This year, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan which drew attention to programs like PPP and EIDL. Hidden in the Rescue Plan are three other relief programs that could make a big impact for small business owners. These three hidden gems are the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, the Shuttered Venue Operator Grant Fund, and the Employee Retention Tax Credit. The great thing about both the Restaurant Revitalization Fund and the Shuttered Venue Fund is that these are grant programs, so it does not need to be paid back. The Restaurant Revitalization Fund is a $28.6 billion program for hard-hit restaurants and bars, and will offer grants up to $5 million per location based on your lost revenue. I encourage restaurant owners right now to do two things. You're going to be applying directly through a portal that will be on the SBA website. The second thing is to pull together your paperwork. You're going to need to have your gross receipts from 2019, your gross receipts from 2020. The Shuttered Venue Grant Program is going to provide up to $10 million per location for entities that offer entertainment. So think motion picture theater, dinner theater, and talent representatives too. Now the entity must have been in operation as of February 29, 2020 and must be able to show a decline in gross receipts or revenue during 2020. Application is a two-step process. Register with SAM.gov. It's a free registration process. The SBA provides information on how you go about registering. Then you will go to the SBA website. You will apply through the SBA for the grant. One other question I've received is, can I apply for both a restaurant grant and a Shuttered Venue Grant? And the answer is no. You are only eligible for one of the grant programs, not both. The Employee Retention Tax Credit is really a hidden gem and it was something that businesses who have continued to employ workers need to take a look at because it offers up to $7,000 per employee per quarter in 2021. That could mean $28,000 per employee. So the Employee Retention Tax Credit is a bit more complicated and that's why I advise business owners to consult with your tax professional. The primary reason is that many businesses have taken out a PPP and you cannot claim the Employee Retention Tax Credit for any wages paid with PPP money. The second thing is that determining whether or not you want to apply for an advance of the credit on that Form 7200 or apply for it on your quarterly 941 can be a bit tricky. Consult with your tax professional to make sure you are following the rules and also maximizing both programs. Take a look at these programs. It's money in your pocket and you don't want to miss out. And please, we welcome your comments. Let us know what you're thinking and what you'd like to hear from us. GoDaddy is having conversations with experts to help entrepreneurs everywhere. Subscribe and stay tuned for upcoming videos. Feel free to comment below and let us know what topics you would like to hear about next.


Therefore, it is now time for Question Period, the leader of the election. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. Last week we revealed a leaked cabinet document showing that skyrocketing hydro prices were going to be back to normal in Ontario. Hydro bills will hit a record high in 2024 and then in 2028 the average bill will hit well over $200. Those families already faced with a ridiculously high hydro bill will see it jump another 6.5 percent and 10.5 percent in 2028. Hydro rates will be higher than they've ever been before. Mr. Speaker, why does this government refuse to actually fix the structural problems in Hydro? It's about time they actually act in Hydro but not simply at first. Member from Glen Gary Prescott Russell will come to order. Premier. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and I know that the member opposite knows that he's referring to a document that is out of date Mr. Speaker. It's a document that was part of the deliberation as we developed our fair hydro plan Mr. Speaker. And you know the reality is as a plan as a plan is developed and it may be. Member from Leeds Greenville will come to order and by the sounds of it I may have to move to warnings and I will do so real quick. They've called upon it. Premier. Mr. Speaker, as a plan is developed there is much input and there are many Mr. Speaker, there are many iterations of options and information that come forward in the development of a plan. We want an Ontario with an even playing field Mr. Speaker. Our fair hydro plan is about moving in that direction creating a fairer Ontario where people have the opportunity Mr. Speaker, all Ontarians to achieve equally and so taking 25% off all the electricity bills of residents in this province from the residential bills that is the fair thing to do and that's what our plan is. Mr. Speaker, again to the premier so the premier's defence is the document was out of date. We're talking about just a few months ago. 2017 is out of date. The only thing out of date is this Governor. The Liberal Press Secretary called these leaked cabinet documents on energy false and inaccurate. Now the new speaking point is out of date the minister of energy said he's seen thousands of graphs so he couldn't comment on the leaked cabinet document. Well if he can't comment on that recent document will the premier pledge here today to show us a graph a recent graph that will actually hydrate going down. That would be wonderful Mr. Speaker. It can be false and out of date at the same time because it is not the document on which our plan is built. It was part of the process of developing our plan. But Mr. Speaker, you know when I talk about a fairer Ontario I talk about an Ontario where people have the opportunity to live out their dreams. And Mr. Speaker we recognize we recognize that we have wonderful institutions in this province we have a wonderful healthcare system we have a wonderful publicly funded education system Mr. Speaker. They are strong they have been built up over the last number of years Mr. Speaker and we intend to keep them that way but Mr. Speaker there are people in this province even though our budget is doing very well there are people who are not sharing in that. So our budget Mr. Speaker is about addressing those concerns Mr. Speaker we recognize that it is the first balanced budget in a decade in nearly a decade in Ontario. We have the opportunity now to invest in people and make sure that that playing field is more level. Mr. Speaker again to the premier and my question was given the recent cabinet document says Hydro rates are going to go out of control again and that's their graph. My question was will the premier commit to showing a new document that shows Hydro rates actually going down. This fair Hydro plan is a boring plan. It kicks the can down the road. It does nothing on raining in executive salaries. It does nothing on these bad contracts. It does nothing on the water power spilling every day. It does nothing on the Hydro we're giving to free power in New York. It's not a plan. It's a reelection gimmick. So when will the premier actually show us a Hydro plan with Hydro rates going down? Mr. Speaker Premier. Mr. Energy. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Very pleased to rise to show the official opposition leader a plan on how to reduce rates if passed Mr. Speaker by 25 percent. And I know he doesn't have a plan Mr. Speaker. So what they do is stand up and complain. But you know what Mr. Speaker. We made sure that we looked after families farms. Thank you Mr. Speaker. We looked after families farms 500,000 small businesses right across the province Mr. Speaker. And again it just shows that the party opposite has no idea what to do on the energy file has no plan because all they have to do Mr. Speaker to look at the 2010 long-term energy plan for the 2013 long-term energy plan Mr. Speaker. And you know what we have a plan coming forward in 2017 that will continue to show that prices will continue to be lower unlike that that party no idea no idea on how to work for electricity. New question leader of the opposition. Mr. Speaker my question is for the premier. The government has a fictional 25 percent band-aid solution. Their Hydro scheme doesn't help struggling families it's all about helping a party with struggling polling numbers. Now the reality Mr. Speaker is under this weak cabinet document it says very clearly that because of their Hydro plan there will be a temporary 25 percent decrease but it will be matched now this is as reported in the CBC as from the Liberal Cabinet document it will be matched by a 61 percent increase after the next election. So a temporary borrow get a temporary decrease and then a skyrockets 61 percent people can't afford their Hydro bills right now in Ontario and they put forward a plan that's going to have Hydro rates go up 61 percent Mr. Speaker it's unbelievable when will this premier actually act on solving the structural problems