’s a commitment to broadband everywhere by 2025, but the Financial Accountability Office reported last week that the Conservative government made an in-year cut to the broadband expansion budget of $207 million, which was more than half of that budget. How does the math match up with the commitment to provide broadband?

Hon. Kinga Surma: Thank you very much for the question. I will reiterate the fact that the government has committed $4 billion; $900 million of that is allocated to 180 projects.

But I will explain something to the member opposite: There are contracts, there are transfer payment agreements, and you make payment when you reach specific milestones for projects. It’s like construction anywhere: You pay when the work is complete and when work progresses.

We have a $4-billion commitment. We have $900 million allocated actively, as we speak, for 180 projects. As you know, Mr. Speaker, the rest of the 325,000 or so homes will be addressed through our reverse auction, which is under way. We are anticipating results imminently.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): The next question?

Mr. Michael Parsa: Good morning. I want to thank the minister and my colleagues for their presentations.

Minister, one of the questions I have for you is—I recall when I got elected in 2018 and I was meeting with constituents, I was shocked to hear that in a riding like Richmond Hill, just north of Toronto, we had pockets where we did not have access to high-speed Internet. It was shocking. You’d think that in 2018, just in around the suburbs of Toronto, you’d have access to high-speed Internet.

I’m going to ask the minister—and especially when it comes to our businesses, Minister. During the pandemic, they all had to pivot and rely on being able to sell their goods online, so they needed access to high-speed Internet. Would you be able to tell me, please, how this will address those underserved areas, in particular some of our businesses where this is now a vital service that they need to depend on?

Hon. Kinga Surma: Thank you for that elegant question. You’re right: Internet service providers obviously have to keep up with growing homes and developments—across the GTA, but in the province entirely.

Look, businesses were very heavily reliant on the Internet prior to COVID-19, but of course we all had to pivot. We had to do everything online, as the member from Sarnia–Lambton said, whether it’s educating or earning an income. So in order to ensure that businesses can continue to thrive, they need that connectivity, that at minimum 50/10, which is why our government made the commitment to get everyone connected by the end of 2025, which is, from a time frame perspective, the fastest time frame to make sure they are connected in Canada.

This legislation is so important because, as early as this summer, Internet service providers can start construction, and we need best practices in place to help get them there.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): The member from Sudbury with another question.

Mr. Jamie West: I’m going to ask this question to the member from Sault Ste. Marie, who also spoke to the bill at hand. Earlier, I asked the Minister of Infrastructure about the cut of about $207 million to the budget line. The minister said that there’s a commitment of X amount of dollars. There’s always a budget commitment. I’m looking at what’s being spent.

Also, in the Financial Accountability Office’s report, they said that the Conservative government has currently only spent 0.6%—that’s not 6%, that’s less than 1%: 0.6%—of the remaining budget. How does the math work out, with an election coming in June, that we’re going to provide broadband across the north if you’ve only spent 0.6% of a budget that you already cut more than half out of?

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Back to the Minister of Government and Consumer Services to respond.

Hon. Ross Romano: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity to respond, and thank you to the member opposite for the question. Unfortunately, I simply am not able to pull out an abacus to help the member opposite learn math. We know that the NDP struggles with math, generally speaking, so I won’t get into that specifically.

What I will say is that this bill provides us an opportunity to ensure we have access, throughout every corner of this province, to high-speed Internet, something that we absolutely need. I don’t think even the member opposite would say anything opposite to that. I believe it’s important for him to ensure that the people in his riding have access to high-speed Internet.

I also believe that the people of his riding would agree that it’s important to be able to get line locates done faster. I think developers in his area and anybody who is trying to build a house would be very interested, in order to know and to be able be safe, knowing that these locates can now happen faster because of this very work that’s being done by our government.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): The next question?

Mr. Sheref Sabawy: I would like to actually say that this bill is a great opportunity, because all of northern Ontario is suffering two things: jobs and services. I would like to ask the minister how this broadband expansion to northern Ontario could help in solving those two issues, like the services available to residents in the north and also opening the way for more opportunities in employment in northern Ontario.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Back to the Minister of Infrastructure to respond.

Hon. Kinga Surma: Thank you to the member for the question. I certainly know how critical this is for northern communities, which is why the very first investments, prior to the reverse auction, in ICON and UBF, were made to connect to northern communities: $11 million, $30 million in the Matawa project.

Throughout COVID, it’s incredibly, incredibly important that families have access to the services they need. Whether it is speaking to your health care practitioner, whether it is having the opportunity to earn an income at home, educate your child at home, connect with loved ones who are across the province, we all need to be able to be have that access.

This piece of legislation is going to make construction of high-speed Internet infrastructure faster, more seamless and eliminate duplication, so that we can make sure everyone is connected by the end of 2025.

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

Mr. Wayne Gates: I would like to thank the minister for her comments today, but I will follow up on my colleague. In 2021, of a $45.4-million budget, only 1.37% was spent. The year prior to that, out of a budget of $31.8 million, 0% of that budget was spent.

Actually, my question is going to go to the member from the Soo, for a couple of reasons. He said that the NDP had supported the Liberals 99% of the time. That is absolutely not an accurate statement. And it was the Conservative Party that was in official opposition for 15 years.

But my real question is, one of them—I think the member from Sarnia—raised this issue about workers’ safety. Being the safety critic, I’m obviously very concerned about the safety of workers in the province of Ontario. I was hoping the member from Sarnia—can you explain to this House how this bill will strengthen safety for workers? As we know, since 2017 deaths have increased on construction sites.

Thank you very much. I appreciate it.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): And one of the ministers will respond. I guess it’s the Minister of Government and Consumer Services.

