Mr. Speaker, this past weekend, a vital link between Canada and the United States was closed for several hours as a result of what was thought to be a spill of hazardous material. The good news is that it only turned out to be mace.
This effectively shut down the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls on one of the busiest weekends for border crossings and traffic had to be rerouted to other crossings. The bridge was closed for over five hours.
Niagara firefighters were one of the first on the scene followed by hazardous material cleanup teams. Four people were decontaminated as a precautionary measure before they were taken to hospital and emergency workers checked out 34 others.
In her most recent report, the Auditor General raised a concern regarding the lack of appropriate training for first line responders to emergency situations such as this.
This weekend's event is just one example as to why the government must adequately fund first line responders. These individuals risk their lives on a daily basis to protect all Canadians. We must be proactive to ensure Canadians receive the best protection possible by supporting our first line responders.