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Mr. Bryan May (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence, Lib.)

Jun/5/23 10:10:25 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I want to reiterate what he said about firefighters and the amazing work that they are doing and thank them for that work. I would also like to take the opportunity, while I am standing, to thank the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces, who are on the ground in every province that is experiencing these horrible fires right now. He talked a bit about the work that the provinces are doing. I want to just make sure that the House knows that 60% of the missions that we have right now in defence are aid to civil authority. That has been the case for the last couple of years. I would suggest that we are stepping up, that we are supporting where these climate emergencies are happening, whether it be fires, floods or hurricanes and hurricane Fiona. Does the member believe that the provinces are pulling their weight and are doing their fair share to prepare for these inevitable climate events?

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Mr. Richard Cannings

Jun/5/23 10:11:36 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I think the provinces are certainly pulling their own weight. Some provinces, like British Columbia, have been facing this for longer and more intensely than others, and have put more resources into it. For provinces like Nova Scotia, this is a new thing, so they are in a different place. The provinces have really been stepping up, but one difference between the provinces and the federal government is that they have less of an ability to invest large sums of money into projects and issues like this. The federal government is in a place where we could really help in a national sense. The hon. member mentioned the Armed Forces stepping in. It would be a good idea to have a special force that would be there to fight fires and deal with other emergencies, a force that is specially trained exactly for that.

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Ms. Kristina Michaud (Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, BQ)

Jun/5/23 10:12:41 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, on behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I first want to reiterate all my best wishes in solidarity with every community that has been affected in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada because of the current crisis. I understand that this is an important topic. It is actually urgent. When the NDP requested this emergency debate this evening, the member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie said that the federal government should do more and do better, including with respect to planning, training and accessibility to equipment. I am not sure whether my colleague could inform me about the situation in his home province, because in Quebec, as far as I know, the federal government's response has been swift. I am not saying that the government is perfect, but when Minister Bonnardel in Quebec City asked for help from the Canadian Armed Forces, it took only a few hours for the Minister of Emergency Preparedness to accept the request and send boots on the ground. All in all, crisis management seems to be going well so far. That may not be the case in the rest of Canada. I would like my colleague to say a few words about that.

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Mr. Richard Cannings

Jun/5/23 10:13:48 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, provinces are doing well. British Columbia has been facing large forest fire seasons, and since 2015 there has been a relentless series of bad forest fire seasons. In British Columbia we have developed programs, techniques and processes that gradually get better. There are always things to learn about how to deal with people who have been forced out of their homes. That part of the process has been very disrupting to families, to people. We have learned a lot in British Columbia about that process. We are learning a lot about communication between different teams in the field. There are always things we can learn from each other—

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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès)

Jun/5/23 10:14:48 p.m.
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I have time for one more question. The hon. member for Kitchener Centre.

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Mr. Mike Morrice (Kitchener Centre, GP)

Jun/5/23 10:14:52 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I will start by thanking the member for South Okanagan—West Kootenay for his part in making sure that this debate on these climate-fuelled wildfires came to the floor of the House. As a biologist, I want to ask the member about peatlands specifically. These are bogs, fens and swamps. I ask about them, because this is one of the feedback loops we need to be mindful of in this climate crisis. Peatlands are only 3% of the world's mass, but they have one-third of the stored carbon. Could the member talk about the impacts of drained peatlands and wildfires, and how wildfires in peatlands could exacerbate exponentially the climate crisis that we are in?

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Mr. Richard Cannings

Jun/5/23 10:15:39 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I could talk about this for a long time, but I have 30 seconds. I want to thank the member for Kitchener Centre for that. Peatlands are extraordinarily important in storing carbon. Also, when they start burning, it is very difficult to put those fires out. They can release huge amounts of carbon dioxide over months as they burn. It is essential that we get at those fires, especially in the boreal forest, very quickly.

