LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Mr. Speaker: O Eternal and Almighty God, from Whom all power and wisdom come, we are assembled here before Thee to frame such laws as may tend to the welfare and prosperity of our province. Grant, O merciful God, we pray Thee, that we may desire only that which is in accordance with Thy will, that we may seek it with wisdom and know it with certainty and accomplish it perfectly for the glory and honour of Thy name and for the welfare of all our people. Amen.
Good morning, everyone. Please be seated.
Mr. Kelvin Goertzen (Official Opposition House Leader): Mr. Speaker, seeking the leave of the House to move directly to Bill 203, The Public Schools Amendment Act (Pedestrian Safety at New Schools), sponsored by the honourable member from Morden-Winkler.
Mr. Speaker: Is there leave of the House to proceed directly to Bill 203 once I call orders of the day? [Agreed]
Mr. Speaker: We'll proceed directly to Bill 203, The Public Schools Amendment Act (Pedestrian Safety at New Schools).
Mr. Cameron Friesen (Morden-Winkler): Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the member for Lac du Bonnet (Mr. Ewasko), that Bill 203, The Public Schools Amendment Act (Pedestrian Safety at New Schools), be now read a second time and be referred to a committee of this House.
Motion presented.
Mr. Friesen: Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pride to introduce Bill 203, The Public Schools Amendment Act (Pedestrian Safety at New Schools), and this–the context of this bill is that, of course, in the city of Winkler just over a year ago, we had the tragic loss of a 16-year-old girl, a grade 10 student at the newly opened Northlands Parkway Collegiate. Her name was Carina Denisenko.
And, Mr. Speaker, we understand that the opening of a new school should be an exciting thing; it should be a time of celebration for any community. And, indeed, that school has many new features that are exciting. That school boasts things like a culinary arts program, they have an esthetician program, there are many technical vocational programs like the electrical that are in that building. It's a–it's quite a facility.
But, Mr. Speaker, as the province understands, the opening of that school was marred by the sudden and tragic and preventable death of a 16-year-old girl that was–it was tragic for the community. Obviously, it was tragic for the family, for that girl's parents, for her family, for her friends, for the school and the school administration. That's why I'm bringing Bill 203 to help keep students safe on their way to and from school because, in effect, Mr. Speaker, what happened is that, in the final analysis, there was a failure to ensure basic pedestrian safety on the roadway in front of that new school.
Mr. Speaker, Northlands Parkway Collegiate is located on Provincial Road 428, which is a busy regional road on the north side of the city just north of Janzen's, and it is a busy road. And years before that the school location was determined, and as a matter of fact I believe that that sod-turning for NPC was one of the first official events that I attended as a new legislator. It might have been the first official event that I attended with the former Education minister.
Mr. Speaker, from the very beginning, some years back now, there were concerns around pedestrian safety issues because of this location of the school at 428. This is a busy road that funnels traffic north to Roland and to Carman and to Winnipeg, and, of course, we understand that the city of Winkler is one of Manitoba's fastest growing urban areas. I know that the City wrote letters three years in advance of the opening of the school, applying for a speed limit reduction on that roadway. They wrote that letter two times and they were denied. The City also applied for the installation of full traffic lights at the intersection of 428 and what's called Northlands Parkway, the small municipal street that intersects that road, and they were denied.
Mr. Speaker, I can tell you that the school division took action. They cited the potential for harm because of the friction between the school and its adjacency to this busy regional road, and I can tell you that as I sat in the coffee shops in 2011 and 2012, I heard local residents saying someone is going to get hurt out there. And closer to the opening of that school I became more and more aware that I didn't see that necessary safety analysis taking place and so I wrote to the government and I flagged the urgent need for action. I addressed the issue following debate one day with the Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation (Mr. Ashton) and the minister of Education, who at that time had desks next to each other, and I remember appealing to the Education minister and saying, would you please help me to focus the member's attention, the Minister for Infrastructure, on this important thing. Get this traffic–get this pedestrian crosswalk installed. Get the traffic speed reduced.
And despite all those efforts, the school opened with no cantilever push-button crosswalk lights, with no painted lines in the asphalt to demarcate the corridor for the crossing. And my question for all the members of this House is, how could the minister of Education declare that school ready to open when the most basic pedestrian safety apparatus wasn't in place? It was a classic case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand was doing. Then weeks after the school opened, the community's worst fears were realized when Carina left school one day and attempted to cross that road and she was struck by a vehicle that it was later determined did not speed but simply did not take notice of the student in the roadway. And it haunts me still that I understand that friends of hers actually called to her and tried to get to her reverse her course and go back to the side of the road.
So it's a terrible burden for her family and for her friends and her teachers and school administrators. Some of us–join us today in the gallery, and I'm so pleased and honoured that people from the city of Winkler and the community, the parent council, the student council, members of the school board, administration would join us today to be part of this debate.
Mr. Speaker, I will tell you that I am deeply troubled as a parent as to what happened. I have a student who's now the same age as Carina would have been. I have a son that age. I can tell you that as a former educator I'm troubled and I can tell you that as a legislator I'm troubled because I know we get into this place to make a difference and oftentimes that means making a difference in very fundamental things, very practical things in our own communities. I know I've heard members from both sides of the House talk about how they do that in their community. And as a new legislator I can tell you it haunts me to think, could I have done more, more than write the letters, more than have the meetings, more than put the op-eds in the paper, more than try to get people to write the letters to the minister? Is there more that I could have done?
* (10:10)
Well, Mr. Speaker, it's too late for that discussion now. It will inform my thinking in the future, but what I can do–what I can do–is bring this bill. This bill makes pedestrian safety a priority by requiring that a comprehensive traffic safety analysis takes place any time there's a determination and a decision that a new school should be built. It puts that traffic study right inside what's called the integrated design process and that is the process by which all the stakeholders with all the expertise and all the knowledge–local, provincial, engineers, architects, electrical people–all those people come around the table and they discuss all the issues around the opening of the new school.
And guess who was missing at the table? Infrastructure and transportation. Traffic experts were not at that table. So this bill is a possible remedy. This bill says make sure that a comprehensive traffic safety analysis is performed as part of the new school's design and then make sure, through a series of steps that I would refer all the members to in the clauses 68.3 and 68.4, that the work is performed, the recommendations are made to the school division and that, most importantly, the work is completed before the new school would be determined to open.
Would it mean that the opening of new schools would be delayed? No, Mr. Speaker. We examined that with experts. What it would simply mean is that notice would be given in enough time that everything that we determined to be done would be done in a reasonable amount of time before the school opens.
Mr. Speaker, it is shameful that there were no lines painted on that asphalt when that school opened. It is shameful that only days after Carina's death a truck was dispatched, and they were painting the lines on that corridor. It is shameful that only days after the accident, all of a sudden, the installation of those pedestrian corridor lights was made a priority.
Mr. Speaker, the member for Agassiz (Mr. Briese) reads petitions daily in this House about the need for a safe pedestrian crossing in Swan Valley high school. The Catholic Women's League in Lorette has been asking for assistance to lobby for a crosswalk at their school. In Carman, Manitoba, applications to have a pedestrian crosswalk with lighted push-button-operated signs is denied by this government because they say technically they're in the right. It tells me that nothing has been learned by–as a result.
It is a tragedy that Winkler lost a student at a brand new school. I assert to every member of this House, it would be a greater tragedy if nothing is learned as a result. If there is no change to practice, if there is no elevated threshold to say we must keep students safe, and Mr. Speaker, I'm not seeking to quarrel with the members opposite because I know they believe this.
They brought a bill that would reduce speed zones and leave it up to municipalities to get that work done, and our municipalities are leading that charge to reduce speed zones. They brought a bill about helmets for students. So we know that fundamentally they are onside with this. This is about communication and listening and understanding local issues and deferring to local authorities.
Mr. Speaker, I call for co-operation in the House today on this bill. I call for all members to get behind this bill and say we want to ensure school safety. Does this bill go the whole way? Does it solve every issue? Absolutely not, but it is an important first step in making sure that Carina's legacy is honoured. Maybe her parents and family will have some small satisfaction in this bill, but what it does is it takes real steps to make sure that new schools are safe and I call for all members to support that effort.