in Hydro? Well Mr. Speaker and it is not to be believed because the leader of the opposition is using a document Mr. Speaker that was given to the CBC but is out of date was not the document on which the plan was built Mr. Speaker so let's just deal in the facts facts are Mr. Speaker that the document that the leader of the opposition is referencing is not the document on which our plan was built our plan will reduce people's bills across the province by 25 percent we were very very clear Mr. Speaker that we were asking right now this generation to pay costs of the investments we made in our electricity system to upgrade it because it had been neglected and that those costs needed to be spread over a longer period of time that's what we're doing Mr. Speaker that's how people will receive a reduction and Mr. Speaker we talked about this plan for some time we came up with it and it will reduce people's bills by 25 percent supplementary Mr. Speaker again to the premier the government simply can't come clean there is a recent liberal cabinet document I realize they're frustrated that there's now whistleblowers exposing this government but their numbers do not add up their plan doesn't help on tarot it's a temporary decrease for a massive increase even the minister of energy said the fair hydro plan will cost more and it will take us longer to pay off thank you for that assessment but the reality is how much more is it going to cost on tarot because every time this government touches hydro they make it worse and with projections of it going to 1% that gives on tarot our heart attack and so they say this document is outdated because it is a few weeks or a few months sold my question Mr. Speaker is this if you're saying that graph is not accurate will you release the most recent graph show on tarot that you don't have a plan to skyrocket hydro rates I know the leader of the official opposition is having a very hard time understanding how a plan works and how a plan evolves because they don't build plans Mr. Speaker they wait for a magic weekend in November to actually devise plans for the entire province on this side of the house Mr. Speaker we've been working hard for the last six months on making sure that we can deliver real relief for families in this province and in short term Mr. Speaker they will see a 25% reduction if this bill passes Mr. Speaker on average as we move past Mr. Speaker for the next four years we are holding these costs to inflation Mr. Speaker to make sure that families have predicted member from Leeds, Grenville, second time finish please thank you Mr. Speaker and as I was saying we're holding it to the cost of inflation for the next four years and then after that Mr. Speaker we will continue to find ways to pull costs out of the system to ensure that we can keep rates as low as possible I know they're waiting for their magic weekend to make things magically appear once again once again people deserve to know the truth if the document is not precise what are the real figures Mr. Speaker how how will we know that the tariffs will not increase and how will families pay thank you Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker the government here works very hard to reduce costs for Ontarians by 25% for us for the government Mr. Speaker it's very important to change it because the party opposite of us has not changed anything making sure we're acting and we're bringing forward legislation if passed we'll make sure that we see a 25% reduction but the opposition forgets people in the rural province see reductions between 40 to 50% Mr. Speaker absolutely no idea on how to deal with that on that side of the house Mr. Speaker we're acting make sure we're increasing all of them Mr. Speaker consider please new questions the leader of the third party Mr. Speaker thank you Mr. Premier thanks to documents leaked by a whistle blower last week we now know for sure that hydro rates will soar as a result of the Liberal government's Hydro Scheme and what's worse is that these documents prove that the premier knows it too so can the premier explain why she is so clearly putting her desire to get re-elected ahead of the well-being of Ontario Well again mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker, the document to which the leader of the third party refers is a document that – Stop the clock. The member from Glengarry, Prescott Russell, second time. And if it happens again, I'll name it. Let's carry on. It's a document that was not used to establish our plan, Mr. Speaker, and in the development of a plan, there are many options that are put forward, Mr. Speaker. There's modeling that is done. Our plan was built to reduce people's bills by 25 percent across the province, Mr. Speaker, and keep those bills down in the media term and in the midterm and the long-term, Mr. Speaker. We will develop a long-term energy plan that will continue to take costs out of the system. Mr. Speaker, our plan, our fair hydro plan, was designed to meet the needs of residents across this province, and they're already seeing those initial reductions. And by summer, they will see a 25 percent reduction, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary. Speaker, this is the height of arrogance. Ontario families who are struggling under the crushing weight, the crushing weight of the damage that this Premier has done to our hydro system are frustrated. And rightfully so, the Premier bragged, Speaker, for two months the Premier bragged about her hydro plan, not once telling Ontarians that it will actually make their bills go up. How can this Premier, how can this Premier justify this disgusting betrayal of Ontarians? Speaker, please. Thank you. Premier. Minister. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We've been saying all along that, you know what, Mr. Speaker, we had to clean up our electricity system. And you know what, one of the things that we did, Mr. Speaker, was we removed coal. And we talked to many families. In one family particular, this young man was named Matthew. And we talked about crushing weight. This young man had asthma so bad he couldn't go outside and play, Mr. Speaker, and because of the investments that we made, that this government made by eliminating coal, he hasn't had to visit the hospital in one year, Mr. Speaker. That is a very positive thing when you think about the investments that we've made. We know, Mr. Speaker, that that came with a cost. So what we've done is we've brought forward a plan. We worked with stakeholders. We worked with the community. We worked with everyone involved in this sector, Mr. Speaker, to come up with a plan to reduce bills on average by 25 percent if we can get this legislation passed, Mr. Speaker. We want to see this relief for families as soon as possible. We want to ensure that we help families. Thank you. Remember from the P. and Carlton come to order. Final supplementary. Mr. Speaker has prioritized her party and her high-power friends at every opportunity, Mr. Speaker, at every take in Hydro One against the wishes of 80 percent of Ontario families. And her borrowing scheme will end up costing these same families more on their already skyrocketing Hydro bills. But you know who benefits, Speaker? Be Street Bankers and Liberal Insiders. That's who benefits from 14 years of Liberal government in the province of Ontario. We love this senior to her job, Ontario families, instead of those who are already at the top. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Because of the Ontario Fair Hydro Plan, Mr. Speaker, if it passes, 25 percent on average will be the reduction for every family in this province, Mr. Speaker. 100,000 families in rural Ontario and in northern Ontario, they will see a 40 to 50 percent reduction, Mr. Speaker. Low-income individuals, First Nations individuals will see significant relief if this legislation passes, Mr. Speaker. And I know they can only add a very small line on the last page of their 13-page document, Mr. Speaker, but we're making sure that we're bringing an additional 50 percent on the Ontario Electricity Support Program for the most vulnerable, Mr. Speaker. And I know, I know, Mr. Speaker, that they don't like seeing infrastructure and jobs being created in this province, but that's what we're doing when we make $2.8 billion, Mr. Speaker, on the sale of Hydro One, surpassing our goal of $9 billion. We're creating jobs. We're making sure that we're building our province up and at the same time reducing electricity. Thank you. New question, the Leader of the Third Party. Thank you, Speaker. My next question is also for the Premier. The leaked documents show that HydroBills in Ontario will rise by over 50 percent if the Premier's borrowing scheme is passed into law, given that this plan will actually increase people's HydroBills, Speaker. And given that the Premier is not disclosing all the facts, we have called on an independent review of the legislation by the Financial Accountability Officer for the province of Ontario. So will this Premier cooperate with the FAO so that the public has the full truth, the unbiased facts about her $40 billion borrowing scheme? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. We have and we always will work with the Financial Accountability Officer, Mr. Speaker. And in fact, we have a very good working relationship and expanded his authority recently, Mr. Speaker. So we will of course work with the Financial Accountability Officer. But Mr. Speaker, the plan that we brought forward, which is not based on the document that the Leader of the Third Party is talking about, that document was part of the development of the plan, Mr. Speaker, but it was not used in the final analysis of the plan that we brought forward, Mr. Speaker. Our plan is designed to reduce people's electricity bills because, Mr. Speaker, we had to make investments in the electricity system in this province. The fact is that the shutting down of the coal-fired plants, the rebuilding of lines across the province of clean, renewable industry, electricity in this province, Mr. Speaker, has meant that there was a cost associated with that. We are spreading that cost over a longer period of time, making structural changes to reduce people's electricity. Speaker, we asked the Premier months ago, in fact, two months ago today, we asked the Premier not to ram this bill through the House. Bringing this bill in at the last minute, Speaker, especially now that we know how much damage it's going to do to Ontario families is absolutely undemocratic. Shutting down the public's right to review this bill is not how a government with integrity would work. Will this Premier at least allow the FAO to conduct his assessment on the long-term impact of this borrowing scheme and direct her minister to release all documents, every single document that they relied on to put this scheme together to the FAO and do it immediately? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And as the Premier said, we welcome and encourage the FAO to review our fair hydro plan, Mr. Speaker. You know, the FAO has already received a full technical briefing last month and we've responded to all follow-up requests for information, Mr. Speaker. So remember, though, Mr. Speaker, that it was this government that created the FAO and we expanded its authority and oversight again last fall. But what's disappointing, Mr. Speaker, is that the NDP know all of this and yet they try to distract from the legislation we have tabled. We've been clear all along. Our plan is spreading out the costs over time, Mr. Speaker, and over our system. But it will reduce the burden on ratepayers today and it will share costs more evenly with future generations who will also benefit from our investment. But the NDP, Mr. Speaker, they don't want to seem to provide relief to ratepayers. They don't support our plan to reduce bills by 25 percent if passed and they have no credible ideas to replace it, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Final supplementary. This is nothing more, Speaker, than a new gas plant scandal, except that this time, this time it's going to cost families 40 times more than the $1 billion it costs them for the Liberals to buy that election. Everything seems to go up under the Liberal, Speaker. I'm going to ask the member to withdraw. Withdraw, Speaker. Everything seems to go up under this Liberal government, including the cost of an election. How can the Premier ram this legislation through this House without sufficient time for debate, public input, and without an assessment from the FAO? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So let's talk about what's been going up. Highways and bridges have been being built and being created, creating jobs thanks to the Minister of Economic Development and the work by this Premier. Going up, Mr. Speaker. We're making sure that schools are going up, Mr. Speaker. Hospitals, programs that go in those hospitals, going up. Thanks to the leadership of this Premier and this government, Mr. Speaker, our province is being built up right across this province. You know what's going down, Mr. Speaker? If we get this legislation passed, 25 percent of everyone's hydro bills across this province. 800,000 families will see a 40 to 50 percent reduction in their hydro bills. And for our low-income individuals, a 50 percent reduction when they actually get onto the OESP program, Mr. Speaker. And let's not forget that our First Nations individuals, they're going to see their delivery charge eliminated, Mr. Speaker. But it's quite upsetting that either opposition party don't think that it's important enough to vote on, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. No question, the member from Prince Edward Hastings. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question this morning is for the Minister of Energy. To the Minister of Speaker, at what point was the minister going to inform the people of Ontario that he was bringing back the debt retirement charge at four times the cost that it was when it was removed from bills last time? Good question. Thank you. Minister of Energy. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So I believe the opposition member knows that the debt retirement charge comes from when the original Ontario Hydro Corporation was dismantled and then the hidden debt, Mr. Speaker, that they actually we had to find a way to pay for that, Mr. Speaker. And I know that's something that his party was involved in and I know that's something that he probably is well aware of. But when it comes to making sure that he's looking at the fair hydro plan, Mr. Speaker, I hope he can get an understanding of how to do a plan because I know they have this magic weekend planned in November where they think they can come up with a plan. So what are the things that will happen? Oh, what the heck? The member from the PN Carlton second time. I'm sorry, finish. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was talking about the weekend. When you do a plan, Mr. Speaker, you just don't go with the first one that you get. What you should be doing, Mr. Speaker, is reviewing and making it better and better. Hopefully they can use that advice when they build the work. Thank you. Let's talk to Mr. Speaker. Speaker of the minister didn't answer the question yet again, but what he's doing is bringing back the debt retirement charge. It's going to be $22 a month, which is four to five times larger than the old debt retirement charge. Only he's calling it something else. He can call it whatever he wants, but it's going to be a big hit on the pocketbooks of the people of Ontario, particularly electricity customers. The fact is it's not just going to pay for energy costs, though, Speaker. The minister gets pretty wide latitude in his bill to include whatever he deems necessary in this new charge. How much of the new debt retirement charge will be going to pay interest or fees and commissions to bankers and bond traders as part of the government's latest debt retirement charge on steroids? Good question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Now, I know that they can actually project without actually doing any work or have any plan into that, Mr. Speaker. We've been working with the system operator, with the Ontario Energy Board, with all of our utilities right across the province, Mr. Speaker, to let's talk about the 2017 long-term energy plan that actually projects where our costs are going to go. The 2010 long-term energy plan predicted that costs today should be $178. We took costs out of the system, Mr. Speaker, $3.5 billion from renewing the Samsung agreement. Then the 2013 long-term energy plan, its average was $170 today, Mr. Speaker. Pulled more costs out of the system, and the average today, $156. When we get this plan passed through this House, Mr. Speaker, if we can pass it with their support, we will see an additional 25% reduction coming, making sure that costs are low for the next four years and continue moving forward into the future. Thank you. New question, the member from Toronto, Danforth. Speaker, thank you to the Premier. Thanks to the Premier and her privatization of hydro, people's hydro bills are already sky-high. Now we learn that the Premier plans to ram through legislation that will drive them even higher. Families are struggling, businesses are struggling. Why doesn't the Premier get that people can't take any more of her hydro hikes? Thank you, Premier. Mr. Vanerjee? