Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to thousands of men and women across northern Canada who are fighting forest fires. All Canadians owe a great debt of gratitude for their courage, discipline and resourcefulness.
In Churchill River hundreds are fighting fires in northwestern Saskatchewan communities such as Île-à-la Crosse, Buffalo Narrows and La Loche. In northern Alberta they protected Swan Hills. In the Yukon they are fighting fires around Haines Junction and Whitehorse.
The federal government should recognize the valuable resources available across Canada to meet the challenges of natural disasters. As a nation we have faced many tragedies, like the Manitoba flood and the ice storms of 1998. These disasters could be addressed by the firefighters of northern Canada.
Today I extend thanks to all the firefighters in northern Canada for protecting our communities.