Thursday, May 28, 2026

The House met at 0900.

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The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly)

Good morning, everyone. Let us pray.

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Prayers / Prières.

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The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly)

You may be seated.

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Resuming the debate adjourned on May 27, 2026, on the motion for third reading of the following bill:

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Bill 110, An Act to enact the Building Billy Bishop Airport Act, 2026 / Projet de loi 110, Loi édictant la Loi de 2026 sur la construction de l’aéroport Billy Bishop.

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The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly)

Further debate?

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Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon

I’m always happy to rise in this House, of course, and represent the phenomenal people of beautiful Beaches–East York. I will now continue on my scintillating debate that I know you were all hanging on— Interjection.

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Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon

Yesterday you were, so today is the sequel. Thank you very much for your support. We’re going to talk about the runway of Billy Bishop. First, the expansion is far beyond what is presented. As I mentioned, Billy Bishop airport would demand 900 metres of new land mass, a 600-metre runway and a 150-metre buffer zone on each end. Unfortunately, the extra 900 metres does not even scratch the surface of a waterfront disruption. The Billy Bishop expansion would need hundreds more metres of buoys and guide lights extending into the water, repair hangars, new customs facilities if flight paths are added, exclusionary zones and more. Before I get into all the infrastructure—because there is a lot of infrastructure needed for this plan, dream, whatever you want to call it—let’s just take a minute to touch on a pretty fundamental piece of infrastructure in any airport: the tarmac. The jets used at Billy Bishop were never meant to be there. The tarmac, which is asphalt topped on sand, gets too hot in the summer, and these Q400 jets actually sink in the heat. Consequently, they cannot be stored at Billy Bishop airport in the summer, and instead they reside in London. I’m not sure if you knew that. So right off the bat, the airport cannot even house its critical equipment. We’ve all seen the heavy layer of fog that can fall over Toronto, sometimes thick enough that all you can see is the road and that car or the bike headlights in front of you. Toronto’s Billy Bishop airport, especially being on the waterfront, is susceptible to fog, low visibility and delays, so these lights are non-negotiable. Now, this expansion is not just a matter of slapping some asphalt down; it’s not just waving your magic wand like you seem to like to do. No—we are talking about building a runway off an island into the water, which requires making land where there is none. So for the underwater infrastructure, this would mean building down into the water not just to support the land of the runway, but it would require an underwater berm system so jets do not blast the peninsula into bits when they take off, and a retainer wall, just to name a few pieces of infrastructure necessary to operate a safe airport. Moreover, building down into the water completely and irrevocably disrupts the whole underwater aquatic ecosystem. Toronto’s waterfront is home to several endangered species: American eel, Jefferson salamander, redside dace, piping plover, rusty-patched bumblebee, just to name a few. But we know how this government actually feels about endangered species, and I won’t get into that. When we build underwater infrastructure, like retaining walls and berms, as we would need to for the airport expansion, we not only change the ecosystem that lives in the water but the flow of the water itself. Disrupting or completely blocking off points of drainage from rivers means that where water may have previously been able to flow from rivers and disperse over a wide surface area, it may now be concentrated and stronger, leading to changing currents affecting water activities and leaving us at risk for greater floods. And with the amalgamation of conservation authorities, loss of local knowledge and responsibility for growing regions of watersheds, this is simply not the time to take the chance with floods. While we’re on the topic of water, stay tuned for my private member’s motion on creating an all-party Great Lakes committee, which I know that you will be eager to support because you did it once before. Time and time again—let’s talk about the health impacts—studies show that airport cities experience poor air quality. And this can lead to adverse health effects like premature death, pre-term birth, decreased lung functions, cancers and more. This would only worsen with increased air travel in the core of the downtown, as the government is pushing for it and growing the traffic. Commercial jets emit various pollutants, and all of these have adverse effects that this government has not reported on for the airport expansion. That needs to be incorporated in the plan that doesn’t really exist. We’re talking infrastructure. We’re talking health impacts. Let’s get over to congestion, because I’m short on time. We talked about that. I know this government claims to be keen on mitigating traffic and looking for congestion mitigation measures, hence Bill 212, the ridiculous bill which involved removing bike lanes. Why would you touch this intersection? It’s not even fully—it’s an intersection, but it’s really kind of like a cul-de-sac. I know many of the government members and many members in this House have flown into Billy Bishop. We all love Billy Bishop. It’s a great quaint, cozy boutique airport. That’s what we like about it: two million passengers. When you blow it up to 10 million, a major airport, then you don’t have that boutique feel. Everything you love about it will be gone. We know there are 400 vehicles an hour—current city of Toronto transportation data, right now. And sometimes it’s double that. I actually was down there on the weekend for a play at the beautiful new Irish Corleck building, and I could have crawled faster to get to the building, which is right beside Billy Bishop. It was that congested on a regular Saturday in the city, so why— Interjection.

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Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon

I’m sorry, I wasn’t riding my bike that day. I was with my husband, if you have to know. Interjection.

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Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon

He likes to remain private. Anyway, let’s get back to the traffic. It’s barely manageable now. You have the end of Bathurst; you have Queens Quay; you have Eireann Quay. You do have transit down there. You do have the bike lanes, Martin Goodman Trail, all that. But you have an immense amount of traffic already, so you would need to have a parking lot, and, gosh, where would you ever put a parking lot down there? There’s a lot of green space; we know about the parks. You’re not touching those for a parking lot. So I don’t know what the thinking is about where the cars would park—but also all the idling and the danger of having that many vehicles. It’s not alarmist. These are concerns we must consider thoughtfully when the government proposes this massive expansion in the heart of Toronto where homes and schools and other institutions and densely populated—I think the member from Kitchener Centre said it best yesterday: that the population down there is probably more than some of your ridings, actually, so think about that, and leaving people vulnerable to pollutants and the health impacts. The expansion should require full studies to understand how this will affect species habitat, air quality, water quality, ecosystems and, of course, the traffic impacts and what that leads to. We’ve already talked about Bill 105 and this government’s plan to actually remove all environmental assessments. You would definitely need an environmental assessment down there. You’re going to have to make an exemption to Bill 105 for that. It has to be done. We have the exclusionary zones, which I’ll touch on briefly. The exclusionary zones avoid damage from jet blowback at the ends of the runway and are along the runway, too. The jets need to taxi, and when they are given that all-clear to move from that spot, there will be blowback, and it will not be safe for all the boating that’s done down there. There are the swimmers, canoers, kayakers. As we’ve heard at committee, the amount of tourists who come down to that area specifically when they come to Toronto is monumental. Then you have your Therme. How is Therme going to feel about this proposal? I’d be curious to know about that. I’m going to skip a bit over that and get to the cost. As we talked about yesterday, where is the business plan? Logically, you cannot possibly plan to do a massive, ginormous infrastructure project like this without having done your due diligence ahead of time. Bring in the experts, figure it out ahead of time and lay out the business plan. You don’t start anything without a business plan. So we don’t know. We’ve heard numbers tossed around. I think the latest I heard was $5 billion. We all know how far that would go for health care, for fixing our decrepit schools, for more transit, for housing. And when we’re talking about housing, we have to talk about what you’re doing to the Port Lands plan that Waterfront Toronto has developed on Ookwemin Minising. Those proposals that developers were told were viable are 19 storeys to 49 storeys. If you do this crazy dream of yours, to expand Billy Bishop to the full extent you want to, you are capping that housing in the Port Lands at 15 storeys. We also heard from the Waterfront Secretariat that you’re capping the housing and destroying the housing plan for south Etobicoke. So it’s not just the east. I represent the east-end riding, so that’s what I was focused on, but then I heard from the Waterfront Secretariat about the other areas of Toronto. That will destroy your plan for housing starts. That’s something that should be considered. There are a couple more things that I’ll talk about in my last minute. I’ve spoken at length about Little Norway Park. We do not pave over historical monuments. We don’t destroy history; we don’t disrespect our veterans. I’ve heard you speak proudly of that, so why would you touch Little Norway Park? And that had a pin in it on your map, so you have some explaining to do with that. In consultation at the committee, we heard—I can’t even believe it. The city of Toronto is the fourth-largest city in North America, and this government does not think to give them the heads-up, maybe consult, maybe show a little bit of respect. We heard from the Waterfront Secretariat; they found out about it in the media—in the media. Are you kidding me? This is a massive proposal. It’s a tripartite—three, tri—agreement. It doesn’t show much respect. One of the last things I will say is—we haven’t heard anyone speak about this yet in the House: the curfew at Lester B. Pearson. There’s a curfew at that airport, so there darn well better be a curfew at Billy Bishop. This isn’t a workaround for your economic benefit and your buddies. This is an empty bill. It’s not a plan; it’s a misguided dream, and Ontario deserves better.

