Province Législature Session Type de discours Date du discours Locuteur Fonction du locuteur Parti politique Ontario 26e 4e Discours du Trône 27 novembre 1962 John Keiller MacKay Lieutenant Governor Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario Mr. Speaker and members of the legislative assembly of Ontario: I am very happy to welcome you today as you resume your duties at this fourth session of the twenty-sixth Parliament of Ontario. The hand of Providence has, since taken several of the honorable members who were with us as the last session ended, and to there families, my condolences are extended. Since the close of the last session, our province has been honored by a visit from H.R.H. Prince Philip; Her Majesty, the Queen Mother; and from H.R.H. the Princess Royal, Princess Mary, as well as from the Right Honorable Harold Macmillan, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Our people made these distinguished guests most welcome and their visits indicate the close continuing ties linking us to the Royal family, whose gracious head is Queen of Canada and the Head of the British Commonwealth of Nations. The Ontario economy is experiencing one of its best years on record and outstanding economic achievements have been a feature of 1902. Economic growth continued unabated following the strong upswing that began in 1961. More persons are employed and more goods are being sold than in any previous year. The continued high rate of output in the steel industry and the spectacular increase in production in the motor vehicle industry are indicative of the encouraging resurgence in manufacturing. Nearly every sector of the economy is achieving new records in sales, output and income. Farm incomes will likely exceed last year's high level. Mining output has been high, with the most marked improvement being in iron ore production. The general advance in the productive sectors of the economy means that the personal incomes and expenditures of our people will reach the highest level in history. The increased pace of economic activity has resulted in a heartening decrease in the level of unemployment. In 1962, the year-to-year drop in the numbers of unemployed was the greatest since the end of the war. Unemployment has been well below the national average, with seasonally-adjusted figures in Ontario for October standing at 3.7 per cent of the labour force, compared with 6.1 per cent for Canada. In the light of the government's efforts to increase the trade opportunities of our industries, it is also worthy of note that Canadian export figures so far indicate a considerable increase over 1961. We are optimistic that with the continuation of our present growth policies, we may look forward to further improvements in production, sales, employment and income in all sectors of the economy. During the coming session, you will be requested to give consideration to many important bills and to approve funds for many far-reaching measures which will enhance the opportunities and well-being of our people and promote the expansion of our material resources and industries, to help us to meet the many challenges of this decade. World trade patterns and industrial methods are shifting in ways whose full import is not yet clear and whose complete effect may take some time to work out. Confronted with these developments, all segments of our society must work together as never before in dealing with the problems that face us during the 1960's. Old patterns can no longer be followed blindly and new methods must be sought and tried, on a basis of orderly and dynamic change, in order for us to continue the unparalleled economic progress, which we have experienced. Your government intends to continue the outstanding economic advances we have made and to promote further opportunities for our people and increased expansion for our industries. Among the many forward looking measures that will be introduced are the following: MEDICAL HEALTH INSURANCE--My government endorses the principle of medical health insurance. In realization of the present-day concern of our people about the crippling financial costs of illness and their desire to be able to obtain proper medical treatment when required, legislation will be introduced which will ensure that medical health insurance from insurers, by arrangement with the government, will be available to all our people, regardless of age and physical condition. The government will also accept the responsibility of providing coverage for those who for a variety of reasons, may be deemed not to be able to provide for themselves. Because of the many problems involved in bringing this plan into operation and the many groups who will be affected by it, a committee composed of representatives of medical, hospital, insurers, labour, agriculture and other groups will be appointed to examine the legislation and to receive representations from all interested parties before the provisions of the bill are brought into effect. Your government is also of the opinion that before any consideration can be given to benefits broader than those mentioned, the report of the Royal Commission on Health appointed by the federal government and any recommendations it may contain, particularly in regard to participation by the federal government, must be examined. The success of the Ontario hospital insurance plan is evidenced by the fact that enrolment has now risen to 97 per cent of our population. You will be asked, for the third successive year, to provide the sum of $50 million in order to enable the government to continue to stabilize at their present rates the premiums paid by subscribers to the plan. ONTARIO DEVELOPMENT AGENCY--The overriding goal of my government's economic policy is the achievement of a rate of growth sufficient to provide the job opportunities that will be required in Ontario in the coming years for a growing labour force and, at the same time, increase our incomes and living standards. An important measure designed to achieve this objective for our people is the establishment of an Ontario Development Agency. This will enable the province to provide financial, managerial, technical and other forms of assistance to those enterprises and communities located in Ontario that can qualify for such assistance and can demonstrate an ability to contribute significantly towards Ontario's economic growth. The government is prepared initially to guarantee loans amounting to a total of $100 million, but this limit will be raised if necessary. The department will also encourage the establishment of Community Development Corporations. These corporations will assist with local or regional industrial development and will raise funds and finance their operations on a regional and community basis. They will be supported by the Ontario Development Agency in cases where the proposed regional or community projects can qualify French assistance. JUNIOR