44th Parl. 1st Sess.

November 9, 2023 10:00AM

Ms. Lisa Hepfner (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, Lib.)

Nov/9/23 5:40:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would first like to recognize and thank all firefighters, NGOs, CAF members and the public servants at the municipal, provincial and federal level who worked tirelessly to make sure that Canadians were safe. Together, they have faced the worst wildfire season ever recorded in Canada. More than 6,000 wildland fires burned more than 18 million hectares of land in Canada, but more importantly, they have forced more than 230,000 Canadians out of their homes. These Canadians now join the thousands affected by extreme weather events who have seen first-hand how the dire effects of climate change have destroyed communities and livelihoods. This summer, our government came through for Canadians. When provinces were confronted with situations they could not face alone, we deployed the necessary resources to ensure the safety of everyone. During this year's wildfire season, the Government of Canada received requests for assistance related to wildfire situations in Nova Scotia, Quebec, Alberta, Ontario, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. To help the provinces, we deployed the Canadian Armed Forces to assist in firefighting with on-the-ground resources and provided airlift capacity for the safe transport of evacuees, but our support involved multiple federal departments that proudly engaged in assisting Canadians, such as Employment and Social Development Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada, the RCMP, the Canadian Coast Guard, Health Canada, Parks Canada, Indigenous Services Canada, and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, just to make sure all hands were on deck to help Canadians through the difficult times. Climate change is putting an ever-growing strain on the finances of Canadians, but they can rest assured that, when disaster strikes, their federal government will be there for them. Through the disaster financial assistance arrangements, we can cover up to 90% of the cost of evacuation operations, restoring public works and infrastructure, as well as replacing or repairing basic, essential personal property of individuals, small businesses and farmsteads. We know that these climate-related hazards pose significant risks to the safety of Canadians, as well as to our economy and our natural environment. We will continue to work with our provincial and territorial partners, indigenous organizations and non-governmental partners to strengthen Canada's ability to assess risks, mitigate the effects of disasters, prepare for them, respond to them and recover from them. I would like to thank the member for her ideas on a new standing committee, which I am sure the government will consider.

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