Province Législature Session Type de discours Date du discours Locuteur Fonction du locuteur Parti politique Ontario 27e 3e Discours du Trône 20 janvier 1965 William Earl Rowe Lieutenant Governor Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario Mr. Speaker and members of the legislative assembly of Ontario, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the opening of the third session of the twenty-seventh Parliament of Ontario. During the course of this session, you will be given the opportunity to examine and to consider a comprehensive programme for social and economic development that has been evolved by my government, including the budget, the departmental estimates and new legislation. Your responsibility and objective must be to ensure that the "Province of Opportunity" continues to lead the way in the development of programmes designed to assist the people of Ontario to adjust to economic and social change and to constantly improve our standard of living. Hon. members are well aware of the changes that we have experienced in Ontario over the past decade. These changes have permeated the fabric of our society and have altered the nature and extent of the demands placed on the government for additional services necessary to ensure equality of opportunity for the people of Ontario. During 1964, two significant events occurred which will affect the future of Ontario. The first of these was the agreement reached on a formula to amend The British North America Act. During the course of this session, you will have an opportunity of discussing this agreement. If the legislatures of the provinces and the federal government approve, we shall have, for the first time, a formula by which we can make those changes in The British North America Act that we as Canadians, may deem advisable. The other event, resulting from the federal-provincial conference in Ottawa, deals with the establishment of the tax structure committee. This committee will review taxation, debt and related matters at all levels of government and make recommendations upon which will be based the federal-provincial fiscal arrangements that must be established to take effect in 1907. Hon. members will appreciate that these steps hold out the promise of basic adjustments in the Canadian federal system. Whether or not we adapt the structure of our government, it can still be said, with justification, that we are entering a period of nation building that is given to very few. The lives of generations of Canadians yet unborn will be influenced profoundly by the decisions that will be made over the course of the next few years. Whatever the future holds, this is a challenge that must be met now. Your task will not be easy. The decisions you make will vitally influence the future course, and indeed the very existence, of Canada as a nation. To assist in formulating Ontario's position, an Ontario advisory committee on Confederation will be established with broad terms of reference. It will be empowered to advise the government with respect to all matters in relation to and arising out of the position of Ontario in Confederation. It will be a nonpartisan committee which will draw upon the knowledge and experience of persons widely versed in the intricacies of our Canadian system of government and the history and development of our country. While we are concerned with the broad sphere of federal-provincial relations, this in no way detracts from the primary responsibility of my government to evolve and introduce in this Legislature a programme for the social and economic development of Ontario. In our complex society the individual has turned to government for assistance and government has responded by introducing broad social, welfare and economic measures which provide basic services to the population. In the past twenty years there has been a steady shift in the nature of the demand for government services. While we still must provide such services as roads, water, power, schools, hospitals, more and more are we concerned with such measures as medical insurance, municipal planning, pensions, pollution control, post-secondary school education, welfare, hospital insurance and many other programmes in the field of human capital and human betterment. We must ensure that any programme adopted is effective, integrated with existing programmes, responsive to the real and legitimate needs of the people, and within our financial capacity. Another important consideration is the necessity of securing the co-operation and understanding of the various individuals, groups and associations the programmes are designed to assist. Only by such means can the government attain its goals. The day has long since passed when government exercised only a restraint on society. We now accept the concept that government is a positive social and economic force in our society. My government's objective is to provide every facility for the education of our people, to develop and conserve our material resources, to improve and extend social, health and welfare services, to enhance our physical environment, and to ensure that the legislative and administrative policies adopted are adequately co-ordinated and sufficiently comprehensive to achieve these ends. EDUCATION: Education is the key to future progress. We must make every effort to provide the people of this province with an educational system that will allow each individual to develop his personality and abilities to the fullest, so that he can adjust to changes in his social environment and find rewarding employment. From this broad point of view, we see that our responsibility extends far beyond the provision of a basic school system. We must concern ourselves with the