Hon. Peter Bjornson (Minister of Education and Advanced Learning): Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by thanking the member for bringing this important piece of legislation to the Chamber for us to have this discussion today, and certainly I'd like to start by expressing my sympathies to Carina Denisenko's family. I cannot imagine, as a parent of three children, the pain that they have experienced since that day.
Twenty-five years ago, Mr. Speaker, I was witness to pedestrian tragedy, and that day has been replaying in my head every single time you hear of these things happening, and I cannot put in words the horror of that day 25 years ago.
Safety is paramount for our children and as a father of three, I'm more than happy to know that my two boys are getting to school safe because I drive them to school every day. And I know that my daughter, at 11 years of age has, on two occasions as a crossing guard, actually saved two young girls who were crossing when she was controlling the intersection and drivers were not paying attention. And she even had the wherewithal to take the vehicle make and licence plate, the first three numbers, and she was disappointed she didn't get the whole licence plate when she was reporting it to the police that day. So she was able to help avoid a couple of these tragedies.
And this is an important piece of legislation and I, again, thank the member for bringing it to the table, and we support it in principle. We just have to make sure we do it right, and there are a number of things that I'd like to discuss with the member about the feedback that I've been receiving from the department as we move forward and find a way to resolve this matter, and I'm thankful that the we had the opportunity to have this discussion today. And, as you did say, it doesn't solve everything in this legislation as proposed, so let's make sure it does, and that's where the conversation starts. Let's look at the things that you've brought to the table today. Let's talk about how we can work together. Let's talk about how we can work with the stakeholders. We need everybody at the table to have this discussion. We need a number of different departments to have this discussion.
The proposal is to amend The Public Schools Act. I'm not quite sure if that's the right route to pursue for the amendments to deliver, but we hope to deliver with this today. So we'll have this discussion as we go on. But I do support this in principle and I thank you for bringing it forward. And I know, as a former educator yourself and a former educator who stands here today, some of the issues that we've dealt with, including a suicide that I–in my school, we have to do everything we can to protect our children.
Now we've–we have done a lot and I appreciate that the member recognizes that. We have brought in legislation to reduce the speed limits and, as he said, our partners have taken leadership through the municipal governments to do that. We've brought in the bike helmets. We've brought in safe schools legislation, but we always need to remind ourselves that there's more to be done, and, unfortunately, very tragic events have reminded us that there needs to be–that more needs to be done.
And I want to also take this opportunity to welcome those members from the community who are here today showing their support for this legislation, and showing their support and honouring the memory of Carina.
I've been in this building for 4,202 days, and this is probably the toughest speech that I've the privilege of presenting.
Again, I have to say that we do support it in principle. We do need to make sure we do it right and we'll have this conversation, and I assure we'll do so.
We can do a lot with rumble strips on shoulders and medians. We can put in all the speed bumps. We can put in all the school speed zones. We can add more crosswalks. These are things that we have been doing and will continue to do, and as we build more schools and build new schools, which the legislation speaks to, this is something that we certainly have to be mindful of.
I also know that as a result of this tragedy many school divisions have looked at what they've done to ensure student safety. And I know in my own community when I was teaching in Gimli High School–Gimli High School is across from the town proper across the highway–and we had the good fortune where nobody suffered injury or harm crossing that highway, and it's only been a matter of the last five or six years actually that the pedestrian crosswalks were installed as more and more students were coming from the town proper as opposed to being bused in and the need was recognized.
So it's not just a matter of looking at what happens with new school builds to ensure that they're ready, but this has been a reminder for existing schools that they need to do an inventory and assess what has–after what has transpired what needs to be done to ensure student safety throughout.
So we can continue to build the cloverleafs and diamond lanes and all the things that are supposed to make our students safe. We can continue to bring in legislation that changes the way we do things to try and ensure that our students are safe, and we as parents can hope and pray every day that our children are safe.
* (10:20)
It's funny. The other day, I had to pick up my son and we arranged the usual spot to pick him up, and if I didn't pick him up, he was going to be late for work. And he'd forgot that I was going to pick him up, so I'm sitting at the spot and the panic because he was not there. And what are the odds? It's the first time that his cellphone was not working, that it wasn't charged, the first time that I really needed to call him. But that's something that we do as parents each and every day. We worry about our kids. We hope and pray that they're safe. And we, as legislators, have a responsibility to make sure that we do everything we can to make them safe. So again, I want to thank the member opposite for bringing this forward and we do support it in principle. Let's just make sure we do it right.
And it's not just a matter of looking at The Public Schools Act. It's a matter of having conversations with MIT and looking at The Highway Traffic Act. It's a matter of looking at planning issues with local government and ensuring that planning regulations are in place appropriately to make sure that these procedures are followed so that all the mechanisms that are necessary can be put in place to make sure that our kids are safe.
So, again, thank you for that, and I commit to you, honourable member, that we will work together and we will find a way to make this–if perhaps not this legislation, but regulations in other legislation that would do the job that you hope to achieve through this legislation. But, again, we support it in principle and I thank you so much for bringing it to the table.
Mr. Wayne Ewasko (Lac du Bonnet): Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure today to stand and put some words on the record in favour of Bill 203, The Public Schools Amendment Act (Pedestrian Safety at New Schools), by the member from Morden-Winkler.
And as a–as the Minister of Education from Gimli had pointed out, I, too, have been a teacher and a guidance counsellor and, of course, a parent for many, many years now. And taking a look through the bill that the member from Morden has put in a considerable amount of time into, it is to bring awareness. It's to raise awareness to not only those of us in this House but to all Manitobans, Mr. Speaker, that we, as legislators, we need to do more.
And I think this a great amendment to The Public Schools Act and a great start that I am going to be encouraging over the next few minutes that members from the other side of the House–to support this bill and to move it towards committee stage so that we can give the public a chance to chime in, possibly bring forward any changes that could be possibly brought forward to–as a friendly amendment to the–to Bill 203, which is brought forward by the member of Morden-Winkler, and so that we're also learning from the unfortunate tragedy of Carina just outside of Winkler at the new collegiate.
You know, when that event happened, that tragic event happened, I really thought, how in the world could something as, in my view, simple as a crosswalk–now, don't get me wrong, Mr. Speaker, we've seen accidents happen. And it doesn't matter in most cases what types of legislation you do put in; sometimes accidents just happen, absolutely. The member brought forward–you know, sort of commending the government of the day for bringing in the helmets–the helmet legislation–as well as the speed zone legislation, and that, Mr. Speaker, that's something where that encourages safety. But, again, that doesn't necessarily mean that there's police officers or crossing guards standing outside those schools stopping all speeding vehicles. But it is a start, and that's when I hear the Minister of Education talk about supporting Bill 203 in principle, but needs to sort of take a look at some of the bare bones to the bill, I guess, is–I don't feel that's overly acceptable, and the reason I don't feel that it's acceptable is because we need to start somewhere; we need to learn from some of the mistakes that we have made in the past.
This government opened up that new school without having some of those safety precautions in place. We're talking a provincial highway. I know the member from Morden shared a couple stories about a few other schools within the province that are experiencing similar situations. I'm going to bring one–I know that the Minister of Education and the member from Morden-Winkler brought in some personal stories. My youngest son of 11 years old goes to Gillis School, which is located in Tyndall, and it's located at the intersection of Highway 44, which is a very busy provincial highway–Pierson Avenue, which is actually Mile 35 East, very, very busy intersection for the province. Many different goods and services are transported daily on that route, and we, too, do not have a crosswalk crossing over that highway. I know that the local PAC committee have been in conversations with the minister's Department for Infrastructure and Transportation as well as the Education Department to make sure that we get some sort of crosswalk. Sidewalks–there's not even sidewalks, Mr. Speaker. Who's designing these–who has been designing these buildings and these schools? As a parent, as a taxpayer, and now as a legislator, I don't understand how these things get slipped by.
I had some other notes that I wanted to go through, Mr. Speaker, but, you know, the only response that I can say to the Minister of Education after his minutes that he put on the record is I thank the member from Morden-Winkler and my condolences go out to the community of Winkler for their tragic loss, but do not let that loss of life go unnoticed.
