With colder mornings and the first snowfall arriving, it’s clear: Winter is coming. The start of November saw our government announce the removal of unnecessary and burdensome red tape to allow businesses the choice to allow dogs on their patios. This issue was first brought to my attention by The Second Wedge Brewing Company, a fantastic business right here in Uxbridge. As Second Wedge told me, after receiving a complaint about their dog-friendly environment, the rules weren’t clear about whether pets could be allowed in restaurants and breweries where food was not being prepared. After that meeting, I reached out to my colleagues, Minister of Red Tape Reduction Prabmeet Sarkaria and Minister of Health Christine Elliott, to see what we could do. I am pleased to say that, if passed, businesses will be free to choose to allow pets on their patios and inside where food is not being prepared come January 1st, 2020. This is a great decision. The provincial government should be responsible for ensuring businesses provide safe and healthy environments for their customers. But when businesses are running safely and responsibly–and when their customers want to enjoy that space with their canine companion–they should be free to do so. I want to thank Minister Sarkaria, Minister Elliott, their teams and mine for the hard work they put in to seeing this change realized. Like many of you, I’m looking forward to taking my dog Tokyo out to a patio to celebrate. Supporting small business is in our nature here in Pickering-Uxbridge. October 26th was Small Business Saturday–a chance for our community to come together and support our local businesses across Pickering-Uxbridge. I had the pleasure of meeting our local entrepreneurs and job creators, including the Festival on the Hallows Express at the York-Durham Heritage Railway, to Second Wedge Brewing Company, Take Root Creative, Tin Mill Restaurant, The Bridge Social, Blue Heron Books, Kathryn’s Bar and Grill, and The Curl Ambassadors. It was great to see the wealth of talent and entrepreneurial spirit our community shares on display. It’s because of businesses like this that I can say, with confidence, that it’s Durham’s time.