training and retraining of the unemployed, with apprenticeship, with safety education, with language and citizenship instruction for immigrants with the special problems facing our senior citizens and the handicapped, and with the many thousands of Ontario residents who have ended their formal schooling but who want to improve themselves. In recognition of the immense task that lies ahead, my government has adopted a series of progressive and far-reaching changes in our educational system. We have entered a new phase in education in Ontario. We have launched a massive programme to overhaul our total educational effort and the year 1905 will see a continuation of our progress. To this end, The Department of Education has been completely reorganized. An advisory council for planning and development is being established to study educational trends and developments. The implementation of the report on grade 13 is being studied by one major committee, while another is examining a study of the preparation of teachers for elementary schools. The curriculum branch of The Department of Education is undertaking the most extensive revision, of the courses of study for kindergarten and grades 1 to 6, that has ever been attempted. New teacher training institutions will be built on or adjacent to campuses of universities. The department will construct teachers' colleges at Laurentian University in Sudbury and at Brock University in St. Catharines. An Ontario college of education is being constructed in London to operate in affiliation with the University of Western Ontario. A new Ontario college of education will be established in Kingston in affiliation with Queen's University. The same imaginative action is being carried out in post-secondary education. Ryerson Polytechnical Institute will introduce a trisemester system this year. An institute of technology and a vocational centre will be established in Hamilton on a common campus and will be designated as an Ontario education centre. My government continues to recognize the important role of the province's universities. Acting on the advice of the advisory committee on university affairs, The Department of University Affairs will make special grants to the University of Western Ontario, Queen's University, McMaster University and the University of Toronto to expand facilities for the education of doctors and dentists. The membership of the advisory committee has been enlarged to 11 members and it will continue its studies of areas of particular need and will make recommendations to my government. During this session, a bill will be introduced in the Legislature for the Lakehead College of Arts, Science and Technology so that its administrative organization as well as its name may be changed to reflect its status as an independent, degree-granting institution. The Department of Labour will assume new responsibility for the widest possible range of employment-oriented training programmes, including apprenticeship, that develop trade or occupational skills. These programmes will concentrate on training workers on the job in a normal work setting. This programme marks a new emphasis that is being placed on training and skill development by The Department of Labour and will complement the work of our vocational and technical schools. RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT: Just as education is the key to progress, our natural resources are the basis upon which we have developed our economy and achieved our standard of living. To prosper, we must create policies that will ensure the proper utilization and conservation of these resources. In this field, government shares responsibility with the people, for our economic system depends for its vitality and growth on the initiative and enterprise of individuals. To this end, our programmes are designed to assist or supplement individual effort. Our objective must be, therefore, to create a legislative and administrative framework within which our diversified economy can flourish and grow. Over the past three years, we have enjoyed a favourable rate of economic growth. Almost every sector of the economy has recorded substantial gains in output and there has been a general increase in income. The prospects for the future remain bright and our economy will continue to grow in 1965. It is our objective to stimulate economic expansion by intensifying the efforts of the several departments concerned with the various sectors of the economy. The Department of Agriculture will make a concerted effort to work closely with the federal government to determine the best means possible to obtain and provide satisfactory farm labour both on a seasonal and permanent basis for Ontario's agricultural industry. The expected report of the Ontario milk inquiry committee will be presented to the Legislature for consideration. My government will introduce amendments to The Milk Industry Act which will strengthen and improve the milk marketing system in Ontario. In view of the fact that the provinces of Ontario and Quebec account for more than two-thirds of all the milk produced in Canada, the marketing of milk and dairy products would be greatly enhanced by close coordination of marketing procedures between the two provinces. In this regard meetings are currently being held between the interested dairy groups of the two provinces under joint sponsorship of the two provincial governments involved. Amendments to The Farm Products Marketing Act will include provision for official status being accorded industry advisory committees for commodity marketing plans and for conciliation procedures in farm marketing price negotiations prior to arbitration proceedings. The Department of Economics and Development