The Ottawa Food Bank is seeing new people every day. More and more food bank clients are employed people and families coming from two-parent households, blurring traditional poverty lines.

Cort Sarion’s family have been clients of the Ottawa Food Bank. She said last week, “We are all equally teetering on the precipice of falling into one bad year, month or day away from ending up on the street, not one good year away from making millions.”

Food insecurity in Ottawa has doubled, with a 68% increase in visits since 2019. Other food banks across Ontario have reported similar increases in visits. Food insecurity across the province is a direct result of the rising cost of living, and my community of Ottawa–Vanier is really struggling to keep up. Minimum wage in Ontario is $16.55, but the minimum living wage in Ottawa is set at $21.95. Are we really okay with knowingly paying less than what people need to survive?

As I reflected on the Ottawa Food Bank’s 40th anniversary event, I was reminded of the importance of addressing food insecurity and implementing direct policy solutions. Before the Ottawa Food Bank reaches 80 years, let’s support the hard-working families in Ottawa and beyond coping with the rising cost of living.

Community organizations play a crucial role in addressing social issues and inequality. Whether it’s offering food assistance, mental health support, education and rehabilitation programs, or assistance to find housing, these organizations work tirelessly to uplift the most vulnerable members of society, addressing gaps in government services. The Vanier Community Services Centre, the CALACS, Montfort Renaissance, Le Cap, Lowertown Community Resource Centre, St. Joe’s Women’s Centre, Centre espoir Sophie, Gloucester Emergency Food Cupboard—all these organizations and many more play this important role in Ottawa–Vanier. All of them, however, have described to me how the decreased funding they have seen over the last few years is threatening their very survival.

Because of their deep roots in the community, these organizations are uniquely positioned to develop and implement tailored solutions to local challenges in an efficient and cost-effective manner. By providing adequate financial support to these organizations, the government can amplify their impact and achieve greater outcomes at a fraction of the cost. So I beg the government to provide the financial support required to keep these entities alive and thriving.

I’ll now recognize the member for Ottawa South.

I want to thank all the presenters this afternoon for their really heartfelt words. Thank you to the distinguished guests who have joined us today. Thank you to the families that have joined us here in person or remotely to watch the tributes. Those are very important, usually moving moments here in the House, and we all appreciate that. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day and that you appreciated the words that were spoken this afternoon about your loved ones.

Resuming the debate adjourned on November 28, 2023, on the motion for second reading of Bill 155, An Act to amend the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario Act / Projet de loi 155, Loi modifiant la Loi sur l’Institut de recherche agricole de l’Ontario.

I’ll now recognize the member for Ottawa South.

My question is for the Minister of Health. I cannot stress enough how importantly my riding needs solutions for access to primary care. Multiple groups of health care professionals have responded to the minister’s call for interest and submitted proposals to open more primary care clinics in Ottawa–Vanier. That was six months ago. People feel abandoned as they remain without proper health care services, and yet there is no response from the ministry.

Speaker, I showed the minister a map showing the void that exists in my riding when it comes to health care services. I’ve also written, providing evidence as to the need for help to fill that void in Ottawa–Vanier. We have professionals ready to help relieve the strain on our local hospitals. All they need is for this government to step up.

Can the minister please tell these health care professionals when they can expect a response so they can get to work providing much needed health care services to the people of Ottawa–Vanier?

Le Carrefour de pédiatrie sociale de Vanier, avec son équipe multidisciplinaire, dessert les enfants et les jeunes vulnérables d’Ottawa–Vanier en leur offrant un soutien dont ils ont besoin pour leur bien-être physique, mental, social et émotionnel. Le CAP, dans ma circonscription, offre également des services en français de la petite enfance à l’âge adulte, pour ceux qui font face à des défis de santé mentale ou de dépendances. Ces deux organismes nécessitent un financement qui leur permet d’assurer l’offre continu de leurs services, ce qui n’est pas le cas dans le moment.

Ce gouvernement a récemment annoncé des millions de dollars supplémentaires pour élargir les services pédiatriques à Hamilton et à Toronto. Quand la ville d’Ottawa verra-t-elle un tel engagement de la part du gouvernement pour soutenir les organismes comme le Carrefour de pédiatrie sociale de Vanier et le CAP, qui offrent à nos enfants des services essentiels?

It’s my great pleasure to welcome for the first time at Queen’s Park a great staffer that I have in Ottawa, Amanda Jackson; she’s here in the gallery—also, Mark Kaluski, who’s joining us today.