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Mr. Blake Desjarlais (Edmonton Griesbach, NDP)

Jun/5/23 10:16:13 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, through you to many of my fellow Albertans, what has been happening in the month of May and what continues to happen across our province is truly devastating. The wildfires, the smoke, the devastation and the loss will be with those families for a long time. I know we will never be able to truly rebuild to the point at which they remember where they have those cultural heirlooms, where they have the things that they raised their children with, where they have the mementos from each of those monuments in their life that they can cherish and keep with them, which are now reduced to ash. We are with those families. We will do everything in our power to make sure they can rebuild. That is why New Democrats and I are steadfast in our support of indigenous communities that have been hit the hardest by these fires. I want to extend my personal thanks as well to the many men, women, non-binary and diverse folks who serve in our firefighting teams right across the country, but particularly in Alberta right now, who are risking their lives so that community members can save what they can. They are risking their lives to make sure that children may have a place to go back to. They are risking their lives to make sure that communities stay intact. They are certainly unsung heroes, heroes who go home day after day, covered in ash, who may not hear the thanks and gratitude from families like my own and families I visit. In 2003, my family endured a wildfire in the northeast part of the province of Alberta. At that time I was just a child, living with my family. In just a short time, a 30-minute wind was able to bring in a fire so large that no crew could even get to it. It brought down forests; it brought down power lines; it stopped roads, and it stopped services. We were stranded. I was alone and I was scared. Me, my mum, my dad and my sister were alone, cut off from all roads, with fallen trees on either side of us. We thought surely this would be it. My dad and my mum prayed. My dad did what he could. His father had built a barn, and he looked after that barn. Inside that barn were saddles, handmade and passed on from generation to generation, from horse whisperers in my family to some of the best rodeo clowns our province had to offer. That history was reduced, burned to ash while my father was reduced to tears. I remember being evacuated in the arms of a firefighter. He took me in his hands, and without question I could feel his compassion and his need to save us. He put me in a car, put an oxygen mask on my mouth and told me to close my eyes. He told me to sing a song. “Three times,” he said, “and you'll be okay.” Two songs in, I realized finally we were escaping the smoke. Although I had left my family behind, I knew that my mother and my father were going to be okay because people like him were with them, like the firefighters who are with our communities right now. For them, I want to thank the firefighters. The reality is that it is ongoing and it is still happening today. Whether it is wildfires on the east coast or right across the Prairies, we are seeing the devastation of families like my own who have to go through this. I know that pain of not being able to get back what we once had, but I also know the joy of being able to return home with all of our lives, with the things we cherished most of all, which was each other. When I went and journeyed just weeks ago to the East Prairie Métis Settlement, a community of which over 80% was reduced to ash, people greeted me with smiles. They greeted me with the kind of generosity and the kind of love that only a community that has withstood the worst could have. East Prairie Métis Settlement is a community of resilient, hard-working, remarkable individuals. When they received that call to evacuate early one morning in early May, they sprang into action. Just four hours is what it took for the entire community to evacuate, in a community that had only one entrance and one exit. That was because of the coordination of the community, not because of any extra help they got. It was because the community knew that this was not a matter of if; it was a matter of when. The forests in northern Alberta have been sick. On top of that, people have had to suffer gruelling and dangerous temperatures. We used to have a saying, and I am sure many members are familiar with it: April showers bring May flowers. However, there have been no showers; this has resulted in one of the most devastating fires in the history of our province. When I met with the council of the East Prairie Métis Settlement, its members pleaded with me. They said that in the heat of an Alberta election, they did not receive any support. They looked to the federal government, and they were stonewalled with jurisdiction. They sought support from local municipalities, but they had no resources left to offer. This community had nothing left, but its members gave it their all. Although they lost over 14 homes, and 80% of the community burned, they saved 20%. That is an immense feat for a group of volunteers, a group of experts who hold within them the traditional knowledge necessary to continue to keep our communities safe. They are called “wildland firefighters”, and it took only 14 of them to save the remainder of the community. This is the same group of firefighters we sent to Quebec, Ontario and right across the globe. Their skills, their understanding of forests and the traditional knowledge they carry are needed now more than ever. I spoke to East Prairie survivors. I was there the day the evacuation order was lifted, and they took me into their community. What I witnessed was truly devastating. I went with families, and it was an amazing moment for some of them. They saw their houses standing. They even saw their dogs, covered in ash but still protecting their land. They were holding their ground as if it were their last stand. They did it as they waited for their humans to come home. That is the kind of love that animals have a power to demonstrate and one that humans often hold back on. It is one I hope we never relent. I spoke to some of those who lost their homes. A survivor, the oldest elder in the community, came up to me and said that once she got on that bus to go home, it felt like she was going back home as she did the day she left the residential school. She said the fear she had in her heart, and of not knowing what she was going back to, triggered her, and she wept. She found that although there was nothing left of her home, there was so much left of her community. She provided her strength, leadership and kindness to the children, mothers and those who were truly in pain. She offered them smiles, condolences and love, even though she had lost so much. I am truly inspired by that. That is a story I wanted to share with all my colleagues, because people like this exist in their communities, too. They are worth protecting and investing in; we need to ensure that this climate catastrophe does not continue to wreck their lives. I know they exist. They had only one ask. They said that as many families as returned home, there was the same number that could not return, because they did not have anywhere to go. They said that $900,000 is all it is going to take to ensure that all of those who lost their homes have temporary housing until they can rebuild. We need courage, and we must demonstrate the kind of love we have for Canadians in our hearts. This must materialize as the programs and supports that people who are in need right now need the most. I beg this chamber and my colleagues to truly use the compassion they often speak so much about and turn it into action. The people of East Prairie, Paddle Prairie and Peavine deserve that. The people right across this country who are affected by the wildfires deserve that. Those wildfires continue to rage every single day, and they are doing it right now, as we speak. I know it is late in the day for us, but those firefighters are going to be working even harder than we are tonight. They are going to be going all night, and they are going to be doing it with the risk of not returning home. I ask that we all keep them in our hearts and in our prayers tonight as they continue to battle raging wildfires across our country, in hopes that help truly comes from this place.