will intensify its efforts to expand export markets for Ontario secondary industries by doubling the member of sales missions, by expanding the engineering services programme and launching an extensive international advertising programme. The Department of Tourism and Information will completely redesign its advertising programme and information brochures to further stimulate travel to Ontario from the other provinces and the United States. The Department of Lands and Forests, to accommodate the growing demand for recreation facilities, will improve the ninety existing provincial parks and will continue to develop new parks. Renovations and improvements will be carried out at several hatcheries and trout rearing stations, and a new hatchery is planned near Sault Ste. Marie. Our objective is to improve fishing in the province's lakes, rivers and streams. The value of our geological surveys was dramatically demonstrated by the recent major discoveries of ore bodies in the Timmins area. The Department of Mines will expand its geological survey work, including an airborne magnetometer survey of 121,000 square miles of northern Ontario, and increase the staff of both the geology and cartography branches in order to provide a better service to the mining industry. In the field of energy, The Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario will continue its developmental work with nuclear energy to supplement the hydro and thermal plants now in operation or under construction in various areas of the province A new nuclear power plant is under construction in Pickering township and will, when completed provide an additional one million kilowatts per year. Under the direction of The Department of Energy and Resources Management, the Ontario Water Resources Commission will continue its comprehensive programme for the extension and development of water supplies and for the abatement of pollution. The work of the conservation authorities has progressed at a very rapid pace and, in recognition of the developments that have taken place in recent years, there will be a review of the operation of conservation authorities to determine what administrative or legislative improvements may be needed to meet current and future requirements. In recognition of the trend of today that industry will follow research, the province of Ontario has established the Sheridan Park Corporation. This organization, already representing seven private research establishments and the Ontario Research Foundation, comprises the largest industrial research centre in Canada. It is expected that at least 25 companies will participate and, upon completion, more than 6,000 highly trained research scientists and technical personnel will be employed in this undertaking. SOCIAL, HEALTH AND WELFARE SERVICES: Hon. members will be asked during this session to consider changes in the area of social, health and welfare services. My government will introduce in the Legislature a Medical Services Insurance Act based on the recommendations of the medical services insurance committee, whose report will be tabled in the House as soon as possible. Under the provisions of The Homes for Special Care Act, an extensive programme has been undertaken to place those who do not require mental hospital care in suitable licensed homes in the community. The provision of adequate general hospital accommodation and facilities continues to go forward. A complete report of the current status, particularly with reference to Metropolitan Toronto, will be put before the Legislature. When the government of Ontario offered generous grants to general hospitals for the construction of psychiatric units, these hospitals showed immediate interest. As a consequence of this policy many additional beds for this type of accommodation have been provided during the past few years. Seventeen additional general hospitals have had plans approved for such facilities and eight other hospitals have projects under consideration and negotiation. This will provide a further 750 beds. A full statement will be made to the Legislature on Ontario's position and the policy of my government respecting the Canada Pension Plan. New child welfare legislation will be introduced. My government is concerned with the rehabilitation of the handicapped, and plans for the improvement and extension of the services of the rehabilitation services branch of The Department of Public Welfare will be announced in the Legislature. To further assist local retarded children's education authorities The Department of Education will make grants to these authorities up to 80 per cent of their costs. Because of the legislation passed at the last session, and this further action, Ontario is proud to be in the forefront in providing for the special education and training needs of handicapped children. The Department of Reform Institutions will embark on a most advanced programme of penal reform. As part of this programme, a new Training Schools Act will be introduced. This will be a major step forward in the fight against juvenile delinquency. Legislation to permit the establishment of regional detention and classification centres will also be brought forward during this session. The Construction Safety and Trench Excavators Protection Acts, The Elevators and Lifts Act and The Operating Engineers Act will be amended to keep them in line with the significant expansion and re-organization of The Department of Labour in the field of industrial safety. The human rights code will be amended to provide strengthened guarantees against discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodation. The report containing the recommendations of the Royal commission on arbitration of disputes