FARMER ESTABLISHMENT LOANS ACT--The future of Ontario agriculture, to a large degree, is directly dependent upon the young farmers and rural youth. In order to strengthen their position, The Junior Farmer Establishment Loans Act will be reinstated and there will be introduced amendments, which will greatly increase its scope and effectiveness. These amendments will also recognize the changing aspects of the family farm unit and the need to provide ways and means whereby the family farm can be expanded and preserved as the mainstay of rural Ontario. The current credit problems being faced by our farmers in the day-to-day operation of their farms will also be dealt with. MINIMUM WAGES--Your government believes that fair wages are essential to a healthy economy. In order to provide leadership in the first instance, we will require fair wages to be paid on all government contracts for the construction of highways and buildings. In addition, The Department of Labour is assessing the need, with a view to bringing into effect, where necessary, minimum wages for the protection of the workers of the province. PORTABLE PENSIONS--In keeping with the efforts of the government to provide mobility for the older workers and to increase their job opportunities and security, the House will be asked to pass the Ontario Portable Pensions bill. Embodied in the bill will be the results of new suggestions advanced at the hearings recently held by the portable pensions committee. ASSISTANCE FOR RETARDED CHILDREN--In keeping with the government's interest in the education and care of the less seriously retarded children, several new measures will be introduced which will provide greater assistance for them. There will be introduced The Homes for Retarded Children Act, which will enable grants of $ 2,500 per bed to be made to local associations which provide residential facilities for the less seriously retarded children who do not require care in an Ontario hospital, as well as provide maintenance assistance for children in such residences. CIVIL SERVICE--My government is aware of the very fine work performed by our civil servants and is most appreciative of the excellent standards of service maintained by them. With this in mind, matters affecting their employment and working conditions are under constant study and review. In the light of the latest studies and to encourage the maintenance of this high standard of excellence, legislation will be introduced having particular regard to the establishment of a joint council to negotiate matters concerning the terms of employment of our civil servants and of a Civil Service Arbitration Board to arbitrate in the event of failure of the joint council to agree. The position of civil servants in regard to municipal elections and political activity will also be clarified and modernized. PROVINCE OF ONTARIO COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS--Many important developments have been taking place in the cultural life of this province. New theatres have been opening, and a greater interest in painting, music and the creative arts generally is in evidence, particularly among our young people. In order to support these cultural advances many of which are developing at the local level, and in order to ensure that our smaller centers of population will benefit from these developments, the government will set up a Province of Ontario Council for the Arts. This council will administer funds your government will make available to further the development of the arts. SHORELINE AND PARKS ACQUISITION PROGRAMME--The growing industrialization of our province makes it necessary for the government to commence immediately to acquire parts of the shorelines of the Great Lakes and other needed lands. These lands will be necessary if we are to provide future parks and recreational facilities for the growing members of our industrial population. We will start at once on a $200 million, 20-year land acquisition programme designed firstly, to acquire parts of the shoreline of the Great Lakes and secondly, other needed lands, so as to provide for future park and recreational needs, reforestation of the idle lands, public hunting and fishing areas, and orderly commercial developments, with multiple-use management being stressed. A new branch will be set up in The Department of Lands and Forests to study the needs and plan the development of the shoreline and other lands that will be acquired over the years. Expansion will continue of our provincial parks system, including a new, All-year-round Park being established in the Killarney area, with a proposed extent of approximately 4,000 square miles. SURVEY OF MARINE RESOURCES--A joint survey of the marine resources of the province will be carried out by The Department of Lands and Forests in conjunction with the federal government, and the House will be asked to provide funds for Ontario's share of the studies, the results of which will also be of great value to our tourist industry. Such a survey will include safe harbor, breakwater and dock facilities, adequate markings of wilderness anchorages, improved channel markings on navigable waters; the evolution of policies regarding the provision of public docks and marina facilities, with a view to attracting more pleasure craft to Ontario the development of park land along the water routes; and the availability of boat launching ramps. AGRICULTURAL REHABILITATION AND DEVELOPMENT ACT--In order to foster our natural resources of land and ensure the development of a healthy agricultural economy, a provincial Agricultural Rehabilitation and Development Act will be introduced. This plan will enable the carrying out of such projects as the development of community pastures, drainage and reforestation, and alternate land use, in co-operation with agricultural groups, with the overall aim of utilizing to the best advantage the rural resources of Ontario and improving the general rural prosperity. MEAT INSPECTION--Having the interests of consumers, producers, and processors at heart, my government will introduce a bill to ensure the inspection of all meat and poultry produced and sold in Ontario. FOOD COUNCIL--Because of the importance of the agricultural and food industry in Ontario and the interest of our consumers in it, there will be established a Producers, Processors and Consumers Food Council, made up of representatives of these three broad segments in our society. The committee will have the two-fold purpose of advising the government on general problems of concern to the whole of agriculture and the food industry, and providing a meeting place for these three groups. The objective is to enable a greater understanding of each other's problems and the bringing forward of possible recommendations for policies which would assure the well-being of the agricultural and food industry of the province while maintaining the interests of our