Mr. Speaker, communities across New Brunswick are feeling the impact of springtime floods. This year, flooding along the Saint John River has once again reached historic levels. Last week, in Fredericton alone, the water level caused the closure of much of the downtown.
Offices, schools and streets have all been closed. Nearly 500 people were forced to leave their homes. We thank the first responders, the members of the Canadian Armed Forces and particularly the volunteers, who are working hard to keep us safe and secure.
Our government stands shoulder to shoulder with the communities affected. We will cover the cost of deploying Canadian troops, because we know their work at home is as valuable and vital as it is abroad.
We are working together to solve the immediate problems caused by this flood, but we are also looking at the long term. These record floods and their frequency are not a coincidence. They are the result of climate change. We are working to mitigate their damage and ensure future generations do not need to bear their terrible burden.