affecting hospitals will be tabled in the House for consideration. My government has carefully reviewed the special problems facing agricultural workers in Ontario and has decided to make provision to extend the benefits of workmen's compensation to all persons employed in agriculture. The Department of Transport will give special attention to child safety and safety education for the elderly in the coming year. A board of appeal will be established to which persons whose drivers' licences have been suspended may appeal against suspensions, other than those applied by the courts or which are mandatory under The Highway Traffic Act. THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT: In the past years, my government has launched the most comprehensive review of our municipal structure and transportation requirements ever undertaken. This programme includes the Royal commission on Metropolitan Toronto; the Ottawa, Eastview and Carleton County local government review; the select committee on The Municipal Act and related Acts; the Metropolitan Toronto and region transportation study; and the Ontario committee on taxation. Many of these studies are still under way and final reports will be dealt with as part of this overall research programme. In recognition of the importance of planning on a regional development basis, my government will hold a three-day conference on regional development in February. Studies will also commence on the creation of effective methods to co-ordinate the regional development activities now being carried out by several different departments and agencies. Amendments to The Community Centres Act will extend the benefits of the Act to provide grants for community halls constructed by school boards in unorganized areas. The Department of Highways will continue to press ahead with its highway building programme, including the roads-to-resources programme. On the Macdonald-Cartier Freeway, the accelerated programme to complete this major traffic artery will be carried through without interruption, including the work of widening the Toronto by-pass to 12 lanes. New mileage will be placed in service on Highway 403 in Hamilton and work will continue on the Brantford by-pass section of this freeway. The initial section of Highway 40B linking Welland with the Queen Elizabeth Way, will be opened this year. Plans will be carried forward on the new tunnels at St. Catharines, Thorold and Welland which are required as a result of the twinning of the Welland Canal. Construction of the new high-level bridge to carry Highway 41 across the Bay of Quinte was commenced in December of last year and will be carried forward in 1965. Significant progress will be made on several King's highway projects in northern Ontario. Upon completion of the bridge over the Seine River, Highway 11 between Atikokan and Fort Frances will be open to the travelling public in June 1965. Work will also be undertaken on Highway 101 between Chapleau and Wawa, Highway 631 between Hornepayne and Highway 17, and a new highway between Timmins and Sudbury. ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE AND OTHER MATTERS: My government will introduce legislation to amend several statutes dealing with many phases of the administration of justice. The objective of the proposed amendments is to meet the changing needs of our society. The Ontario Law Reform Commission, established last year, is now functioning. Some of the legislative proposals which will be introduced in this House have been referred to the commission for its opinion. The final report of the joint committee on legal aid will be received during the session and this House will be requested to consider legislative proposals arising out of the findings of this committee. Legislation respecting personal property as security will be introduced for your consideration. This House was advised at its last session that a special committee had been appointed to review our securities legislation, especially as it affects take-over bids, insider information, disclosure to shareholders and other specialized matters. Subsequently, the Honourable Mr. Justice Arthur Kelly was appointed a commissioner to inquire into certain matters involving mineral discoveries and related stock transactions. The reports and recommendations which will be received from the commissioner, and the committee, will be considered in detail as a basis for amending legislation. The provisions of The Expropriation Procedures Act, 1962-63, have resulted in improvements in the procedural aspects of the acquisition of land by various public authorities. In order to expedite the amicable settlement of claims, an amendment will be introduced to establish an informal and inexpensive preliminary arbitration procedure. Ten years ago, a select committee of the Legislature undertook an extensive review of The Corporations Act. My government feels that it is desirable and timely to review this important legislation with a view to adapting it to the changes that have occurred in commerce and industry. Accordingly, the House will be asked to approve the appointment of a select committee to make the relevant studies of The Corporations Act and other related Acts, including The Corporations Information Act and The Mortmain and Charitable Uses Act. The legislative and budgetary programme to be placed before you this session will promote the expansion of our province and extend our economic, social and welfare services. The programme covers all departments of the government and has been formulated with due regard to the needs of our people and the extent of our financial resources. May Divine Providence bless you and guide you in the course of the deliberations which lie ahead.