Debates of June 5th, 2023

Wildfires in Canada

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for the question, because it is one I was hoping to be asked. I hope to provide a good response to it on behalf of the many indigenous people who have provided me with the lessons, history and knowledge that go hand in hand with the prevention of these terrible disasters.

In the boreal forest of Treaty 8, Treaty 10 and Treaty 11 territories, there is a tradition of prescribed burns, where indigenous people burn x amount of land in order to prevent an even greater fire from being produced. Without prescribed burns, this fuel gathers, builds and becomes dangerous. That is exactly what happened when we banned the ability of first nations and Métis communities to have prescribed burns; unfortunately, this is still a reality in Canada. If we want to ensure that indigenous people get to the point of restoring the lands, which they have done for thousands of years, we have to make sure that we listen and get laws out of the way that are currently prohibiting indigenous people from practising the traditional ecological work they are supposed to do.

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Madam Speaker, could the member for Edmonton Griesbach, as an indigenous leader in this place, elaborate on how differently we would be approaching wildfires and the climate crisis if we were to centre indigenous knowledge and wisdom in doing so?

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for that question, because it is something that we often do not have the opportunity to speak about in this place. Indigenous people have long stewarded Turtle Island, North America, when catastrophes happen, from floods to natural disasters, such as forest fires, as well as huge, immense, prolonged winters.

We have a history, stories and knowledge. The history that is present here and that we often talk about is short. It is a small piece of what Canada is. Canada is an immensely ancient place, a place with tradition and knowledge. Indigenous people have been installed in a position to care for and administer this.

We know about prescribed burns. When we take care of forest fires at a low-risk level by destroying the fuel in the forest early, rather than stacking it up by banning prescribed burns, then we deal with what would become a much worse fire, which is what we are seeing in Alberta today. If we had invested and allowed indigenous people the jurisdiction and the resources to do what traditional wildland firefighting looks like, we would not have had this issue; we would stand a chance.

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Minister of Seniors]

Madam Speaker, before I begin, I would like to inform you that I will be sharing my time with the member for Sudbury.

I would like to acknowledge that I rise in my place here on the traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people. I am very pleased to be able to join in the emergency debate on the wildfire situation in Canada.

I want to begin with two important messages, as these are top of mind for me and, I suspect, for all those here today. First, for all those affected by the wildfires burning across the country, whether they have had to evacuate their home, experienced the loss of a pet or property or had their life upended in some way, I want them to know that the Government of Canada is with them. We are working hard to provide help where it is needed. Second, for the brave workers and volunteers fighting these fires, whether on the front lines as firefighters, police, search and rescue personnel or members of the Canadian Armed Forces, or behind the scenes as dispatchers or staff, we are beyond grateful for their heroic work.

To put things in perspective, as of June 5, which is today, there have already been 2,214 wildfires nationally; approximately 3.3 million hectares have been burnt. We are already in the thick of another severe wildfire season. In many areas, the season is shaping up to be historic. Resources are already stretched to their limits and beyond. I know that many Canadians are understandably concerned and wondering how the Government of Canada is responding.

Emergencies like these are, of course, first managed at a municipal level. If they begin to escalate, municipalities may request assistance from their province or territory. In turn, if the situation continues to deteriorate, provinces and territories may then submit requests for federal assistance, or RFAs. These are initiated when an emergency event overwhelms or threatens to overwhelm the resources of a province or territory, and additional federal resources are needed to support the impacted region.

Once an RFA is received, the government operations centre leaps into action to coordinate the response, including consultation with provinces or territories and all implicated departments. We received RFAs from the Province of Alberta on May 10 and May 27, from Nova Scotia on May 31 and from Quebec on June 3. We were asked to help with the severe situations under way in these provinces. All these requests were approved.