Legislation does not stop or stall anything. It's a start. Let's move this to committee. Let's pass it here today on to committee so that the public can come and put their two cents on the record as far as potentially strengthen the bill if that's what needs to be done, make a friendly amendment. The member from Gimli, the Minister of Education, has said that they support it on principle. Well, then, I encourage the NDP government to move it forward to committee so that the public can have a say on this bill before there's yet another tragedy that could be potentially averted.
So I thank you very much for your time.
Hon. Steve Ashton (Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation): One of the toughest parts of my job is I receive reports. I actually ask to receive a report on every traffic fatality in the province. And, Mr. Speaker, when you look at each and every one of those situations, it's often reported as combination of this or that or the other factor. But it's a human tragedy, but one of the key elements that I ask for as minister responsible for this department is to get some sense of why and, more importantly, as to whether there can be anything done differently in the future, whether it be in terms of legislation or safety procedures.
* (10:30)
Mr. Speaker, in your previous role as MLA you know first-hand the difference that you can make. You've led a consultation around the province for graduated driver's licences. And what strikes me as something that had been looked at in other jurisdictions; we knew it would make a difference. We've now seen in the time we've had graduated driver's licensing, indeed, it did make a difference. And what I did at the announcement for graduated driver's licensing I brought with me the parents of a young teenager from Thompson, Steven Herman, who was tragically killed by a drunk driver, a young driver, same high school, our high school in Thompson, R.D. Parker Collegiate.
And the reason I did that is because graduated driver's licensing was about a lot more than just alcohol-related issues but there had to be some sense of hope that came out of that tragedy. Steven Herman, by the way, was in Teens Against Drunk Driving. He was a classmate of my son. It always struck me things could have been very different. It could have been my son or my daughter, and I know we all felt, in our community, the pain of the family. I actually met up with his mother just recently and she still talks about how she gets some degree of satisfaction out of a terrible tragedy, that out of that experience and many others we now have a system of legislation that ensures that young drivers are alcohol free.
Mr. Speaker, that's one example that I know of. I know of another case in our community. There was a family and their son-in-law was killed in a single-car rollover on Highway 6. I got that report as well, and knowing the family, it was–it hit home doubly. Single-car accident, from what I could figure from the report and from the family. He probably just caught the ditch; actually, in that area of the highway there was no ditch at the time. It was written up as a driver error, but I looked at it, and, clear to my mind, if there had been a ditch, a proper ditch, it might have been an error but wouldn't have had the same result.
God knows, as someone that drives that highway on a regular basis, again, it just struck me the degree to which it could have been me because I know I've caught the ditch on occasion as well. One thing we did after that, and I realize it's not kind of the first thing that comes to mind but I'm very proud of the fact that we were able to not only reconstruct the ditch in that area but one of the key elements we've done throughout the province is when we build highways now, the standards we put in place build in a much wider base, a paved shoulder. You know, as we upgrade our highways we continue to make a difference.
Now, Mr. Speaker, more recently we've seen significant movement on school speed zones, and this didn't just happen either. There were a number of tragic incidents that clearly identified that the previous system for having reduced speeds in school zones was, quite frankly, not providing the kind of protection that parents expected, teachers expected. And it's interesting. I know in my own community, now, on one of our main roads right in front of the high school, there's a 24-hour reduction down to 30 kilometres an hour, and I actually have had a few people complain to me about whose idea this was anyway. I did tell them that it was unanimously supported by members of the Legislature. And it may be a minor inconvenience. I was even reminded that when we were kids, somebody–one of my fellow–I actually went to Thompson High School, as it was called in those days–that it used to be 45 miles an hour. Well, in my mind, 30 kilometres an hour to protect our kids, that's progress. And out of that–those experiences, I've seen you can make a difference.
I want to put on the record here the degree to which I think the member from Morden-Winkler has very much approached this in that way, shape or form. I want to put on the record that even prior to the opening of the school the member approached my department, approached me as minister, sat down with our staff and, indeed, the reductions that took place in terms of speed zones were very much because of the fact he identified the fact with the school opening–imminently opening it was important to do that and the speed reductions were put in place. And I want to commend the member again for his approach on this particular bill.
And I do want to assure the member for Lac du Bonnet (Mr. Ewasko), I mean, I think I echo the words of the Minister of Education. We're approaching this bill as I assume that members opposite do with any bill as well. Is the intent clear, and I will put on the record, certainly, as MIT Minister, I support the intent.
I have only seen the bill the last couple of days. I would like the opportunity to, you know, to have further discussion with the member, and I don't mean that as way, shape or form to suggest we wouldn't proceed on that. I know, certainly, as minister, whenever I bring in legislation that the important element is to meet with critics from the opposition and we–and I take that seriously. There are often very good ideas that come out of those discussions and not just ideas that are brought in, you know, through formal amendments, because I think we all understand the same basic principle.
And to be fair to everyone involved in the process of building schools and dealing with highway situations, it's clear that there are many decisions that are made. And highway safety, by the way, is–our traffic engineers deal with national standards and each case is unique. But the key element here, I think, is we are seeing more new schools being built. It's probably, you know, the cycle. We haven't really had a lot of school construction until recently, and I think what the member's identified is the degree to which, out of what happened here we can learn some lessons. And that is through full co-ordination of all elements of planning, both the school planning and all the issues related to the traffic safety side. And that, I think, is–as my understanding of the bill–and, again, you know, second reading, it's a matter of looking at the intent, that's the intent of the bill.
And what I do want to say is I've seen how we can make a difference, and it's not always that you could have fully prevented what happened. I don't know if what had happened with Steven Herman would've changed if we'd had graduated driver's licensing. By the way, ironically, six months later one of the passengers in the car that killed Steven Herman–she had a drinking and driving charge. So even then, I wondered.
But, Mr. Speaker, I think out of what has been brought forward about what did happen in Winkler, if we can have a legacy of improved safety for kids in the future, it's worth all the effort, and as Minister for MIT I'm more than willing to work with the member opposite to come up with a solution that would deal with this.
Mr. Stuart Briese (Agassiz): I'm pleased to rise today and put a few words on the record on the–on Bill 203, the public schools amendment act, brought forward by the member for Morden-Winkler (Mr. Friesen). This bill was timely, important and should've been done and presented in this Legislature long, long before now.
* (10:40)
It–we–I've stood in this House for several weeks now and in the spring session and read a petition from the community of Swan River where there's the same thing is happening on needing a crosswalk, a lighted crosswalk, put in place on a provincial highway. Earlier this summer with much fanfare, the Premier (Mr. Selinger) and the member for Swan River (Mr. Kostyshyn) made an announcement that they would be putting that in by this fall. Well, we're past this fall. It's not in yet. I will keep writing that petition until it is in.
Things change. The Province, the Department of Infrastructure and Transportation depends highly on traffic counts and traffic patterns for making decisions such as this. Sometimes traffic counts aren't the only criteria that should be used. The safety of children crossing highways, busy provincial trunk highways, I don't care if there's 10 children a day crossing at a particular spot, they need the protection and all the protection we can give. There's always a kickback from various industry and various people saying we can't take those delays. What's 45 seconds to one minute of delay when it means saving the life of a child?
And, you know, the–my own community, we–which is Neepawa, we spent years trying to get a set of traffic lights in at the corner of two major provincial trunk highways, and I remember the mayor of Neepawa at that time saying he did not want to be the fatality at that corner that caused them to put the lights in. When you wait until there's an actual fatality in a certain area and then proceed to do what should have been done a long time before, that's way too late. We finally did get that set of lights in, but we do have, on 16 Highway, Provincial Highway 16 through Neepawa, we do have a lighted pedestrian corridor there which is also attended by school crossing guards in the morning and in the evening after school. And I drive there all the time. That's–I drive and–through that community every day, and the delays of that lighted crossing are slim and almost none.
The town of Neepawa itself, around their elementary school, they put four-way stops in at every corner all the way around the school. I haven't heard one complaint about that. They did that, oh, seven or eight years ago. I haven't heard one complaint about that. It's for the protection of the children, and I remind the members of this House that it's dramatically different in small-town Manitoba or in the other communities in Manitoba than what it is even in Winnipeg here where you have a traffic light on almost every corner. You have a safe crossing on almost every corner.
