I really appreciate that thoughtful question from the member from Kitchener–Conestoga.

It’s important to recognize that our government understands that to keep our agri-food supply chain strong, farmers across this province need confidence in the fact that they have services when they need it and where they need it. That’s why I am losing my voice—because I am talking so much about the amazing partnership that we have with the Ministry of Colleges and Universities as well as my ministry, OMAFRA.

With the support of our cabinet colleagues, we have introduced a new program. It’s a collaborative program whereby the University of Guelph and Lakehead University are establishing a collaborative doctor of veterinary medicine. This is going to be a 2+2 program, where we’re going to see 20 more veterinary students per year look at the first two years at Lakehead University—the follow-up two years at University of Guelph. This is an initiative that is demonstrating that—

On Monday, we just hosted our second annual Grow Ontario Food Summit, and everybody was buzzing about the fact that we’ve listened and we’ve taken action. But we’re doing more.

Over and above that collaborative partnership between Lakehead University and the University of Guelph, our PA, the member from Elgin–Middlesex–London, is reviewing the vet act. And over and above the program introduced, we’re making sure students are incented, so we’ve introduced an additional $5-million program that’s going to incent and reward people for pursuing a career in large animal veterinary medicine. This is a crisis that we’ve identified, and we’re taking action. This particular incentive program is going to see students who are large animal vets receiving $50,000 over five years for working in remote and underserviced areas in rural and northern Ontario.

Thank you to the member from Niagara West for his question. I want to assure everyone listening today that the Ontario agri-food sector continues to be a number one priority for our government.

I’m very pleased to share that we created, through a federal-provincial-territorial initiative in the fall of 2021 in Guelph, a Guelph statement that provided the framework for a negotiation to realize greater investments through a federal-provincial partnership. And the member from Niagara West just witnessed, last week, a historic signing whereby Minister Bibeau, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, and myself, signed a $1.77-billion agreement to deliver for Ontario’s agri-food sector—programs like the suite of business risk management, stewardship initiatives and investment in strategic priorities, will be realized because of this historic agreement. The future is bright for Ontario.

The future is bright. I am so very proud of how our commodity organizations are working with our government here in Ontario to make sure—