In Alberta, the Government of Canada has provided resources, including Canadian Armed Forces resources, for an initial period of two weeks, with a possible one-week extension. CAF resources in Alberta include firefighting personnel; airlift resources for tasks that include evacuation of isolated communities; and engineering support, including heavy equipment. There are roughly 150 soldiers in total currently deployed in support of firefighting tasks in the Fox Creek region and Fort Chipewyan. The Government of Canada is also providing resources from numerous departments, including contracting support for supplies and logistics, RCMP response and law enforcement, enhanced Service Canada hours, mobile outreach support and much more.

The CAF resources are also being deployed to Nova Scotia for an initial period of three weeks, with a possible one-week extension. An immediate response unit from Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, New Brunswick, is also available to assist with basic firefighting. Other supports are similar to those being offered to the Province of Alberta, as well as additional air-quality monitoring capacity, deployment of response personnel and assets from the Canadian Coast Guard, support for affected first nations through the emergency management assistance program, and more.

In Quebec, there are now 150 soldiers deployed to the Sept-Îles region to assist with firefighting activities. The Canadian Red Cross and other non-governmental organizations are actively deployed in multiple regions across the country, providing support as needed.

In addition to our robust, efficient response on the ground to these emergent situations, we are also undertaking donation-matching programs to further provide financial assistance and encourage the same from Canadians. We are partnered with the provinces of Alberta and Nova Scotia and the Canadian Red Cross to match donations and to help provide relief to the most severely impacted communities and families in these areas. Thus far, the campaign in Alberta has already raised $20 million.

We are also implementing a donation-matching initiative with the Northwest Territories and the United Way to support relief and recovery efforts in several communities. Canadians, as we all know, are known for their selflessness and generosity for a reason, and I have no doubt that they will step up in a big way with donations for their neighbours.

I have just provided an overview of our immediate response to the emergency situations under way across the country. Fighting these fires and addressing their immediate impacts is no small task, but it is only one small part of a disaster response. We know that even after the smoke clears, there lies before us a very long recovery. That is why we have programs, such as the disaster financial assistance arrangements, or DFAA, whereby the federal government provides post-disaster relief supports to provincial and territorial governments, about $7.9 billion since the inception of the program in 1970, in fact.

The Government of Canada can also cover up to 90% of costs, but provinces and territories have full say over the design and delivery of their recovery plans. Eligible costs might include evacuation, emergency shelter, repairs to public buildings or infrastructure, removal of hazardous material and, of course, repairs to individual homes, small businesses or farms. We know that recovery is not always easy, but we are here to help with financial, tactical and practical support. I want Canadians to know that all governments and partners are working together with their safety in mind and with a high degree of co-operation.

As we head into summer across the country, we are seeing hot, dry conditions, and that has led to very active wildfire conditions across central, eastern and western Canada. There are 413 current wildfires burning. As we continue to see an influx of firefighters and resource-sharing right across the country, I would like to once again take an opportunity to thank all of our partners, indigenous communities, federal, provincial and international counterparts, for their excellent co-operation. We maintain continuous communication, and impacts on communities are being monitored on a 24-7 basis.

Once again, we are grateful for the tireless work of Canadian firefighters on the front lines, behind the scenes and in the hearts of our communities. I thank them, all our partners and Canadians, for staying safe and stepping up to help. To all the Canadians who are impacted by these wildfires, I want them to know that we will continue to be there for them.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the minister for her work on the emergency that we are in. I also want to thank my colleague from South Okanagan—West Kootenay for calling for this important debate today.

The Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs just wrote an op-ed in The Globe and Mail yesterday and cited how Canada is becoming more and more reliant on over 90,000 volunteer firefighters. It also highlighted in its op-ed that, number one, it wants to make sure that the government sends a clear message to firefighters that they are needed, valued and appreciated. It highlighted that the tax benefit for firefighters who do over 200 hours of volunteer work get about a $450 benefit. They get a $3,000 tax threshold relief. They have been calling for that relief threshold to be raised from $3,000 to $10,000, and the right thing would be to support this. It is identified in my private member's bill, Bill C-310.