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The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French)

Questions?

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Mr. Matthew Rae

Good morning. Thank you to my colleague from Beaches–East York for her remarks yesterday and now this morning on this important piece of legislation. I know there has been lots of discussion around the city of Toronto, but the federal government actually has recognized the importance of Billy Bishop airport. They’ve invested in US pre-clearance, highlighting its role as a cross-border travel destination for tourism, business and economic opportunity with our largest trading partner south of the border. I was just perplexed why the members opposite, the Liberals in particular at Queen’s Park, are opposing an airport when the federal Liberal Prime Minister and his federal Liberal colleagues support this investment and economic transportation—they’re going to buy airports, apparently, federally. I was wondering why the member won’t pick up the phone and ask her federal member why he supports the expansion of the Billy Bishop airport.

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Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon

Thank you to my second-favourite member across the chamber, who is going down lower today. Thank you for that question. I have absolutely spoken to my federal colleagues—of course I would. I believe in communication, consultation, dialogue, unlike this government. And I think the quote from the Prime Minister was that this is interesting, but he is pretty darn shocked at the move that this government did, pulled a fast one by just grabbing onto the city’s portion of that tripartite agreement without talking to anyone. It’s actually outrageous.

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The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French)

Question?

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Mr. Sol Mamakwa

Meegwetch to the member from Beaches–East York. I’m her favourite colleague here. I thought I’d get up and—no. When I first got elected in 2018, I remember specifically being in the dining room when we had the sessions in the summertime, and I remember the Minister of Transportation at that time said, “Sol, I just learned we run 29 airports in northern Ontario. I just got briefed. We need to meet.” That’s the first time that the Minister of Transportation knew that they actually ran airports. This morning, I think at 4:55, I got this picture from a friend of mine who is a pilot for Ornge, and it was in Kingfisher Lake. It was an amazing picture, but a lot of people do not realize that there’s such, such high need for a modernization of airports in northern Ontario. How do you think this government—does this government really know the conditions of the northern gravel airstrips that are in northern Ontario?

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Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon

Thank you very much to my fine member from Kiiwetinoong. I would say, yes, up there, favourite—it’s shared with the member from Timiskaming–Cochrane. You have to share it. I love when that member from Kiiwetinoong stands up and speaks about his riding, because I represent a downtown riding in the city of Toronto, and I have not been to his riding, but I am scared when I hear him speak about, yesterday, the 27 gravel airstrips. I feel the north is disrespected by this government because they’re obsessed with the downtown waterfront in the city of Toronto. It’s wrong.

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The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French)

Question?

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Mme Lucille Collard

Thank you for the speech from my colleague from Beaches–East York—always very entertaining, keeping everybody awake. I was a little bit worried to stand up and ask a question. I’m worried about the qualification I might get from my colleague, so maybe you want to abstain from that. I know you had a lot more to say about the reasons why this airport is not a great idea—you said you had to put down some of your pages—so I’ll offer you the opportunity to talk a little bit more about the aspect you might not have touched upon. Or, alternatively, you can also tell the government what they could do with this huge amount of money that they would spend on this disastrous development.

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Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon

Thank you very much to the excellent member from Ottawa–Vanier and a great representative and a great friend. Yes, I missed a bunch of my pages because I got on a rant about this government—which is so easy to do, actually. What I didn’t get to speak on: As far as spending that $5 billion, I would share it amongst everyone else. I wouldn’t hog it for beautiful Beaches–East York, but we do have a hospital, phase 2, and we do have schools and, the same as you, have to build. But we did talk about how there’s a $3-billion expansion going on right now in Lester B. Pearson airport to increase the capacity up to about 68 million passengers. That’s the major airport in Toronto, and Billy Bishop is the boutique airport—end of story.

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The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French)

Question?

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Mr. Rudy Cuzzetto

I’ve been listening to the member from Beaches–East York, and I noticed the member pretty well every day rides her bike here into Queen’s Park from Beaches–East York. I was wondering, wouldn’t it be easier for her to go to the Billy Bishop airport by bike instead of driving, or whatever, to get to the Pearson international airport? As well, what about the 23,000 construction jobs that are being created by building this airport here, at Billy Bishop? Are you against unionized workers building and expanding our airport?

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The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French)

Through the Chair, in future. Response? Member for Beaches–East York.

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Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon

I biked in today, and I was debating about whether I should wear my bicycle helmet in the chamber to protect myself from this onslaught, but I wasn’t sure that security would let me. Last time I checked, you could bike to airports. I’m sure some people do. You would be wearing the same underwear, I think, for your trip, because you wouldn’t be able to pack your suitcase. But I take the transit to Lester B. Pearson. I take the TTC: $3 gets me there lickety-split. That’s what I do. We also have the UP Express. Lester B. Pearson is accessible and easy to get to by transit. I wouldn’t—

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The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French)

Question?

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Mme France Gélinas

Thank you to the member from Beaches–East York for a very entertaining morning. But the topic is serious. I fly all over northern Ontario. There are 29 airstrips that are gravel and are dangerous. We tell one another, “Be very careful if you land at the 400-metre mark. There’s a big hole. There’s a big washout.” And those are airports that are owned and operated by the government of Ontario. Don’t tell me that the government of Ontario is willing to spend $5 billion for an airport we don’t need in Toronto but cannot spend $100,000 to make the airstrips in northern Ontario safe. Can you see a discrimination against northern Ontario in there?

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Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon

Thank you very much to the member from Nickel Belt for that excellent question and for representing her riding so well. I am appalled when I hear about the state of the airports in the north. The north is being ignored and disrespected by this government because this government is just solely obsessed—I’m trying to think of a bigger word than “obsessed.” I’m going to have to get my thesaurus out because they’re just—

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Ms. Sandy Shaw

Fixated.

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Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon

—fixated. It’s this love affair with the Toronto waterfront—but it’s kind of love-hate because you’re destroying it. I think this government should put their money where their mouth is and actually start investing in the north and in northern airports.

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The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French)

Further debate?

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Hon. Steve Clark

Good morning, everyone. I’m pleased to join in the debate on Bill 110, the Building Billy Bishop Act. This is a very important project for our government. It’s a bill that has had nine hours at second reading. We’ve gone into committee with the minister. I’ve been able to bring the bill back to committee. I think this morning, I’d love to get your take on whether you’re satisfied that we’ve had adequate debate. So with that, I’ll move that the question now be put.

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The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French)

There has been over six hours of debate, and 19 members have participated. Mr. Clark has moved that the question be now put. I am satisfied that there has been sufficient debate to allow this question to be put to the House. It is the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? I heard a no. All those in favour of the motion that the question be now put, please say “aye.” All those opposed to the motion that the question be now put, please say “nay.” In my opinion, the ayes have it. A recorded vote being required, it will be deferred to the next instance of deferred votes.

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Vote deferred.

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Mr. Kerzner moved second reading of the following bill:

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Bill 119, An Act to enact two new Acts and to amend various other Acts / Projet de loi 119, Loi édictant deux nouvelles lois et modifiant diverses autres lois.

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The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French)

Further debate?