consumers. PHYSICAL FITNESS--A vigorous and fit population is necessary to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing society. Your government will, under its physical fitness programme, expand the services given to citizens and organizations with interests in fitness and amateur sport. The Ontario Department of Education, in co-operation with the federal authorities, is planning to offer expanded informational services, research projects, coordination of effort, and training programmes to lead to greater participation by the individual. It will be the aim of the physical fitness programme to encourage the participation by the individual in many different forms of activity at the community level. As part of the physical fitness programme, the junior ranger work of The Department of Lands and Forests is being extended so that the number enrolling may be doubled for the next year. During the past five years some 3,000 young Ontario boys have been introduced to our northern life as junior rangers, and have contributed to the programmes of the department. TEACHING OF FRENCH--Your government recognizes the increasing interest of our people in the teaching of conversational French, especially at the elementary level. To help meet this need, a teachers' college will be built at Sudbury. This teachers' college will be bilingual and, along with the bilingual teachers' college at Ottawa, will ensure that an adequate supply of French-speaking teachers will be available in the province. ASSISTANCE TO MUNICIPAL ROADS--The Department of Highways will, in the next year, place even greater emphasis on assistance to the municipal roads systems by way of increased and extended subsidies. There will be an increased development road programme whereby greater government assistance will be given to counties and townships on some of the more important of their roads COMMUTER SERVICES STUDIES--The combined research and statistical facilities of The Department of Highways and The Department of Transport will be made available to conduct studies, in conjunction with the municipalities concerned, into the commuter services running into and from Metropolitan Toronto. The measures just described form a brief part of the comprehensive programme, which your government is presenting for the continued well-being of our people. These government policies will increase their opportunities and promote their security by way of education, health, welfare, municipal, human rights, labour and other measures, as well as further the development of our industries and natural resources, the continued expansion of which is necessary to provide the base upon which employment opportunities and security measures rest. EDUCATION The opportunities of our children are being advanced in many ways designed to ensure that every student achieves the education for which his talent and interest fit him. More than l.S million students are now enrolled in our elementary and secondary schools. Increased grants for school purposes will be provided during the coming year, including the provision for grants to the local home and farm owner to ease local taxation. Next year, these latter grants will be paid at the rate of $40 per vocational school pupil, $30 for each secondary pupil and $20 per elementary school pupil, an increase from the $15 for each elementary school pupil and $5 per secondary pupil paid during the current year. Very exhaustive studies are presently being carried out of the entire educational grants structure with a view to developing a plan for the revision of these grants for future years The government has achieved gratifying results in its extensive teacher training programme. With the opening of the new teachers' college in Windsor this September, the immediate needs of accommodation for teacher education for the elementary schools have been met, and no college is now operating on a two-shift basis. As additional accommodation becomes necessary, plans call for the establishment of a further teachers' college at St. Catharines as well as the one at Sudbury previously mentioned. For several years, in addition to the teaching instruction given at the Ontario College of Education in Toronto, summer courses for secondary school teachers have been operated at Kingston and London, and it is now intended to put this instruction on a more permanent basis. Work will be carried out on a new college of education to be established at London and completed by the fall of 1964, and plans will be developed for a college of education at Kingston. An addition to the college of education at Toronto, which will stress increased vocational teacher training, is also planned. The post-school institutions operated directly by The Department of Education have been providing ever greater service to the students using their facilities. The government operates institutes of technology at Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa, Windsor and Kirkland Lake, the latter of which was opened in September 1962, and the Institute of Mines at Haileybury. Work will begin on the new building for the Eastern Ontario Institute of Technology at Ottawa and construction will be completed on the buildings now under way at the Ryerson Institute of Technology, which will provide several thousand additional pupil places by the fall of 1963. The whole matter of increasing enrolments in the institutes of technology and the future demand for this kind of training is being studied to determine the need for additional institutes or the expansion of existing ones. The government operates three institutes of trade in Toronto. Two of these provide training for indentured apprentices and the retraining of the unemployed under the federal-provincial technical and vocational training agreement, while the third, the Provincial Institute of Trades and Occupations, provides training for the unemployed only. Plans are under way to set up three new provincial institutes of trades, which are expected to be ready for operation in September 1964. These will be located in London, Ottawa and Sault Ste. Marie and are designed for enrolments of about 800 students each. Under the Dominion-provincial training agreement, classes for the training of unemployed persons are being conducted in 29 centers throughout the province and, so far, over 8,000 students have received benefit from this type of training. As most of the students lack sufficient academic background to benefit from the courses in skill development, academic upgrading is now a part of this programme. It is estimated that over 80 per cent of those who have taken these courses are now gainfully employed, and the co-operation of industry in this respect is most gratifying. Many new steps are being taken to modernize our educational facilities. Over a period of years, curriculum course revisions are being introduced in all grades in the elementary and secondary schools. A committee to