Will the government support what is really a small token given the inflationary costs and the costs on firefighters? They are being stretched to the max. Some of them are working right now. On top of the normal work they do, they also fight wildfires. Will the government honour this ask?

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

Madam Speaker, I think that every single member in this House joins us in first and foremost giving thanks to firefighters right across this country for stepping up every single day in and day out, but particularly during these unprecedented times. I know that all members in this House want to continue to support firefighters.

My hon. colleague, the deputy House leader, has been a champion in our caucus to make sure that we continue to support firefighters and that all brave men and women in uniform will continue to have our support, with her private member's bill.

This is an unprecedented time. As we have done before as the government, we will continue to support all members of communities but particularly those who are risking their lives every single day to keep us safe.

[Kristina Michaud, Bloc, Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Madam Speaker, earlier this evening, I had the opportunity to personally thank the Minister of Emergency Preparedness, who has been providing the opposition parties with daily updates on the situation in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada. We are very grateful for that. When Minister Bonnardel requested federal assistance, the federal government was quick to respond. That is reassuring.

What is not so reassuring, however, is to hear the Canadian Prime Minister and the Quebec premier say that the current situation could continue throughout the summer. This is an abnormal situation that will become increasingly normal. The local authorities and the provinces are doing an extraordinary job, and I think the federal government's role is to lend its support where necessary.

However, if this situation does become increasingly normal, does the federal government even currently have the capacity and resources to support the provinces?

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

Madam Speaker, this has been an all-hands-on-deck approach. We are working in very close collaboration with municipalities, provinces and territories.

We are closely following the wildfires across Quebec. We have been in touch with, of course, the province to ensure that they have all the support that they need. Following requests from the province, we have approved the deployment of Canadian Armed Forces to assist in that response. Officials are also continuing to assess where further available federal resources will be needed.

We know that this has been and will continue to be a very challenging wildfire situation across the country. As in the past, the Minister of Emergency Preparedness has been working very much in collaboration with members of this House to make sure that they are informed of all the decisions that we are making and to make sure that they have all the resources and tools needed.

This is an all-hands-on-deck approach and we are going to continue to support those communities wherever needed.

[Viviane LaPointe, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to stand in this House and speak on this urgent emergency.

Let me begin by recognizing the incredibly hard work of firefighters and first responders across the country. They have been on the ground fighting these wildfires for days and weeks, working around the clock to keep their communities safe. Today, and every day, we are deeply grateful for their efforts.

We are asking everyone to please keep an emergency kit ready and important documents by the door. If an evacuation is ordered, please follow that direction. If someone has already experienced the unimaginable loss of your home, prized possessions and memories our thoughts are with them. We stand with them at this difficult time and we will continue to work with all partners to ensure everyone affected has the support they need.

As a society we have used this word a lot the past few years, but Canada is facing a truly unprecedented wildfire season. Over 3.3 million hectares of land have burned across Canada. That is larger than the entire country of Belgium. It is just under six Prince Edward Islands. As of June 4, across the country there are 413 wildfires burning, 249 of them are out of control. There have been 2,214 fires to date. The 10-year average for this time of the year is 1,671 fires.

We are in constant communication with our federal and provincial partners, including indigenous communities. The impacts on the communities are monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

As we stand ready to support any province and territory that seeks federal funding, including facilitating the movement of firefighters within Canada or from international allies or other federal supports, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, or CIFFC, leads coordination of firefighting support across all jurisdictions in Canada. CIFFC is an independent agency. The federal government supports its work with a $1.2-million annual grant, and NRCan's experts provide data and advice throughout the fire season. This agency has facilitated the movement of hundreds of firefighters and firefighting equipment between provinces and territories so far this year.

Firefighting support is also brought in from allies like the United States, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. We have also authorized the deployment of Canadian Armed Forces in three provinces at their request: Alberta, Quebec and Nova Scotia. While their tasks differ slightly depending on each province's identified needs, support includes helping with fire turnover, mop up, hot-spot dousing as well as logistics and planning support. For the jurisdictions that requested it, airlift capacity is also available in case of urgent evacuations.