As mentioned, after today, the member for Ottawa South will no longer be the interim leader for the Liberal Party. I do want to take a moment to thank him for being the best interim leader there could ever be: for holding us together, for always caring for each and every one of us and for fighting on our behalf when necessary. We’re small, but we’re strong and a mighty team because of your leadership.

From the bottom of my heart and on behalf of all the caucus members, thank you so much, John.

Applause.

My question is also for the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. Consumption and treatment services sites have a role to play in harm reduction, but their implementation, and specifically their placement, need to be carefully considered. There are four of those consumption sites in the entire city of Ottawa, and three of them are located in my riding of Ottawa–Vanier. And they are all located within 600 metres of one another and right by the ByWard Market.

As a result of this cluster and the proximity to, namely, elementary schools, the surrounding community has been severely impacted. Residents have seen an increase in violence, thefts, open drug dealing, drug use and people overdosing, which is even a bigger issue due to the high number of children attending school in the area. In fact, a daycare even had to close their door because they could no longer expose the children and their staff to the hardship created by the situation.

My question to the minister is, can the minister explain how the concentration of these three consumption sites were allowed in this one area, and what steps are being taken to limit the impacts on the community?

This question is for the Minister of Health. A good portion of the most vulnerable residents in Ottawa live in my riding, especially in the Vanier and Overbrook neighbourhoods, but access to primary health care is cruelly lacking.

The good news is that there are solutions. A group of nurse practitioners has submitted an efficient plan for a nurse practitioner-led clinic that would provide primary care to 10,000 residents. In order to make this a reality, however, they need this government to do their part and provide the necessary funding.

If the government is willing to pay $8.3 billion of taxpayer money to pave over the greenbelt that led to a criminal investigation, can the government find enough money to provide primary care to those in need? Unless this is not a priority for the government.

I’ll give the minister a chance to explain where the ministry is in the process of approving these critical projects so that Ontarians can have access to primary health care.

When the Ministry of Health put out a call for proposals, people started to hope. Several groups submitted proposals to create clinics to provide much-needed access to care. However, it’s been months and months of waiting, and none of them have yet been approved. In the meantime, this situation keeps getting worse. When will the minister start approving the proposals for primary care practitioners so that residents can get access to the primary care that they need now?

From the University of Ottawa, de l’Université d’Ottawa, j’aimerais présenter M. Jacques Frémont, recteur de l’Université d’Ottawa; Jill Scott, provost et vice-rectrice; et Kathryn Moore, directrice des relations gouvernementales.

Welcome to Queen’s Park. Bienvenue à Queen’s Park.

One last question? The member for Ottawa Centre.

Moving on to further debate, recognizing the member for Mississauga Centre.

I would like to take this time to congratulate the Ottawa Riverkeeper organization for their recent gala, which raised over $340,000.

The Ottawa River forms a boundary of the riding of Ottawa–Vanier. It is the lifeblood of the city, where we get our drinking water, where we fish, swim, boat, play and cool off. The river also connects us to the Indigenous people who have lived along, fished in and travelled on the Ottawa River for millennia. The name “Ottawa” itself derives from the Algonquin word “adàwe,” meaning “to trade.”

The gala paid special tribute to Algonquin elder Claudette Commanda, who thanked the organization for being collaborative and for respecting the Algonquin people and their heritage. Through many years of careless custodianship and lax environmental laws, the river has fallen into a polluted state. I recognize and appreciate the work done by the Ottawa Riverkeeper, whose goal is to ensure a healthy Ottawa River watershed for everyone.

For over 20 years, the Riverkeeper organization has been monitoring the health and the levels of pollution in the water and engaging and educating our youth to become the next generation of river stewards. These efforts all take a network of volunteers, compassionate staff and substantial donations to keep doing this work on behalf of our city’s residents.

I congratulate Riverkeeper Laura Reinsborough, her team, board chair Geoff Green and the organizing committee of the Riverkeeper gala for their tireless work and success.

I have a petition entitled “To Address Homelessness in Ottawa.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas, per the 2023 Ontario budget, the province of Ontario has allocated $48 million in additional funding to address homelessness in Toronto, yet only $845,100 for the city of Ottawa;

“Whereas this amounts to 60 times more funding for Toronto, despite being just three times the population of Ottawa;

“Whereas this shortfall in funding for Ottawa will severely compromise the city’s 10-year housing and homelessness plan;

“Whereas this will result in the cancellation of 54 new housing units scheduled to be completed within 18 months, and hundreds more over the next 10 years in the second-largest city in the province;

“We, the undersigned citizens of Ontario, petition the Legislative Assembly to provide Ottawa with its fair share of funding to address the homelessness crisis and alleviate the suffering of its most vulnerable citizens.”

