Good morning, Speaker. Back in May, I tabled the Captain Craig Bowman Act, which, if passed, would change Workplace Safety and Insurance Board regulations to ensure more firefighters have access to cancer care coverage.

Captain Craig Bowman was a professional firefighter for the city of Welland for 20 years, and a volunteer firefighter for the city of Thorold for nearly three years. Captain Bowman passed away Sunday, May 21, 2023 from stage 4 esophageal cancer. He went to the doctor about a sore back. An ultrasound revealed lesions on his liver. Further testing led to the heartbreaking news of his advanced cancer. He had no family history of cancer.

Firefighters face a number of health hazards as they work to keep our communities safe. They put their lives and health on the line for us every day. I’m honoured to bring forth legislation that will help them navigate these hazards and improve access to insurance coverage for their families.

This is not a partisan issue and should not be a political issue. After I brought this bill forward, the former Minister of Labour personally promised the Bowman family he would act on this. Nothing would make me happier than for the new minister to work with me to pass legislation to get justice for the Bowman family and all firefighters.