However, federal support does not stop there. We are taking a whole-of-government approach to this emergency. When our provincial and territorial counterparts ask for help, it is all hands on deck. Indigenous communities on reserve, which can be particularly vulnerable to wildfires and other natural disasters, are supported during emergencies through Indigenous Services Canada's emergency management assistance program. ISC works with communities on reserve and can help pay for both response and the rebuilding costs incurred when there is a wildfire evacuation.

The Canadian Coast Guard has made personnel and equipment available. This includes helicopter assistance, as requested and based on asset availability, to transport essential supplies in and out of affected regions, as well as the transportation of people for non-emergency but necessary movement.

ESDC and Service Canada are working hand in hand to ensure those affected by wildfires have access to federal services and benefits. We are prepared to offer emergency contracting support for goods, services and temporary accommodations.

Our government has also agreed to match donations made to the Canadian Red Cross's response in Alberta and Nova Scotia and to the United Way's response to the Northwest Territories. With the respective provinces' and territories' support, this means that every dollar will be turned into three for those who need it most.

These are just a few examples of the federal resources that have been activated or are ready to respond to provincial and territorial requests. Also, we are always prepared to work with our counterparts to address any gaps that arise and pose a potential risk to Canadians.

I will note that our work will not end once the fires have been extinguished. Through the disaster financial assistance arrangements, the federal government is able to provide extensive financial support to provincial and territorial governments in the aftermath of large-scale natural disasters. When Fort McMurray experienced the devastating wildfire season in 2016, for example, we provided over $374 million to support the recovery. We are prepared to work with all provinces and territories that seek support through this program as they rebuild.

This is an issue that goes beyond partisanship. Excellent work is being done across the country at all levels of government. In this emergency, we are all focused on what matters most: the safety of everyone in Canada. As we move into summer and the rest of wildfire season, we will continue to put Canadians first.

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Madam Speaker, the member gave a good overview of the federal contributions to wildfire fighting in Canada.

In my speech, I mentioned the fact that a growing number of experts, including Mike Flannigan, have been calling for the formation of a dedicated firefighting service in Canada; something that would complement what the armed forces do, but people who are specifically trained for this. He suggested maybe 20 teams of 20 each, which is about how many people we bring in from other countries every fire season. I am wondering if the member could comment on that idea, which would be available to all provinces as needed.

[Viviane LaPointe, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

Madam Speaker, we are doing many things.

One of the things we are doing is investing to train more community-based firefighters across the country this season. That includes 300 indigenous firefighters and 125 indigenous fire guardians. We are also receiving hundreds of firefighters from other countries to support our efforts over the coming days and weeks.

It is a multipronged approach, and it is something we continue to gauge and respond to as the needs vary through this emergency situation.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Sudbury for her speech and her concern. Sudbury is like the Rouyn-Noranda of Ontario. I feel like I know her riding almost by heart, even though it has been a number of years since I went to see the Big Nickel as a small child.

One of the issues that is of great concern to people in my region is air quality. I am sure the same is true in Sudbury. Even in places where are no fires, the air quality is clearly being affected. As bad as it was today in the Outaouais and Ottawa region, it was even worse at home over the weekend.

Are there any measures the government could take to improve air quality and ensure that it helps the most vulnerable people, especially seniors?

[Viviane LaPointe, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question and his comments on Sudbury.

We know that the fires can have an impact on health and air quality for Canadians. That is very important. I know that we are working closely with the leaders in our health care system who are monitoring the situation and giving a lot of advice to those who are affected by the smoke.

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Madam Speaker, I want to start by recognizing and appreciating the member for Sudbury and the federal government's response to deploy resources across the country, as well as its collaboration across parties.

I want to ask the member a question. She mentioned the term “all hands on deck”, and I think that is the response we have seen in this emergency. However, we also have to recognize that we did not just fall into this. It has been decades in the making. It is a climate crisis that is fuelling these wild fires. It is not one party. We have never had an “all hands on deck” response to this climate crisis.

