Mr. Speaker, the fight against opioids, fentanyl and homelessness has been a grim experience for people in the north, and every day we are losing people to overdoses. However, I want to speak of an incredible initiative that is bringing hope and saving lives.
The Fire Keeper Patrol is a mobile team working 24/7 on the streets of Timmins to help the indigenous homeless who all too often fall through the cracks. The fire keepers are acting on an initiative of the Mushkegowuk Council, working in partnership with the City of Timmins, Living Space, DSSAB and the front-line workers who have been keeping people alive through this crisis.
I was approached by the fire keepers about making their dream a reality, so my office got down to work. We got them the funding so we could get the resources deployed on the streets of Timmins.
We have a long way to go in dealing with the nightmare of opioid addiction and homelessness. We need more treatment facilities. We need the feds to actually put in place a national housing strategy.
However I want to thank the members of the fire keepers because their work will keep people alive and they will keep the citizens of Timmins safe. That is really important at this time.