study matters relating to textbooks is proceeding. Studies are under way concerning the value and place of Grade 13 of our educational set-up, as well as of the role that may be played in education by television. At the university level of our educational system, the new Trent University at Peterborough and the new University of Windsor will be established. Generous financial provision for our Ontario universities, on both the capital and maintenance side, will again be made, including a special development grant of $3 million to permit the Laurentian University of Sudbury to proceed with work on its new 500-acre campus and a new site for York University in the north-west of Metropolitan Toronto. Additional assistance in the amount of $3 million will be given to those universities, which carry out a graduate-training programme to enable them to expand this sector of their work. You will be requested to provide additional funds to enable an expansion of the province's scholarship bursary and loan programme to students at the post-high school level, including the provision of $1 million for the first year of the new programme of graduate scholarships, which will be granted, at the rate of $1,000 for a normal university year, to eligible students taking graduate work in Ontario universities. Additional funds will be requested to develop further our system of local public libraries and to permit the department to carry out increased extension work with them. Construction is continuing on the junior school for the deaf at Milton, and planning will proceed on the new senior school buildings there, on a vocational shop at the Ontario school for the deaf at Belleville and on a new dormitory at the Brantford school for the blind. HEALTH Progress in the care and treatment of the mentally disturbed is going forward rapidly. During the past year, over 3,000 long stay patients have been discharged from the treatment wings of Ontario hospitals. Since these are mainly elderly persons without homes or relatives, their maintenance remains the responsibility of the province and parts of ten hospitals have therefore been set aside as residential units to house and care for them. The Department of Health's programme of building new mental hospitals and rebuilding the older facilities is continuing apace. The government has begun the necessary planning to establish three community psychiatric hospitals in northern Ontario, to treat the mentally ill from that area, which now depend on the North Bay hospital. The 300-bed infirmary-type institutions to be located at Timmins and Sault Ste. Marie will form part of the Ontario hospital system. The third, at Sudbury, will likely become a project of the Algoma and Sudbury Sanatorium Association, under The Community Psychiatric Hospitals Act, and discussions are in progress with the board. When these programmes are completed, it is the intention to move patients to them from the department's present North Bay facilities and use the latter as a hospital-school for the seriously mentally retarded children in north-eastern Ontario, while keeping a small wing for other patients. The new Ontario hospitals at Goderich and Owen Sound and the clinical services building at the Port Arthur hospital have been almost completed. The first stage of construction is under way at the Palmerston location. The rebuilding of the OriDia hospital is continuing, with a 300-bed pavilion being about two-thirds finished. Construction is nearing completion on projects at the London, Byron, Woodstock and Whitby hospitals. As part of the government's continuing programme of providing community psychiatric facilities, space is being taken over in sanatoria at Ottawa and Windsor for the care and treatment of psychiatric patients. Planning is proceeding on the reconstruction of the Ontario hospital at 999 Queen street west, Toronto, aud on a 400-bed replacement at Penetang. The programme of post-recovery treatment of tubercular patients is being extended. Changes in the pattern of treatment of tubercular patients have shortened the patient's stay in hospital, but not the actual total time required for medical treatment. Because of the growing numbers of these patients under treatment outside of the sanatoria and the need for regular medical follow-up, the government proposes to undertake this follow-up care, previously done largely by voluntary agencies, as part of the treatment programme, in order to ensure for the patient continuous and effective care and also to provide still better control of tuberculosis. Several new departmental programmes are beginning or are in progress. These include further development of the bursary plan for medical and dental students who intend to practice in designated areas where there is need. Construction on the new Department of Health laboratory on the western outskirts of Toronto will get under way next year and, when completed, it will enable the department to improve and expand its various laboratory services. WELFARE As a result of a further review carried out in connection with the province's provision of welfare serves for families and individuals, several new measures will be introduced, in addition to The Homes for Retarded Children Act. Legislation entitled The Children's Institutions Act will be presented for the purpose of extending the provincial assistance provided to charitable institutions to those that provide instructional care for children who require specialized attention and services in a group setting. As well, this Act will increase the financial support given by the province, and encourage the development of specialized facilities and proper standards of group care and service. Legislation will be brought forward to place the assistance provided to all Indian mothers on the same basis as that given in the rest of the community. MUNICIPAL Your government has considered municipal problems of a varied nature, and The Department of Municipal Affairs will provide local government units throughout the province with the greatest possible assistance in their efforts to meet the needs of their citizens. An increased total of municipal grants will be distributed; to help these basic organs of our government meet their financial obligations. Amendments will be presented to a number of municipal Acts, including The Metropolitan Toronto Act. The select committee reviewing the municipal Acts is continuing its work and it is expected that a further report will be presented, with recommendations that will be fruitful in legislative amendments that will improve our municipal statutes. In connection with the far-reaching reorganization being continued in The Department of Municipal Affairs, further sums will be requested for administration purposes, including a new branch to deal with all aspects of municipal finance, a consolidation of several branches in order to provide improved service, and a considerable extension of