Some of our towns–we're a big town; we got two sets of traffic lights but some of our towns have none, and the traffic lights create the break in the flow of traffic. They slow the traffic but when these children are crossing busy provincial trunk highways, it's imperative that we take the steps to keep them safe when that's what's happening.
You know, there's a number of other places–I might just mention on the Swan River issue especially, there was a new wellness centre opened there this summer which created more traffic running across that particular highway, and so the need for that crossing, lighted crossing, is even more important. The petitions I've been reading have well over 1,500 names on them. If you don’t think there's a concern in the community about the safety on that particular area, you have another thing coming.
We have a number of others, the one in Carman. There's one right by the university in Brandon where I almost hit a pedestrian one time a few years ago. It's very dark. It's a non-lighted crossing and it's a very dangerous, dangerous area. There's Forrest, Manitoba. The elementary school is on one side of a busy highway; the high school is on the other side. There's a lot of traffic back and forth. Safety, once again, becomes paramount, whether it be a lighted pedestrian crossing or an overhead walkway, but to have young people crossing that highway daily, and there is a speed limit there of 70, but to have them crossing that highway daily is truly a dangerous, dangerous situation.
I think it's imperative that this piece of legislation go forward. I've heard some reservations. There's slight reservations from the opposition, although–from the government, although they're stating they support it in principle. I believe this bill should pass second reading here today. I think it needs to go to committee. We need to get the feedback that is necessary for this bill. We need public input, and bills at committee and bills at this stage are always open to amendment, and amendments can be made and, if necessary, will be made. I think this is a bill that is one that everyone in this House can co-operate on. We've–we're certainly willing to be co-operative on this one because it goes way beyond what's in this House. It's very important to all of us.
We have some momentum on this issue right now. We have the bill being presented. I urge the government to allow this bill to go through to second reading, and we'll take it on to committee for public input for discussion and, ultimately, we'll come up with a piece of legislation that is ready to go and will change one small part, but a part that is very important to change in the safety of children in this province.
Thank you very much.
Ms. Nancy Allan (St. Vital): It's an honour for me to be in this Legislature this morning for this piece of legislation that is so important, Bill 203, and I would like to thank the member for Morden-Winkler (Mr. Friesen) for bringing it forward.
I had the opportunity to visit the new Northlands Parkway Collegiate in Winkler in September. I know it's no fault of the member for Morden-Winkler, but somehow my invitation got lost in the mail for the big opening. We know what happened to it now, but I didn't receive it. And I was so fortunate to be invited by Vern Reimer, the superintendent of the school division, and the former chair of the board, Hilda Froese, who I worked with when we reconfigured the school and we added the choral room when the planning stage for the school changed. So I didn't mind so much my invitation getting lost in the mail because I had an opportunity to go to the school and have a personal tour with the superintendent and with the former chair of the board, Hilda Froese, in September, and the principal and the vice-principal, and it was an absolutely wonderful couple of hours together and it is an incredible school.
* (10:50)
And I had an opportunity to talk to the staff about all of the challenges that they encountered when they opened that new school. And, of course, one of their challenges was they opened a school and then a young woman, Carina, died in front of that school, and it was–it is something that we all wish never to happen. This is a tragedy, and I am glad this morning that we are going to learn from that tragedy and that we are going to work together, because as legislators it's incumbent upon us to make sure that all of our young children are safe in school, and when someone–when parents lose a life it is our responsibility to ensure, as legislators, that we do everything that we can to not see something like this happen again.
So I know that the Minister of Education and the minister for the provincial highway act have had conversations this morning in this Legislature in the loge with the member for Morden-Winkler, and there had been commitments made that we are going to continue to work with you to ensure that this legislation is done right. We believe that there are some legislative changes that need to be made as well as regulatory changes, but we are prepared this morning to pass this legislation and to work with you to ensure that this kind of tragedy never happens again.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Kelvin Goertzen (Steinbach): Mr. Speaker, as the Opposition House Leader, I just want to say thank you to the families, the members of the community, from the members of the school who've come to be here today. I think your presence has made a great difference. I want to particularly thank the member for Morden-Winkler (Mr. Friesen) for bringing this bill forward. We've had very emotional discussions in our caucus not unlike we've heard here this morning regarding this bill.
And I want to also thank the Minister of Education and the Government House Leader (Mr. Ashton). We've had discussions here this morning and I think that, perhaps, when this debate started less than an hour ago it was headed in a different direction in terms of what would happen to this bill this morning. But I think we as legislators have done the right thing and it brought honour to this Assembly by agreeing to move this forward to committee. We recognize there are things that can be changed to improve this bill. No bill is perfect, but when we work together I think we do a great honour to this Assembly and to the people who sent us here to represent them.
So I want to thank everybody who's been involved this morning in ensuring this bill will be moved to a committee and we look forward to hearing the presentations at committee to how this bill can be strengthened and make sure that it works and, hopefully, saves the life of someone else, because that's the best legacy we can leave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker: House ready for the question?
An Honourable Member: Question.
Mr. Speaker: The question before the House is second reading of Bill 203, The Public Schools Amendment Act (Pedestrian Safety at New Schools).
Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed]
Mr. Bjornson: Is it the will of the House to recognize this as unanimously passed in the Chamber today?
Mr. Speaker: Is it the will of the House to let the record reflect that this bill was passed unanimously at second reading? [Agreed]
Mr. Kelvin Goertzen (Official Opposition House Leader): Mr. Speaker, is it the will of the House to move directly into private members' resolutions?
Mr. Speaker: Is it the will of the House to call it 11 a.m. and proceed directly to private members' resolutions? [Agreed]
Res. 1–Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry 100th Anniversary
Mr. Speaker: The hour being 11 a.m., it's time for a private member's resolution, and the resolution we have before us this morning for consideration is Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry 100th Anniversary, sponsored by the honourable member for Spruce Woods.
Mr. Cliff Cullen (Spruce Woods): I move, seconded by the member for Brandon West (Mr. Helwer),
WHEREAS the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry celebrated its centennial on August 10th, 2014; and
WHEREAS the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, PPCLI, whose members have served Canada in both World Wars, the Korean War and in Afghanistan, was the last privately raised regiment in the Commonwealth, raised in response to the outbreak of World War I in 1914; and
WHEREAS the history of the PPCLI is inextricably connected with Canada's development by helping to forge Canada's national identity through service and sacrifices in battles such as Vimy, Passchendaele and Frezenberg, among others; and
WHEREAS the Second Battalion of PPCLI, currently located at Canadian Forces Base Shilo, has been stationed almost continually within Manitoba since 1920; and
WHEREAS the PPCLI is one of the most storied regiments in the Canadian Forces and has participated in every major conflict since the beginning of the First World War; and
WHEREAS there have been 1,866 members of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry who have died in service to Canada; and
WHEREAS Canada's fallen soldiers gave their lives protecting those who cannot protect themselves, respecting human rights and helping to develop and support the rule of law in countries that have never known democracy.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba officially recognize those who have served their country as members of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and join in celebrating their centennial.
Mr. Speaker: It's been moved by the honourable member for Spruce Woods (Mr. Cullen), seconded by the honourable member for Brandon West (Mr. Helwer),
WHEREAS the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry celebrated its centennial on August 10th, 2014; and
WHEREAS–dispense?
An Honourable Member: Dispense.
Mr. Speaker: Dispense.
The resolution is in order.
Mr. Cullen: It certainly is a privilege for me today to bring this resolution forward to the House for consideration, certainly hoping that we will have support for this resolution, and I'm sure we will.
I do, first of all, Mr. Speaker, want to welcome members of the Patricia's infantry here to the building this morning. Hopefully, we'll have some time for some introductions a little later on this morning in the Chamber.
