Mr. Garfield Dunlop (Simcoe North): I rise today to draw to the attention of all members of this House and to all the citizens of our province the uncertainty that will be faced by the 340 residents of Huronia Regional Centre and their families when the Orillia facility is closed. We have now received thousands of signatures from citizens from across our province asking the government to carefully reconsider what has become a decision that clearly is a mistake and has no plan behind it.

On Saturday, April 9, between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., the Huronia Helpers Family Organization will meet at the Royal Canadian Legion in Orillia to discuss further intentions. These friends and family members are afraid for their loved ones who reside at the Huronia Regional Centre. Most of the residents have very special needs, are elderly and have called HRC their home for most of their lives.

I have visited the HRC many times over the last few months. The facility is clean, neat, and its residents live in family-like units, not in the jail cell atmosphere that some would make you believe is the case. The 680 employees who care for the residents in a very kind and professional manner are part of the culture of Orillia and area. Their payroll contributes $29 million to the local community.

Although I support the mandate and intent of community living associations, I still feel that there is a need to accommodate the residents with very special needs who continue to live in the three remaining facilities. I urge all Ontarians to support the continuation of HRC by signing petitions and by telling Dalton McGuinty that the closure of HRC was not part of his 2003 election platform.