Mr. Speaker, I agree with this petition. I will sign it and give it to page Mackenzie to bring to the table.

From Ottawa, I would like to welcome Sue Hylland. She’s the director of sport services at the University of Ottawa. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Pour la première fois depuis que je suis élue, on a une page qui vient de ma circonscription d’Ottawa–Vanier, Mia Tocchi, et aujourd’hui, sa grand-mère et son père sont avec nous ici à l’Assemblée. Alors, bienvenue à Monika Tocchi et Silvano Tocchi. On se voit plus tard.

Alors, je voudrais simplement souhaiter la bienvenue aux récipiendaires de l’Ordre de la Pléiade que nous avons eu l’occasion de voir un peu plus tôt aujourd’hui. Parmi les six récipiendaires, il y a quand même deux personnes d’Ottawa que je veux souligner, M. Denis Chartrand et M. Mark Power, qui sont également accompagnés de visiteurs qui sont des amis et des anciens collègues à moi : M^me Edith Dumont et Isabelle Girard de l’ACÉPO. Merci et bienvenue à Queen’s Park.

The member for Ottawa West–Nepean.

My question is to the Premier. Mr. Speaker, it has been a year since the freedom convoy descended on Ottawa to protest—a protest that turned into an occupation that lasted three long weeks, during which the residents of Ottawa lost their right to live peacefully and without fear. Truly, it was nothing but a nightmare.

People turned to their governments, asking for help, because clearly the local police were overwhelmed by the massive trucks and growing number of protesters encouraged by the lack of law enforcement. The Rouleau report, just released following the federal inquiry, clearly indicates that it didn’t have to be this way. If the provincial government had put the same energy into coming to the rescue of the people in Ottawa as it did defending economic interests when the Ambassador Bridge was blocked, the peace could have been restored much sooner.

How can the government justify its inaction, turning its back on the people of Ottawa? I’m asking about people—people who can’t trust this government anymore that they have their back.

However, there was one political entity missing in action, and that was our provincial government. Our government was missing in action during the occupation, despite numerous calls from myself and several colleagues here on this side of the House. And our government remained missing in action during the inquiry, refusing to appear to provide useful evidence in order to avoid another disaster of the sort. Our government invoked parliamentary privilege to shield itself from transparency. But Ontarians and the people in Ottawa deserve a response.

Why did the government refuse to participate in the inquiry? How are the people supposed to trust a government that is hiding from its duty and responsibilities?

In Ottawa–Vanier, every year, we get together for a landmark event called the Snowflake Breakfast, le Déjeuner Flocons de neige. We raised money for Partage Vanier, a food bank of the Vanier Community Services Centre that provides for those in need—a food bank that has seen the demand for help skyrocket, unfortunately.

But this year we raised $53,000. In total, 350 people came out to the Snowflake Breakfast and 515 people received delivered breakfast boxes. Thank you to the Centre Pauline-Charron, Chartwell residences, the Vanier Museopark and the Vanier BIA for their dedication to this important cause in support of Partage Vanier Food Bank, and thank you to our community police officers who were also there to lend a hand.

It was wonderful to take part in this community activity alongside Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, MP Mona Fortier, councillors Rawlson King and Stéphanie Plante, and also former councillor Mathieu Fleury.

I really enjoyed serving coffee with the help of the young volunteers from the Collège catholique Samuel-Genest, and everyone enjoyed a delightful time listening and singing along with the incredible choir of the Centre d’excellence artistique de l’Ontario de l’École secondaire publique De La Salle.

It was for me a great way to get in the holiday spirit and I want to take this opportunity to wish all of you, MPPs and your staff, as well as all the staff here at the Legislative Assembly and the people of Ottawa–Vanier, a perfect and very happy holiday season.

I would also like to welcome members of the Ontario Medical Association from the Ottawa region: Dr. Aly Abdulla, Dr. Tarun Rahman, Dr. Alan Drummond, Dr. Bev Johnson, Dr. Reed Morrison, Dr. Sephora Tang and Dr. Karen Breeck. I’m looking forward to meeting you later. Welcome to Queen’s Park.