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House Hansard - 45

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
March 24, 2022 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 45 - Mar/24/22
Mr. Brad Vis (Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, CPC)
  • Mar/24/22 10:10:19 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, each year, British Columbia faces numerous wildfires that devastate communities and wildlife. With every wildfire, lumber prices, job availability, the risk of mill closures, mudslides, home insurance increases and damage to critical habitat are all affected. During the Lytton fire, residents were told to stay away and not try to put out fires as water bombers were coming. In many cases, those water bombers never arrived. In Ontario, there is an all-hazards agency that manages fires, floods and slides. This type of agency is desperately needed in B.C. I rise today to present a petition on behalf of constituents in Lillooet, spearheaded by Councillor Laurie Hopfl, calling on the federal and provincial governments to work together on better forest management and fire prevention policies. We need to empower local residents, indigenous communities, ranchers, industry, firefighters and forestry workers who have the knowledge of the land to manage their forests and prevent future disasters. My riding has probably faced more natural disasters than any riding in the entire country, and my constituents, in good faith, are looking for more assistance and innovative policies to address these critical challenges we face.
193 words
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