Debates of June 3rd, 2025

Wildfires in Manitoba and Saskatchewan

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Parkland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I think we have to hold the government up to its own standards, and those are the promises that were made in the 2021 federal election. The prime minister at the time went to British Columbia as they were undergoing a massive fire season and said, “We are going to spend $500 million by the next firefighting season. We are going to buy water bombers and helicopters, and we are going to train 1,000 new firefighters.” The Liberals did not do that by the next firefighting season. It has been four years since then, and they have not done it. Let us not hold them to the standard of what they have done; let us hold them to the standard of what they promised to do but did not do. They failed.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I salute my hon. colleague, who must be going through quite a difficult time. It affects me deeply. We empathize with everyone on the ground.

That said, I would like to know whether my colleague recognizes the role that climate change plays in the growing frequency and intensity of wildfires, and that greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas are partly responsible for climate change.

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Parkland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I do recognize this reality. One of the best things that we can do as Canadians to lower global greenhouse gas emissions is displace coal in countries like China and India by shipping our clean natural gas to those countries. Actually, there have been reports that have shown that if we ship our natural gas overseas and displace more greenhouse gas-emitting fuel sources like coal or even wood in some countries, we can lower the entire greenhouse gas emission of Canada several times over. These are real solutions that can grow our economy but also lower global emissions.

[Grant Jackson, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Winnipeg North made a lot of comments about the previous Liberal government and all the money it flowed to the provincial government in Manitoba to buy firefighting equipment. I would put on the record that the first budget of Wab Kinew as the NDP premier actually reduced the emergency measures budget in Manitoba by over $50 million. I am not sure where the money from the Liberal budget went, but it certainly did not go to expanding firefighting infrastructure in the province of Manitoba.

Does that sound like a responsible approach to fire prevention to him? What does he think about the record that the member for Winnipeg North is putting on the record here?

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Parkland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, that is one concern here. We need to make sure that all levels of government are working together to increase capacity. We cannot have one level of government step up and then have another level of government say, “Hey, this is our opportunity to pull back spending.” We need to have a coordinated effort to ensure that we are increasing our capacity to respond to all emergencies and natural disasters. That does not mean just taking money from one level of government and using it to supplement spending cuts from another level of government; it means we need to have a coordinated strategy that involves increasing the overall capacity across the country.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Uqaqtittiji, I am going to ask a similar question to the one I asked another member regarding the National Indigenous Fire Safety Council. In the 2018 Parliament, they recommended that Canada work with them to increase capacity and community preparedness. In the indigenous and northern affairs committee in the 44th Parliament, we made a similar recommendation that they work with the National Council for Reconciliation to help make sure that first nations communities are better prepared to deal with emergencies—

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

I need to give the member time to respond, in 15 seconds or less.

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Parkland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, indigenous peoples are literally at the front lines of these wildfires, and with their traditional knowledge and their experience on the land, they are very well suited to support firefighting efforts across this country. Federal, provincial and municipal governments, all levels of government, need to work together to empower them and give them the training and the tools needed to do—

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

Resuming debate, the member for Provencher.

[Ted Falk, Conservative, Provencher, MB]

Mr. Speaker, it is always a privilege to stand in the House to address the important issues that affect people in my riding, but today especially as this is the first time I speak in this new Parliament, having received my fifth mandate from the good residents and constituents of Provencher.

I especially want to thank the people who helped me get here this time, including my wife, Irene, my family members, my staff, my many, many volunteers and of course the people who came out daily to help me put on a very successful campaign.

Today I rise in this House to speak to the issue of wildfire emergencies and how they have impacted my riding of Provencher. We have been hearing about wildfires, which are forest fires that have become so consuming that the surrounding residential areas are therefore no longer safe for residents.

We listen to experts monitor the wind's direction, realizing that a sudden change in course could force immediate evacuation from one's home. That is when everything one owns and has collected, gathered as keepsakes, milestones or reminders and when pictures, certificates and memories of loved ones are all mentally assessed and abruptly weighted for what is the most important before packing a vehicle to leave.

What races through someone's mind after being told they need to evacuate? The possibility of a generational home, perhaps the only home they have known as a family, evacuating and not knowing when they will return, not knowing what will be left when they return or whether this is really the last time those familiar surroundings will ever be the same again.

A woman formerly from my riding, in Steinbach, now lives in Flin Flon and had to face that exact scenario and ask, “What do you bring with you when you do not know how long you will be gone or even if you will still have a home when you return? She notes that in itself is a strange feeling.... [S]he made sure to pack clothes, her medication, and CPAP machine.” She was reassured by the fact that her legal documents were already safely packed away in a safety deposit box. Realizing that she could not pack everything, she said that she needed to focus on what was not replaceable.

The woman went on to say, “I know some of my friends said they had jewelry and stuff from grandparents, etc. So, they did pack that. I feel like everything is replaceable, other than a few things that maybe aren't.” As I read her story in our local paper, I thought of those times when we leave the house and think to ourselves that we can go back and get that later, yet there she was in a convoy watching flames within a mile of her home, in a billow of smoke, facing the finality of what she would choose to bring with her.

Remaining behind her were firefighters, the Office of the Fire Commissioner, the RCMP and, until the last possible moment, health care workers, the mayor, city council and organizations such as the Red Cross and the Salvation Army.