Hon. Ross Romano: Thank you again, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity to rise and speak to this. I thank the member opposite for the question. I think it’s critical that we again recognize what it is that we’re working on here, what we as a government have committed to doing. We’ve made historic investments in this area, because again, when we say we’re going to something, we do it. We said that we were going to ensure that this entire province had access to high-speed Internet, and that’s exactly what we’re doing.

You know what, Mr. Speaker? There’s a degree of common sense that goes with working on making sure that you’re getting other projects done that you can get done at the same time. We know that underground locates are a challenge. We know that people have been concerned about this for a very long time. So while we’re doing the work on getting the shovels in the ground to build the infrastructure we need for high-speed Internet, we’re also going to ensure that we tackle another problem at the same time, which is a very critical and important problem about getting our locates done faster.

That is the kind of work that we are doing in our government to make people’s lives easier, and to ensure that we give everybody the access to the things they need.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): We really don’t have time for a quick question and a quick response, and we really don’t have time for another hour’s debate on this, so we’re going to go right to members’ statements.

Second reading debate deemed adjourned.

Members’ Statements

Gasoline prices

Miss Monique Taylor: Gas prices have recently skyrocketed across Ontario. They have reached record-breaking numbers, even though this Premier promised in 2018 to reduce gas prices. This is having a real impact on everyday affordability for families. People need to get to work; they need to take their children to school; they need to be able to get to the doctor. Yet wages remain flat and the cost of living continues to rise.

In my riding of Hamilton Mountain, gas was sitting at $1.77 on Tuesday; yesterday, it was sitting at $1.85; today, it’s sitting at $1.90. Speaker, this is a jump of 13 cents over the course of three days. This is shocking. And I know these price increases are expected to continue. Something needs to be done about this.

My colleague from Timmins introduced Bill 91 last week to bring reliable regulation to gas prices by setting a weekly and daily maximum at the pump. This is action that we need to support Ontarians. We need to see affordable gas prices across the province, but that will not happen if there is no action taken. I encourage each member of this chamber to vote in favour of Bill 91 when it comes to the vote.

Ontarians have had so much to deal with over the pandemic, so let’s not let gas prices be one of them. We need to ensure that we keep gas prices fair so people can make ends meet.

Senior citizens

We also stopped by Turtle Creek Manor, a lively seniors’ apartment residence in Clarkson, to announce that they will receive a $25,000 Seniors Community Grant for a new walkway around their building, and to support more social activities. We also met with Hannia Curi from the Hispanic Canadian Arts and Cultural Association to announce another $10,000 grant for Latin-style virtual workshops for over 2,000 seniors, including performance arts, chat and exercise sessions.

Speaker, after two very difficult years, it was great to see the smiling faces of seniors across Mississauga–Lakeshore once again, and it was great to be able to showcase some of the fantastic programs we are doing in Mississauga–Lakeshore, a more accessible and inclusive place for seniors and people with disabilities.

I want to thank the minister and his staff for joining me. I look forward to having him visit again soon. Thank you, Minister.

Events in Kiiwetinoong

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: Good morning. Remarks in Oji-Cree.

This morning, I would like to share some of the good work that’s been happening across Kiiwetinoong. There’s been so much generosity that I don’t have time to mention it all. I don’t want to overlook anyone, but if so, I apolo-gize.

When it was needed, there were planeloads of firewood, groceries, water, traditional foods and medicines that Sandy Lake First Nation, Neskantaga First Nation, Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug and Mishkeegogamang donated to First Nation communities that were in need, when they were in states of emergency or under lockdown.

I also have to thank Tania Cameron and Rain Harper of Keewaywin First Nation, who went above and beyond to help the people of Bearskin Lake. Tania organized a supply drive that donated over $60,000 worth of goods for Bearskin Lake, which had a state of emergency when more than half of the community tested positive for COVID after Christmas. Rain was inspired by this and raised over $10,000 herself, which was matched by the chief and council of her First Nation.

This is what Tania said: “We need to take care of each other. As much as we rely on the government to help us through the pandemic, we also rely on each other as neighbours and a caring community to say, ‘Let’s do this together.’”

These gestures of love and care for each other are leadership, unity, nationhood. It is nationhood in action.

This is how it’s done in the north. We work together and take care of each other. Meegwetch.

Senior citizens

Mr. Logan Kanapathi: I want to focus on our wonderful seniors’ organizations and how they continue to contribute to our society.

People are now living longer than ever, and this is one of the biggest success stories in our history. Like everyone, seniors contribute to our society in so many ways. They shop, they use services which employ other people and they pay taxes like everyone else. They also spend much of their time volunteering. In fact, many organizations would find it difficult to function without their senior volunteers.

Seniors are also known to give generously. They donate more charitable donations per capita than any other age group.

Our government is enhancing its commitment to keeping seniors safe, healthy and active through a $6-million investment in the Seniors Community Grant Program for this upcoming year. Seniors community grants allow seniors to engage with their local communities to promote their physical, mental and social well-being.

I was very happy to provide the Markham Federation of Filipino Canadians with a $22,000 community grant. This money can make a big difference for this group and assist with the many services they provide for seniors.

Mr. Speaker, I’m honoured to work with many seniors’ organizations throughout my life in Markham, such as the Armadale Older Adults Club, the Markham Tamil Seniors Association Canada, the Box Grove seniors’ club, the Middlefield seniors’ club and the York region Tamil seniors’ association. There are several other organizations in my riding.

Our government and our Premier understand their needs through Minister Cho’s office, which plays an important role in their lives to receive support when they need it.