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Hon. Michael S. Kerzner

I’m very pleased to be sharing my time today with our great Associate Solicitor General for Auto Theft and Bail Reform, my friend the member from Milton; as well as our great member from Perth–Wellington. I look forward to their participation in this debate. Madam Speaker, we’re here again because public safety matters. Protecting Ontario matters. It’s something that the Premier, our government and I treat with the highest degree of priority, and we have done so since the earliest days Premier Ford came to office in June of 2018. In a few weeks, I will have contributed four years as the proud member from York Centre to this Legislature. I will have contributed almost four years and a few more weeks as Solicitor General of this province. But I have not done it alone. I have done it with some incredible people in the Ministry of the Solicitor General who have helped me every day make sure that the priorities of our government, led by the Premier, are carried out ambitiously, with vigour and, I might add, with dispatch. I’m pleased that one of our deputy ministers is here in the chamber today: Deputy Mario Di Tommaso, a person who had an entire career as a police officer and came back for a second act, and we’re delighted, and I can say that there is no finer Deputy Solicitor General for community safety. We will never have a person—I welcome him and thank him so kindly. Thank you. I also want to welcome our incredible chief of staff, Nicolas Di Marco, who basically grew up around politics as a young person at city hall. He finds himself here, and what Nicolas brings is also a set of eyes with clarity, and he has helped me every single day with an incredible team in the minister’s office. Thank you. Madam Speaker, we’re here on Bill 119 as a reaffirmation that public safety will never take a back seat in the priorities of our government. I can point to so many incredible things that we have done in the last four years, but perhaps I’ll start with a story that I think is meaningful. This past Monday, I had the privilege of witnessing 85 new Toronto police officers receiving their badges—their commission. They took their oath of office. This class of 85 represents an incredible representation of diversity in our province unlike anything I have ever seen. When people around our province—and they are very few—do not understand the role that public safety plays in their lives, let me share my story of why I think it ties into Bill 119 so beautifully. These 85 people, by the way, understand that our province is diverse; our city is diverse. I will, as minister, as an MPP, as a citizen of the province who loves my province, champion those men and women who put on the uniform every day, supported by incredible civilians with an objective of making sure that everything we should not worry about—I’ve said this before, about going about our lives, waking up our kids—such was the case today when I woke up our kids; although they’re a little bit older, I still wake them up—and checking in on our seniors and loved ones. We go to work. We shop. We play in the park. We worship. And we do it because there is this safety net of people. The member right here from Chatham-Kent–Leamington, the minister of agriculture and agri-food, was a police officer, and not just for a short time; I might say he had an exemplary career in the Essex detachment of the OPP. There are people who will come next who will bring the same background. Deputy Di Tommaso had over 30 years at the Toronto Police Service, rising to the rank of staff superintendent, which was at that time just a notch below deputy chief. He understands what it means to have safe communities. Let me tell you something else that I learned. When we have safe communities, we have something else: We have an environment that encourages people to invest, to thrive; for entrepreneurs to feel that they can develop the ideas of tomorrow and see it through proof of concept and into production, because the climate that exists understands public safety matters. When we ran as a government and we were re-elected in February 2025 on the clarion call of protecting Ontario—protecting Ontario means “protect us, strong economically.” The times that find us are uncertain and perhaps things we’ve never had to deal with, but the threats of tariffs have just helped us reinvent two things: the pride and love we have of our province, of our flag, of our identity, of our diversity, but also something else, that in our province of Ontario, there’s nothing we can’t do. We have the resources, we have the intellect, we have the expertise and we have the ability to do whatever we want to do, and control our destiny and make our identity as Canadians and as Ontarians our own. Bill 119 helps us talk about a few things that will help ensure, from a public safety perspective, there’s nothing more important than the welfare of those who live in our province. We’ve said a few things in Bill 119 that are important. Some of it goes back to what Premier Mike Harris did so brilliantly. He turned tragedy into action and purpose when he came forward in understanding that the tragic death of Christopher Stephenson was not going to just exist with no action to prevent other children from being brutally murdered by sex offenders. And he came forward with Christopher’s Law, 25 years ago plus. Christopher’s Law was designed to create an Ontario registry that the police services would have that would allow caution to exist in communities where sex offenders may exist and may try to hide under the veil. I have a lot of respect for Premier Harris. To this day, just to call him by his surtitle, “Premier,” reflects the time and leadership he gave to this place and to the province. And 25 years later, there’s another Premier. It’s Premier Doug Ford, who said that we have to strengthen Christopher’s Law; we have to make sure that you can’t hide behind an alias; you can’t hide in social media luring people and extorting people. Because that’s what’s taking place today in the world of the Web, and it’s not fair to young innocent children. We’ve made changes, and we’ve strengthened it numerous times by going forward in this bill to allow the OPP, through the commissioner, to have a new Web page and vision that will help allow certain information to be released to the public in the communities. And to keep communities safe is another reaffirmation that we will always be with our community. We will always side with the victims. Madam Speaker, my friends across the way—and some of them are real, real good friends too—understand that when it comes time to both have pride in our province and respect for those men and women who serve as police officers and firefighters and correctional, probation, and parole officers, animal welfare inspectors, the love and respect for our community should be universal. I read in the papers, by the way, yesterday, that there were some members on the other side—although the good news is they’re not in the chamber right now, although I shouldn’t say that, so I’ll retract that. But what I want to say is there is universal respect for those people that want to keep our province safe. The changes that we’re going to make to the public website for high-risk offenders will be very important because, most importantly, it will improve the public awareness, and that’s very important. I also wanted to address something else: that we want to crack down, as we have been, understanding that people who feel it’s okay to produce illegal drugs with pill presses, another means in Ontario—it’s not acceptable. And that’s why, through the dramatic increased investments we’ve made year after year that have been cumulative, we’ve worked with our police services to ensure that they have resources, the technology and the wherewithal to go after crime and to fight it hard. We also want to make sure that people who harbour those who make illegal drugs should not be absolved from their responsibility. That’s why we’ve said commercial landlords who harbour, who are aware, who lease space to people in commercial buildings will be held accountable if they continue on in this way. I feel this is the right way to go. I also want to talk about how we want to modernize our security guards. It was just maybe a month ago that we had a security guard at Fairview Mall who was shot right in front of the Michael Hill jewellery store. We want to make sure that as we go forward, we dust off legislation that hasn’t been looked at again in almost 20 years. Who is a security guard? What type of training will they get? What standards of common training will they have? I really want to make sure that we address this, because that and retail theft are a major problem—$9 billion-plus: That’s what retail theft does to our province. It increases the cost of goods. One way we control the rate that we’re paying, the rate of inflation on the goods that we’re buying is stopping the people who are stealing the goods, that are making it more expensive for everyone. By the way, I travelled last summer in the riding of the member from Kiiwetinoong. I’ll be honest; I was shocked when I went to two fly-in communities and I saw the price of goods. I took pictures of the prices, and when I showed it to my own family, they asked me whether that was in Canadian dollars, because the prices are unbelievable. We have to stop retail theft. It has a chain reaction everywhere, and it’s not fair to the law-abiding citizens who want to buy their product and pay a fair price. So that’s something we want to do. My colleagues across the ministry, the Attorney General, the Associate Solicitor General will be talking about different things as well, but we want to have an all-of-government approach that will say that we have to go back to what is best for Ontario. I said a couple of days ago one of the things we want to do is encourage entrepreneurs to come forward with Ontario-made products. So the days of buying Chinese drones that absolutely have no more place in the future of our province when we can manufacture a better product here and keep all of the data and software right here in Canada—that’s why my colleague Minister Crawford, from Oakville, his Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement has come forward to be part of this bill. I think this is very important. By the way, we’re not telling the OPP, “Don’t use these drones that you might already have,” but don’t use it for certain things today. Secondly, we will see a day very soon when we will have a Canadian and Ontarian manufacturer helping with this. I want to talk about a few other things that are very, very important. I want to talk about the fact that victims of human trafficking in some cases—I would say maybe in many cases—who were coerced into this find themselves with debt that actually should not be their responsibility. When we look at the human trafficking debt relief component of this bill, it will help survivors rebuild their lives, remove financial barriers created by traffickers and support long-term recovery and independence. This is important. I think it’s got a lot of bipartisanship across the way because this is something that nobody should ever face—and have been coerced to incur a debt that’s not theirs. I’m very, very pleased that we’ve done this. I also want to talk about the changes that we want to make in communicating our government’s priorities to the police service boards. Now, the Leader of the Opposition, I think, needs to reread it, because I saw her comments, and they don’t make any sense. We don’t direct any police service, and the leader knows that. We don’t. We don’t direct the OPP, we don’t direct municipal and we don’t direct First Nations police services. But what we know is alongside the local municipal priorities are the provincial priorities.