the present activities of the other branches. A major objective of the reorganization is the undertaking of special studies on both a provincial and regional basis of the fundamental problems involved in local and regional municipal organization and planning, especially in view of the increasing need to adapt the existing municipal system to the vast changes in social and economic conditions, which have occurred in recent years. To continue with the improvement in the working conditions of the staffs of the municipalities, which was brought about at the last session by the establishment of the municipal employees retirement system, additional funds will be requested for its organization work. LABOUR The continued progress of labour will be furthered through the passage of a number of bills to be presented for your consideration and the provision of funds to enlarge The Department of Labor’s administrative and inspection staff in a number of directions. The organization of the department is presently under review to ensure that the services it has to offer are readily available to the public. The conciliation service occupies an important place in labour relations and this service is being extended, while amendments will be made to the legislation. One of the important recommendations of the Royal commission on the construction industry was that the Minister of Labour convenes a conference of labour and management in that industry. The first sessions of the conference have now been held and discussions useful to both labour and management have taken place on problems affecting the industry. Committees have been established to study specific matters of mutual interest and the full conference will resume early next year. The government believes that joint conferences of management and labour, sponsored by The Department of Labour, will be of major importance in establishing an appropriate atmosphere for these two important segments of the economy of the province to work in harmony for their mutual benefit. Such conferences will be arranged early in the New Year. Industrial safety is of great concern to the government. A construction safety branch is being established and a greatly increased number of safety officers are being appointed. A committee has been appointed to hold public hearings in respect of The Operating Engineers Act, which has an important bearing on industrial safety. The Legislature will be asked to amend safety legislation, including The Construction Hoists Act, The Construction Safety Act and The Boilers and Pressure Vessels Act. The Department of Labour is presently reviewing all social legislation involving wages, working conditions and related matters. The Industrial Standards Act is an important item of our social legislation and an inquiry is presently under way into the Act in order that the government may improve this legislation in the light of present-day conditions. The Ontario Human Rights Code, passed by the Legislature at the last session, went into force in June, and, since then, the Human Rights Commission has engaged a full-time staff and is conducting a vigorous educational, research and investigation programme, designed to guarantee every person equality of opportunity in employment and equality of treatment in other respects. In order to assess the situation arising from automation and rapid changes in technology, a select committee was appointed at the last session and is studying the broad field of manpower training and apprenticeship procedures. Its report will undoubtedly affect the apprenticeship system and the type of education and training, which will be provided to develop the skills required by our labour. The progressive extension of the various programmes of The Department of Reform Institutions is continuing. Nearing completion is a new clinic for the treatment of female drug addicts. This clinic will, in many respects, be unique as regards research, personnel, and duration and techniques of treatment. The reorganization of the parole and rehabilitation services is continuing and the opening of regional offices, three of which have already been set up in Toronto, London and Ottawa, will be extended to other centers. The training school programme will be extended at Bowmanville, where, for the first time, the boys will be accommodated in a forest camp, partly erected by them. The academic programme in the training schools is being further developed. The new Lindsay training school for girls and the Simcoe training school for boys are now in operation, furnished with the most modern equipment and staffed with fully qualified teachers and clinical personnel. With a total of 11 training schools in the province, including a reception and diagnostic centre for girls, we are well equipped to provide a variety of programmes and clinical services designed to meet the specific needs of each individual child and as part of this continuing programme, plans are now under way to establish a reception and diagnostic centre for boys. A clinical team of specialists will make a comprehensive study of the individual needs of each boy and recommend his transfer to the training school best able to provide the treatment necessary for his re-establishment in the community. HOUSING The continuation and expansion of the government's housing programme form an important part of our policies of furthering the well-being of our people. The rent certificate plan has proved its usefulness in the Metro Toronto area, as a supplement to federal-provincial low rental housing, and it will be extended to other communities. A grant of $903,000, or $1,000 per unit, is being made to the Toronto housing authority's limited dividend housing project in the Moss Park redevelopment, to permit the rent structure to be held down. Under the federal-provincial rental housing and land assembly programme, significant progress is being made. This progress will be reflected in the coming year in at least 29 new housing and land assembly projects, which will involve some 2,100 rental housing units either built, planned or for which commitments will have been made, along with 1,500 serviced lots for public sale. The Ontario housing advisory committee has been constituted and comprises representatives of ten Ontario associations intimately concerned with housing, together with a number of representatives from various parts of Ontario. As a result of studies undertaken to determine the best means of promoting rehabilitation of existing housing in redevelopment areas, a pilot project will be started early next year; this should encourage private owners to follow suit, with the assistance of provincial loan guarantees under the housing programme announced last winter. The housing needs of Indians are receiving special attention and studies are progressing, with the objective of providing housing accommodation for Indians who live off the reservations. INDUSTRIAL