Mr. Speaker, we must continue to provide support in our communities to make them age-friendly and create a more age-inclusive society that acknowledges seniors’ contributions in our province.

Energy rates

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: Recently, the Financial Accountability Office released a report confirming that after almost four years in office, this government isn’t going to be reducing electricity bills.

The goal should be the elimination of gouging. This is another example of rising costs for seniors and young families. Parents cannot get their children to school or get to work without a car.

This government committed to reducing hydro rates and gas at the pumps, and both of those costs are rising for residents. Under this government, average residential electricity rates have increased by 4.3%, and Ontario residents are breaking under the cost of gasoline right now. I’m saying to the Premier that his government can and must play a role in offering relief at the pumps and hydro costs for Ontario residents.

The NDP tabled legislation that would regulate prices at the pump by setting a weekly price or daily maximum. The Premier rejected that plan. Is this government seriously going to leave families on the brink without following through to make life more affordable for them?

Oil companies are making billions in profits. Today I read an

article that some analysts are predicting gas prices in Niagara to spike to $2.20 per litre. Who can afford that? Claiming to care about people’s pocketbooks after four years of inaction, it is hard to believe that this government is serious about lowering gas or hydro prices for regular families in Ontario.

Economic reopening and recovery

Mr. Deepak Anand: From losing 300,000 jobs in manufacturing to a rebound of 330,000 jobs going unfilled, under the leadership of Premier Ford, our economy is on fire. With access to 187 million consumers within a day’s drive from the GTA, the second-largest automotive manufacturer, the second-largest IT cluster in North America. Young, diverse, and connected, Ontario is an economic powerhouse.

By lowering the WSIB premiums without affecting worker benefits and through red tape reduction, our government is reducing the cost of doing business by $7 billion, year by year. We are making it easier for entrepreneurs to invest and thrive. That is why companies like Dass Metal from Mississauga–Malton are expanding. Congratulations to Mr. Jaswant Dass on his new state-of-the-art facilities on Enterprise Way.

With people from over 150 countries speaking over 200 languages, our Ontario is a true global village. So I want to say to the workers and entrepreneurs and businesses around the globe, if you’re looking for an environment to live, work, grow, invest and succeed in, I want to say, thanks to the hard work of Minister Fedeli and this caucus, our message is loud and clear: We are unleashing Ontario. We are open. We are competitive. We are driving economic growth. Come join us and be part of the prosperous and progressive Ontario.

International students

Ms. Doly Begum: International students are a vital part of our province’s prosperity, not just in the present but also for a brighter future. They come here after meeting the highest standards of our educational institutions and contribute to the province’s social, cultural and economic fabric. And yet, many students who choose to come to Ontario to pursue higher education and maybe even build their careers here in our province face many challenges even before they get here while they try to navigate the process.

Reports show that for students applying from countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh, where there are no local visa processing facilities, the rate of approvals for student visas is significantly lower,

whereas students from countries where local visa processing options are available face considerably fewer barriers. While programs such as the Student Direct Stream, the SDS program, have been helpful in countries like Pakistan, their capacity is not nearly enough to reconcile these challenges.

We are home to some of the best post-secondary institutions and academic programs, not only in the country, but in the world, and international students, their hard work and determination are a big part of that. So I implore the Ontario government to work with post-secondary institutions to ensure prospective international students who get accepted to Ontario universities and colleges are able to get their visas and paperwork in order to come here and become a part of our province and build towards its brighter future.

The Ministry of Colleges and Universities has the responsibility to do the intergovernmental work with the federal government that’s needed to make sure Ontario post-secondary institutions can provide that opportunity for the international students who are accepted to face less barriers as they come to our great province.

Mental health and addiction services

Mr. Mike Schreiner: Thank you and good morning, Speaker. The pandemic and the challenges of the climate crisis are putting a strain on people’s mental health. Addiction, poverty and homelessness are very real, and the effect on mental well-being is profound. The need for new solutions to these old problems is more pressing than ever. Mental health is health, and it should be treated as such by our government.

That’s why I’ve put forward a plan to expand OHIP to include more mental health services so people can access affordable and comprehensive mental health care. This is why I continue to call for investments in permanent supportive housing with wraparound mental health and addictions supports and other supports.

Speaker, I’m so proud of the work that’s being done in my community, in Guelph, to support these kinds of projects. Kindle Communities, Stepping Stone, Wyndham House and others deserve our gratitude for the work they are doing to end homelessness in Guelph.

People cannot wait for mental health services or a roof over their heads. That’s why I urge the government to make the needed investments in mental health services and supportive housing in the spring budget so we can build the caring communities we want in Ontario.

Dave Barrow

Mr. Michael Parsa: Speaker, I’d like to take a moment to thank the former mayor of Richmond Hill and my good friend Dave Barrow for his incredible 15 years of service as mayor. His passion for serving our community goes beyond his time in office, as he dedicated more than 35 years of public service to our residents.

Dave Barrow was first elected to office as a ward 4 councillor in 1979 and served until 1985, and as a York regional councillor from 1997 to 2006, before he decided to run for mayor.

Mayor Barrow was truly a leader in our community, and he always went above and beyond to not only serve the residents but to find ways to bring all of us together. It was an absolute pleasure and a great honour to work alongside him, serving the good residents of Richmond Hill. I thank him for his friendship and leadership. I wish him all the best in his retirement and his future endeavours. I have no doubt that his legacy will remain a pillar in our community.

Speaker, in the few moments that I have left, I would also like to take a moment to congratulate our new mayor, His Worship David West, on his victory. I look forward to working with him and continuing to serve the great residents of Richmond Hill. I have no doubt that he will do a great job filling the big shoes left behind by His Worship Dave Barrow.