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Hon. Michael S. Kerzner

This legislation will allow for the conveyance, the clarity and the enunciation of the government’s provincial priorities to the board. And what are examples of provincial priorities? Fighting to get the guns out of our community: That’s a priority. Stopping the illegal drugs from being produced in our communities and getting them out of our communities: That’s a priority. Keeping our parks free of drugs and available for people to play in the park: That’s a priority. To keep our transit safe—and one of the things I announced is looking into having special transit constables having additional authority, so if they see somebody engaging in inappropriate drug behaviour, that can be stopped, and they can arrest them if they have to or escort them out. Who wouldn’t agree with things like that? Go on transit and experience something that you’re not being threatened by or made uncomfortable by—that’s important. When we look at the things we have done—two seasons a year, Madam Speaker, in the fall and in the spring. We do it because we want to further strengthen the narrative. And whether it be in animal welfare—and there’s a piece in this as well, because there were medically unnecessary procedures on dogs that don’t need to be done, devocalization on cats, declawing on dogs, dog tailing. There are things that don’t have to be done—or ear cropping. They don’t need to be done. We want to take the information, the views and the concerns of our stakeholders moving forward. A little later this evening, I will be in Windsor, participating again at the annual meeting of the Police Association of Ontario, led by my good friend Mark Baxter. Thousands of members of police services are part of the PAO. And the PAO—together with the Ontario Provincial Police Association, and in Toronto, the Toronto Police Association—represents the men and women that take the risk every day to keep us safe. The firefighters take risks every day. The correctional officers are heroes beyond measure. The people that answer the 911 call—when we call 911, they pick up the phone. And thanks to the new technology we’ve adopted, the NG9-1-1—next generation—actually, they’re picking up the phone across the province that much quicker. When we look at the animal welfare inspectors, they’re reminding Ontarians as to the standards we have set to care for our animals. When we look at the people in the centre of forensic science and at the coroner’s office, we look at people that put service over self every day to find the next discoveries and, most importantly, take what we can learn from a tragedy and prevent that from reoccurring. The purpose of legislation being introduced in the fall, or in the spring, or however the government has an opportunity to do it, is to send a message to Ontarians that they don’t walk alone, that there’s somebody with them every day: the brave men and women, yes, but also the government, also the Parliament of Ontario, because we all have an equal right to vote and support public safety legislation. For me, as I mark—as many of us will do from the class of 2022 on all sides, just in a few days. These four years here have been remarkable, to say the least. I’ve listened, and at the end of the day, I realize the role that we have on all sides is not to say what people need to hear from us; it is to make sure that our commitment and that our love and our respect for the province and being elected here is transmitted in everything we do and everything we say. It has been a privilege beyond a lifetime, and I know my colleagues feel the same way. And I hope that we will continue, both as a government and as a Parliament, to all say that there’s nothing more important, sincere or valued than protecting our province and its future. Thank you, merci beaucoup, and meegwetch.

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The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French)

The minister let us know he’s sharing his time. I recognize the Associate Solicitor General for Auto Theft and Bail Reform.

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Hon. Zee Hamid

In addition to the member from Perth–Wellington, I will also be sharing my time with the member from Whitby. I’m pleased to rise for the second reading of Bill 119, the Ontario government’s proposed Protecting Ontario’s Streets and Communities Act, which we introduced in the House earlier this week. Speaker, our government has a comprehensive strategy to safeguard our province and continue in our ongoing commitment to protect Ontario. We’re protecting Ontario jobs and industry through smart investments and by taking steps to boost trade and unleash our economy. We’re protecting Ontario families through strategic investments in health care, infrastructure, education and social services. And we’re protecting Ontario families and communities by enhancing the justice and public safety systems which exist to serve them. That’s why we’re making historic investments in front-line policing to make sure officers who protect us have the resources and tools they need to do their jobs effectively, and overhauling the adult correctional system by modernizing and expanding infrastructure, hiring more correctional staff—including mental health professionals and nurses—and enhancing safety in our institutions. Along with these investments, we’ve advanced bold legislation in the name of justice and public safety. Bill 119 builds on the work our government has done to ensure we have a legislative framework that supports and advances our public safety priorities. We started in 2023 with the Strengthening Safety and Modernizing Justice Act, which advances the career of policing, strengthens protection for animals and increases access to courts by reducing backlogs. Early in 2024, the Safer Streets, Stronger Communities Act received royal assent. Changes in the act were designed to help protect children, support families and people struggling with addiction by restricting supervised consumption sites, and address road safety issues caused by careless commercial motor vehicle drivers. That was one of the first acts that I had the privilege of voting for when I came in through a by-election that year. Later that year, the House passed the Enhancing Access to Justice Act, which took a number of steps to advance the province’s public safety and justice systems. The Protect Ontario Through Safer Streets and Stronger Communities Act passed last year is another clear example and demonstration of our commitment to public safety. This act addresses critical issues like intimate partner violence and human trafficking, while streamlining the justice appointment process, giving police additional tools to combat auto theft and other serious offences. Speaker, I know that Milton families in my riding are hard-working families, and families across Ontario expect that when bail conditions are imposed in the administration of justice, they are followed and abided by, and when they are not, there are real and meaningful consequences. As Associate Solicitor General for Auto Theft and Bail Reform, I’m particularly proud of measures in the legislation that strengthen the bail system by making sureties more accountable for bail breaches. We backed the Protect Ontario Through Safer Streets and Stronger Communities Act with meaningful action, including a $91-million investment in the Community Safety and Policing Grant program. This innovative and effective program funded 127 community-based policing service projects, addressing issues like gang violence, sexual exploitation, human trafficking, hate-motivated crime and retail theft. Last week, I was with Peel police doing an announcement where we announced a bust of a retail theft ring that was funded through this grant program. Later today, I’ll be with Barrie police doing another announcement that is also funded through grant programs like these. So these programs are making a meaningful impact in public safety. And last year, Speaker, we took another bold step to safeguard our province and protect drivers on the road, families in their communities, front-line heroes on the job and victims from the lasting impact of crime. Bill 75, the Keeping Criminals Behind Bars Act, built on our public safety and justice legacy by proposing changes that would crack down on dangerous driving, strengthen bail compliance by making sure offenders and sureties are held accountable for bail breaches, provide public safety personnel and their families additional tools and supports, and enhance support for victims of crime. Which brings me to our latest set of actions: Bill 119, the Protecting Ontario’s Streets and Communities Act. This bill is the foundation of a comprehensive public safety and justice package that has three clear objectives: make sure our communities are safer, give police and public safety personnel stronger enforcement tools, and enhance protections for victims of crime and other vulnerable Ontarians. Speaker, I would like to take some time now to explore each of these three objectives in more detail. The first objective is to make our communities safer. We promised an Ontario where everyone can feel safe and secure on the streets, in their homes and across their communities. Bill 119 includes amendments to support this commitment. We’re looking to amend the Community Safety and Policing Act in ways that will strengthen the governance and transparency of municipal police service boards. These changes include limiting the ability of police services, or police service boards, to hire current or former board members; establishing rules of attendance in closed board meetings; and enabling the Solicitor General to set policing priorities for police service boards. We’re also proposing changes that would streamline the Inspector General of Policing’s operations. In addition to these strong governance measures, we’re proposing amendments to modernize the Private Security and Investigative Services Act. Over the past decade, the private security sector has grown steadily. Today, more than 136,000 private security professionals are licensed in Ontario. That’s more than all our police officers serving our communities combined. As a government, we have a responsibility to ensure these people are doing their jobs safely, responsibly and in alignment with provincial priorities. Our government’s proposed changes would enhance training resources for private security personnel and ensure the sector has effective public complaints processes in place to ensure that concerns are heard and acted upon. Meanwhile, we’re asking the House to consider steps aimed at improving the overall efficiency of the justice system. The Attorney General is proposing changes to the Provincial Offences Act that would enable parties to reach plea deals and plea agreements for specific provincial offences outside the courtroom. This is a practical and common-sense change that would help reduce a lot of court delays, actually. Beyond legislation, we’re advancing policy initiatives that reflect the complexity and changing dynamic of today’s public safety landscape. For example, the RCMP recently restricted the use of Chinese-made drones after determining they posed risks in specific policing and national security situations. The Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement, under the direction of the member from Oakville, is taking a close look at the issue. With the best interests of Ontario in mind, we want to ensure that drones used to support provincial police work are secure, safe and reliable. And to keep up with the evolving and interconnected nature of crime, we’re also developing a provincial strategy to combat money laundering, while looking at ways to improve oversight in areas like forensic care. The next objective of this public safety and justice package is aimed at improving enforcement tools. We want to seal any holes in the net and make sure that legislation is not only intelligently considered but is effective and enforceable. As such, illegal and open drug use is an area of special concern. Speaker, people are just fed up with illegal drug use in public spaces. Public transit is a case in point. Millions of Ontarians rely on public transit, and they want to feel safe while they’re using public transit. They don’t want their health compromised by exposure to toxic substances. They don’t want to witness criminal behaviour. My daughter was 15 years old when she started taking transit to go to school. I do not want kids in her age group, or anyone, for that matter, relying on public transit to be exposed to drug use. It shouldn’t even be a question that Ontarians deserve the right to be safe. It shouldn’t be a question that they deserve the right to travel in dignity. In my riding of Milton, I hear from my constituents all the time that our transit system needs to be more than just on time. It needs to be more than just modern. It needs to be more than just clean. It also needs to be safe. The TTC has reported a significant uptick in security incidents since the pandemic, with many incidents involving intoxication and drug use. To tackle this, our government has made a regulation under the Restricting Public Consumption of Illegal Substances Act. With this new regulation, transit special constables will have greater authority to prevent illegal drug use on transit property. They can now confiscate illegal substances. They can direct drug users to leave a public space, and when there’s a refusal to comply with lawful orders, constables have the authority to lay provincial charges. Our government is also examining actions that will address meth labs and other facilities used in the production of illegal drugs. By bringing into force the Measures Respecting Premises with Illegal Drug Activity Act, it will be illegal for commercial landlords to knowingly permit illegal drug production on their property. Our government is also looking at ways to assist our brave men and women in uniform to keep drugs out of our communities, including introducing legislation that will make it an offence to unlawfully possess precursor chemicals for the purpose of making illegal drugs and pill presses or other devices used in the production of illegal drugs. Beyond this, we are also addressing concerns in the towing industry. My colleague the Minister of Transportation will talk about this in more detail, but for now, here’s a short summary, Speaker: Bill 119 includes amendments to the Towing and Storage Safety and Enforcement Act to reduce dangerous driving by tow truck operators and ensure the industry is more effectively regulated. If passed, these measures will make it easier for authorities to penalize tow truck companies that skirt the rules. What’s more, the minister from Elgin–Middlesex–London and his incredible team at the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing are moving forward with changes to the Planning Act to allow municipalities to issue administrative monetary penalties, or AMPs, for specific types of unauthorized illegal land use. This would help municipalities punish unauthorized commercial operations such as illegal parking lots and storage yards. It’s an issue that impacts a lot of communities along the 401, including my own riding of Milton. I served 12 years as a municipal councillor, Speaker, and a large number of issues from the rural residents of Milton involve illegal truck parking, because this is not just illegal truck parking in inappropriate locations; they’re also doing servicing, they’re generating noise and pollution, they’re doing oil changes and all sorts of things that should not be permitted in inappropriate areas. So in order to tackle that, municipalities have asked us for new tools, and we’re doing just that. At the same time, the Attorney General is moving amendments to simplify enforcement of restraining orders made in other Canadian jurisdictions.