AND TRADE The government's policy, in addition to setting up the Ontario Development Agency, is to consolidate, expand and perfect the programme of The Department of Economics and Development which was introduced last spring to promote an economic climate favorable to industrial expansion, resource development and employment. Foremost among these activities is the Ontario Trade Crusade, aimed at improving our balance of trade and providing the job opportunities we require. It is a many-sided programme involving sales opportunity missions; manufacturing co-operative agencies, trade offices abroad -- including a new office to be opened at Milan; manufacturing opportunities shows -- 3 more of which will be held next spring at London, Cornwall and in northern Ontario, and the establishment of a marketing division with the function of setting up trade missions and assisting Ontario manufacturers in marketing abroad and foreign manufacturers to get established in this province. Yesterday the government announced plans to accelerate the trade crusade programme at the consumer level, with the appointment of a woman as chief of the consumer branch, to act as the liaison between the department and the women's organizations of the province. The first women's consumer conference will be held in the city of Toronto early next month. Your government, during the coming year, will undertake several important conferences and study groups of manufacturers and labour to encourage the standardization of parts used by manufacturers in Ontario. It is essential in this age of change that we know what training and skills will be needed in our economy. We also need to appreciate and understand the social and economic challenges and their consequences that face this province and its people. Every segment of our society, labour, management, government, finance, social agencies and schools, has a vital need to be aware of what challenges we face. The government of Ontario under the sponsorship of The Departments of Economics and Development, Education and Labour will launch a conference in the spring of 1963 on automation and social change. Such a conference, in the government's view, will be a vital step in meeting the challenges of this decade. Much more attention must be given to new products and new techniques in our economy. To this end, your government will sponsor a products and techniques exhibition to promote the new products and advanced techniques which have been developed and which are available in Ontario. WINTER WORKS Because of the difficulties of seasonal employment, which results from Canadian climatic conditions and which has therefore been a perennial problem, the programmes of winter works which were initiated 5 years ago as a provincial-municipal measure and are now operated on a federal-provincial-municipal basis, will be continued. The programmes not only involve major municipal construction and maintenance work but also our departmental parks and picnic areas. NORTHERN ONTARIO The expansion of our northern areas is continuing as part of the overall economic development programme for the province. Work is beginning or continuing on a variety of highways, public works of various kinds and hydro projects. The $1 million extension of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission communications systems wills, it is expected, be completed in 1963 and will more than double the facilities available for commercial communications in northern Ontario. The sub-committee on northern development of the Ontario Economic Council, which was established to consider the needs and problems of the northern part of our province, will continue its work. ENERGY RESOURCES Plans are proceeding to develop additional supplies of electric power in all parts of Ontario. In order to meet forecast increases in demand, the Hydro-Electric Power Commission has under construction or planned new generating facilities with a total capacity of close to two million kilowatts, more than three-quarters of which will be provided in steam units. A large part of the commission's current programme is at the Lakeview generating station, where the second of the six 300,000 kilowatt units will be ready for service by the end of this year, while installation of the third, fourth and fifth units is scheduled by 1966. The programme also includes the construction of four hydro-electric stations in the Moose River watershed. Work is beginning on the diversion of the Little Abitibi River, in order to increase substantially the dependable capacity of the Otter River station and the value of two potential hydro sites further downstream on the Abitibi. Scheduled for service in 1963 are two further units of the Otter River station and two units at the Little Long Lac station. Two units of the Harmon station are scheduled for service in 1965 and two units of the Kipling station in 1966. Provision will be made at these four stations for the possible later installation of additional units. The half million kilowatts of power from the units now scheduled for installation will be collected at the Pinard transformer station now under construction, and transmitted over a new extra-high-voltage transmission line, which will eventually extend southward for more than 400 miles, with completion planned to Sudbury by 1963 and to the Toronto area by 1966. It is planned eventually to feed power from this line into an extra-high-voltage system extending across southern Ontario. The nuclear power demonstration plant at Rolphton, which was designed as a pilot plant to provide information for a full-scale nuclear-electric programme, is now delivering power to the commission's system. It is noted as the world's first nuclear power station to use natural uranium as a fuel in a reactor moderated and cooled by heavy water. Work is proceeding on the first 200,000 kilowatt unit at the nuclear-electric power station at Douglas Point and it is scheduled to be ready for service in 1965. In connection with our energy and fuel sources, The Department of Energy Resources is proceeding with its review of codes and regulations concerned with energy production, distribution and utilization, and the Ontario Energy Board is continuing its studies of matters of compensation involving natural gas storage. The survey of energy and fuel resources is under way. AGRICULTURE In the field of agriculture, the government is presenting for your consideration a number of measures, including those already mentioned, to strengthen the family farm and the rural economy, including legislation to improve the position of the family farm enterprise. Recognizing the necessity of continually strengthening the position of agriculture in the general economy and, with particular attention to the requirements of the future, the agricultural legislation proposed will place rural Ontario in a strong position, comparative with the rest of the economy and will