Mr. Speaker, I represent the great constituency of Spruce Woods, and part of, certainly, Spruce Woods is Canadian Forces Base Shilo. And I actually grew up near Canadian Forces Base Shilo, so I certainly was familiar with the activities that went on and the training that went on at Canadian Forces Base Shilo, and we certainly appreciate the ongoing training that goes on there today and certainly that–the fine people that represent our country that are based out of Canadian Forces Base Shilo. And it's nice to spend some time there at the base as well, to spend some time to understand the good work that they do out at Canadian Forces Base Shilo.
This morning, Mr. Speaker, we want to speak specifically of the Princess Patricia's infantry and the good work that they have done over the years, and we want to recognize and celebrate the centennial of that great regiment. I had some information sent to me in regard to the centennial celebrations, and it's quite an interesting history of the regiment.
At the outbreak of World War I, the regiment was founded for immediate overseas service. The founding of the regiment was initiated by Andrew Hamilton Gault's proposal to the Government of Canada. His personal contribution of $100,000 was essential for initial recruitment, financing and equipment–equipping of the regiment. And the regiment bears the name of Her Royal Highness Princess Patricia of Connaught, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Her father, His Royal Highness Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, was Governor General of Canada from 1911 to 1916. The regiment, being first in the field, quickly established a reputation for strong leadership, dedicated service and selfless sacrifice that remains in place today. Now, Mr. Speaker, in September 1914, the battalion actually left for England, becoming the first and only Canadian fighting unit to serve in theatre in the operations of 1914.
* (11:00)
Mr. Speaker, I want to read the–some information that was provided. It really speaks to the history of this prestigious battalion.
Mr. Speaker, as the 150th anniversary of Confederation looms, Canada will celebrate its birth as a nation through recognition of its proud heritage. Central to our national identity has been Canada's distinguished military history with service in two world wars, Korea, peacekeeping and peace-support operations around the world and in Afghanistan.
The Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry is a storied regiment in the Canadian Forces and has participated in every major Canadian conflict since the beginning of the First World War. Attracting its volunteers from across the land, the PPCLI is a truly national regiment in structure and in character.
The regiment's motto, first in field, was adopted after its swift formation and participation in the early actions of World War I. The motto has remained true through every operation since.
The PPCLI have the distinction of being the last privately raised regiment in the Commonwealth, funded by then-Captain Andrew Hamilton Gault of Montreal. Intricately connected with the history of Canada's development as a nation, the PPCLI helped forge Canadian identity through service and sacrifice in historically significant battles such as Frezenberg, Vimy and Passchendaele. The regiment was at the forefront of the nation's campaign against Nazism, fighting in the invasion of Sicily, the Italian campaign and the liberation of Holland.
As Canada became a key partner in the newly established United Nations, the PPCLI went to Korea and its Second Battalion earning a US Presidential Unit Citation for its gallant defence in the battle of Kapyong, the only Canadian unit ever to receive this honour.
Reflecting 'emergencing'–emerging core of Canadian values, the PPCLI participated in peacekeeping operations in Cyprus and fought to stop ethic cleansing and promote stability in the Balkans. When the nation called again in the fight against terrorism, the PPCLI responded and deployed to Afghanistan in 2002.
The story of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry is intrinsic to Canadian heritage and identity. The proud history of the PPCLI is reflected in a new generation of soldiers from all corners of the country, ready to serve Canada, as have their predecessors in the regimental family.
As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the PPCLI, the regiment continues to train and prepare itself for domestic and international operations. Hamilton Gault's legacy has come full circle with his initiative, becoming one of the most celebrated regiments in Canadian history.
Mr. Speaker, the PPCLI is composed of three battalions. The First and Third Battalions are operating out of Edmonton, and the Second Battalion is located at Canadian Forces Base Shilo. And, of course, the Second Battalion is based out of the Kapyong Barracks at CFB Shilo and is a mechanized infantry unit of the regular force.
Mr. Speaker, and we are very happy to have them in southwestern Manitoba, and we want to offer our congratulations on their 100th anniversary and thank them for their good work they have done for our country around the world for the past 100 years.
And, Mr. Speaker, I think it's also important that we recognize their contribution in Manitoba when they're called upon in times of emergency. And we have had a number of floods in Manitoba the last number of years, and we have called on their support to come and help us. And it's very important that we have those people that are available to support us in our time of need, and we really appreciate the great work that they do and the great work that they are continuing to do. And we certainly are there to support them whenever we can and whenever we need.
Clearly, every day the Armed Forces members put their lives at risk, often leaving their families and their homes behind to courageously defend our country's values and certainly to contribute to international peace and security. Members of the forces play important roles certainly both at home and around the world, whether they're protecting our frontiers, working with our allies, providing humanitarian assistance or helping to restore peace and security in some of those troubled countries. Certainly, the men and women of the Canadian Forces and the PPCLI stand tall and deserve to know that we are grateful for all the work that they do, Mr. Speaker.
And I ask the members of this Chamber to recognize their contributions to the good causes that they do perform and for the good work on our behalf. And we certainly thank them for the opportunity that they have and we certainly want to support them in everything that they do.
And I want to certainly make recognition of the 1,866 members of the regiment over the last 100 years who have given the ultimate sacrifice to our country. And I certainly want to recognize all the active members in the Forces and certainly the PPCLI today for their great work and ask them to continue their good work on behalf of all citizens of Canada and certainly all citizens of Manitoba. And this is our opportunity as Manitobans to pay a special tribute to them for all the work they do and ask them to continue that good work into the future.
With that, I look forward to further discussion on this particular resolution and offer my personal congratulations on the centennial of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Hon. Deanne Crothers (Minister of Healthy Living and Seniors): Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member from spruce sands for bringing this forward. I understand that there are some Princess Patricia's here but just not in the room so I would like to welcome them wherever they are and just let them know that I spoke this morning with Premier Selinger and he wished that he could have been here this morning to speak to this himself but was needed elsewhere to give a speech.
So I want to start by saying congratulations to the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry on a century of service, which is really incredible. This past August in my role as military envoy I had the good fortune of being able to host an event outside the Leg. here and I was happy to welcome Colonel of the Regiment Ray Crabbe and other members of the regiment to celebrate this anniversary. And they had some of their artillery equipment here and travelling museum at the Leg. and were inviting members of the public to get to know their history better and to become a little more familiar first-hand with some of their equipment. And the same day, the Memorial Baton Relay arrived in Winnipeg and those accompanying the baton joined us here at the Leg. On that day the baton carrier was Chief Warrant Officer Jim Seggie who carried it in honour of his son, Corporal Michael James Alexander Seggie, who died in Afghanistan on September 3rd, 2008, and he was a PPCLI. It was quite moving to see his father come with the baton, and I had the opportunity to speak briefly with him.
So I–in my fairly short time in this role, I have had the opportunity to get to know some of the regiments in the province and I did a little bit of research on their history and will share some of that here today. They were founded on August 10th in 1914 through a $100,000 donation by Captain Andrew Hamilton Gault to form and equip a battalion needed for immediate overseas service. And the regiment was put together in eight days, which I found pretty darn incredible. Those that enlisted were veteran soldiers from all parts of Canada, and the regiment got its name after the Governor General of Canada at the time, who was the Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, his youngest daughter, and her name was Patricia, so Her Royal Highness, Princess Patricia of Connaught was the namesake.
The regiment fought in the First World War at various sites across Belgium and France. They served in the Second World War, Korea, Cyprus, the Balkans, Afghanistan and, currently, in the Middle East, taking part in Operation IMPACT.
Probably one of the most famous Princess Patricia's was Tommy Prince, whose medals actually recently returned to Winnipeg for a time at the Manitoba Museum along with the other Silver Cross medal recipients from Manitoba. And it was the first time that all three medal recipients were in Winnipeg at the same time. Tommy Prince joined the PPCLI to fight in the Korean War and he already had a history of daring military engagement and had been awarded medals for his bravery in the Second World War. He went on to be one of Canada's most decorated First Nations soldiers. And if you're not familiar with his history and if you have the opportunity to learn about his experiences, it really is quite an incredible story, and I'm sure there are more.
