Colleagues, this morning I’m very pleased to rise in this House to tell you about an historic day for Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound—the opening of the newly constructed Markdale Hospital. September 14 was a beautiful morning in Markdale—as most are—and it was so great to welcome the Premier and Minister of Health to our community.

The new Markdale Hospital is an absolutely stunning model for state-of-the-art health care. The rooms are spacious and beautifully equipped, the hallways are wide, the ceilings are high, and there is high-tech equipment everywhere.

Thank you, Premier, Minister of Health, and our PC team for your commitment to build new health care infrastructure all over Ontario.

Thank you, Centre Grey Health Services Foundation, Darlene Lamberti, Harvey Fraser, the board of directors, and especially our Markdale and Grey Highlands communities for your incredible support to the hospital.

Thank you, Bright Shores Health System, CEO Gary Sims, board chair Joanne Flewwelling, the management team and the entire board for your leadership in delivering this beautiful hospital.

Thank you, Bill Walker, our outstanding past MPP for Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound, for your determined efforts to make this project a reality

Thank you to the incredible team at Bird Construction for delivering this project on time, on budget.

Thank you, Mayor Paul McQueen, Deputy Mayor Dane Nielsen, and current and past members of council.

Colleagues, this is the future of health care in Ontario, and it was great to see it on that morning in Markdale.

Good morning, colleagues. It is my pleasure this morning to tell you about something very exciting that happened recently in our Grey-Bruce community. I know many of you would expect me to be telling you about Groundhog Day on February 2. Well, it was indeed a great morning in Wiarton. The fireworks at 7 a.m. were spectacular, and Willie was his usual eloquent self communicating his forecast. As you heard, he said it would be an early spring this year.

But no, colleagues, this morning I want to tell you about something more exciting than Wiarton Willie, and that’s a new school in Markdale. On February 7, I was thrilled to announce that the Bluewater District School Board had been given approval to proceed with the new replacement for the Beavercrest public elementary school in Markdale. This will be an investment of $15.5 million, an increase of $6.9 million. The new school will be an absolute jewel. It will have 328 new student spaces, 39 new child care spaces, two new child care rooms and a two-room EarlyON family centre.

Thank you, Minister Lecce, for your constant support. You have been there from the start for Markdale.

Thank you, Minister Surma, for your great leadership in the government’s infrastructure program.

Thank you, Bill Walker, for your energetic support over the years.

Thank you, Wiarton Willie.

And thanks to this government for your support of Markdale.

Last Saturday evening, I had the pleasure of being in Markdale to attend the first screening of a documentary hosted by the Friends of South Grey Museum called No Bed of Roses. It was a story about the first woman ever elected to the House of Commons and to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Agnes Macphail.

Agnes Macphail was born in March 1890, and she was raised on a farm in Proton township in Grey county. She graduated in 1910 with a teacher’s certificate. She applied for five positions and was accepted to all five.

Ms. Macphail became active politically, joining the United Farm Women of Ontario. She sought the nomina-tion for the Progressive Party of Canada in the electoral district of Grey Southeast against 10 men and beat them all.

Interjections.

Then she was elected in 1921, as the first female MP in Canadian history.

In 1943, Agnes Macphail was elected here, to the Legislative Assembly, as one of the first two women elected to the Ontario Legislature. You can see her picture near the east doors of this beautiful building.

Ms. Macphail was eager to see more women in politics. As she explained, “Most women think politics aren’t lady-like. Well, I’m no lady. I’m a human being.”

Agnes Macphail appears on the Canada 150 edition of our $10 note as the first woman other than a sovereign to have a permanent spot on the Canadian currency.

Speaker, Agnes Macphail broke down the barriers. Thinking of the road she had to travel, as a woman, to be elected in 1921 truly amazes me.

Thank you, Agnes for who you were and for all you did. You are an inspiration to all of us every day.