Mr. Speaker, it is my deep honour today to welcome the Balfour family to Ottawa. James, Heather and Taylor are visiting us today all the way from Regina, Saskatchewan.
Today is the birthday of their late daughter Rachel, who was killed when she was poisoned by fentanyl in 2019. Every year, the Balfour family tries to do something meaningful to remember and honour Rachel on her birthday. This year, they have chosen to share their story with us here in our nation's capital. Tragically, the Balfours are not alone in their loss. Last year, approximately 20 Canadian families per day lost a loved one to an opioid overdose.
For Rachel Balfour, her family and the thousands of Canadian families just like them, it is time to get fentanyl off our streets so that no family has to mourn another senseless loss to the scourge of fentanyl.