I wish him all the best in his retirement.

Insurance rates

Mr. Michael Mantha: There are many challenges going on in Algoma–Manitoulin, particularly on the North Shore, right now.

Fabris forestry, which has been in business for a long time, took me out for a tour and showed me 700 to 900 loads of pulp that have been sitting roadside. If you can’t sell your wood, you can’t afford the insurance costs.

That brings me to another issue. John Grégoire is a forestry truck driver in my riding. He told me that his insurance went up from $8,000 to $35,000. He has a clean CVOR and zero claims.

Here’s another example. Kevin and Katie Connell reached out to my office as well. After one single accident over 17 years, their insurance went up from $15,000 to $52,000. On top of that, the cost of fuel has increased so much that they are paying an additional $1,000—plus what recently happened with the increase, you’re looking at $2,000 to $3,000 more in fuel costs.

Collin Gowlett, a forestry truck driver from Hilton Beach, spoke to me about how the combined insurance and fuel costs are putting him out of business.

We’ve raised this on this floor numerous times, looking to this government to do something in regard to insurance costs. When is this government actually going to step up and help businesses, not only in forestry, but across this province?

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

Report, Financial Accountability Officer

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I beg to inform the House that the following document has been tabled: a report entitled Long-Term Budget Outlook: Assessing Ontario’s Fiscal Sustainability: 2021-2050, from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario.

House sittings

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I also beg to inform the House that pursuant to standing order 9(h), the government House leader has provided written notice that a temporary change in the weekly meeting

schedule of the House is required and that the House will convene at 9 a.m. on Monday, March 21, 2022.

Visitors

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I am very pleased to inform the House that page Morgan Scholz, from the riding of Dufferin–Caledon, is one of today’s page captains. We have with us today her mother, Rachel Scholz, her sister Maghan Scholz and her friend Alex Hawa.

We are also joined today by the family of today’s other page captain, Daunte Hillen, from the riding of Hamilton Mountain: his grandmother Janet Hillen, his father, Stefan Hillen, and his sister Charlise Hillen. Welcome to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. We are delighted to have you here.

COVID-19 deaths

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: I seek unanimous consent for the House to observe a moment of silence for the 140 Ontarians who have succumbed to COVID-19 over the past week.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Leader of the Opposition is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to observe a moment of silence for the 140 Ontarians who have succumbed to COVID-19 over the past week. Agreed? Agreed.

Members will please rise.

The House observed a moment’s silence.

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

Ms. Peggy Sattler: On a point of order, Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to move a motion without notice regarding private member’s motion 40, in the name of Mr. Hassan, calling on the Ford government to bring Bill 86, Our London Family Act, back from committee and pass it before the end of the 42nd Parliament, making it clear that Islamophobia and hate have no place in Ontario, and that the question be put without debate or amendment.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Ms. Sattler is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to move a motion without notice regarding private member’s motion 40, in the name of Mr. Hassan, calling on the Ford government to bring Bill 86, Our London Family Act, back from committee and pass it before the end of the 42nd Parliament, making it clear that Islamophobia and hate have no place in Ontario, and that the question be put without debate or amendment. Agreed? I heard a no.

It is now time for oral questions.

Question Period

COVID-19 response

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My first question this morning is to the Premier. We know that lots of parents and experts and educators are concerned about the government’s decision to remove the mask mandates for kids at school immediately upon return from the March break. We all know that many young children remain unvaccinated. In fact, Dr. Peter Jüni said that the decision the government has made surprised him. He said, “We don’t have any reason to rush and I don’t exactly follow what’s happening, to be honest with you.” He said “it doesn’t seem like a real necessity right now” and that the wisest thing would have been to wait a little longer.

We’ve seen no public modelling whatsoever from this government. In fact, the last time we saw any public modelling was back in December of last year. The question is, why does the Premier think it’s appropriate to roll the dice when it comes to kids in schools and the mask mandate?

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

Hon. Stephen Lecce: On this side of the House, we have full confidence in Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health. I know that is a contrasting position. Where the members opposite have used political opportunism at a time of crisis to undermine confidence in public health, this government, our Minister of Health and the Premier of Ontario believe in the scientific advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, who said yesterday, “The measures are working and I do think that the increase in air quality, the investment in improved ventilation, HEPA filtration, cleaning, as well as the investment of testing for all students, will continue to keep our schools safe.”

Mr. Speaker, Ontario is literally one of the last provinces to lift our mask mandate. In Alberta, it’s March 1. In Saskatchewan, it’s March 1. In Quebec, it’s March 7. In Manitoba, it’s March 15. In New Brunswick, it’s March 14. In Nova Scotia, it’s March 21. In Yukon, it’s March 18. We are being cautious, gradually lifting these measures in accordance with public health, maintaining rapid testing, improving ventilation and ensuring screening before kids enter our schools. We are doing all of this, giving children hope that they can get back to normal classrooms—so vital to the mental health of children in this province.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Well, Speaker, many experts share Dr. Jüni’s view. The Children’s Health Coalition, including hospitals like SickKids, warned that they wanted masking to stay in place. They said, “Masks also protect those most vulnerable, including high-risk, immunocompromised and fragile children.” That’s from the Children’s Health Coalition.

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario president, Karen Brown, said, “Lifting the mask mandate too soon may result in further disruption to in-person learning and negative impacts on the health and safety of ETFO members, students, and their families.”