* (11:10)
The PPCLI today is just as engaged in overseas missions as they are here at home at–they were certainly at the forefront of assisting Manitobans during the devastating flood of '97. The entire regiment was called out to assist and, again, over the past three years the PPCLI has been instrumental in flood fighting from Brandon to Souris to Portage la Prairie and Winnipeg. And, in fact, the last flood I travelled out to Portage la Prairie and met with some of the soldiers that were working very, very hard. I believe they had 12-hour shifts. It's incredible the commitment that they give to Manitobans and to people outside of this country when they're called upon.
But I think it's important to mention that they're also very community-minded individuals. I know that they're tied very closely to the base, but they're very engaged in the community outside of the base and they make very important contributions through clubs and sports, through cadets and other organizations. So I think it needs to be noted that their service to our communities through coaching and managing hockey, soccer, baseball, and providing leadership in cadet and other youth programs is really a legacy to our young Manitobans.
My first trip to Shilo I was provided a tour of the Princess Patricia's regiments building by the commanding officer for Princess Patricia's in Manitoba, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Ritchie as well as Chief Warrant Officer T.B. D'Andrade, and I am very grateful for the time that they spent with me. And it was very evident that there was a great deal of pride taken in the regiment, certainly in the space they occupy, the way they honour their previous members of the regiment and how much appreciation they have for those that came before them. We had the opportunity to spend some time talking after the tour about some of the current challenges that some members face and the role that the Province can play in supporting them, and I look forward to working with them on those issues as we move forward.
I went back to Shilo again in September along with some members opposite here for an exercise called–exercise civilian soldier, and I will say it was a very unique experience that began with a waiver saying that if any of us were injured or killed we wouldn't blame the army, and I kind of understand after the experience why they had us do that. We started by being suited up in combat gear. We went through a physical fitness test, which I managed to complete all four aspects of it but–it was timed by the way–but I missed the last one by three seconds. I was so irritated with myself for that, but it was very eye-opening for me. I mean, it was just four exercises, but they were exercises based on things that military personnel would be expected to do. There was sandbagging. You had to drag some flats with some heavy stuff on it. There was some running exercises, and I can just tell you that it really took quite a bit of effort to get through those. So the fact that these guys are–these men and women are ready and willing to do that as soon as they're called upon, deep appreciation for that.
After that we had the opportunity to try a computer simulated weapons practice, and then we actually went out into the field by light armoured vehicle with my head poking out the top which I–was definitely a first. We ate with the soldiers. The food was pretty darn good, and then we went to an actual exercise taking place and had the opportunity to see how they interact with one another when they're on the ground and all of the communications. It was just an extremely valuable experience for me in this role to see how they work together and how they–even doing the calculations for some of the artillery that they use, and it was very, very interesting.
I had the opportunity, thanks to some of the members from PPCLI, to use some of the weapons which, again, was a first. It's not exactly something that I felt natural with, but I had the opportunity to fire an M777, which is mighty big gun if you're not familiar with M777s. It felt, when I pulled the cord, like it took about 10 seconds for that artillery to actually hit ground. It was really incredible, and the reverberation through your body was amazing. Before returning to the base sore and tired, I felt like I'd been rolled in dust, and I have to say that it's easy to assume what our soldiers do is challenging, but to experience a little bit of that is very eye-opening.
I think I'm going to run out of time and I have so much more to say. I just want to tell the Princess Patricia's that we are deeply proud of their history. We're deeply proud of what they do for Canada. We're deeply appreciative for what they do here in Manitoba, and I know that they will have a long, long time with us with–filled with many moments of pride, and we are very grateful. So thank you so much.
I would like to just close by saying Bravo Zulu, Patricia's, and I look forward to working with you on an ongoing basis. Thank you.
Mr. Reg Helwer (Brandon West): I am honoured to rise today to speak to this resolution recognizing a century of service on the part of Princess Patricia's light infantry.
We are very fortunate to have two PPCLI based at CFB Shilo, and they have become a big part of the fabric of Shilo, Brandon and western Manitoba. They have been honoured several times with the Freedom of the City in Winnipeg and were honoured with the Freedom of the City in Brandon on June 9th, 2012. They marched and stood on parade in the cold, slashing rain while we huddled under tents. I'm always amazed at their resilience and their pride. We know that they have experienced and seen far worse conditions than they did that day, experiences and conditions that we cannot even begin to imagine.
Mr. Speaker, it was also an honour to see the Patricia's on parade during the National Day of Honour. They had their backs to the howitzers. We watched them. I jumped when they were fired. None of them flinched.
The recent losses of their members were also on display during the Afghanistan memorial vigil that travelled across Canada. There were many emotions felt by family members during the vigil in Shilo and here in the Manitoba Legislature. It was very touching to see young children, the young daughter of a fallen Patricia move up to the memorial and place a poppy beside her father, beside the plaque.
Mr. Speaker, as was mentioned, earlier this past summer some of us were very fortunate to participate in operation civilian soldier at CFB Shilo. I was joined by the member for St. James, now the Minister of Healthy Living and Seniors (Ms. Crothers), the member from Tuxedo and the member from Spruce Woods. We tried to pass the fitness test–I think I just barely made it although needed a lot of water afterwards–fired simulated and live ammunition, fired an M777 howitzer and saw 1RCHA and two 2PPCLI in co-ordinated maneuver. At times it almost looked like a ballet with LAVs and soldiers moving in a planned and co-ordinated fashion.
Lieutenant-Colonel Ritchie is the commanding officer of the Patricia's and greeted us on the field. We were guided by Lieutenant-Colonel Joudrey, the base commander who is also a member of the Patricia's. Lieutenant-Colonel Joudrey always has kind words for us civilians as we peer into their world. Our gatherings always seem to include food and coffee, sticky buns and other comfort food, just a small indication of the support that we can offer our soldiers.
Mr. Speaker, CFB Shilo is a very special place, made more so by the presence of the Patricia's. Shilo is a one-of-a-kind base in Canada. Our soldiers can train and be home the same day. They can co-ordinate their training with other regiments, with American jet fighters and bombers, and so they are truly prepared for their missions. All this close to home, so that they spend more time with their families and loved ones.
* (11:20)
Mr. Speaker, there is something in Brandon called the Military Ball that we have been fortunate to participate in every year, and many of the soldiers from Shilo and from Minot come up to that ball. They are dressed in their finery; their spouses are dressed in their ball gowns and, as civilians, we're allowed to participate in the ball and observe their pride and how they treat their spouses. I can remember sitting at the table with my wife and our friends, and we were observing the young women rise from the table. The young soldiers rise and escort them out of the ballroom, and I know that our wives thought, isn't that fine. Wouldn't that be a nice thing to do? But if we were to do it, it would tarnish, I think, what we saw happening there.
Unfortunately, this year I had to miss the military ball due to the loss of a nephew in Edmonton. He was very proud of being a cadet, so we grieve for him as we grieve for those we have lost on the battlefield.
Mr. Speaker, there's a great deal of interaction and trust with the Patricia's. We are honoured to have them as part of our community. We honour them during the Remembrance Day services as generations of Canadian military personnel and veterans have ensured that we live in a free and peaceful country.
I trust that the Legislature will join me and others on this side of the House as we rise to congratulate the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and especially the Second Battalion located at CFB Shilo on their centennial.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Hon. Drew Caldwell (Minister of Municipal Government): Mr. Speaker, it's a privilege to rise this morning in the Legislature to speak to this resolution, and I'd like to begin by commending my colleague who serves his constituency very well in western Manitoba for bringing this resolution to the floor. CFB Shilo is in the constituency of the honourable member, and it seems highly fitting that this resolution is placed before us by him.
Mr. Speaker, the Princess Patricia's light infantry Second Battalion was based in Winnipeg for 34 years until it moved to CFB Shilo in 2004, and that was a very important time period in the history not only of the battalion, but in the history of western Manitoba in my home community. Our government, former Premier Doer–currently Ambassador Doer–our government led by Mr. Doer was very aggressive and very active in ensuring that PPCLI remained in the province of Manitoba. We were active on a national level in ensuring that PPCLI continued its long and storied history in this province at a base, I will add, that is second to none in the world for the training opportunities it offers to service personnel. CFB Shilo is a vast, rambling terrain that makes it ideal for infantry training and for gunnery training and, of course, the artillery is also based at CFB Shilo, along with the Patricia's.