Could the member reflect on the human condition of why it is that we are so much better at getting all hands on deck in emergencies than proactively ensuring that we do not end up in this place in the first place?

[Viviane LaPointe, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

Madam Speaker, we know that the situation today has been caused greatly by global warming, which creates higher temperatures and more dry fuel available to burn, which results in more persistent hot and dry weather. That leads to fires that intensify and spread much faster.

That is why it is our important that our plans and our ability to manage these situations need to evolve. We have seen the evacuations of tens of thousands of Canadians across the country. We need to keep evolving our plans. As our expertise grows, so does that of the people who are responding, as well as the policymakers who are supporting them in the work that they do.

[Richard Martel, Conservative, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for South Shore—St. Margarets.

I am usually pleased and honoured to rise in the House to speak. Often, I am called upon to speak to issues of the day. I am always grateful for the opportunity I have to speak out against things that I find unfair and to debate important issues. However, that is not the case tonight.

I am not at all happy to give this speech. I am sad, even. I have been very troubled and worried these past few days. I am, of course, talking about the wildfires that are raging across the country.

The wildfires have been the top news story for a few weeks now. The Government of Canada has never seen wildfires so early in the season. All these fires are having an unprecedented impact. If this unfortunate situation keeps up, Canada could see its worst wildfire season on record. All Canadians are worried about these wildfires. They are also worried about what will be left when this is all over.

In all, there are 400 active forest fires across Canada right now. Of those 400 fires, 155 are burning in Quebec. The surface area of the forest in Quebec is as large as France. In other words, the vast majority of our province is covered in forests and trees.

Let us consider the following: When the province is the victim of Mother Nature and we are struggling with these types of fires, it is a real environmental and human disaster. Fires are burning across the country. I am deeply saddened by this situation.

I want to talk about the regions of Quebec such as Saguenay and Abitibi that are experiencing the worst of the forest fires. An article on Radio-Canada this morning showed that Abitibi—Témiscamingue is the most affected region in Quebec. Schools will likely have to close tomorrow because the air quality has become too toxic. In fact, I want to commend the work of the member for Abitibi—Témiscamingue who is leaving this evening for Rouyn-Noranda. Everyone has to pull together in tough times like these.

The second most affected region is mine, Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean. I just came back from a weekend in my riding and people back home are really stressed out. There are currently 30 or so active fires in the region. Some are in my riding, but the majority are in the riding of my colleague, the member for Lac-Saint-Jean.

This is not an easy time for us as MPs, because we feel powerless in the face of disasters that are bigger than us. Citizens are coming to us for help. Sometimes those citizens have lost their homes or had to be evacuated.

The first fire to break out in my constituency was in Ferland‑et‑Boileau. As luck would have it, it started the day after celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the local forestry co-op. This small municipality is surrounded by trees, which put the residents particularly at risk. In all, 40 homes had to be evacuated because the situation had become too dangerous. Families were left homeless for several days. It is all very stressful for parents and children.

The second major fire took place in Rivière‑Éternité, near the Montagne à Adrien, a few days ago. Once again, the forests in this small municipality fell prey to the flames. Approximately 30 residents were evacuated.

Furthermore, Marie‑Médiatrice elementary school had to close for the day for safety reasons. Four water bombers and forest firefighters battled the fire for many hours. It was not easy to control the fire on the side of the mountain.

At present, fires are raging in the riding of my Bloc Québécois colleague, the member for Lac-Saint-Jean. A dozen fires are active in the ZEC Des Passes.

No emergency evacuation plan has been implemented, but the ZEC is ready in the event that a state of emergency is declared due to the smoke caused by the fire becoming thicker. The fire, located near Notre‑Dame‑de‑Lorette in Lac‑Saint‑Jean, covers more than 5,600 hectares of forest. It is the largest fire in the region.