Why is the Premier taking a totally unnecessary gamble with the health and safety of our kids when experts are saying he’s going too fast?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: While it may have been the preference of the Leader of the Opposition to adhere to the medical advice of teachers’ unions that would have closed schools indefinitely, as children can get back to normal schooling, we believe we should follow the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health and his medical officers of health, who have given the province unambiguous advice and the confidence to move forward in a cautious manner, maintaining 3.6 million rapid tests every other week to our school and child care systems. We have ensured that high-quality masks continue to be provisioned free for staff and free for students in our schools.

We are continuing to clean our schools with an enhancement of funding, and we obviously will continue to make the case for everyone to be screened cautiously before they enter schools.

We’re going to continue to give hope to children, who have been so impacted by this pandemic and the disruptions of COVID-19. We have a collective duty to get them back to more normal classes, with strong protections in place, and that’s exactly what our government has done.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Despite the Premier’s previous promises that he would not put children at risk—in fact, he told parents very clearly that he would not take unnecessary risks when it comes to their children—that’s exactly what many experts are saying is happening right now.

Dr. Jüni, the head of the science table, said this: “We don’t have data ... regarding the epidemiology of COVID right now in the province that would support the decision.”

The Premier is lifting the mask mandate without it: no evidence, no science, no modelling. So my question is, after all we’ve been through in this province—all the sacrifices people have made, all the lost time of our children in schools, all of the death and the pain and the anxiety—why would the Premier move ahead with lifting a mask mandate in schools without the public modelling to support that decision?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: The Chief Medical Officer of Health yesterday provided the evidence for why Ontario is moving in the right direction, with every public health indicator moving in the right direction. That should be collectively very promising for us. We should welcome the fact that we have fewer case rates, we have less transmission happening within our settings. That’s because of high vaccination rates. It’s because of a strong adherence to public health measures, because this government, led by the Minister of Health and under the leadership of the Premier, has followed the advice of the past and current Chief Medical Officers of Health every step of the way.

Our school program has been effective. Today, for the first time in some time, there’s not one school closed in Ontario, because of the strong efforts of our province—of roughly 5,000 schools in Ontario. I want to be clear: We are abundantly aware that COVID-19 is among us. We need to be cautious as we move forward. The fact that we’re continuing to have rapid tests—millions sent to schools—providing PPE, screening children, enhancing cleaning and sending 40,000 more HEPA units to schools in the months of March and April underscores our commitment to safety, underscores our commitment to keeping kids learning in school.

COVID-19 response

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is also for the Premier. I’m really concerned—I think lots of people are really concerned—about what impact these decisions will have on people who already are waiting inordinate amounts of time for surgeries and other procedures. We know that the surgical backlog is immense. Millions of procedures and surgeries have been delayed. And there’s evidence around the world that would suggest that when the masks come off, the cases go up, and people end up in hospital.

Anthony Dale of the Ontario Hospital Association said this: “While overall, hospitalizations and admissions to intensive care units have dropped significantly in recent weeks the pandemic is not yet over.” He said, “Ontario’s health care system is still experiencing high levels of occupancy.” Ninety-two per cent of beds are currently full.

Why hasn’t the Premier factored in these huge backlogs in our health care system, which is already struggling with beds that are full and staff who are exhausted and overworked? Our health care heroes, who have provided such great support to us, may end up in a bad, bad place if things go the wrong way. Why wasn’t that factored into his mask decision?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: Well, to the member opposite, all of those issues have been taken into consideration when lifting the masking requirements, because we are in a very good situation right now with our hospitals and with dealing with those delayed procedures. We want to make sure that everyone gets the care that they need as soon as possible, whether it’s a CT scan or an MRI or whether it’s a surgery.

I would remind the member opposite that during 2020-21, the average Ontario hospital completed 88% of their targeted surgical allocation, and over 884,000 scheduled surgeries have taken place since this pandemic began. But we have also made significant investments to allow hospitals to proceed through these lists more quickly. We’ve invested half a billion dollars in order to allow surgeries to be done evenings and weekends. We want to make sure that we can take advantage of every single spot and availability of time in our ORs, operating rooms, in order for people to get these surgeries as quickly as possible.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Our hospitals have no room for error here. Many, many experts have made it perfectly clear that they think the Premier is just simply moving too fast. Anthony Dale, the head of the Ontario Hospital Association, says this: “Given the risks and uncertainties from COVID-19, particularly for vulnerable populations such as the unvaccinated and immunocompromised, responsibility for any consequences from this decision rests with the government of Ontario.”

It seems as though the government has ignored the impact of these decisions and how that will affect people who are desperately waiting for surgeries and procedures; a million surgeries; 20 million procedures backlogged. What will be the impact, Speaker? I ask the government: What will be the impact from ending the mask mandate on our already overcrowded hospitals? Surely the government has some specific information that they can share with Ontarians in that regard.

Hon. Christine Elliott: Our government has always been very open and transparent with the people of Ontario concerning the situation with respect to COVID, what our occupancy rates are in our hospitals, the number of people being admitted into intensive care units. We’ve seen all of those measures go down quite rapidly since January, since it reached its peak. Those numbers are in good shape. The waste water surveillance is indicating a downward trend, in the vast majority of them. So we are ready to proceed with those surgeries to make sure that people get the care that they need.

I would remind the member opposite that those numbers are not in the millions. We know that even before the pandemic, there were about 200,000 people waiting to have surgeries or procedures done. That has increased to about 250,000 now, so we’re looking at an additional 50,000.

With the investments we’ve made in order to increase surgeries and procedures, it’s not going to result in years for those numbers to come down; it will be a much shorter time period than that. So people will get the help that they need.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, it really doesn’t need to be this way. We could be making decisions that would really clear that surgical backlog and the diagnostic backlog and not put more pressure on the system.

