Mr. Blaine Wiggins (Executive Director, Aboriginal Firefighters Association of Canada) at the Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee

Good afternoon, and thank you for having us here.

Again, I'd like to acknowledge the unceded territory of the Algonquin people.

My name is Blaine Wiggins. I am a Tyendinaga Mohawk from the Bay of Quinte and also the executive director for the Aboriginal Firefighters Association of Canada. I live in a small community just north of Williams Lake, B.C., so I've had some first-hand experience as a community member, a volunteer firefighter, a professional emergency service practitioner, and an evacuee during the fire season.

I'd like to introduce our president, Arnold Lazare.