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Mrs. Sherry Romanado (Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne, Lib.)

Jun/5/23 10:26:21 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-224

Madam Speaker, I too want to convey my thanks to members of the Canadian Armed Forces, who are deployed as part of Operation Lentus. I thank the firefighters as well, who are spanning out across the country to fight these wildfires. One thing we heard during debate on my bill, Bill C-224, was the impact on firefighters after a wildfire. We heard about the fires in Fort Mac and the impact on firefighters, who are now seeing a high incidence of cancer from a lifetime of exposure in such a short amount of time. People in Ottawa right now having trouble with respiratory problems because of the smog, which is basically across the country. These wildfires are putting people not just at immediate risk, but also at long-term risk. Therefore, could the member opposite elaborate a bit on the indirect effects we are starting to see?

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Mr. Blake Desjarlais

Jun/5/23 10:27:26 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, there is no question in my mind of the service put forward by firefighters and first responders in the service they conduct, at the height of the worst conditions and realities imaginable for everyday people. They put their lives at risk. They hold on to that fear, and they manifest courage. What is most important for us to know is that, when they put that courage on, they are also putting on equipment that is risking their lives and that has been found to contribute to cancer. I am so thankful for the bill put forward by the member opposite, because this is something we are truly united around. We have all had firefighters come join us, and we have all promised them we would do something about what they are experiencing. That is exactly what we are going to do.

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Ms. Kristina Michaud (Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, BQ)

Jun/5/23 10:28:18 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. I was reading in Le Devoir earlier that a “jewel of the Innu nation”, an outfitting camp owned by the Innu government of Uashat-Maliotenam near Sept-Îles on the north shore, was destroyed by fire. I also read that 80% of indigenous communities in Canada live in forested areas and are among the first victims of this growing phenomenon. My colleague made the connection between climate change and global warming. I would like him to talk more about what we must do. What is our responsibility as elected members to protect these communities?

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Mr. Blake Desjarlais

Jun/5/23 10:29:07 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for the question, because it is one I was hoping to be asked. I hope to provide a good response to it on behalf of the many indigenous people who have provided me with the lessons, history and knowledge that go hand in hand with the prevention of these terrible disasters. In the boreal forest of Treaty 8, Treaty 10 and Treaty 11 territories, there is a tradition of prescribed burns, where indigenous people burn x amount of land in order to prevent an even greater fire from being produced. Without prescribed burns, this fuel gathers, builds and becomes dangerous. That is exactly what happened when we banned the ability of first nations and Métis communities to have prescribed burns; unfortunately, this is still a reality in Canada. If we want to ensure that indigenous people get to the point of restoring the lands, which they have done for thousands of years, we have to make sure that we listen and get laws out of the way that are currently prohibiting indigenous people from practising the traditional ecological work they are supposed to do.

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Mr. Mike Morrice (Kitchener Centre, GP)

Jun/5/23 10:30:11 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, could the member for Edmonton Griesbach, as an indigenous leader in this place, elaborate on how differently we would be approaching wildfires and the climate crisis if we were to centre indigenous knowledge and wisdom in doing so?