build a firm foundation for increasing strength and stability. The marketing position of Ontario farmers will be further strengthened through amendments to The Ontario Farm Products Marketing Act. The Ontario farm management programme, which has been in effect for a number of years to assist the family farmer to keep better accounting records of his business, is being expanded. Amendments will be introduced to The Community Centers Act in order to have the Act apply to Indian reserves and enable adjoining municipalities to undertake joint participation in a project. Legislation will be presented for the purpose of consolidating a number of related Acts dealing with drainage, with consideration being given to proper land use from a conservation point of view. MINING A number of amendments to The Mining Act will be proposed, dealing with the disposition of Crown lands for mining purposes. These amendments result from recommendations of the public lands investigation committee. Among the geological field work projects being carried out, a party will be engaged in the far north-west of our province to inaugurate a five-year programme of mapping in that area. The joint federal-provincial plan of aeromagnetic surveys, covering about 35,000 square miles, is continuing apace. The signing of the new uranium contract with the United Kingdom will maintain that important segment of the mining industry for a number of years to come. CONSERVATION An extensive programme is being presented to expand The Department of Lands and Forests' forest management, wildlife, parks and conservation programmes. In addition to the new programmes already mentioned, other measures include the promotion of co-operative efforts in the management of our provincial resources for the benefit of our Indian population, in connection with an agreement signed with the federal government. It is planned to assist the Indians who now obtain their livelihood from traplines and commercial fishing, by developing a programme related to fish and wildlife resources, the management of wild crops, and forest operations for the production of pulpwood and sawlogs. Indians will continue to be employed in other activities of the department, such as fire prevention. Support is being extended to the programme of research into the physical qualities of the Great Lakes, being conducted by the Great Lakes Institute. The department has begun a co-operative programme with the meteorological branch of the federal Department of Transport in connection with the Tyros series of satellites sent into orbit by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration agency for the purpose of obtaining weather and related data. The first of the department's objectives is to determine means of fire detection through television signals from the satellite to receiving stations on the earth, while other possibilities include fire hazard measurement and a survey of snow cover for the purpose of relating it to the winter survival of deer. Many projects of various kinds are under way in our conservation authorities, including work on the flood control plan of the Metropolitan Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority flood control plan. WATER AND SEWAGE The Ontario Water Resources Commission will continue its programme of assisting municipalities in the improvement of our water supplies and the abatement of pollution. Works now completed and under agreement involve an expenditure of nearly $100 million. Special emphasis is being placed on works to abate water pollution and use is being made of federal loans and subsidies to assist in this programme. In this connection, your government is pleased to note the recent announcement of the federal government that its programme of assistance to municipalities for sewage construction will be continued. TOURISM In connection with the tourist industry and its problems, your government has set up under the Ontario Economic Council, a tourist industry sub-committee which is investigating all aspects of tourism in Ontario and which has already made a number of valuable suggestions, which are being acted upon. Funds will be requested to continue the system of grants to regional tourist associations to relocate reception centers at border-crossing points and, as a complement to the Ontario Trade Crusade, to place at Ontario House London, a tourist officer to provide information on Ontario's recreational facilities. It is the government's intention to review the policies of all departments and agencies with a view to achieving even greater cooperation on matters relating to tourism and to provide an even better climate for the expansion of the province's tourist industry. The Department of Travel and Publicity, in co-operation with The Department of Economics and Development, has begun a souvenir and handcraft programme. This venture embraces an inventory of manufacturers of souvenirs in the province; a design competition for distinctive Ontario souvenirs and handcrafts, and a presentation of these at a national gift show to be held in February. HIGHWAYS AND TRANSPORT The operations of our highways and the problems that arise from the nearly 2.5 million motor vehicles using them, rank high in the consideration of your government. Our network of through highways is permitting a more efficient movement of traffic and transportation equipment. Work is progressing on all unfinished sections of Highway 401 and by the end of 1963; this controlled-access highway will provide a complete thruway from Windsor to the Quebec border, a distance of some 510 miles. Because of the unprecedented growth of the traffic problem, a programme of widening the highway is beginning in certain sectors, particularly the section which passes through the fringes of Metropolitan Toronto, which will be extended to 12 lanes. Construction is well under way on a number of other through highways and skyways: 403, which will connect the Queen Elizabeth Way with Highway 401 near Woodstock; 405, between the Homer Skyway and the new international bridge recently opened at Queenston; and the Ottawa Queensway, ten miles of which have been opened to traffic. The first stage of Highway 401 in the St. Catharines area will be begun in the next fiscal year. The Homer Skyway will be completed in the autumn of 1963. Negotiations on the $10 million tunnel project under the Welland canal at Welland will proceed. This project is designed to relieve congestion in the Welland region and follows traffic studies carried out in this area. There will be an accelerated programme in the northern areas of the province, including reconstruction work on a number of existing highways. The Rainy Lake Causeway, along with both the high-level bridge and the two low-level structures, will be completed during the present construction season and progress is being made on grading and structure work on a further ten miles of highway easterly