Mr. Speaker, last night, a massive blaze broke out at Speedway International in St. Boniface.
The chemical fire spread quickly and led to the evacuation of a number of businesses and nearly 100 residents. Huge fireballs and explosions could be seen and heard across Winnipeg. Reports say that, at one point, the fire was so hot that it needed to be left to burn itself out before firefighters could take any action. Thankfully, there have been no reports of serious injuries.
Our first responders consistently put themselves in harm's way to protect their fellow Canadians.
On behalf of our government, I would like to thank the 55 firefighters and police officers who were on the scene throughout the night.
My thoughts and prayers are also with Speedway International's owners and employees as they cope with this devastating loss and look to the future.