The hospitals are still full. Staff are exhausted after two full years of this pandemic. We know staff have left the health care system in droves because of the exhaustion, because of the anxiety, because of some of the trauma that they faced during the pandemic. Those staff who are still in our system have been performing miracles to help our patients here in Ontario.

My question is, when we could and should be much more cautious, why is the Premier in such a rush when the real push should be to get those backlogs dealt with, to get those folks the surgeries they need, to get the procedures done so folks will know what their health situation is and make sure that they get the vital health care services they need? That should be the push. Why isn’t it?

Hon. Christine Elliott: It is important for the people of Ontario to have the actual facts, Speaker. As of today, I can advise that there were 742 hospitalizations across the province because of COVID, 244 people in intensive care units. That’s a significant decline from January—which means that there is room in hospitals in order for us to proceed with these surgeries and that we have taken a very cautious and phased approach in reopening Ontario. That is what Dr. Moore has always recommended and that is what we have always followed.

But as Dr. Moore has also said, “We have tools that we did not have just two years ago, including highly effective vaccines that have changed the course of the pandemic, high vaccination rates that continue to improve as more and more Ontarians see the value of getting boosted to protect themselves, their families and their communities.”

It is a vastly different situation than what we were dealing with several years ago, with the rate of Ontarians who have been vaccinated, with the money that we’ve put into hospitals in order to increase these surgeries. We are confident we can both continue to proceed to remove masking as well as continue to reduce the surgical backlogs.

Housing

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: My question is to the Premier. Premier, one of the most heartbreaking moments for a parent is to know that their children will not grow up close to the community that they grew up in. As a parent, I get this. My son was pulled away to serve in the military. However, over the last four years, the housing market has been pushing young families out of Niagara.

Joe Flocca, a father and a grandfather, is about to watch his daughter and their young family move to Alberta. This is despite making over six figures. This is despite wanting to stay close to their family. They cannot find housing in Niagara that they can afford. That is because, under this government’s watch, we have seen home prices go through the roof in Niagara.

Premier, after four years of the cost of living skyrocketing, four years of your broken promises, how can young families afford to buy homes in the community that they grew up in?

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

Hon. Steve Clark: Speaker, there is a housing crisis in Ontario. I’ve said this right from the first day I stood in the Legislature.

The member opposite talks about the last four years. Well, the last four years for her party in the opposition have been pretty clear: To every measure this government has put forward to provide more supply and help those young families stay in communities where they want to live, work and raise their family, this party said no every time. We placed policies on this table to increase housing supply: They said no. We placed legislation on the books to protect tenants and strengthen our community housing: They said no. We’ve actually asked the federal government to pay a fair share of housing, $490 million.

Will they support us? Their answer is no. Over and over again, their party has made it very clear to young families and young sons and daughters—on their availability of housing, they say no every single time. Quite frankly, Speaker, it’s disgraceful that the NDP are like this.

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

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: Back to the Premier: Premier, you are a parent. You have to understand how painful it would be to watch your child being forced out of the community and their province.

Joe’s daughter’s name is Lenny and she currently rents a townhouse in Niagara for well over $2,000 a month. They have no faith that, after four years, this government has a plan to make housing affordable. Your housing task force showed that housing prices in Ontario increased hundreds of thousands of dollars over the last four years.

This housing consultation is three and a half years late, Speaker, made up of CEOs and millionaires that proposed little for first-time homebuyers and nothing for tenants.

Will this government adopt the NDP’s plan for first-time homebuyers, like helping them with financing, down payments and rent control? Or does the government plan to do more of the same while expecting different results.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Aurora–Oak Ridges–Richmond Hill and parliamentary assistant.

Mr. Michael Parsa: I thank my honourable colleague for the question. Mr. Speaker, I absolutely agree with the member. Life was unaffordable as a result of 15 years of neglect by the previous government. I think they went out of their way to make sure that they could make everything possible more expensive and unaffordable for Ontarians.

In contrast, Mr. Speaker, when we got elected, we saw that. We were told, all of us were told—but when we tried to address it, at every step of the way, what did the opposition do? They voted no: every single initiative that we put forward to make life more affordable for Ontarians. The NDP is the party of no. While this party says yes to Ontarians to make life more affordable for Ontarians while creating more jobs for Ontarians, what does the NDP do? They vote no every single time.

The only time that they can hang on and say they voted yes is when they partnered with the Liberals when they were in power. They held the balance of power, and they supported the Liberals. That’s on record; Ontarians will never forget that.

But we, on this side of the House, Mr. Speaker, will work hard to make sure life is more affordable for every single Ontarian.

Tourism

Ms. Laurie Scott: My question is for the Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries. As the minister has stated previously, Ontario’s tourism sector was one of the first hit, hardest hit, and will take the longest to recover. These businesses faced extreme uncertainty over fear of outbreaks and owners worrying for the safety of their own staff. Direct supports from our government allowed businesses in the sector to stay afloat, and now with restrictions lifting, the industry is ready to welcome back more Ontarians.

I know there’s more we can do, and one of the measures introduced by this government was the new Ontario Staycation Tax Credit. Speaker, can the minister tell us how these hard-working Ontario families will benefit from the program?

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: I want to say to my colleague and long-time friend from Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock how wonderful it is for her to be such a great champion for the tourism industry in sectors in her own community. I have seen it with my own two eyes with her, and the level of respect and admiration her constituents have for her and the business owners in her community is quite something.

I want to thank her for the question because this is really important. As we start to ease restrictions, it’s important for every member of this assembly to look at their own backyard and see how they can best support their tourism industry. There will be no full economic recovery in the province of Ontario until your heritage, sport, tourism and culture industries are back up and running, whether that’s a local museum, your public library, a major attraction like Ripley’s, the entire region of Niagara Falls, Thousand Islands, Muskoka, Blue Mountain or Kenora–Rainy River and that entire area.