from it. With the completion of this work, it will be possible to accelerate construction on sections of a further 63 miles of difficult country, the completion of which will close the gap separating the Causeway from the already completed highway westerly from Atikokan. More than 200 miles of roads-to-resources have been completed, with 23 additional miles under construction and 50 more miles being surveyed. Foremost in this programme have been the Foleyet-Chapleau connection and the Spruce River road in the Thunder Bay area. To deal with a related field of transportation, further sums will be requested as part of the province's purchase of a total of $60 million in Metropolitan Toronto debentures, to permit the completion of the new subway system two years earlier than would otherwise have been the case. The implementation and extension of policies to ensure greater highway safety and to improve driving habits is being continued by The Department of Transport. The department's vehicle inspection service is being expanded and, as part of this programme, further portable inspection units will be loaned to communities wishing to conduct highway safety checks for local motorists on a voluntary basis, as part of a community safety programme. The re-examining of selected driver groups is continuing. The demerit point system, after being improved as a result of actual experience during the first three years of operation, is proving very successful in encouraging safety-mindedness in the drivers of the province. A booklet dealing with the operation of farm vehicles on the highways was produced as part of the department's continuing programme to promote the safe and efficient movement of traffic. The motor vehicle accident claims fund, which recently replaced the unsatisfied judgment fund and has limits of payment of $35,000 -- the highest level set in any of the provinces -- makes provision for out-of-court settlement and generally simplifies the procedure for making a claim, has been a resounding success and has greatly speeded up the processing of claims as compared with the previous method. Plans are under way to begin the mechanical issuance of drivers' licenses at the beginning of 1964, with licenses being on a three-year basis and a permanent number assigned to each driver. Provision is being made for the quarterly issue of commercial motor vehicle licenses beginning next year; this provision will be of great assistance to farmers and other groups which need to operate their vehicles in certain seasons of the year only. The Department of Transport is continuing its negotiations with other provinces for a standard uniform identification card for drivers, and for reciprocity agreements in the operation of commercial motor vehicles, in addition to those, which have been signed with Alberta, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick. LAW ENFORCEMENT In the field of law enforcement, many new steps have been taken. The Ontario Police Commission has been very active since its appointment and its recommendations have resulted in further strengthening the administration and working conditions of the Ontario Provincial Police. A detective division has been set up to augment the force's criminal investigation branch and the new rank of First Class Constable has been established. Increased efficiency in traffic patrolling and in the investigation of traffic fatalities has been obtained. The Ontario Police College at Aylmer will be receiving its first trainees shortly and it is expected that over 400 provincial and municipal police will be trained during its first year of operation. Proposals for implementing recommendations made in a survey of communication needs among police departments are under review. Consideration is being given to the appointment of an advisor of police service with the task of checking the standards of efficiency in police departments and assisting with advice when required. The police commission has recommended certain changes in The Police Act and regulations, and these are now being studied. New appointments to our system of courts have reduced the time required for cases to come forward for a hearing. Pursuant to legislation enacted at the last session, the Chief Judge of the county and district courts of Ontario has begun his duties and the first provincially appointed Division Court Judge is now holding court in various parts of the province. Under the supervision of the newly appointed Supervising Coroner for the province, the coroner system has been revised and coordinated with the other branches of municipal and provincial governments and law enforcement. The probation service continues to expand its work to meet the demands of the courts for pre-sentence reports, to supervise offenders and carry on other preventive and rehabilitative services. More than 15,000 persons are now under the supervision of probation officers. It is expected that in the near future there will be a complete coverage of the province by the juvenile and family courts. The question of the validity of The Unconscionable Transactions Relief Act has been taken for the final determination to the Supreme Court of Canada. An expropriation procedures bill will be presented, which will simplify and improve the procedures presently employed. This bill implements a number of the more important recommendations of the select committee that recently reported on this subject. The emergency measures branch of The Department of the Attorney-General is continuing its programmes and further funds will be requested for its purposes. PUBLIC WORKS You will be asked to approve and vote funds for a great variety of public buildings, including the government centre in the Queen's Park area and for many others throughout the province, including those, which have already been mentioned. GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION In the field of government administration, the government has taken a number of steps to improve our practices. Reorganization has been proceeding in several departments to improve their efficiency and their service to the public. When the first volume of the federal Royal Commission on government organization, commonly known as the Glassco Commission, was issued, an inter-departmental committee of civil service experts was set up to study the report and advise the government of the applicability of any of the recommendations to Ontario conditions. LEGISLATION AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Further to the legislation already mentioned, many new bills and amendments to existing statutes will be submitted for the consideration of the House. In addition to the public accounts for the last fiscal year the budget statement of the Treasurer and the estimates of the departments for the next fiscal year will be presented. I express the hope that Divine Providence will bless you and guide you in your deliberations.