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Hon. Zee Hamid

The third aim of our package centres on granting more robust protection for victims of crime and other vulnerable Ontarians. By now, everyone in this House understands why it’s critical that Ontarians have the information they need to safeguard against high-risk offenders, including sex offenders. We cannot have a system that places this information behind a bureaucratic firewall. Therefore, we’re bringing forward changes to the Community Safety and Policing Act authorizing the Ontario Provincial Police, the OPP, to maintain a public website that provides updates about high-risk offenders who are subject to a community notification by a chief of police. Bill 119 also includes changes to Christopher’s Law that would better align the reporting requirements for the Ontario sex offender and trafficker registry with those of the National Sex Offender Registry. Another proposed change deals with an inefficiency in the current police criminal check system. Police services across Ontario process over a million police record checks every year, 70% of which are vulnerable sector checks. These are more detailed checks conducted for people working and volunteering with children, seniors and people with disabilities. These are detailed and time-consuming and often require extensive data analysis, stricter identity verification and manual review by police. Right now, federal rules limit vulnerable sector checks to the police service where an applicant resides or another authorized body. If passed, Bill 119 would amend the Police Record Checks Reform Act to allow police services to process vulnerable sector checks for people living outside the jurisdiction. That will allow us to load balance and direct things where there’s more capacity. It would eliminate pressure on local police and make vulnerable sector record checks significantly faster. Meanwhile, the Attorney General’s ministry is suggesting changes to the Victims’ Bill of Rights that would create a new statutory tort of harassment. Currently, this behaviour is usually addressed in the Criminal Code. Bill 119 would give victims the right to sue their harassers in civil court even if there is no criminal conviction in place. Our government is also examining methods to support the rules set out in the Protection from Coerced Debts Incurred in relation to Human Trafficking Act. All these underscore our government’s commitment to public safety and protecting victims and standing with victims. Under the proposed amendments, victims of human trafficking will no longer have to pay off debt they were forced to take on by their exploiters. We’ve also made regulations that prohibit the medically unnecessary and cruel declawing of cats, as well as outdated devocalization or ear cropping of dogs. I’ve had cats my whole life, and one of the cats we had rescued was declawed. I did not realize at the time—we didn’t go through the process; we rescued the cat—that declawing the cat involves cutting off their toes, not just taking off the nails. So it’s a process that a lot of well-meaning cat owners and pet owners have gone through, thinking they were doing the right thing, but it’s medically unnecessary and it could be quite painful for the animal. It is about the time that these medically unnecessary processes are stopped. The measures outlined today mark a major step forward for public safety and justice. They’re rooted in experience, informed by evidence, and focused on measurable outcomes. Bill 119 builds on our record of bringing forth legislation that makes life better for people in this province, that makes our streets safer, that makes our communities safer and makes our families safer. Our government is responding to these challenges and working to protect the province as we position Ontario to adapt to the challenges of the future and take advantage of the opportunities to come. The proposed Protecting Ontario’s Streets and Communities Act also builds on our commitment to safer communities and a stronger justice system. I’ve heard time and time again, Speaker, as I’m sure you have, and I would imagine every member of this House has, that the public expects our streets to be safe, their families to be secure, and that when something happens, they expect justice to be served. And that is what this bill is doing. I’ll now share my time with the member from Perth–Wellington.

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The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French)

I recognize the member for Perth–Wellington. Interjections.

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Mr. Matthew Rae

Thank you, colleagues. It’s great to be able to rise this morning to speak to a very important piece of legislation: Bill 119, Protecting Ontario’s Streets and Communities Act, 2026. This legislation reflects our government’s work and unwavering commitment, as the Solicitor General and the associate minister mentioned in their remarks this morning, to protect the people of this great province, support victims, and strengthen public safety in communities across Ontario. In reviewing this piece of legislation when it was tabled—there are five overall themes throughout this bill, whether it’s safer communities, stronger enforcement, protecting victims and the vulnerable, strengthening private and intercountry adoptions, and, finally, improving safety and the supports, as well, under the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. This is the latest step in our government’s efforts to crack down on illegal activity wherever it may be occurring, protect victims of crime, and strengthen public safety across this province. In my remarks this morning, I will, obviously, as the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, speak to our proposed amendments to the AMP program—administrative monetary policy. We’re going to talk about fines this morning, colleagues, at the municipal level. Hopefully you’ll all stay with me, and awake. It was a very important piece of legislation—this component—and as parliamentary assistant, I was actually working, under the former Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Minister Calandra, on this through committee. So there has already been some committee work, colleagues, on this piece of legislation, specifically related to this illegal truck bylaw and the challenges around enforcement and compliance. If passed, this piece of legislation would take meaningful action to protect transit users by expanding authority for special constables to address illegal drug use on transit systems—an issue of grave concern for municipal leaders with large and small transit services, and transit riders across our great province. It would support survivors of human trafficking by providing up to $50,000 in debt relief for those who are forced or coerced into debt by these human traffickers. It would also protect victims by allowing restraining orders issued in other provinces to be enforced in Ontario without additional court declarations or the need to obtain them from our law enforcement. It would also improve transparency and public safety by allowing the Ontario Provincial Police to publish information about high-risk offenders on provincial public websites. It would reduce wait times for police record checks for people working and volunteering with vulnerable populations and doing that important work. It would also strengthen oversight and accountability in the towing and private security industries. And it would help protect sensitive provincial information by restricting the use of Chinese-made drones across government operations. Speaker, these measures build on important work our government has already advanced through the Protect Ontario Through Safer Streets and Stronger Communities Act and Keeping Criminals Behind Bars Act. But Speaker, today, I want to focus, as I mentioned, specifically on one part of this legislation that speaks directly to the concerns we are hearing from our municipal partners, residents, farmers and rural communities across Ontario. We’ve been asked by municipal leaders at ROMA, AMO and at other municipal conferences and meetings—and we’re delivering on our commitment to crack down on illegal truck yards and illegal land use practices through the stronger enforcement tools being proposed in this piece of legislation under the Planning Act. The reality is, Speaker, illegal truck yards have become a growing problem for a number of Ontario communities, particularly in our fastest-growing rural and suburban municipalities in the greater Golden Horseshoe. Residents have raised serious concerns about trucks and the trailers being parked and stored on agricultural, rural and residential lands that were never intended to be zoned for those purposes. These are not minor concerns. Illegal truck yards can create serious safety hazards. They can damage local roads that were never designed for heavy-duty commercial truck traffic. They create excessive noise, light, odour, drainage problems and environmental concerns for the surrounding residents and farm families. They threaten the integrity of farmland, which is something very important to this government, and undermine proper land use planning. In communities like Caledon, Halton Hills, Vaughan and other communities in York region, local leaders have been sounding the alarm for years. Residents have watched as agricultural properties and rural lands were transformed into illegal truck depots operating outside of municipally zoned rules and other bylaws. Municipal bylaw officers have faced lengthy investigations, costly court proceedings and limited enforcement tools that often fail to stop repeat offenders quickly enough. We’re listening to local leadership to make changes to the Planning Act that will help municipalities address illegal land use within their jurisdictions. The proposed changes respond directly to calls from municipal leaders, such as Mayor Annette Groves from Caledon, and councils across Ontario that have asked for stronger enforcement tools to deal with illegal truck depots operating on lands not zoned for these purposes. Speaker, what municipalities have told us is clear: The current system is simply too slow. Right now, municipalities can prosecute offenders who violate zoning bylaws, but those prosecutions often require significant staff time, which then leads to significant legal costs; obviously, time for investigations; and ultimately, years of court proceedings before any meaningful outcome is reached. In some cases, by the time enforcement is completed, the damage to communities is unfortunately already done. The town of Caledon has investigated more than 100 files related to suspected illegal land use and trucking operations since 2024, colleagues. In Halton Hills, there have been more than 50 illegal truck depots and over 40 active investigations in 2025. The largest successful prosecution resulted in a fine of $115,000, an amount that still did not cover the municipality’s prosecution and enforcement costs. This is not sustainable. Municipalities need practical tools that allow them to respond more quickly, more efficiently and more effectively when illegal land use does occur. That’s exactly what this piece of legislation would provide. If passed, Bill 119 would enable municipalities to impose administrative monetary penalties, commonly known as AMPs, in relation to illegal land uses, including illegal truck depots—