Patricia's history in western Manitoba subsequent to 2014 has been so greatly appreciated by every citizen who has had to confront repeated flooding over the last number of years, for the Patricia's have been at the forefront in assisting Manitobans during these devastating floods, particularly in 1997, Mr. Speaker, when the entire regiment was called in to assist, and then again over the past three years the PPCLI has been instrumental in flood fighting from Brandon to Souris and from Portage to Winnipeg, and all citizens in the Assiniboine basin in–who reside in Manitoba owe a very great debt of gratitude to the Patricia's for saving their property.
Mr. Speaker, the PPCLI history has been referred to here today by speakers before me, but I think it bears repeating a little. This is a very storied regiment. As we've heard, they were marshalled in 1914 in August–on August 10th, 1914. They are–they were and are the–one of the last, if not the last, regiment to be privately marshalled in response to the First World War. They have played a tremendously important role internationally around the world where they have served since the First World War. They're a legendary unit not only in Canada, but a legendary unit internationally. And, I think, as Manitobans, we really are quite blessed to have Princess Patricia's light infantry Second Battalion in the province of Manitoba as part of our historic legacy.
Mr. Dave Gaudreau, Acting Speaker, in the Chair
Thousands of Manitobans have served in the PPCLI and, Mr. Speaker, over the century of their existence, and I know, today, speaking from the government side of the House, we will stand as one voice here in the Legislature for our military and for our veterans and their services in support of this resolution this morning.
I know that there are a number of service personnel waiting to get into the Chamber because of some nonsense about having people in here, but I'd like to say that I welcome when Manitobans come into this Chamber. I think that all Manitobans have a place in this Chamber. I'm proud to invite Manitobans into this Chamber on a daily basis, Mr. Speaker, by my very presence here. And I think all of us in this Chamber would wish that all of our constituents could participate in democracy within this House, and I would think all of us would welcome and invite all of our constituents and all Manitobans to come into this House.
So I know that we will meet with the Patricia's afterwards, Mr. Speaker. After this debate is over, we will have a unanimous resolution passed here this morning. And I'd like to thank, again, the member who brought this resolution forward. I think this is very worthy of unanimous support by this Legislature. And with those very brief words, I will sit down.
Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Mr. Speaker, I rise to join all the other MLAs in this Chamber in recognizing the centennial of the Princess Patricia's. The PPCLI is a very storied regiment with history now of 100 years, having participated in World War I, in theatres like Ypres, Vimy, Passchendaele and others. They were in World War II, landings in Sicily and later in northwest Europe. They were in the United Nations forces in the Korean War and in–more recently in Afghanistan and have played a very important role in the–these activities in supporting democracy, in trying to bring a more peaceful world and protecting human rights.
There are many, many members of the Princess Patricia's who have been valiant and are storied, among them, of course, Tommy Prince. But the list, a full list, would be far too long, of the achievements and the individuals who have received recognition.
I want to say a personal thank you and a thank you on behalf of the Manitoba Liberal Party to the Princess Patricia's for all they have done for Canada, for Manitoba, of course, notably, their work in flooding and helping people in the communities. I have been to Shilo on a number of occasions with–meeting with members of the Princess Patricia's. I'd been impressed with the activities. I think, as we think about this today and recognize the Princess Patricia's, their storied past–they were the last privately raised regiment in the Commonwealth–we need also to think about the almost 1,900 members who have died in the service of our country; I think it's 1,866 that this at this point.
* (11:30)
So I say with the others here, thank you, thank you, thank you to all the members of the Princess Patricia's.
Mr. Ted Marcelino (Tyndall Park): My experience with the military spans both sides of the Pacific Ocean. I had training, four years of training in the Philippine army, and as a reserve officer I have that fascination about what Canada does to its military.
Mr. Rob Altemeyer, Acting Speaker, in the Chair
When we first arrived and when my kids were of that age where I could offer their services to the military, I enrolled them with the Winnipeg Grenadiers, and that's at the Minto Armoury. And all three went through the basic training, which is the marching and, of course, the discipline and the team building.
Mr. Speaker in the Chair
And, eventually, all three of my sons were sent to different parts of the country. One was sent to the bunker which is Shilo, and the training that he got there was short-lived. The intense discipline from the sergeant major to the team-building efforts of everyone was really hard for him, so much so that he quit after two weeks, which broke my heart.
My other son was sent to Kingston and the other one was left behind at the armoury, and my experience was that when my kids were done with their training, short some of them might be, their behaviour at home is quite different. Now I find them taking care of their, you know, underwear and socks and shoes the same way that I did before, like they were looking for the brush in order to shine their shoes and, of course, the socks were in their proper places in the drawer, and even their underwear and even their shirts and even their polo shirts, which were not really that many, and I have–I had a greater appreciation of what the Canadian military does.
And during the floods of 2009 and then 2011, I heard that they were there at St. Laurent and they were sandbagging and I brought them–and they enjoyed the noodles and the egg rolls that I brought in, sufficient for the company that was there. There were three platoons that were there, and they were helping out our people, non-military duties, helping out during the floods, and that's part of what our civilian soldiers do. They are into our lives and they also sometimes sacrifice their lives for all of us, and for that, as an immigrant, I appreciate the freedoms that we have, the liberties that we enjoy and sometimes take for granted, the standard of living that is afforded by a stable political atmosphere in Canada and the economic well-being that's fostered by a country protected by the Canadian military.
The PPCLI, I hope they get 100 more years. Thank you.
Mr. Ralph Eichler (Lakeside): Mr. Speaker, I want to put a few things in–on the record in regards to this legislation brought forward by the member from Turtle Mountain.
And we know with great pride, as we stand in this House and we debate different issues–and sometimes we don't agree, sometimes we agree, but this is one that we should all be very proud of that we agree on, and the fact that we're able to honour those that serve our country, those that have made our lives that much safer, and those that put their families and their selves at harm to keep us safe, and we need to make sure that anytime we have an opportunity to do that, that we take the opportunity to say thank you.
We also know that these individuals–men, women–that go out and serve our great country and our great nation, it comes as sacrifice that it has been bestowed upon them to do the right thing in order to have integrity, in order to ensure that they do it with pride, in order to serve this great country of ours. And, even though we know that they do this, I don't think we realize often enough the sacrifices that they make.
So I'm encouraged to see this legislation unanimously passed here this morning. I'm looking forward to the opportunity that we'll be able to share some of the time with some of the folks that are going to be coming in, but also remember–remember those that are not with this infantry as they come in that we're going to be able to say thank you to them and carry on that message back to the others that are there to instill upon them the real message that we do care, we are proud and we thank all of those that serve this great country of ours.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Dave Gaudreau (St. Norbert): Mr. Speaker, it's a great pleasure to stand up today and speak about the PPCLI, and I want to thank the member opposite for bringing forward this resolution.
The PPCLI has played a really important part in the history of Canada and recently in Manitoba in the 2009 and 2011 floods. And, back in 1997, I actually went to Grande Pointe and worked side by side with members of the PPCLI sandbagging homes in Grande Pointe. And, when we went out on the Highway 59, it was clear–we drove our cars out–and by the end of the day the water was over the road, and the PPCLI had their armoured personnel vehicles, and they had to lead us back into the city, because you couldn't see the highway lines or the highway anymore, and they helped us get back to the city safe and sound. And they were there for Manitobans all throughout these floods, and they've always been there for Manitoba.
Actually, I have a distant relative in–served in the Korean War–was killed in the Korean War in 1951 with the PPCLI, so it's a great honour to have them here in Manitoba and at Shilo.
And I know that later this morning we'll all be seeing them outside the Chamber here, paying our respects to them. It's a great history of our province to have them here, and we're very–we owe a tremendous 'gret' of 'datitude'–gratitude towards all veterans for what they do for us to allow us to be here in this Chamber and debate such resolutions as this and the one earlier this morning which we passed unanimously to help the safety of our children and students.
And I know the member opposite was recently in the Ukraine doing some elections work. That is–he's able to do that because of people who came before us that fought for our freedom, and he was able to go there to help with the freedoms there and the elections there.
