Mr. Speaker, it is a great time to connect with the people we represent, and there was no better way to do that than the eighth annual Community Barbecue, hosted by myself and my good friend, an MPP and minister, Andrea Khanjin. It took place on August 16 in Stroud. The event saw an incredible turnout, our biggest ever, with more than 1,500 people attending.
On behalf of Andrea and myself, I want to thank our invaluable community partners, who helped make this event the biggest one yet: the Town of Innisfil, Sobeys Alcona Beach, Foodland Stroud, the South Simcoe Police Service, the Innisfil fire department, Kool FM, Rock 95, Canadian Musicians Co-operative, Georgian College, RVH's Keep Life Wild campaign, Dream Parties, Innisfil Backyard Bounce, Barrie Tent & Awning, The Flag Store, Allegra Barrie, Cyncor and Dave Chalut from Domino's Pizza.
Finally, a barbecue this large would not be possible without our incredible team of staff and volunteers. I want to thank Al Gilchrist and the team he put together. Over 75 people gave of their time on a Saturday in August to help bring our communities together, and they did so knowing the importance of connecting people.