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The Acting Speaker (Ms. Jennifer K. French)

I apologize to the member. Sorry to interrupt the member. Seeing the time on the clock, it is now time for members’ statements.

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Second reading debate deemed adjourned.

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Mr. Lorne Coe

As part of our plan to protect Ontario, the province is investing $9.6 million through the 2025-26 gas tax program to support public transit services across the region of Durham. This funding will help expand service hours, introduce new and improved routes, purchase new transit vehicles and enhance accessibility, ensuring more residents can move safely, reliably and efficiently through their communities. Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is making historic investments in infrastructure and public transit: nearly $70 billion province-wide to build a stronger, more resilient and self-reliant Ontario. Through programs like the gas tax, Connecting Links, and the Ontario Transit Investment Fund, we are providing Durham municipalities with the stable, predictable funding they need to plan for the future.

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MPP Catherine McKenney

I recently had the privilege of visiting Harmony House, a second-stage shelter in Ottawa that provides refuge to women and their children who are fleeing domestic violence. What I saw moved me deeply. I watched children playing in the shadow of a building, tucking themselves out of the sun and making the most out of a small patch of shade. These are children who have already survived so much. They are resilient and joyful and full of life, and they deserve so much more. Harmony House does vital work. Second-stage shelters are a lifeline. They provide the time and stability that women and children need to begin to heal, to plan and to imagine a future. But that future is being blocked. Right now, there is nowhere affordable to go. Without deeply affordable housing, women cannot move on. They stay longer in second-stage shelters, and other women in crisis shelters have nowhere to move to. The whole system seizes up, not because of a failure of courage or effort, but because this government has failed to build the homes these families need. Speaker, the children I saw playing in that shadow deserve a home of their own, a permanent, safe, affordable place to grow up and thrive. Every day this government delays the needed investment in deeply affordable housing is another day those children wait.

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MPP Stephanie Smyth

National AccessAbility Week is a time to celebrate the incredible people, advocates, caregivers and community leaders who continue to push Ontario forward every single day. But it also has to be a moment where we are honest with ourselves about how much work is still left to do, because for a lot of Ontarians, accessibility barriers are not occasional inconveniences; they shape almost every part of daily life. It’s the senior who misses a medical appointment because the Wheel-Trans booking never came. It’s someone showing up to a subway station elevator only to see the familiar out-of-service sign again—or there isn’t even an elevator at all. It’s a parent trying to push a wheelchair down a sidewalk blocked by snowbanks in the winter. It’s a young person with a disability applying for jobs and wondering if they’re being overlooked before they even walk into the interview room. And it’s families who are exhausted from constantly having to advocate, explain, fight and push just to access things many of us take for granted. Speaker, Ontario promised to become fully accessible by 2025. That deadline has come and gone, and for many people, it doesn’t feel like we are anywhere close. We have to remember accessibility is not just about infrastructure or legislation. It is about dignity. It is about independence. And it is about whether people feel included in their own communities.

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MPP Mohamed Firin

I rise today to recognize and congratulate Phở 90 in York South–Weston on receiving the Toronto Star Readers’ Choice for best Asian restaurant. This recognition is a significant achievement and reflects years of hard work, dedication and commitment to excellence by co-owners Sang Nguyen and Hung Ton, as well as their entire team. Their story is one that reflects the opportunity and the promise Ontario offers to those willing to work hard and contribute to their communities. Arriving in Canada in the 1980s, Sang Nguyen and Hung Ton brought with them generations of family traditions and authentic Vietnamese recipes that have now become part of the rich culinary fabric of York South–Weston. Over the past seven years, Phở 90 has been more than just a restaurant. It has become a welcoming gathering place for residents and families across York South–Weston, known for its hospitality and quality service. The restaurant’s distinct recipes, inspired by four generations of culinary traditions from Saigon, have helped Phở 90 stand out within Ontario’s vibrant food industry and earn numerous awards over the years. During Asian Heritage Month, it is important to recognize businesses like Phở 90 that preserve the culture and traditions while also contributing to our local economy, creating jobs and strengthening our communities. I would like to recognize co-owner Hung Ton, who’s here today. He’s a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 for his service and contributions to the community. I ask all members of this House to join me in congratulating Sang Nguyen, Hung Ton and the entire Phở 90 team on this well-deserved recognition, and I wish them continued success for the next generation.

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Ms. Chandra Pasma

I want to say a huge congratulations and thank you to Ottawa West–Nepean residents who are receiving a Good Neighbour Award. These awards celebrate the people in our community who brighten and sustain the lives of their neighbours every day in ways big and small. They are all nominated by members of our community. They are volunteers for community organizations, churches and community associations. They help welcome newcomers, ensure everyone in our community has access to food, clothing, books and bicycles. They welcome newcomers, support seniors and youth and deliver meals and cookies to neighbours. They organize celebrations and social events. They clear snow and promote cleaner, greener neighbourhoods. They solve problems and advocate for important causes. Congratulations to Alicia Cuzner, April MacDonald, Dennis Bronson, Fatou Camara, Grant Gilliland, Harry Fischer, Janet Decoste, Jeannine Jennings, Judy Madhosingh, Larissa Law, Laurie McKnight, Michael Sims, Norma Lamont, Paul Dietz, Randy Taylor, Rick Sellick, Salim Jam, Sharon and Kirk Reid, Sharon Roy, Steve Wilson, Theresa Ramsay, Tyler Hull and William Myles. In a time when there’s so much in the world that can make us feel anxious, concerned or disconnected, you remind us that we are always surrounded by goodness and there is always someone to lend a helping hand. Thank you so much to each one of you for being a good neighbour.

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Mme Dawn Gallagher Murphy

I would like to recognize an outstanding community leader in Newmarket–Aurora, Jerisha Grant-Hall, who has recently been named one of the 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women, a national recognition celebrating the achievements and contributions of Black women across this great country. Jerisha is the founder and executive director of the Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association, known as NACCA, which was founded in 2018. NACCA has become an important centre of support and empowerment for Black youth and families, not just in Newmarket but across York region. NACCA has launched initiatives that uplift youth, provide scholarships for Black students, expand access to culturally responsive mental health services, as well as advancing food security and community well-being. Jerisha’s work reflects a deep commitment to service, community care and the principle that when we invest in the success of our young people and families, we strengthen the future of our province. I am honoured to have known Jerisha for more than seven years and have closely watched and supported her work. She’s a wonderful mother, wife, community leader and a true visionary. Please, everyone, join me in congratulating and recognizing Jerisha Grant-Hall.