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Mr. Blake Desjarlais

Jun/5/23 10:30:33 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for that question, because it is something that we often do not have the opportunity to speak about in this place. Indigenous people have long stewarded Turtle Island, North America, when catastrophes happen, from floods to natural disasters, such as forest fires, as well as huge, immense, prolonged winters. We have a history, stories and knowledge. The history that is present here and that we often talk about is short. It is a small piece of what Canada is. Canada is an immensely ancient place, a place with tradition and knowledge. Indigenous people have been installed in a position to care for and administer this. We know about prescribed burns. When we take care of forest fires at a low-risk level by destroying the fuel in the forest early, rather than stacking it up by banning prescribed burns, then we deal with what would become a much worse fire, which is what we are seeing in Alberta today. If we had invested and allowed indigenous people the jurisdiction and the resources to do what traditional wildland firefighting looks like, we would not have had this issue; we would stand a chance.

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Hon. Kamal Khera (Minister of Seniors, Lib.)

Jun/5/23 10:31:52 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, before I begin, I would like to inform you that I will be sharing my time with the member for Sudbury. I would like to acknowledge that I rise in my place here on the traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people. I am very pleased to be able to join in the emergency debate on the wildfire situation in Canada. I want to begin with two important messages, as these are top of mind for me and, I suspect, for all those here today. First, for all those affected by the wildfires burning across the country, whether they have had to evacuate their home, experienced the loss of a pet or property or had their life upended in some way, I want them to know that the Government of Canada is with them. We are working hard to provide help where it is needed. Second, for the brave workers and volunteers fighting these fires, whether on the front lines as firefighters, police, search and rescue personnel or members of the Canadian Armed Forces, or behind the scenes as dispatchers or staff, we are beyond grateful for their heroic work. To put things in perspective, as of June 5, which is today, there have already been 2,214 wildfires nationally; approximately 3.3 million hectares have been burnt. We are already in the thick of another severe wildfire season. In many areas, the season is shaping up to be historic. Resources are already stretched to their limits and beyond. I know that many Canadians are understandably concerned and wondering how the Government of Canada is responding. Emergencies like these are, of course, first managed at a municipal level. If they begin to escalate, municipalities may request assistance from their province or territory. In turn, if the situation continues to deteriorate, provinces and territories may then submit requests for federal assistance, or RFAs. These are initiated when an emergency event overwhelms or threatens to overwhelm the resources of a province or territory, and additional federal resources are needed to support the impacted region. Once an RFA is received, the government operations centre leaps into action to coordinate the response, including consultation with provinces or territories and all implicated departments. We received RFAs from the Province of Alberta on May 10 and May 27, from Nova Scotia on May 31 and from Quebec on June 3. We were asked to help with the severe situations under way in these provinces. All these requests were approved. In Alberta, the Government of Canada has provided resources, including Canadian Armed Forces resources, for an initial period of two weeks, with a possible one-week extension. CAF resources in Alberta include firefighting personnel; airlift resources for tasks that include evacuation of isolated communities; and engineering support, including heavy equipment. There are roughly 150 soldiers in total currently deployed in support of firefighting tasks in the Fox Creek region and Fort Chipewyan. The Government of Canada is also providing resources from numerous departments, including contracting support for supplies and logistics, RCMP response and law enforcement, enhanced Service Canada hours, mobile outreach support and much more. The CAF resources are also being deployed to Nova Scotia for an initial period of three weeks, with a possible one-week extension. An immediate response unit from Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, New Brunswick, is also available to assist with basic firefighting. Other supports are similar to those being offered to the Province of Alberta, as well as additional air-quality monitoring capacity, deployment of response personnel and assets from the Canadian Coast Guard, support for affected first nations through the emergency management assistance program, and more. In Quebec, there are now 150 soldiers deployed to the Sept-Îles region to assist with firefighting activities. The Canadian Red Cross and other non-governmental organizations are actively deployed in multiple regions across the country, providing support as needed. In addition to our robust, efficient response on the ground to these emergent situations, we are also undertaking donation-matching programs to further provide financial assistance and encourage the same from Canadians. We are partnered with the provinces of Alberta and Nova Scotia and the Canadian Red Cross to match donations and to help provide relief to the most severely impacted communities and families in these areas. Thus far, the campaign in Alberta has already raised $20 million. We are also implementing a donation-matching initiative with the Northwest Territories and the United Way to support relief and recovery efforts in several communities. Canadians, as we all know, are known for their selflessness and generosity for a reason, and I have no doubt that they will step up in a big way with donations for their neighbours. I have just provided an overview of our immediate response to the emergency situations under way across the country. Fighting these fires and addressing their immediate impacts is no small task, but it is only one small part of a disaster response. We know that even after the smoke clears, there lies before us a very long recovery. That is why we have programs, such as the disaster financial assistance arrangements, or DFAA, whereby the federal government provides post-disaster relief supports to provincial and territorial governments, about $7.9 billion since the inception of the program in 1970, in fact. The Government of Canada can also cover up to 90% of costs, but provinces and territories have full say over the design and delivery of their recovery plans. Eligible costs might include evacuation, emergency shelter, repairs to public buildings or infrastructure, removal of hazardous material and, of course, repairs to individual homes, small businesses or farms. We know that recovery is not always easy, but we are here to help with financial, tactical and practical support. I want Canadians to know that all governments and partners are working together with their safety in mind and with a high degree of co-operation. As we head into summer across the country, we are seeing hot, dry conditions, and that has led to very active wildfire conditions across central, eastern and western Canada. There are 413 current wildfires burning. As we continue to see an influx of firefighters and resource-sharing right across the country, I would like to once again take an opportunity to thank all of our partners, indigenous communities, federal, provincial and international counterparts, for their excellent co-operation. We maintain continuous communication, and impacts on communities are being monitored on a 24-7 basis. Once again, we are grateful for the tireless work of Canadian firefighters on the front lines, behind the scenes and in the hearts of our communities. I thank them, all our partners and Canadians, for staying safe and stepping up to help. To all the Canadians who are impacted by these wildfires, I want them to know that we will continue to be there for them.