* (11:40)
So we owe a great debt of gratitude to those people for being able to do what we do when we enjoy our freedoms here in Canada right now and in Manitoba. And I really want to say thank you to them and thank you for all the military service for everything they do, and especially thank you to the PPCLI for all the work they've done in Manitoba underneath the national disasters, helping us cope with them and deal with them and keeping Manitobans safe.
And with that I'm going to let the members opposite speak some more and we will look forward to passing this resolution.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Ron Schuler (St. Paul): First of all, I'd like to congratulate the member for Turtle Mountain for bringing forward this resolution. It is indeed a–the member for Spruce Woods (Mr. Cullen), I'd like to thank him for bring forward this resolution and, indeed, it is an honour to speak to the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry, their 100th anniversary; that is a milestone for us as a country.
We have to keep reminding ourselves that Canada is still a young country in a matter of terms when you compare ourselves to other nations who have histories of hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years, and Canada is starting to reach these milestones and certainly is important that we recognize and honour those individuals who stand up for and are what we are known for, and that is a country that has a strong democracy, that has great law and order, that respects the institutions that we hold so near and dear to our hearts.
In fact, Mr. Speaker, in the few moments that I have, I did have the opportunity to be in Ukraine. I had the opportunity to visit a military hospital in Kiev, the main military hospital and speak to some of the soldiers that are fighting against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. And one of the things that we first noticed was how they just absolutely love Canada and what Canada stands for, and it is really humbling when you go there and you hear what people have to say about Canada and how they look up to us. In fact, many of them said they wished that Canada would help them with, for instance, flak jackets.
We were in one location in one of the regions and a lady, a middle-aged woman, came up to myself and my colleague and said to us in Ukrainian, you know I have a lot of money. I have a lot of cash and I'd like to give it to you, and it was kind of one of those strange conversations. My colleague answered back in Ukrainian and said, well, we don't want your money, what's this all about? And she said, well, would you take my money and would you buy a Kevlar jacket, a bulletproof vest for me, and just buy it with this money and then you keep all the rest of the money and just send me the Kevlar jacket. I trust you because you're Canadian. And I had it translated to me what she had said, and I said to my colleague, well, actually it's illegal in Canada to buy and own a bulletproof vest. You can't own Kevlar jackets, but, you know, maybe you would want to ask her why she feels she needs one. And so he translated that, although we couldn't buy one, why would it be necessary for her to own one of these jackets? And she said, well, it's not for me, it's for my son who's on the front fighting with the Russians and I would just like my son to come back alive.
Mr. Speaker, there are great differences between Canada and other countries in the world. We should be very, very proud, not prideful but very proud of our military. We should be very proud of the men and women who stand in the crease and are prepared to stand up for the values that we appreciate as Canadians: our democracy, our nation and our flag. Whenever I went into institutions, even in the military hospital I had those little Canada pins, and in most cases they'd never seen a politician before. Politicians don't necessary get out like we do here in Canada and mix it up with individuals in the communities, and I gave each one of those soldiers a Canada pin and told them how proud I know their nation is of them. And they were often in tears that they got that little Canada pin, and they just appreciate and they respect what Canada stands for.
So I would like to thank the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry for 100 years of service, as the resolution says, 1,866 individuals gave their lives. That is a huge amount of individuals, but we know that they did it for the right thing. They shed blood for all the right reasons, and that is for this great nation, this country and may God continue to bless the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and this great nation we call Canada as we go forward. And I look forward to meeting them later on this afternoon and thanking them personally.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker: Is there any further debate on the resolution? Is the House ready for the question?
Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the resolution? [Agreed]
Hon. Dave Chomiak (Minister of Mineral Resources): I wonder if you might note that the resolution's been adopted unanimously by this Chamber.
Mr. Speaker: Is it the will of the House to adopt the resolution unanimously? [Agreed]
The honourable Official Opposition House Leader, on House business.
Mr. Kelvin Goertzen (Official Opposition House Leader): On House business, Mr. Speaker.
I understand that we have guests who are entering the gallery. You may want to introduce them, but there are members on all sides who want to address the guests who were the subject of the resolution that's just passed unanimously.
So I'm looking for leave for one member from each of the recognized political parties and the independent member for River Heights (Mr. Gerrard) to be able to address the guests, Mr. Speaker, and not see the clock.
Mr. Speaker: Is it–is there leave of the House to not see the clock until we've had the opportunity for one member each of the various caucuses and the independent member to say a few comments and also to allow me to introduce our guests? [Agreed]
Mr. Speaker: Well, it's my very great honour and privilege to introduce to members of the Assembly, and I have a few names that I'm going to introduce, although there are many other members of our 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry who are joining us here this morning, but I'd like to start by introducing Major J. Thomas Williams, Deputy Commanding Officer, 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.
And also representing their regiment, we have with us this morning Private Caravan, B Company; Private Cassaway, C Company; Private Matthews, C Company; and Private Robertson, Combat Support Company.
On behalf of all honourable members, we welcome each of you and all of you here this morning and thank you for your service and dedication to the people of Canada.
* * *
Mr. Cullen: Certainly a privilege to introduce this resolution this morning, and I want to thank my colleagues on all sides of the House for supporting this resolution.
I want to welcome each and every member here today. We certainly appreciate what you've done. We appreciate your service. We certainly appreciate taking time out of your busy schedule to join us.
This resolution is really a way for us as Manitobans to say thank you for the good work that you do around the world on our behalf and also the work you do here in Manitoba when you're called upon to act. Certainly, we've had a number of floods over the last few years and you've participated there and stood shoulder to shoulder with Manitobans and helping them out, and we do appreciate all the work that you do on our behalf.
Clearly, you faced some challenges along the way, but we certainly hope that we, as a government, are there to support you and all your actions and everything that you do, and I think it's really important for us to recognize the history of the Princess Patricia's, the 100 years. Certainly, it's amazing, when you look at the history; the battalion has participated in the world wars and around the world over the years and really standing up for Canada and for democracy.
And for that, this is just a little way for us to say thank you for the good work that you do and we really appreciate all the work that you do on our behalf.
So I just want to say congratulations on 100 years and keep up the good work and thank you again for each and every day and your support. Thank you.
* (11:50)
Ms. Crothers: Well, congratulations on the 100th anniversary of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, and as you continue to build on the rich history of your regiment through your commitment to service, your commitment and dedication to honourable conduct and your willingness to put yourselves in dangers–in danger before all others for the benefit of others, please know that the Province of Manitoba is both proud and grateful.
Whether you are providing aid and safety to people outside of Canada or within our own borders, I would like to join with other members of this Chamber and extend on behalf of this caucus a very deeply felt thank you, and sincerely hope that whatever dangers you yet may face that you are brought home safely to your family.
Thank you very much.
Mr. Gerrard: Mr. Speaker, I join others in this Chamber to say a big heartfelt thank you to all you have done for Manitoba and for Canada over the last 100 years. It's been an incredible achievement. The stories from the achievements and the accomplishments of the Princess Patricia's are legion and we just recognize your contributions, not only around the world in fighting in the First and the Second World War, in Korea, and Afghanistan, but also your contributions here when we have had floods in Manitoba because those contributions have made a big difference to the lives here in Manitoba for many.
And I think we also–and I should say, thank you for what each of you as individuals have done to contribute to the community, whether that's been when the regiment was here in Winnipeg or when in Shilo, contributing to activities in Brandon and in the area. So thank you for that.
There have been many times in the past, and I have been on one occasion at Shilo when there was a death from–a soldier from the Princess Patricia's in Afghanistan, and those have been sad occasions, although, certainly, we acknowledge the tremendous contribution that has been made and heroic contributions.
But today we are here on a happy occasion. We are here to celebrate a glorious 100 years and to say thank you, thank you, thank you, from all of us.
Mr. Speaker: And also, if I might, for a moment, on behalf of all members of the Assembly take this opportunity to share with PPCLI congratulations on the occasion of your 100th anniversary and to let you know that we are very, very proud of your service to our province and to the people of Canada. Thank you very much for being here with us this morning.
The hour being 12 noon, this House is adjourned and stands adjourned–recessed, pardon me, until 1:30 p.m. this afternoon.