The spokesperson for SOPFEU, Josée Poitras, mentioned that this fire is deemed to be “out of control”. This is a great concern but, luckily, this very competent organization provides an update of the situation every hour to limit the damage before intervening directly with methods to stop the destruction, such as fire lines.

Fortunately, there has been no loss of life reported from the forest fires burning at the moment. That is due to the excellent work of the forest firefighters.

I would like to commend them for their bravery and their extraordinary efforts. Of course I would also like to thank SOPFEU, whose mission is to protect the forest as well as the infrastructure. I would also like to once again thank all the personnel who provide assistance to disaster victims and ensure that citizens feel safe, despite the conditions. They are essential and indispensable in these times of crisis.

Not only do fires devastate the vegetation and the wildlife, but they also mess up the air. Air quality in much of the province will be affected. Many schools are having to close their doors, because the situation is critical.

Quebec has requested 480 firefighters, 30 command teams and four water bombers. Ottawa needs to listen to what Quebec is asking for, because our province is in a very bad situation right now. The federal government needs to make an unwavering commitment, and it must be based on what Quebec is asking for.

To Canadians across the country, I want to remind everyone how important it is to refrain from going into the woods unnecessarily, and especially to not start any fires at home. The danger is real. Everyone needs to appreciate how serious this crisis is and work together.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Madam Speaker, I want to begin by thanking my colleague from Chicoutimi—Le Fjord for his kind words and for standing in solidarity with all regions of Quebec. I thank him for his kind words about my colleague from Lac-Saint-Jean.

As he mentioned, now is the time to stand together. People in our communities are very anxious.

I would like the member to talk about coordination between public safety officials and the SOPFEU and how they are working on the ground. I would also like him to talk about the important role that we, as elected officials, can play as a liaison and the importance of communications and local media.

I would like the member to talk about how to get the message out and to share the necessary information to keep people safe.

[Richard Martel, Conservative, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Madam Speaker, I think it is very important to listen, to be present on the ground if the situation becomes more urgent, to talk to the mayors across our ridings and to be aware of everything that is happening. It is also important to know where the SOPFEU is at with its operations and so on.

I think those are very important things, but we also have to stay connected with the people and stakeholders in our region in all of this.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Madam Speaker, first, I want to thank my colleague for highlighting how the smoke and the air pollution are impacting people due to fires. In fact, we were just at the all-party climate caucus, where we had representatives of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. They highlighted that seven million people worldwide, and this is according to the World Health Association, are dying from air pollution. It is rivalling smoking, which is at eight million. It is also contributing to 18% of premature deaths. The impact is severe on human health.

We know we have to mitigate climate change, but actually putting out fires quickly is an important role and responsibility in doing that. Does my colleague agree that the federal government needs to ensure that we have equipment so we can tackle these fires quickly?

I think of Coulson Aviation, from my riding, which is fighting fires in Argentina and Australia. It works with the federal governments there to refit their aircraft. We know the Canadian military needs to have the right equipment if it is going to support provinces in need as we see fires pop up in different parts of the country.

[Richard Martel, Conservative, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for the very good question.

We see the importance of having adequate equipment when certain disasters happen or situations arise. The problem is that often the situation has not been anticipated, and we do not think about what equipment is needed when a disaster occurs. Of course, we must be very vigilant. My colleague is right. We must also be aware of the fact that climate change is real and we must all work together to reduce CO2 emissions.

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Madam Speaker, I would first like to say that my heart goes out to everyone in the riding of the member for Chicoutimi—Le Fjord who is affected by these forest fires.

However, I have to ask the member something. These fires are fuelled by the climate crisis and the member's party moved a motion earlier today to remove the most basic climate policy we have in this country, which is a price on pollution.

Does the member see a disconnect between his deep concern for his neighbours during this emergency and his party's motion earlier today, which would weaken our response to the climate crisis?

[Richard Martel, Conservative, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.