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I know I've talked about this in the past, but the criticism of the NDP is a set obsession with Hydro-1 doesn't just seem to revolve around that side, Mr. Speaker. Till Kondas of the Globe and Mail calls the belief that ownership of utilities and Ontario effects rates one of the biggest misconceptions about electricity. Martin Redge Coase agrees that writing Hydro-1 can only charge what the OE deems reasonable, Mr. Speaker. Obviously they don't get how rates work, Mr. Speaker. The Ontario Energy Board will set the rates, not Hydro-1. When we're looking at a plan that is reducing rates by 25%, Mr. Speaker, the only thing that they had when talking about a 5% reduction, Mr. Speaker, was a conversation with the federal government. Well, I believe, Mr. Speaker, they're sending the member from Bramley Gormulton to actually have that conversation there tonight. Maybe he can start having that and add something to their plan. Thank you, supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. And again, to the Premier, what the minister was talking about, this borrowing scheme is a $40 billion plan to avoid the Liberals losing the next election. That's why that $40 billion is being spent. It will make life harder for families and businesses who are suffering under already sky-high Hydro rates. Is the Premier so desperate to win that she plans to pass this bill at the last minute, knowing that it will end up costing Ontarians more on their hydro bills? Thank you, minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So I know the Honorable Member is talking about our plan and the costs that are projected out in 2027. Well, that means that we'll be in government by then, Mr. Speaker, for 24 years, making sure that we can continue to find ways to pull costs out of the system. We've done that over and over again, Mr. Speaker, on a consistent basis. We have found ways to pull out $3.5 billion by renegotiating the Samsung agreement, taking $1 billion out of the fit price contract, Mr. Speaker. We also suspended the LRP2 contract, which also reduced billions of dollars from the system, Mr. Speaker. So when looking at what we're doing as a government, we continue to find ways to reduce costs out of the system. And if passed, Mr. Speaker, a 25% reduction coming for all families, small businesses, and farms in this province, Mr. Speaker, once we can get this legislation passed through this House, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. New question, the member from Ottawa South. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Municipal Affairs. Across Eastern and Central Ontario, communities, families, and municipalities are working to repair the damage caused by recent flooding. It is clearly a very difficult situation, and I know that the thoughts of every member of this House are with them. Last week, I was able to join the Premier, the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, the member from Glengrave Prescott Russell, in Cumberland as they visited communities along the Ottawa River. And I know that the minister was in Minden Hills and saw these efforts firsthand. Many of our MPPs have been working with their constituents to ensure they're getting the help that they need. I know the member from Ottawa Centre was in the Westboro Beach area. I saw the member from the Pheon Carlton at Constance Bay, Bagging Sand. And could the minister please elaborate on our government's efforts to respond to the flooding events? Very much so. Thank you. Mr. Minister of Affairs. I want to thank the member for the question. And I want to thank our first responders, our municipal leaders, residents, and volunteers for their efforts in response to this crisis. On Friday, May 5th, ministry staff reached out to all Eastern and Central municipalities to ensure they had a point of contact with us and had information about our relief programs. Speaker, the Premier, the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, and I have seen the hard work people are doing locally to respond to the floods. I know a number of MPPs, including the member for Ottawa South, have been on the ground working with constituents as well. Speaker, we want to ensure and reassure residents that we're working closely with our municipal partners to activate the program where it will be needed. Last Friday, Speaker, I activated the Disaster Release Assistance for Ontarians Act for areas in Central and Eastern Ontario, including areas along the Ottawa River, Councillor County, and Menden Hills, where I met with Mayor Devlin and Council and staff. And I look forward to providing a bit more detail in the summer. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank the minister for his answer. I understand the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians, or the DRAO program, is a new program which was introduced in 2015. To be faster and more responsive to the needs of people in the province, it helps victims of natural disasters get back on their feet by offering financial assistance for emergency expenses, repairing, and repairing or replacing essential property. The program is activated when a sudden and unexpected natural disaster causes costly and widespread damage. It has been activated, Mr. in the areas that you mentioned, and residents can apply to receive assistance through this program. But for the members of this House, and for those watching who've experienced and flooding damage, would the minister elaborate on how the DRAO program works? General Minister. Mr. Speaker, again, thanks to the member. I want to note there are still a number of areas under assessment by staff. When those assessments are completed, a recommendation will be made to me about whether or not to activate the program in additional areas. The DRAO is a new program introduced in 2015, designed after much consultation. No fundraising, Speaker, a major change in the new program. No fundraising is required on the ground. The program can now be activated much quicker within days or weeks, as opposed to a number of months which sometimes could have been the case in under the previous program. Great advancements on the program. This is a program, Speaker, I will reiterate, that's not a replacement for insurance. It provides financial assistance for essential property in a resident's primary home. Some things like cottages or finished basements are generally not covered, but essentials are, Speaker. So we're there on the ground trying to provide help for people. I encourage anyone who has experienced flooding, take photos of the damage, keep receipts and records of any communication with your broker, go online if you're unsure, feel free to call in. We're there to help. Thank you very much, Speaker. New question, a member from NEPIS. Thank you and good morning, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Just before noon today, the government will call for a vote on the budget bill. Even though most of the members on our side haven't spoken to this bill yet, in fact, only three of us have given a speech on it. If this bill passes, it will be sent to committee at one o'clock today. There will be less than one hour notice to the public to scramble here to Queens Park and make a presentation on this budget. They can't come tomorrow, Speaker. It's all over at seven o'clock tonight. That's what this government calls being open and transparent. One hour notice in and out in the same day. I asked the Premier, why is this debate about your budget 24 days shorter than normal budgets? Thank you. Government House Leader? Government House Leader. Thank you very much, Speaker. And I appreciate the question that the member is asking, given the fact that it is his party and his caucus, the one who's been delaying the work of this assembly in dealing with a very important bill, Speaker. This is a piece of legislation that will, if passed, will provide historic investment, Speaker, in a health care system and create the OHIP Plus Farmer Care Program. The member from Leeds-Granville is warned. Carry on. Because this bill, if passed, will create the OHIP Plus Farmer Care Program, providing children and youth with free access to over 4,400 prescription medications, Speaker. Speaker, I have not yet once heard from members opposite as to what their plan is going to be when it comes to providing for universal farmer care for our children and youth. Speaker, the party opposite is only interested in one thing and one thing only, and that is to delay the passage. Thank you. Supplementary. Back to the Premier. The government doesn't want the people of Ontario to have a chance to discuss this budget. This fits right in with what the financial accountability officer said. He told us there's, quote, a broader pattern of secrecy, and it's all because of political direction. He went so far as to say, quote, it is highly disappointing that instead of looking to maximize the information provided, the government is focusing on how it can restrict disclosure of information. He finishes with, quote, they are impeding the ability of MPPs to perform their constitutional duties of holding the government to account. So, Speaker, I asked the Premier, why the rush? Why don't you want us to see what's in this budget? What are you hiding? Minister of Finance, Speaker. Mr. Finance. Minister of Finance, let me be really, really clear as what's going on here. We are working to find an actual accountability officer. He's been giving much more powers in order to initiate his recommendations. We work closely with them, contrary to what the member is saying, and contrary to what the member is saying, they are now providing delayed tactics to provide one of the most progressive budgets in history, one that is a balanced budget in our economy, one that provides for the people of Ontario, one that's providing medicines for our young people, Mr. Speaker, free tuition coming this fall and enabling our economy to grow. They're opposing the people of Ontario, Mr. Speaker. You see the police? Mr. Speaker, in order, no question. The member from London West. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Last month, more than 100 people attended a hydro town hall in my riding of London West. They shared the anxiety they felt every time they opened their hydro bills. They shared their fears for the future of their children and grandchildren because of the $40 billion hydro debt the Liberals are passing along. Many at the town hall, like Steve Everett and his wife, were seniors living on fixed incomes who have been hit hard by soaring hydro bills. Since the Everett's rent doesn't include electricity, they are doing everything they possibly can to cut back their usage. They do their laundry off-peak and only turn the lights on when absolutely necessary. Over the winter, they even shut off their electric heat using blankets and a ceramic heater instead and dressing in layers to keep warm. But still, they faced hundreds of bills of $200 a month on top of their $800 monthly rent. Speaker, why is the Premier planning to implement a scheme that will jack up hydro rights even higher than they are now? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I hope that the member in her town hall had the opportunity to tell this family particularly about the fact that they will see their electricity bill come down on average of 25%. Mr. Speaker, if the legislation passes, I hope that she also had the opportunity to make sure that they are signed up for the Ontario Electricity Support Program, Mr. Speaker, so that they would be able to benefit from a further reduction, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, I hope that the member also made it clear that we were moving to put rent control in place. I don't know what date the building that they live in was built, Mr. Speaker, but I hope that she assured the group that we are moving to put rent control in place for all buildings, all private rentals across the province. I hope she made sure that they got all of that information at the town hall, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Mr. Speaker. Again, to the Premier's Speaker, it's not only renters who are being affected by the Liberal government's hydro fiasco. London homeowners are also starting to worry that they will lose their homes. Kurt and Phyllis Gopal from London are seniors who live on fixed monthly incomes of $1,475. Their hydro and gas bills are eating up more than $400 a month, almost one-third of their monthly income. They applied for the OASP, but they were told they don't qualify. They are worried that skyrocketing energy bills will make it impossible for them to afford their bills and force them to have to give up their homes. Mr. Speaker, instead of a $40 billion borrowing scheme that will cause hydro bills to soar, will the Premier listen to the concerns raised by Londoners? Will she reverse the privatisation of Hydro One and bring down hydro rates once and for all? Question? Thank you. Mr. Vanerjee. Mr. Vanerjee. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So a few things in relation to the Honourable Member's question. If passed, the Ontario Fair Hydro Plan, Mr. Speaker, will reduce that seniors' couple bill by 25%, Mr. Speaker. One of the other things that the Ontario Fair Hydro Plan does, Mr. Speaker, is it enhanced the Ontario Electricity Support Program so more people can qualify for that program. Right now, Mr. Speaker, 192,000 families qualify for this program. We want more families on this, specifically seniors. They can see another $580 reduced, Mr. Speaker, on top of their bill when it comes to the 25%, that's significant, Mr. Speaker, when you put those two together. When you're looking at making sure that this relief is sustainable for the next four years, that relief is staying at the cost of inflation, and we will ensure that it stays as low as possible moving forward, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. The Honourable Member from Kitchener Centre. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Labour. Mr. Speaker, we continue to hear more and more about precarious work and the nature of changing jobs in Ontario. In today's workplace, people are no longer working nine to five Monday through Friday with weekends off. It's common for people to be self-employed or have part-time work or temporary work. As a government, we need to make certain that we're doing all that we can to provide support for these changing conditions. I can tell you that in my writing of Kitchener Centre, I heard that kind of feedback at a recent forum where we gather to discuss the issue of poverty. Businesses and workers want our laws to reflect the realities of our modern economy. When the Minister announced the changing workplace's review, it was very encouraging to hear that we're taking this issue very seriously. So, Speaker, could the Minister please tell us more on the changing workplace's review? Speaker, thank you and thank you to the member for the question. Really happy to stand in the House today to speak on this really important issue because we all know that the world of work is changing and we're facing the challenges that it presents head on by doing the changing workplace's review. Speaker, we started this important conversation over two years ago. We've talked to poverty advocates, organised labour, business, we've talked to hardworking people in Ontario, and what we found, Speaker, is that precarious work is on the rise and we need to address it. Fundamental changes are needed. We want to reward those employers, those successful employers in Ontario, that are committed to fair, productive and respectful workplaces by leveling the playing field, Speaker, so that certain employers can no longer get ahead simply by taking advantage of vulnerable work, Speaker. Speaker, the advisers have submitted their final report and recommendations. I'm considering them. I look forward to sharing them. Very, very soon, Speaker. Thank you, Speaker. And I want to thank the Minister for his answer. I know that we're all looking forward to that report. As the Minister said before, the changing workplace's review is a very important opportunity to make certain that we provide protection for workers and that we help businesses in our province to prosper. And when you look at the overarching stats, there's lots to be proud of. We have one of the lowest unemployment rates in Canada. Our growth here in Ontario is outstripping all G7 nations, but not everyone is sharing in the benefits of our current strong economy. Action is needed to see that no one is left behind. In my riding of Kitchener Centre, people are working hard each and every day, and we're looking forward to how the changing workplace's review is going to make everyday lives that much better. Speaker, could the Minister please tell us more on what we can expect to see in the upcoming release of this report? Thank you, Minister. Speaker, thank you to the member for that question again. And I also want to thank her for her own involvement in this and the interest in this important review that she'd shown. What's clear to me, Speaker, and to the government is that after reading the report is that responsible change, and we make the right decisions here, we can ensure that every hardworking Ontarian has a chance to reach their full potential speaker, and that's what we need. The majority of employers in Ontario's speaker are excellent employees. They treat their employees well, but there's still a growing number, Speaker, of hardworking Ontarians whose rights are being violated. That tradition of decency that's been the hallmark of Ontario workplace's speaker, I think is being eroded at the expense of those good Ontario employers who play by the rules and understand the value of respect and dignity, Speaker. That needs to change. No person in Ontario should be made to feel unappreciated or undervalued. No one should ever feel like they can't get ahead. We aim to change that, Speaker. Thank you. Questioning the member from Wellington, Howard Kent Hills. Mr. Speaker, our next question is for the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. We all know that life just keeps getting harder for the people of Ontario under this liberal government, and we all know of their reputation for scandal, waste, and mismanagement. But now we learn that they're setting up the Ontario Climate Change Solutions Deployment Corporation. How is this new agency not redundant? How much is it going to cost to administer? Does it overlap with other existing ministry functions and programs? Why do we need it? And will the minister commit to this House that this new agency will not become just another liberal slush fund? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I always find it entertaining getting questions from the party that managed to double hydro rates. Remember from Simcoe Gray, it's time. Carry on. That managed to double hydro rates in one summer in three months. All right. We'll play that game. The member from Kitchener, Conestoga, come to order. Carry on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's very kind. The managed to double hydro rates in one summer, talking to us about costs, is a little amusing, Mr. Speaker. The Green Ontario Corporation operates very much like its counterpart in Quebec, which has been hugely successful. It will deploy billions of dollars into home heating retrofits, reducing the energy and heating costs of Ontarians and cutting the costs of businesses. In the supplementary, Mr. Speaker, can I already give you a lift? A list of people that are doing that. It works very much on the model of ACA. Yes, sir. As a very highly... Member from Renfrew Nipissing, Pembroke, come to order. You have one wrap-up sentence, please. And it will continue in that tradition, Mr. Speaker. There's many good models for around the world. It's a much more efficient system for delivery. Thank you. The supplementary. Member from Perth, Wellington. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let the minister be further abused, then. The government wants to stuff the board of directors of this climate change agency with green energy insiders and lobbyists. Of course, under the Liberals' terrible long-term hydro contracts, many green energy firms have already cashed in. Big time. The result amongst the highest hydro race in North America. Now they're appointing insiders and lobbyists to spend cap-and-trade tax money on liberal oil. Instead of putting the money back in the pockets of hard-working Ontarians. We need the minister's personal guarantee. Will he tell us that his green energy friends will see no personal or commercial benefits from this boondoggle in the making? Thank you. Minister? Oh, Mr. Speaker. This is so... This is so very simple. People go at it. People go and retrofit their homes. When they retrofit their homes, they buy a high-efficiency furnace or a geothermal system, and this corporation gives them a grant to help with the process. This corporation helps them sort out. What is the most... Member from Lanark, come to order. Finish, please. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think you and I are having a good aerobic workout this morning. So, the opposition in Louisville would cut $8 billion of subsidies to Ontario families and businesses to help them reduce GHG, Mr. Speaker. And they would increase the cost of carbon reduction per time by 400%, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Thank you. New question to the member for to Mr. Meecocker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. The upcoming May 2-4 weekend, otherwise known as the May Run weekend, which is the last day of our passage in Northern Ontario, and camping is a big part of our culture in the north. And one of the most beautiful places, there's many beautiful places, but one of the most beautiful places is the River Valley Park, close to River Valley. Tony DeBoer and his family have owned and operated this part for years, but they're being squeezed by hydro costs. Last year, for the same amount of power, their costs went up by $2,400 for the same amount of power. This is Lake Tony and River Valley Park. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Not knowing the specifics of the business, the small business that the Honourable Member is talking about, the one good news, Mr. Speaker, that I can say to him to tell to those constituents is that the Ontario Fair Hydro Plan, if passed, will bring forward 25% reduction for all 500,000 small businesses right across our province, Mr. Speaker. And then, of course, there's, you know, folks that live in the rural or remote parts of Northern Ontario, and he is right, Mr. Speaker, that the Red River area and throughout parts of North Eastern Ontario is a beautiful part of our province. These families are going to see a 40 to 50% reduction on their electricity bills, Mr. Speaker, and that's all thanks to us bringing forward the TripleRP, the Rural Remote Rate Protection Plan, Mr. Speaker. We've increased that. We've increased that from $20 to $60 to $135 on average for a Hydro-1 R2 customer, Mr. Speaker. That is significant relief on top of the 25% reduction. Supplementary. Again, to the Premier River Valley Park is a place where Northern families have come for years to relax and join nature and they're also struggling to pay their own Hydro bills. I guess the question they all want to ask is so how much is their power going to go up after the quote-unquote fix for the next election? How much is it going to go after? After the four years. How much is their power going up? You should know, Minister. How much is their power going up? Thank you. Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, it's going down by 25% if we actually can get the opposition to actually vote in favour of this, Mr. Speaker. And those families that are in his area, when I know the Minister of Agriculture was just up there, Mr. Speaker, talking about some great work that we're doing and talk about agriculture, Mr. Speaker, in that part of our great province, they were talking about the 40 to 50% reduction that they're going to see on top of that. Mr. Speaker, we've got the 2017 Long-Term Energy Plan that is going to come out in the very near future projecting where energy costs and electricity costs are going to go, Mr. Speaker. But rest assured, we are going to do everything we continue to do, Mr. Speaker, to pull costs out of the system. We've got market renewal happening. We've got market reform. We've got a capacity auction, Mr. Speaker. All of these things, all of these items will continue to take costs out of the system because we have a plan, Mr. Speaker, a plan that will work for all families no matter where they live in our great province. Thank you. Any questions or members from the public will make sure. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Transportation. In June 2014, when Ontarians elected our government, they gave us a clear mandate to deliver on infrastructure projects that Ontarians are both depending on and deserve. From hospitals to transit, we're fully committed to doing just that and as our balanced 2017 budget demonstrates, we've reinforced that commitment. Speaker, I know that many of our infrastructure projects are complex and offer-required solutions that are very creative and prudent to get the job done. And to that effect, I'm aware the Minister made an announcement recently about how to ensure critical projects are going to be delivered on time. Would the Minister please elaborate on what exactly that plan is and why it's so important? Thank you, Minister of Transportation. Well, thanks very much, Speaker. I want to begin by thanking the member from the Tobago Lakeshore for his question. As Minister, of course, Speaker, I want to thank you very, very seriously because I understand that the people of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area rely on a transportation network that works for them and for their families. So, Speaker, projects like the Eglinton Crosstown at $5.3 billion project, the single largest public transit project in Ontario's history will transform the way that people of this region literally move themselves and their loved ones around the region. Speaker, on Friday, I announced Metrolinx's strong plan to ensure that we deliver successfully on the Eglinton Crosstown as promised by 2021. Our plan, Speaker, means purchasing 61 light rail vehicles from Alston, Canada, a company that is already making and delivering quality 100% low-floor vehicles for the Ottawa LRT. 17 of the vehicles from this contract will be used on the Finch West LRT, another critical transit project, Speaker, which will be in service in December 2021. I look forward to providing more details in the follow-up. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Minister for that answer, and I'm pleased to hear that Metrolinx has a strong plan in place to make sure we deliver on our transit commitments. I know that in my writing of Etobicoke Lakeshore, the Kipling Mobility Hub, which the Minister announced just last month, is one example of a project that's moving forward and will transform my community. And it's absolutely critical that this project and others open on time. But, Mr. Speaker, I've heard some questions since the Minister made his announcement on Friday, and those questions are why now and why Allstom. They want to make sure that Ontarians are getting the best deal for these vehicles and they can depend on Allstom to deliver. So, Speaker, through you to the Minister, can the Minister please provide some clarity on why Metrolinx is taking this step now and how they will ensure Allstom delivers? Thanks very much, Speaker. I thank the Member for the follow-up question. They are valid concerns and I'm happy to have the opportunity to follow up. So, regardless of the outcome of what's known as the dispute resolution process with Bombardier, a process that we know, Speaker, could take up to one year. Our agreement with Allstom will help to ensure that we have vehicles ready in time for the crosstown, which I mentioned, will enter into service in 2021. If Bombardier is found not to be in default of the contract and can successfully deliver, Speaker, these vehicles, the vehicles that we purchased from Allstom will still be used. However, Speaker, they'll be used on the here Ontario LRT in Mississauga and Southern Brampton. Speaker, this is both a responsible and creative solution that puts Ontarians first, both commuters and taxpayers. And as I said in my previous answer, we already know that Allstom can deliver a quality vehicle on time because it's exactly what they're doing for the Ottawa LRT. We truly believe that this is a path that provides both Metrolinx and the people of this region with the assurance that the vehicle transit will be delivered on time, Speaker, as our Premier and our Government have promised. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Speaker, I received information about additional breaches of confidential health information this time from the Markham Region. Concerned Father reached out to my office to inform me that upon receiving his children's health care renewal forms noticed something terribly wrong. Father Twins, a boy and a girl information was right. The boy's information contained the wrong name, address, date of birth, and health care number obviously from another child in this province. Speaker, this problem is widespread and serious. And when frontline workers break confidentially of their private records, they'll face either fines or loss of employment. Would the Minister tell the House how many people have lost their jobs over this confidentiality breach? Thank you, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Minister of Government and Consumer Services. Thank you, Speaker. And I was deeply concerned to learn about this privacy breach because I take privacy of Ontario's information very, very seriously. And unfortunately, some Ontario residents may have received notices containing information about another person's privacy information. It is very important to note, Speaker, though, that the health card version code was not provided on the form that was sent out. And that information, the health card version code, is essential to accessing OHIP services. So I've been working very actively with service Ontario to get to the bottom of this and actions are being taken to fix this issue and resume mailing of renewal notice as soon as possible. Of course, the privacy commissioner was informed, letters have been sent out to families. And many corrected forms have since been returned. And I will add more in the supplementary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Back to the minister. This breach of confidential health information seems to not be a priority for this government. Obviously, when the Minister of Health won't even respond to the question, this government has brought forth Bill 119, Bill 41, and now Bill 87 to give this government more access to Ontarian's personal health information. How can Ontarians trust this government to keep this information confidential when it can't even get the basics right? Ontarians have lost confidence that this government has the ability to protect private information. Will the minister himself take personal responsibility for this breach of privacy? I want to assure the member opposite that both Minister of Health and I take this very seriously. It's important to note this is a printing error that occurred. Printing error in a batch of 50,000 renewal notices that go out every week in the context of over 51 million transactions that go out from Service Ontario every year. I do take it seriously. We have set up a 1-800 line for families who wish to get more information and it's important to note again that the health card version code was not included in these mail-outs that the member is asking about and that is critical to getting health care services. We've had some inquiries back and I've shared information with members also. We've had queries from their constituents and we're here to provide that information to any MPP that requires further information in this regard. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, my question to the Premier. Recently I met with a group of seniors about the outrageously high hydro bills. They work hard to conserve energy but their bills keep going up. They are worried that further privatization will drive up their bills even further. Like 80% of Ontarians, they want the government to immediately stop the sell-off of Hydro-1. However, this game will mean skyrocketing Hydro bills after the next election. Maybe someone will leak the PC Party plan for Hydro although we know that I promised to privatize it last time. So my question is to the Premier. Why has she ignored the seniors and millions of Ontarians and sold off the public majority ownership of Hydro-1? Thank you. Thank you Mr. Speaker and I once again thank the Honourable Member for his question. Let's be clear Mr. Speaker. The broadening of ownership of Hydro-1 will not reduce one single cent off of anyone's bills in this province Mr. Speaker. But you know what will reduce people's bills by 25% if we can get this passed Mr. Speaker. It's the Fair Hydro plan Mr. Speaker. And he is right. I do agree with the member from the third party. They have a plan Mr. Speaker. We disagree with it. We don't think it actually does anything near what we should be doing for families across the province but it makes you wonder why Mr. Speaker that the official opposition can't come up with a plan to talk about what they would do to help Ontarians. They got to wait for a magic weekend in November. Mr. Speaker. The people of Ontario can't wait for the PCs to come up with a plan. That's why we're acting now for Ontario families by bringing forward a plan that will reduce rates by 25% if passed. We have a deferred vote on a motion on the second reading of bill 127 enact to implement budget measures and enact to amend and repeal various statutes calling the members this will be a five minute bill. All members, please take your seats. On May 3rd, 2017 Ms. Jackson moved second reading of bill 127 all those in favour please rise one at a time to be recognized by the clerk. Mr. Sousa. Mr. Sousa. Mr. Nackley. Mr. Nackley. Mr. Bradley. Mr. Bradley. Mr. Del Duca. Mr. Del Duca. Mr. Sandals. Mr. Sandals. Ms. Wynne. Ms. Wynne. Ms. Matthews. Mr. M Sayden. Mr. Kon filter. Any questions? Mr. Th�am. Mr. Mc 대. Mr. K Odyssey. Mr. Burke. Mr. Duggan. Mr. Okay? Mr. weg. Mr.illah.yeah. Love stories. Mr. sondern. Mr. Lewis. Mr. Mc MacDonald. Mr.musatures. Mr. Mr. Hathfield, Mr. Hathfield, Mr. Gretzky, Mr. Gates. The ayes are 53, the nays are 40. The ayes being 53, the nays being 40. I declare the motion carried. Second, we give the bill. I should do perjee de loi. Pursuant to the order of the House dated May 11, 2017, the bill is referred to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs. There being no further deferred votes, this House stands recess until 1 p.m. this afternoon.


Hi, welcome to Book Buzz. I'm Jade. I work at the Billie Jean King Main Library. Book Buzz is our monthly feature that highlights new and interesting books aimed at adult audiences. Fall is generally a really good time for book publishing. So I'm going to highlight a range of genres as well as nonfiction books here. So with that, let's go ahead and jump right into it. The first book that I want to highlight is called Death in Her Hands by Oteza Moshvegg. Moshvegg wrote her first novel, Eileen, in 2015, and it was shortlisted for a Booker Prize. But after writing that, she said it was kind of like a death completing that novel, and she needed to write her way into another experience. So she promptly wrote a novel and then stuck it in a drawer. Four years and three books later, she pulled that novel out of the drawer, and that is the book that we have for you today, Death in Her Hands. Death in Her Hands is about a 72-year-old widow named Vesta, who has recently moved to small town, middle America. And one day she is walking through the woods near her home, and she comes across a handwritten note. And the note says, her name was Magda. Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn't me, here is her dead body. Only there is no body, and there is no evidence of crime or violence in the woods anywhere. So Vesta becomes sort of the detective in what would usually be a very kind of familiar murder mystery. Only Vesta has no experience, no qualifications to be a detective. She's isolated and lonely. She's recently lost her husband. So what she uses to investigate is basically her imagination. She creates an entire backstory and characterization for Magda, who may or may not exist. She even goes to the library at some point and fills out a character sheet for novelists on Magda. And instead of meeting her neighbors, her new neighbors, she paints them as suspects and creates elaborate backstories for them as well, which, again, may or may not be true. Vesta is painted very much from the beginning as an unreliable narrator. But she's creating such a full story that you kind of find yourself wishing that she will be reliable after all. What's the most interesting, I think, about this novel is not the story that Vesta is writing, because she's pretty much writing an entire novel. But it's actually Vesta's backstory that we get through bits and pieces throughout the book that I think is really the kind of hidden gem of this novel.  So very interesting take. The next title that I want to highlight is called World of Wonders in Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Amy Nezuka Matatell. Nezuka Matatell is actually an award-winning poet with four poetry collections under her belt. And one of the characterizations of her poetry is that she likes to write about the intersection of Filipino, Indian, and American culture, which you do see a little bit in this book as well. But she's kind of moved to a different area of writing and this book is actually a collection of essays about nature. And what's really interesting about this is that her mother was actually a psychiatrist. So she spent a lot of her childhood living on the grounds of psychiatric hospitals. And she's noted that that's where she first found her love of nature is how it grows and kind of thrives in the boundaries and the outskirts of that environment. Now she takes, each essay is a different take on an aspect of nature or a specific part, like plant from nature and she ties it into childhood memory. So it's got a very personal feel to it as well. And it doesn't feel like a scientist wrote it. You're not learning kind of that scientific side of nature. She's very much a poet. So she uses very poetic language and explains nature in kind of a brand that's very her own voice. So if you are a fan of the beauty of nature or even just the beauty of language, this is a really good collection of essays for you. And the next title I wanna talk to you about is called Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell. And if that name sounds familiar to you at all, it's probably because he wrote Cloud Atlas. He's written many novels since then. He's kind of characterized by the meta novel. There's kind of a string that connects all of his novels, I guess. In this one, if you've read him before, you might recognize a character. You'll recognize the name Cloud Atlas in this book. But if you haven't read him, don't worry, it is a completely standalone novel. And this one is actually about what I would consider like the coming of age of a rock band in the late 60s. And what he does to kind of tie that into the format is that he writes the novel in three different sections and they're in three albums, vinyl, of course. And each track on the album is told from the perspective of a different bandmate and a manager a couple of times as well. So it's really cool how each bandmate has their own voice and their own backstory and this kind of very individual part to share with you. But the layering of all of those stories and characters is what creates what I would consider the main character of this novel, which is the rock band itself, whose name is Utopia Avenue. If you are a fan of the 60s and that the post-war manners and the musical identity of the 60s, this is a great novel for you. He drops, Mitchell drops a lot of Easter eggs of the era and of the music. And it's kind of fun like picking out those references and then kind of wondering which references I missed and whatnot. So very fun book. The next title that I would like to highlight is called Memorial Drive, A Daughter's Memoir by Natasha Traithaway. Traithaway is a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet actually and she had a very defining event in her childhood. In 1985, her mother was murdered by her ex-husband by Traithaway's ex-stepfather in the parking lot of their apartment complex on Memorial Drive. This memoir is, it's very much about Traithaway and her mother and it's about the kind of before and after of this hinge in her life, this kind of separating defining moment. And so you do see it from the eyes of the child that she was in this very abusive environment and her mother and her trying to escape from it and find some form of freedom. But then it's also from the eyes of the adulthood but the adult Traithaway. And to write this memoir, she read the case files and the transcripts from her mother's murder, which she had never read before. So, and you do get some of the transcripts in the memoir. It is a heartbreaking read, obviously, but the way that she writes it and puts it all together makes it a little bit easier to digest and definitely worth reading. And then the next title I'd like to talk about is Blacktop Wasteland by Essay Cosby. And this novel follows Beauregard Bugg Montage, who is a loving father, a faithful husband and an honest mechanic. But he has a criminal past and in some circles, he's considered the best driver. But he's come into some hard times in his life. He's got bills piling up. There's a new car shop down the street that's really cut back on his clients. And the straw that kind of breaks the camel's back on this one is that his daughter comes in and tells him that she's gonna go ahead and pass on college, because it's too expensive. And then shortly after that, he is offered a job robbing a jewelry store, which would pretty much set him up and allow him to send his daughter to college. So this book is marketed as a crime novel and it is a crime novel. Cosby understands the anatomy of crime very well and writes about it very well. But Cosby also understands the anatomy of racial tension in America. And I really think this is the star of the novel here. It's the how and the why of why race and crime intersect in America. So it makes this a very timely novel. Cosby does an amazing job. And I highly suggest this one. And then the last title that I would like to talk about is The 99% Invisible City, a field guide to the hidden world of everyday design by Roman Mars. Mars is a radio producer and he's the host of a radio show and a podcast called The 99% Invisible City was a podcast and radio show first. He was also a Ted Talk on the main, he had a Ted Talk on the main stage and he's still the most popular Ted Talk on the subject of design. He was also kind of on the forefront of crowdfunding for his podcast consortiums and some of his radio shows. He is to this day the most funded journalist on Kickstarter. And so the podcast on The 99% Invisible City is hugely successful and very popular. And this book is kind of a compendium to that. And what it does is it takes a look at specifically urban landscapes with new eyes and it holds a magnifying glass up to the things that we look at every day but we don't really see. So this includes like power grids, drinking fountains, the dancing inflatables at car dealerships, the weird graffiti on sidewalks. He looks at the design aspect of it, the history aspect of it and these are some, sometimes there are things that they're looking at that you might not know that it does anything at all and he's gonna explain the history, the reason for it and the design behind it. Each item is really well researched, has great details. It includes these really great line drawings to give kind of that visual aspect but it really will have you looking at your backyard completely differently. So that will wrap us up for book buzz for the month of October. I went ahead and tagged in the library's catalog, all of these books under book buzz 10, 20. So you can go to the library's catalog and just search for that term and it will show you all the formats that these titles are available in. Many of them come in digital formats and audio formats as well. And even though we aren't open to the public quite yet, we are offering LBPL to go services at seven locations. So you can go ahead and place and hold on any of these items and we'll let you know when it's available. And then all you have to do is make an appointment to schedule a pickup and you can do that now from your notification email or directly from our website. So we've made it as easy as we could. If you are interested in more online programming from the library, be sure to check out online library events on the homepage of our website. There's something for everyone and all age groups. So with that, take care and we will see you next month for November's book buzz.