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Mr. Gord Johns (Courtenay—Alberni, NDP)

Jun/5/23 10:40:50 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-310

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the minister for her work on the emergency that we are in. I also want to thank my colleague from South Okanagan—West Kootenay for calling for this important debate today. The Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs just wrote an op-ed in The Globe and Mail yesterday and cited how Canada is becoming more and more reliant on over 90,000 volunteer firefighters. It also highlighted in its op-ed that, number one, it wants to make sure that the government sends a clear message to firefighters that they are needed, valued and appreciated. It highlighted that the tax benefit for firefighters who do over 200 hours of volunteer work get about a $450 benefit. They get a $3,000 tax threshold relief. They have been calling for that relief threshold to be raised from $3,000 to $10,000, and the right thing would be to support this. It is identified in my private member's bill, Bill C-310. Will the government support what is really a small token given the inflationary costs and the costs on firefighters? They are being stretched to the max. Some of them are working right now. On top of the normal work they do, they also fight wildfires. Will the government honour this ask?

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Hon. Kamal Khera

Jun/5/23 10:42:29 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I think that every single member in this House joins us in first and foremost giving thanks to firefighters right across this country for stepping up every single day in and day out, but particularly during these unprecedented times. I know that all members in this House want to continue to support firefighters. My hon. colleague, the deputy House leader, has been a champion in our caucus to make sure that we continue to support firefighters and that all brave men and women in uniform will continue to have our support, with her private member's bill. This is an unprecedented time. As we have done before as the government, we will continue to support all members of communities but particularly those who are risking their lives every single day to keep us safe.

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Ms. Kristina Michaud (Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, BQ)

Jun/5/23 10:43:30 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, earlier this evening, I had the opportunity to personally thank the Minister of Emergency Preparedness, who has been providing the opposition parties with daily updates on the situation in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada. We are very grateful for that. When Minister Bonnardel requested federal assistance, the federal government was quick to respond. That is reassuring. What is not so reassuring, however, is to hear the Canadian Prime Minister and the Quebec premier say that the current situation could continue throughout the summer. This is an abnormal situation that will become increasingly normal. The local authorities and the provinces are doing an extraordinary job, and I think the federal government's role is to lend its support where necessary. However, if this situation does become increasingly normal, does the federal government even currently have the capacity and resources to support the provinces?