Of course we need to reduce CO₂ emissions, but we can do that with new technologies, not with a carbon tax. It is important to keep one other thing in mind. I would like to know what target the Liberals have met since coming to power. We often get fingers pointed at us, but it is important to look at what the Liberals have done. Canada ranks 58th out of 63 of the worst polluting countries.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Madam Speaker, we have heard some very good speeches tonight on this important issue. I would like to start by thanking the member for South Okanagan—West Kootenay for bringing this forward.

I would like to make more of a personal comment. I am not the first member of Parliament who has had to deal with wildfires in the riding, but two of the largest wildfires in Nova Scotia are in my riding, and one of them is still out of control. Therefore, I would just like to personalize this a bit with what the last eight days have been like in my province.

Going back to Sunday, May 28, two Sundays ago, as members of Parliament, most of us were either flying to Ottawa to come here to do our jobs, as we do every week, or we were preparing, like I was, to leave early on Monday morning. It was late in the afternoon of that Sunday when my phone started to go with an alert that there was a fire and an evacuation going on 10 minutes from my house.

There was a major fire in the community of Tantallon, which I am sure nobody in the House had ever heard of until eight days ago. It is a wonderful community up behind exit 5, as we call it, off the 103. It is the exit where people get off to go to Peggys Cove and St. Margarets Bay. It is a community of families and young families. There are three day cares there. There are a lot of retired folks, including quite a few retired RCMP and Canadian Armed Forces personnel, up there. There is an RCMP detachment in Tantallon, right there by the Sobeys. There is one street in and out of this subdivision, and it has no fire hydrants. On the back of it is the wilderness that is Nova Scotia. It is about a 15-minute drive from downtown Halifax.

That day, the wind was about 40 kilometres an hour in Nova Scotia. On the first evening of the evacuation on that Sunday, I went to the newly opened comfort centre in the Black Point fire hall, which is about 30 seconds from my house. It was opened quickly by one of the two volunteer managers of the community centre, Janet Fryday Dorey. As people streamed in, they were really just in a state of shock.

I talked to one couple who were sitting on their porch at about 3:30 in the afternoon having a beverage, as people tend to do after they have cut the lawn or done their chores on the weekend. They were sitting there and said that in so-and-so's back yard there was a fire going. Then the fire started to get bigger and within moments it had spread to their house and very quickly, because the winds were 40 kilometres an hour, it spread to the next house. The couple said, “We'd better get out of here”. They quickly got in their car and left. There was a roofer working on a roof next door who saw the fire happening, got off the roof and started to knock on people's doors to get them evacuated.

When they came in, they were saying they did not know what was happening, that their neighbourhood was on fire and they did not know where to go or what they would do. This was not a comfort centre where people could sleep. It did not have showers. Community members started to come in, saying, “I have a room” and “I have a place for somebody to stay if they need it.” People from a couple of local inns in Hubbards came in and said, “If there is anyone who is evacuated, they can stay here for free.” Then food started to arrive. For Nova Scotians and most Canadians, food is the first response to a crisis, and food started to come in so that people had food to eat.

I was there until about 11 o'clock at night. I got home when the centre closed. My cellphone rang, and it was the Minister of Emergency Preparedness calling on a Sunday night. On that first night, he phoned me, the local member of Parliament, to ask what was happening from my perspective, which I greatly appreciated. I was still a bit in shock.

I knew there had been a fire starting in the south of my riding two days before. It started around a lake. I also knew that on that same day, 20 minutes down the road in a community called Chester Basin, another fire had started on Beech Hill Road. It was out of control, and the winds were blowing at 40 kilometres an hour.

This modest fire in Shelburne County on a lake started on Friday night, May 26, at a party on a lake, when a fire was set to keep people warm. It was accelerated by the wind that Sunday and started to spread across the county.

The next morning, the deputy fire chief of Halifax and the Department of National Resources were holding a media briefing to say what was going on. That was in Tantallon for the fire in Tantallon, not the Shelburne one. There were over 100 fire trucks from around the province on the scene in Tantallon, where in the space of two hours, over 16,000 people had been evacuated from their homes and had to find a place to live temporarily.

