SoVote

Ms. Viviane Lapointe (Sudbury, Lib.)

Jun/5/23 10:45:43 p.m.
Watch

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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Context: House Hansard - 206 - Jun/5/23

Ms. Viviane Lapointe

Jun/5/23 10:52:47 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, we are doing many things. One of the things we are doing is investing to train more community-based firefighters across the country this season. That includes 300 indigenous firefighters and 125 indigenous fire guardians. We are also receiving hundreds of firefighters from other countries to support our efforts over the coming days and weeks. It is a multipronged approach, and it is something we continue to gauge and respond to as the needs vary through this emergency situation.

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Context: House Hansard - 206 - Jun/5/23

Ms. Viviane Lapointe

Jun/5/23 10:54:14 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question and his comments on Sudbury. We know that the fires can have an impact on health and air quality for Canadians. That is very important. I know that we are working closely with the leaders in our health care system who are monitoring the situation and giving a lot of advice to those who are affected by the smoke.

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Context: House Hansard - 206 - Jun/5/23

Ms. Viviane Lapointe

Jun/5/23 10:55:47 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, we know that the situation today has been caused greatly by global warming, which creates higher temperatures and more dry fuel available to burn, which results in more persistent hot and dry weather. That leads to fires that intensify and spread much faster. That is why it is our important that our plans and our ability to manage these situations need to evolve. We have seen the evacuations of tens of thousands of Canadians across the country. We need to keep evolving our plans. As our expertise grows, so does that of the people who are responding, as well as the policymakers who are supporting them in the work that they do.

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