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Mr. Tom Rakocevic

It is my honour to rise today and remember the late city councillor, TTC chair and Toronto municipal icon, Howard Moscoe. He was a dear friend and mentor to me. Speaker, Howard’s childhood trips to Queen’s Park helped spur his interest in politics. He was a proud, lifelong New Democrat. He was brilliant. He understood the rules better than the people who wrote them, and he knew how to use those very rules, often against their own makers, to protect the public and fight for what’s right. In true Howard fashion, he did so with principled mischief, cutting wit and an over-the-top antic to prove a point that always got the cameras rolling. He hated injustice and corruption, and he fought them fearlessly at every turn. He leaves behind a legacy of social justice and fairness that shaped our city and province in far more ways than we will ever know. You can learn all about this larger-than-life political maverick in his autobiography, Call Me Pisher: A Madcap Romp Through City Hall. In it, he even wrote his own eulogy: “Instead of having some rabbi misrepresent me at my funeral, I’ve decided to do that myself.” I promise you, it’s an absolute page-turner. Howard is an inspiration and proof that politics can be principled. He was the true political embodiment of David versus Goliath in his 32 unforgettable years at Toronto city hall. May he rest in power.

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Mr. David Smith

I rise today to highlight the continued progress of Toronto Paramedic Services’ multi-function station currently under construction in my riding of Scarborough Centre. I recently had an opportunity to visit this new facility spanning 90,000 square feet. This modern space will house up to 40 ambulances and 16 emergency response vehicles, bringing together logistics, equipment, fleet services, administration, education and development units. The facility will support a transition to electric and hybrid vehicles for non-emergency operations and will include features such as solar panels and anti-idle technology in ambulances to help reduce emissions and support a clean future. I would like to thank the members of paramedic services unit TCEU Local 416; Atif Sharif, the commander, policy, projects and process improvement; and Bikram Chawla, chief, paramedic services, for their leadership and dedication to this important project.

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MPP Billy Denault

I rise today to share in this House a substantial investment our government has provided to a community in my riding. In Arnprior, the community is receiving $13.6 million to expand education, specifically for—and pardon my French—L’école élémentaire catholique des Deux-Rivières. This school will be converted into a JK-to-grade-12 school by delivering 184 new secondary student spaces for local francophone communities through le Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est. Speaker, as I said at this announcement, this investment will create opportunities for students to thrive in our community well into the future. For years, francophone families in Arnprior have had to send their children elsewhere for secondary schooling. Now students will be able to complete their entire French Catholic education right here in their own backyard. It was great to tour the school following the announcement, to see all the big smiles and happy faces on the news. I can say it wasn’t just the kids that were ecstatic. I want to thank the Minister of Education for his tremendous work, and I also look forward to visiting the school once again when the expansion is completed. I also want to give a shout-out to all who played a role: the parents, teachers, trustee Daniel Levasseur, the board and, of course, representatives of the town of Arnprior. And a special shout-out to Liane Gallant, a parent in my riding, for their advocacy on this file. They all played a role in it, and it’s great news for the community.

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MPP Mohamed Firin

I would like to welcome Hung Ton from my riding of York South–Weston.

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Mme France Gélinas

It is a great pleasure of mine to introduce a member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan representing the riding of Regina Walsh Acres, Mr. Jared Clarke. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

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Hon. Michael A. Tibollo

I’d like to welcome this morning to the House two incredible women: the first, Filomena Lofranco, the CEO of LDV & Co. and a creator of many successful cultural and business events and exchanges between Canada and Italy; and Mercedes Tibollo, a poet, a bioethicist and, most importantly, my daughter. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

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MPP Alexa Gilmour

Today, I want to welcome members of the OFL, members of the Period Purse, who have come in to be with us for the tabling of the Menstrual Health Day Act, which will happen today at 1 o’clock. Thank you, and welcome to your House.

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MPP Andrea Hazell

I would like to warmly welcome students from the University of Toronto Scarborough campus, Scarborough Hub for Innovation in Public Policy. Please join me in welcoming them to the Legislative Assembly. Welcome to your House.

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Hon. Stephen Lecce

I want to welcome Anthony Carella from the city of Vaughan. Anthony just completed the World’s Toughest Row, crossing the Atlantic Ocean in 35 days—top five in the world. We welcome this young man inspiring our youth. Thank you for your leadership for the people of Ontario.

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Hon. Rob Flack

I’d like to welcome the Ontario Professional Planners Institute. I’d like to recognize Andria Leigh, chair; Beverley Hillier, chair-elect; Susan Wiggins, executive director, and all members of the OPPI. Have a great advocacy day. We’ll see you at lunch.

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Hon. Stephen Crawford

From my community of Oakville, I have Mr. Raymond Pace and Cindy Lowes. Welcome to Queens Park.

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Hon. Michael S. Kerzner

Madam Speaker, although he just recently had to leave for a meeting, I was pleased to welcome to the Ontario Legislature the Minister of Justice from the province of Alberta, the Honourable Mickey Amery.

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Ms. Aislinn Clancy

I’d like to introduce my son, James Fobel; co-op student Kaeden; our friend George; and the one and only Sally Palmer, who has been advocating for doubling OW and ODSP for years. Thank you for all you do.

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MPP Lise Vaugeois

I would like to welcome Maria Sardelis, Tina Economopoulos, Joy Seguin, Vic Seguin, Kathy Jolicoeur and Shelley Thorpe, who are here today in support of my bill, Andre’s bill of rights. Welcome to your House. Thank you so much for coming.

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Hon. Sam Oosterhoff

I’d like to welcome the new director of government and stakeholder relations for the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies of Ontario, Kelly Harris. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

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Ms. Laura Smith

I would like to introduce and welcome great Thornhill residents Howard Katz and Linda Saiet.

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Mr. Andrew Dowie

I want to welcome the family of page Mason Grisch, including his father, Michael Grisch; as well as Emmanuelle Richez and Vincent Georgie, who are here to receive the Ordre de la Pléiade today. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

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Mr. Deepak Anand

I’d like to welcome my favourite niece, Nikita Thakkar, co-chair of the Period Purse, Canada’s first registered charity dedicated to menstrual equity. Welcome.

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Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria

I want to welcome students from KMSchool, who are here visiting from Brampton. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

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Ms. Catherine Fife

My sister is watching. I’m marrying her and Kate Bell this weekend in a hot-air balloon. So I really hope to be here on Monday.

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The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly)

This from a woman who is afraid of heights. And she’s going to be in a hot-air balloon for five hours?

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Ms. Catherine Fife

Three hours.

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The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly)

Three hours—think about it. We look forward to seeing you again on Monday.

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Ms. Marit Stiles

This question is for the Premier. This Premier is throwing taxpayers to the wolves. And he’s howling about it. Yesterday, he chose to keep the tax on groceries. Today, he’s choosing to leave taxpayers with a $5-billion bill to land luxury jets on Toronto’s waterfront. Premier, nobody wants this, especially the people who live in Toronto. Why is this Premier taking $5 billion from the taxpayers’ pockets instead of making life more affordable for people?

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The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly)

Minister of Transportation.

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Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria

As we have made clear, there are no taxpayer dollars going towards this project. The port authority will continue and move forward with this modernization project because it makes sense for this province at a time when political leaders across this country are talking about nation-building projects, when they are talking about making Ontario more competitive, Toronto more competitive. Of course, you can count on the Leader of the Opposition to oppose progress and development in this province. There’s not a single project—whether it’s the Ontario Line, whether it’s the Scarborough subway extension, whether it’s Billy Bishop airport or building the roads to the Ring of Fire, that member has opposed every single one of those investments. We are going to continue to build Ontario and develop Billy Bishop into a world-class airport.

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The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly)

Back to the Leader of the Opposition.

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Ms. Marit Stiles

Oh, man: $5 billion. That is $900 out of the pocket of every single household in Ontario. Imagine that. But does the Premier care? Apparently not. He proved that when he spent $30 million on a luxury private jet. Now, he wants private jets landing on the Toronto waterfront, and he is willing to spend $5 billion of your hard-earned money to make it happen. When is this Premier going to start putting money back in people’s pockets instead of spending it on his lavish vanity projects?