The fire only got worse on Monday and Tuesday. In Shelburne County, the fire doubled in size every single day. If anyone knows Shelburne County at all, it is the big lobster fishing community in the southern part of my riding. There are two main towns and a lot of villages. The two main towns are the town of the Shelburne and the town of Barrington. This fire spread between the two of them. They are 30 kilometres apart. Over the next few days, half of that county was evacuated.

That fire is still out of control. It has grown to 25,000 hectares, or 65,000 acres. Luckily, we had some rain on the weekend and it has not grown. It grew a bit on Sunday, but it has basically been stable. Some 5,000 to 6,000 people in that community were evacuated.

Part of the fire in Halifax spread into the riding of Halifax West, and over 20,000 people were evacuated in Nova Scotia. During the week, while we were fighting the fire in Shelburne, an additional fire began behind the town of Shelburne, and another one in East Pubnico.

There were a number of volunteers at the comfort stations. The Red Cross was running the comfort station in Shelburne, and the Salvation Army was feeding and running a station for the firefighters. My lead constituency assistant is a volunteer firefighter and has been fighting this fire every day since it started in the woods. I was back in the woods with them. They brought me back one night.

We had communities shut off. We had firemen shut off. Firemen had to drop their hoses in communities like Clyde River and run for their lives to get on their equipment to escape the speed of this fire. It is feet down in the Earth now. It is a fire we are going to be dealing with in Shelburne County for months and months to come.

The Halifax fire is 100% contained. There are still about 5,000 people evacuated in Halifax. The amount of work that has to happen to allow the rest to go back is huge in terms of determining safety, determining water quality, because most are on wells, and restoring power. The premier, the minister of emergency preparedness provincially and the federal Minister of Emergency Preparedness have been working well with all of the municipal officials as one team.

This is unprecedented. We have never had this happen in Nova Scotia. There was no playbook for dealing with a suburb of Halifax burning at the same time as the largest fire in our province's history in Shelburne County.

I just have to thank all the firefighters and all the first responders, as well as all the volunteers who are still helping to feed the firefighters. I ask for the patience of all those who are still evacuated; I ask them to please not go back until the evacuation orders are lifted. It is not safe. There is no going around it on an ATV or by boat. People will put themselves and others in harm's way if they do that. I ask them to please listen to local officials so we can deal with this as expeditiously as possible.

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Madam Speaker, it is wonderful to get that first-hand account of what not one, but two, big fires can be like in the one's neighbourhood. I know these are not everyday occurrences in Nova Scotia.

I would like to ask the member to give further detail on how Nova Scotia has been handling this. How has the federal government been helping? Can he share some ideas on how we can do this better in the future? We have parts of Canada that do not deal with fire on a daily basis. In the midst of it all, would it be better to have some federal resources to call on immediately? That way we would not have to wait a day or two, as Nova Scotia did, even though we were trying hard.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Madam Speaker, that is a great question. In everything, we can always do better, but in this case, because this was so unprecedented, I think things came together fairly well. I heard, and still hear, enormous frustration from residents of my community who ask why all of it did not happen with a faster response. With 40-kilometre-per-hour winds and this thing rolling through like a freight train, it was very difficult to react as quickly as people wanted everyone to.

The member talked about federal resources. I think that is a great idea. I think one of the things this experience has taught me is that the federal government's role is coordinating and trying to find all the assets that are across the country. Right now, there are not any available. That was a challenge. The federal government should have some ability to have some equipment to add. This is not the first or primary job of the armed forces. We were thankful they could come in, but they are not professional firefighters. They do not have professional firefighting equipment. They do not have water bombers. There were six water bombers that had to come on Friday night from Montana. There were three from Newfoundland and a number from New Brunswick. For Nova Scotia, that will be part of the analysis afterwards. It needs to have a little more ability. I think it is an important area we should be looking at from the federal government to see what kind of resources we could have available more permanently.