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Hon. Kamal Khera

Jun/5/23 10:44:29 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, this has been an all-hands-on-deck approach. We are working in very close collaboration with municipalities, provinces and territories. We are closely following the wildfires across Quebec. We have been in touch with, of course, the province to ensure that they have all the support that they need. Following requests from the province, we have approved the deployment of Canadian Armed Forces to assist in that response. Officials are also continuing to assess where further available federal resources will be needed. We know that this has been and will continue to be a very challenging wildfire situation across the country. As in the past, the Minister of Emergency Preparedness has been working very much in collaboration with members of this House to make sure that they are informed of all the decisions that we are making and to make sure that they have all the resources and tools needed. This is an all-hands-on-deck approach and we are going to continue to support those communities wherever needed.

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Ms. Viviane Lapointe (Sudbury, Lib.)

Jun/5/23 10:45:43 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to stand in this House and speak on this urgent emergency. Let me begin by recognizing the incredibly hard work of firefighters and first responders across the country. They have been on the ground fighting these wildfires for days and weeks, working around the clock to keep their communities safe. Today, and every day, we are deeply grateful for their efforts. We are asking everyone to please keep an emergency kit ready and important documents by the door. If an evacuation is ordered, please follow that direction. If someone has already experienced the unimaginable loss of your home, prized possessions and memories our thoughts are with them. We stand with them at this difficult time and we will continue to work with all partners to ensure everyone affected has the support they need. As a society we have used this word a lot the past few years, but Canada is facing a truly unprecedented wildfire season. Over 3.3 million hectares of land have burned across Canada. That is larger than the entire country of Belgium. It is just under six Prince Edward Islands. As of June 4, across the country there are 413 wildfires burning, 249 of them are out of control. There have been 2,214 fires to date. The 10-year average for this time of the year is 1,671 fires. We are in constant communication with our federal and provincial partners, including indigenous communities. The impacts on the communities are monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As we stand ready to support any province and territory that seeks federal funding, including facilitating the movement of firefighters within Canada or from international allies or other federal supports, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, or CIFFC, leads coordination of firefighting support across all jurisdictions in Canada. CIFFC is an independent agency. The federal government supports its work with a $1.2-million annual grant, and NRCan's experts provide data and advice throughout the fire season. This agency has facilitated the movement of hundreds of firefighters and firefighting equipment between provinces and territories so far this year. Firefighting support is also brought in from allies like the United States, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. We have also authorized the deployment of Canadian Armed Forces in three provinces at their request: Alberta, Quebec and Nova Scotia. While their tasks differ slightly depending on each province's identified needs, support includes helping with fire turnover, mop up, hot-spot dousing as well as logistics and planning support. For the jurisdictions that requested it, airlift capacity is also available in case of urgent evacuations. However, federal support does not stop there. We are taking a whole-of-government approach to this emergency. When our provincial and territorial counterparts ask for help, it is all hands on deck. Indigenous communities on reserve, which can be particularly vulnerable to wildfires and other natural disasters, are supported during emergencies through Indigenous Services Canada's emergency management assistance program. ISC works with communities on reserve and can help pay for both response and the rebuilding costs incurred when there is a wildfire evacuation. The Canadian Coast Guard has made personnel and equipment available. This includes helicopter assistance, as requested and based on asset availability, to transport essential supplies in and out of affected regions, as well as the transportation of people for non-emergency but necessary movement. ESDC and Service Canada are working hand in hand to ensure those affected by wildfires have access to federal services and benefits. We are prepared to offer emergency contracting support for goods, services and temporary accommodations. Our government has also agreed to match donations made to the Canadian Red Cross's response in Alberta and Nova Scotia and to the United Way's response to the Northwest Territories. With the respective provinces' and territories' support, this means that every dollar will be turned into three for those who need it most. These are just a few examples of the federal resources that have been activated or are ready to respond to provincial and territorial requests. Also, we are always prepared to work with our counterparts to address any gaps that arise and pose a potential risk to Canadians. I will note that our work will not end once the fires have been extinguished. Through the disaster financial assistance arrangements, the federal government is able to provide extensive financial support to provincial and territorial governments in the aftermath of large-scale natural disasters. When Fort McMurray experienced the devastating wildfire season in 2016, for example, we provided over $374 million to support the recovery. We are prepared to work with all provinces and territories that seek support through this program as they rebuild. This is an issue that goes beyond partisanship. Excellent work is being done across the country at all levels of government. In this emergency, we are all focused on what matters most: the safety of everyone in Canada. As we move into summer and the rest of wildfire season, we will continue to put Canadians first.

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