Some 1.85 million Ontarians will benefit from this $270-million tax credit. Individuals will be eligible for a maximum credit of $200 for up to $1,000, and families will receive a maximum benefit of $400 for up to $2,000—

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

Ms. Laurie Scott: I thank the minister for that strong response and her dedication and passion for the tourism industry in our province. It is great to hear the government is putting money back into the pockets of hard-working Ontarians. Ontario’s tourism businesses have survived some of the most uncertain times in the history of the province. However, they still need support. The staycation tax credit only applies for eligible accommodation expenses, so there’s even more to be done to help businesses that have been hurt the most but are not eligible.

Speaker, through you, can the Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries explain how this tax credit will benefit Ontario’s businesses?

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: We know that every dollar invested by this ministry yields about $21 in return. At the peak of these sectors, they were a $75-billion suite of sectors that contributed to a spectacular double bottom line. On the one hand, the things that make us love where we live or why people want to visit here create a cultural fabric. At the same time, it drives a $75-billion suite of sectors, which is larger than the GDP of Manitoba.

That’s big business. It’s small business. It’s also the largest volunteer sector in the country. And that’s why it’s so important that this tax credit works to get people moving again and rediscovering and reconnecting in Ontario. Paired with a number of our other investments, such as for the Globus Theatre and others that are in the member’s riding, we’re continuing to invest to encourage people to get back out.

I have to say this, and I have to say it very clearly: Just because we’re reopened, these sectors don’t necessarily recover, and it’s up to every member in this House to make sure they’re supporting their local community in tourism, culture, heritage and sport.

COVID-19 response

Ms. Peggy Sattler: My question is to the Premier.

The lifting of mask requirements in schools after March break has many London parents concerned. Ann Weber’s four-year-old son has health issues that have put him in the hospital with a common cold. Since he can’t get a COVID shot, Ann drives him to school instead of putting him on the bus and picks him up twice daily for snacks and lunchtime, so he never has to be among unmasked students. Knowing that everyone in his class wears a mask gives Ann just enough peace of mind to keep her son at school.

Why is this Premier rushing to remove the one remaining layer of protection that kept students like Ann’s son safe at school?

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

Hon. Stephen Lecce: I would encourage the member opposite to consult her own medical officer of health on the matter, who would support the lifting of measures cautiously, one of the last provinces in this nation to do so, following the advice of Dr. Moore, the Chief Medical Officer of Health of Ontario.

When you speak about one of the measures that can reduce risk in the classroom, it’s the air ventilation standard that we have invested in since September: 73,000 HEPA units in place. But while we’re lifting masking—it’s, of now, a choice for students and staff—we’re also enhancing the air ventilation quality in schools by deploying 40,000 additional HEPA units to publicly funded schools, 9,000 more to child care centres. And I feel like we have to provide the full picture. We’re not just doing that.

We’re actually enhancing the air quality in schools, reducing the risk accordingly, maintaining rapid tests, and providing PPE for free through to June, including N95s, the only province in Canada to do so for education staff.

I’d encourage everyone to consider vaccination. We had 400 vax clinics in schools over the past three weeks. We’re going to continue to do that to reduce the risk, to protect kids, keep them in school, learning.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary? The member from London North Centre.

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: Sara is a parent and educator in my riding who is deeply worried about her daughter Kira. Kira is immunocompromised and COVID poses a serious threat. Sara wrote to me, “I might have to leave my job if masking is taken away. I don’t know what else to do or how to get people to care that some of us can’t afford to get sick. The fact that municipalities can’t even make their own decisions on masking is particularly cruel.”

My constituent Christine calls stripping and limiting the powers of local health units “political interference.” Dr. Alex Summers, Middlesex-London medical officer of health, strongly recommends continuing indoor masking. Top scientists are asking for some wisdom and a little bit of caution. This political decision took Ontario’s science table by surprise.

Look, we all know that Premier Ford wants to fashion himself as the people’s Premier and rules by public opinion alone. But will he listen to science this time and keep masks in schools until Ontario’s science table, not politicians, declare it safe to unmask? Will the Premier do the right thing and make sure kids are safe?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Mr. Speaker, the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the principal adviser to the government, has been clear that the measures we have taken as a province—the high vaccination rates, the investment in ventilation, the adherence to good hand hygiene and PPE—have gotten us to a place where we can move forward with optimism and, yes, with caution.

Our kids deserve to be in normal schools. We have systematically and cautiously reopened schools in a more normal environment, reinstituting normal semestering and high-contact sports and clubs. Now we’re moving forward to allow children to return to more normal schools while maintaining the protections that have kept them safe through this pandemic.

The member opposite speaks about the wisdom of caution. I will remind him that Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Yukon are moving before the province of Ontario. We were one of the last provinces to do so. We are doing it with a sense of caution, which is why we’re deploying 40,000 more HEPA units to protect these kids and keep them safe.

COVID-19 response

Mr. Rick Nicholls: Speaker, through you, to the Premier: This COVID-19 pandemic has gone on now for two years. When this pandemic was first identified, you’ll remember that there was no game plan for handling it, especially in the early stages. I was a member of your caucus at that time, and when asked in January 2021, about eight months into the pandemic, I actually gave you an A- rating. As time went on, you’ll recall how I began to respectfully question the science table on their stats and projections.

When the vaccines arrived, they were touted as safe and effective, despite, in my opinion, a lack of solid clinical data that would have more solidly proven the efficacy of the experimental drugs.