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Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria

Madam Speaker, let me repeat one more time: Not a single dollar from that $5 billion will be from the taxpayer or from Ontario taxpayers. But you know what? The truth is not something that that member, the Leader of the Opposition, wants to hear. What we want to do is we want to build for the future. We want to build Billy Bishop. It’s going to support over 23,000 construction jobs. It currently moves over two million passengers a year and supports 20 different cities. We want to connect more people to northern remote communities, which Billy Bishop will help let us do. We have got a vision for this province, and that vision is to build the transportation infrastructure that we need to make Ontario more competitive, especially when we face threats south of the border with tariffs. Ontario has to be more competitive, self-reliant. That’s exactly what we are building towards with historic investments into Billy Bishop and across this province.

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The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly)

Back to the Leader of the Opposition.

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Ms. Marit Stiles

Well, Speaker, we’ve heard this story a few times before, haven’t we? And instead of investing in the things that could make a difference in people’s lives, like health care or schools or housing or—my goodness—northern highways that are safe, this Premier is spending billions on luxury jets, filling in a lake so he can land right there in downtown Toronto. He is spending your money on a project that nobody asked for. We could be opening hospital beds. We could be building housing. We could be hiring teachers, for goodness’ sake. But no, the Premier wants to land more fancy jets for his buddies. When will the Premier start respecting the taxpayers’ dollar?

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Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria

Once again, Madam Speaker, not a single one of those dollars will be funded through the taxpayer. It’s a private sector investment—the private sector—because it makes sense: Toronto is a world-class city. When you look at other cities across the world, whether it’s New York, whether it’s Houston, whether it’s London, they all have two airports because it makes them that more competitive. It allows more tourism, more business to be attracted into the city. But let’s look at the record of the official opposition on projects in Ontario: The Ontario Line, a public transit project that is going to move 400,000 people, is going to support the people in the Leader of the Opposition’s riding. She opposes those investments. In fact, the NDP were holding funerals for trees to stop the Ontario Line project. That is unacceptable. That is why we were elected on a mandate to build Ontario—transit, highways. Supporting the modernization of Billy Bishop is going to create thousands and thousands of jobs in this province, and that is exactly what we are going to continue to move—

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The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly)

Question? The Leader of the Opposition.

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Ms. Marit Stiles

Speaker, nobody out there believes this government anymore. I have been out on the doors in Scarborough this week, and I want to tell the Premier what people there are talking about and what real working people are concerned about right now, because he doesn’t seem to get it. They have told me about their concerns about wait times in emergency rooms. They’ve been talking about finding a family doctor and how difficult that continues to be, the need to hire more health care workers, transit that would actually get people to work and family on time. What they are not worried about, Speaker, is whether the Premier can land luxury jets on Toronto’s waterfront—not on the radar at all. So how can this Premier be so out of touch with everyday families?

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The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly)

Minister of Transportation.

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Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria

Madam Speaker, we have spent a lot of time in Scarborough, and guess what? That Leader of the Opposition lost her own deputy leader from Scarborough because she has ignored the residents of Scarborough. Do you know why? Because we came forward with a historic investment for the people of Scarborough in the Scarborough subway extension, a project that will move 100,000 people every single day. That Leader of the Opposition forced her deputy leader to vote against that project every single time, even though the people of Scarborough were denied access to rapid transit for 15 years under the previous Liberal government. They were ignored, Madam Speaker. Whether it’s hospitals or transit, this government is delivering for the people of Scarborough, and that is what we’re going to continue to do. We’re making historic paces on the development of the Scarborough subway extension. The stations are moving forward in construction right now. We’ve got the tunnel boring machine—over 50% complete on that Scarborough subway extension because we are committed to the people of Scarborough, and we are going to build for Scarborough.

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The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly)

Leader of the Opposition.

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Ms. Marit Stiles

Well, Speaker, I’m going to go back to the Premier again, but my goodness, this subway extension, if it ever happens—it’s been delayed again. The people of Scarborough aren’t going to see that now until the 2030s. Give me a break. Once again, we have a Premier who is just looking out for the wealthy: his wealthy friends who want to land their luxury jets at the Toronto waterfront. That’s what this is all about. Maybe he’s hoping to get a ride on one since he had to return his—maybe. He seems to be more worried about his frequent flyer miles than he is about helping parents who are looking for more support for their kids in classrooms, Speaker. So back to the Premier: Can the Premier explain why landing jets downtown is more important than the needs of the people of Ontario?

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Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria

Madam Speaker, we have an ambitious capital plan to build across this province. In fact, since 2018, we’ve invested over $9 billion into the city of Toronto to ensure it becomes a world-class city. Billy Bishop is a key cornerstone to that progress. It’s not just an important asset for the city of Toronto and the province of Ontario; it’s for the entire country. When we look across this country, when we look at other countries, they’re trying to build a more competitive, more self-reliant economy. That is exactly what the Premier and our government have been focused on since the tariffs south of the border. Here’s a project: Billy Bishop, right now, supports over 4,900 direct jobs in this city, Madam Speaker. We’re going to continue to build that asset so it can support not only 23,000 construction jobs that will occur because of the modernization and redevelopment, but because of the expansion of this project. These are common-sense projects that we need to move to continue to build Ontario, build this province—

Official source

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly)

Leader of the Opposition.

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Ms. Marit Stiles

I’ll tell you one thing the people of Ontario know: It’s that this government never spends $5 billion on anything that doesn’t directly benefit their friends, their family. The wealthiest Ontarians get anything they want, right? They get a luxury airport in downtown Toronto that nobody else needs or asked for. Five billion dollars may not seem like a lot to this government, but for most people, it’s unimaginable. It’s unimaginable. People want hospitals. They want hospitals. They want smaller class sizes for their kids, right? It is a choice that this government is making, and it makes no sense. Five billion dollars could build 14,000 affordable homes for people in this province, but, instead, you’re choosing to build a runway on a lake in downtown Toronto. I want to ask the Premier one more time to stand up and explain to us why this government is so obsessed with jets landing on Lake Ontario that they aren’t building housing in the province—

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Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria

Madam Speaker, not a single one of those $5 billion is going to be spent by the taxpayer. The Leader of the Opposition knows that. We’ve been very clear on that. But guess what, Madam Speaker? The Leader of the Opposition has to appease a very small special interest group that she has to pander to. You know why? They are the same ones that objected to the Ontario Place redevelopment. They are the same ones that objected to the Ontario Line development. They are the same ones that objected to the 413, the Bradford Bypass. The Leader of the Opposition can’t stand up and say she supports a single one of these projects because she doesn’t believe in building Ontario. Some 400,000 people are going to move every single day on the Ontario Line, a public transit project that will support over 400,000 people moving across this city. Why would the Leader of the Opposition be opposed to that? Here’s a project at Billy Bishop that is going to support over 10,000 direct jobs— Interjection.

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The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly)

The Leader of the Opposition will come to order.

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Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria

—construction jobs. The Leader of the Opposition will be opposed to that, Madam Speaker. The Highway 413: The member knows very well that they lost two of their own members—

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The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly)

I recognize the leader of the third party.

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Mr. John Fraser

My question is for the Premier. We have to get to the bottom of this air rights scandal. We need an answer as to why a company owned by Carmine Nigro, a close friend and associate of the Premier, got a multi-million-dollar settlement for air. Engineers have asked, how does air have any value if you can’t build on top of it? Lawyers are saying this settlement is unprecedented. Giving money to your friends when Ontarians are working hard and struggling just to get by—well, that’s an even worse look than the Premier’s luxury private jet. Speaker, will the Premier disclose just how much money Carmine Nigro’s company got in this air rights scandal?

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The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly)

Minister of Transportation.

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Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria

The leader of the third party knows that we have nothing to do with matters that involve expropriation. They are independent legal matters that are handled by an independent agency at Metrolinx. Now, if the leader of the third party—when they were in government for 15 years—built anything, they would know how the expropriation process works, but they don’t because their record is building upside-down bridges. They’ve rejected building in this province, whether it was public transit, whether it was highways. They built nothing. That is why we came into government with a mandate to build: the Highway 413, the Bradford Bypass, the largest expansion of public transit in this province’s and country’s history, Madam Speaker. Last year alone, we reached a record: over 76 million people using transit on our lines. We’re going to continue to make sure we make those investments to deliver better and reliable service on our public transit.

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The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly)

Back to the leader of the third party.

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