Thank you very much, Mr. Champoux.
Honestly, I was not expecting it. I was really surprised by the tremendous amount of support that I have received not only in the House of Commons, but also from everywhere in Canada, and even in the United States. Americans have contacted me to say that they, too wanted to talk about the fact that the profession of firefighting has inherent health risks.
Often, people understand perfectly well that firefighters are at a greater risk of contracting lung cancer because of the smoke exposure, but there are also many other types of cancer that are linked to the job. When I was doing my research, I contacted many firefighters from all regions to get their advice. I even had the opportunity to work with chiefs from the International Association of Fire Fighters. Honestly, I was really touched by the fact that people were ready to come and see me to talk about their own situation. Some people told me very personal things. And yet, as Mr. Lewis stated, very often the guys do not want to talk about their injuries, which are not only physical, but also psychological. I was therefore very touched that people came to talk to me about their personal circumstances, for example the death of a fellow firefighter due to a type of cancer which was work-related.