I believe that the experimental drugs did help some of our vulnerable population in long-term care.

Premier, based on current data coming forward, what would you do differently now—and I’m talking about lessons learned—to protect the health and safety of all Ontarians?

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

The government House leader to respond.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Mr. Speaker, the final part of that question, I think, was the important part of it. Lessons learned, of course, is something that we will be seized with in this Parliament and the next Parliament. We’ll be seized with ensuring that there were lessons learned.

It is one of the big disappointments of the 2003 SARS pandemic in this province that the lessons learned were not actually implemented by the previous Liberal government. It is why we had to move so quickly to bring in IPAC measures, why we had to move so quickly to have Ontario health teams brought on board, why we had to build long-term care, why we had to build health capacity. It is the very reason we had to move so quickly.

In the top part of his question, he asked why the government wasn’t prepared. It was because, under 15 years of Liberal rule, they did not learn the lessons of SARS—going into warehouses with outdated and expired PPE.

We have learned those lessons, but there is always going to be more to do. We will ensure that we continue on our work to make sure Ontario is always prepared.

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

Mr. Rick Nicholls: Thank you for that response.

Through you, Speaker, back to the Premier: In the past, the focus has been on the number of people contracting COVID-19, questionable PCR testing, and the number of people dying from COVID-19. Now, 15 months after the vaccines were introduced, many people are having serious adverse effects from the injections, proof that vaccines were introduced too soon.

Recently, a top-secret document from Pfizer is proving that their COVID-19 vaccine is causing some deadly adverse effects. It would appear that Pfizer and the FDA wanted to hide their findings. There is a 38-page document detailing how many people have suffered adverse effects and what kinds of adverse effects they have experienced. The first adverse event Pfizer admitted that’s associated with the vaccine is 1p36 deletion syndrome, a congenital genetic disorder that affects fetuses and deletes part of their chromosomes, causing them to be born with severe intellectual disabilities.

So, Premier, why did you and the science table continue to advocate for everyone to get the vaccine if you knew this?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Honestly, I think it would be easy for me to have a response that virtually all members of this chamber would appreciate, but I’m not going to do that, Speaker. The vaccines worked very, very well and have changed the course of the pandemic, not just here in the province of Ontario but across this country. Millions upon millions of people in this province—billions, globally—have taken a vaccine. As I said, it has changed the course of the pandemic.

I think that we should all be grateful that it’s not only that all Ontarians and, globally, people are getting vaccinated against this, but just how quickly our scientific community research and development was done to put us globally in a position to defeat this once and for all. I think we should celebrate that. And I know all members have worked very hard to ensure that we’re in that position today, with the exception of a couple.

Manufacturing jobs

Mr. Robert Bailey: My question is to the minister of economic development and job creation: Minister Fedeli.

Under the previous Liberal government, our manufacturers were abandoned, and the high cost of doing business drove them out of this province. They gave up on one of Ontario’s most critical sectors and did nothing when over 300,000 jobs in manufacturing fled Ontario. That’s the legacy of the previous Liberal government.

Through you, Speaker, can the minister please tell this House how he and his ministry are reversing 15 years of damage brought on by the previous Liberal administration?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: When our government took office, we listened to the business community and took action to cut red tape, reduce taxes and make Ontario more competitive. As a result, we lowered the cost of doing business by $7 billion annually. And then we put the right business supports in place, like the $100-million Regional Development Program.

Just this week, we were proud to announce an investment of more than $10 million from Stirling Marathon in Elora. That investment of theirs will create up to 50 new jobs over the next five years to re-shore their residential appliance production line here into Ontario, creating good jobs, strengthening the local supply chains for the future. The province provided a $1.5-million contribution through our Southwestern Ontario Development Fund. Speaker, this is yet another of the thousands of Ontario business success stories, showing that Ontario is getting stronger.

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

Mr. Robert Bailey: Thank you to the minister for his response and for his work in reversing the harm the previous Liberal government inflicted on our men and women who work in manufacturing. It’s great to hear that our government has taken the right steps to reduce the cost of doing business, all the while putting in the right supports to encourage growth in our manufacturing sector.

My constituents and, I’m sure, all Ontarians are curious about what else is being done by your ministry. Through you, Speaker, can the minister please tell us how we are supporting all different types of businesses in Ontario’s diverse manufacturing sector?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: As a result of lowering the cost of doing business by over $7 billion, every year, we’ve seen our manufacturing sector take off. Hofmann Plastics in Orangeville has invested $20 million to build a brand new 41,000-square-foot automated warehouse to produce plastic packaging containers for the construction, chemical and food industries. Our government invested $3 million through the southwestern development fund.

Shogun Maitake has invested over $30 million for the construction of a new 120,000-square-foot facility in St. Thomas to grow maitake mushrooms for use in biopharmaceutical and supplements. Again, our government invested $4.5 million through the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund. This fund supports regional priorities and challenges and boosts the province’s economic recovery. And yes, Speaker, this is another of the thousands of Ontario companies showing that Ontario is getting stronger.

Automobile insurance

Mr. Kevin Yarde: My question is to the Premier. Auto insurance companies have made record profits during this pandemic. We would have assumed that auto insurance rates would have gone down, but it’s the complete opposite. Auto insurance rates continue to rise in Brampton and across many municipalities in Ontario. Many people have been doing their part, leaving their cars at home, not travelling as much and trying to reduce their emissions. They even have clean driving records: no accidents, no tickets. But they are still being price-gouged by insurance companies.

Now, this is not an issue that we can’t fix. The Liberals promised for 15 years they would fix the auto insurance price gouging, but they did nothing. In the last four years, the Conservative government promised time and time again