I want to say a big thanks to the Canadian Armed Forces members, who had been helping communities evacuate people and help people leave safely. In my immediate riding, the bravery and effectual efforts of our first responders deserve special mention.

Folks listening to this debate may not know where Provencher is. We think all the forest fires are in the northern parts of Manitoba and the northern parts of Saskatchewan, and there are some there, but I represent the southeast corner of Manitoba, 19,000 square kilometres of beautiful farmland but also beautiful forest and cottage country. It is a really beautiful landscape and a variety of different terrains. There were forest fires in our area as well. We had a bit of good news today that parts of the Whiteshell provincial forest were allowed to be accessed again by individuals who have cottages or residences in that area.

The RM of Piney declared a state of emergency on a Monday in about mid-May, so that is already two weeks back, because of a fire that started between the two communities of Badger and Carrick and also threatened the communities of St. Labre and Woodridge. The fire consumed over 1,000 hectares of land by Tuesday and was moving rapidly to the community of Woodridge.

We have friends in Woodridge, so we called those friends to see how they were doing. My friend Scott is a firefighter there, a volunteer firefighter, and he was busy out fighting the fire. His wife and another family member had already evacuated. They came to my community of Steinbach, which is about half an hour away, where they were safe. They had checked into a hotel, but the volunteer firefighters were fighting fires there 15 hours a day.

I want to put a plug in for our volunteer firefighters. These are the folks who have jobs apart from firefighting, apart from being called out at all hours of the day to different emergencies. There they were. They had left their jobs and were trying to save their communities.

I want to commend the employers who employ these volunteer fire personnel for giving them the flexibility to leave. It is not always convenient for a place of work to allow an employee to leave. The employees are obviously there because they are performing a vital function. Those businesses should be commended for giving their employees that latitude, businesses like the one that offered that flexibility to people like Scott, so he could save and protect his community. Scott said that the fire had gotten to within a kilometre of Woodridge. They were really trying to hold the line there.

I also want to recognize the heavy construction contractors in southeast Manitoba that provided heavy equipment on just a dime's notice and got their equipment operators to work a 15-hour day in a live fire situation, rather than a normal construction day, pushing down bush, making fireguards and fire barriers, and creating the firebreaks that were so necessary to start repelling the fire.

Scott mentioned to me afterward that because the heavy equipment in the area was able to push some of the bush, it contained the fire and gave them the reprieve they needed. Then the wind changed, and they were able to successfully defend the community of Woodridge.

Just outside La Broquerie, the crews battled a 750-acre blaze for eight hours, which included farmland, bush and swamp. Fire Chief JC Normandeau of the La Broquerie fire department said the flames were 15 to 20 feet high and running away from them. He explained that it took quite a while to get it under control because it had spread out over such a wide area. Thanks to the skilled work of the volunteer firefighters, the fire was steered away from the structures on the land and no injuries were reported. Chief Normandeau said, “We just didn't want it to cross [Highway] 302 and go west. We had other barns and structures in the path of the fire on that side”. They needed to keep it on the east side, and they succeeded in doing that.

However, as Chief Allan Rau with the rural municipality of Taché's fire department said, when urging all residents to adhere to the strict fire restrictions, “Wildland firefighting is extremely taxing, and it...takes a lot of energy and physical resources to make a concerted effort on a wildland fire.”

I will say out loud that I am compelled to urge the federal government to do more. We know that we are not powerless against these wildfires. Having better proactive forest management, including clear-cut logging, removal of deadwood and prescribed burns can help mitigate such threats.

We are indebted to our frontline workers, who remain on the ground and battle for the rest of us. Every day they put their own lives at risk to save us and our communities. We give our unwavering appreciation and support to those who rush into danger to save others.

I also want to acknowledge others who are helping fight the fires in my area: 38 personnel from Alberta, 87 personnel from B.C., 19 personnel from Parks Canada, 23 personnel from New Brunswick and two personnel from P.E.I. There are also 500 sprinklers from B.C., as well as two AT802 aircraft and one bird dog airplane from Minnesota, so we had the international help we needed to fight these fires.

As of yesterday, the Manitoba Wildfire Service reported that Manitoba is still under extreme danger, with small pockets of high fire danger. Human activity continues to be a significant contributor. The assistant deputy minister, Kristin Hayward, said that all but four of the fires were started or suspected to have been started by human activity.

We can easily do our part by knowing and following the rules.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I wonder if my friend could tell me what he thinks would be better: Would it be better for Ottawa to provide a bulk grant to provinces for fire suppression, allowing the provinces to lead in terms of fighting the fires, or would it be better for Ottawa to buy the water bombers outright?

What does he believe? Does he have more confidence in the provinces that have that equipment and allowing them that sort of discretion, or should Ottawa purchase the water bombers outright?

[Ted Falk, Conservative, Provencher, MB]

Mr. Speaker, that is a loaded question. One thing I do strongly believe is that when the government makes a commitment to train firefighters and buy water bombers, as the Trudeau government did, it should keep that commitment.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to know if the member agrees that the federal government should invest more in climate change adaptation and preparedness. If so, how much funding should it provide to the provinces so that they can implement more ambitious prevention and climate change adaptation measures?

[Ted Falk, Conservative, Provencher, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Repentigny asked an interesting question. If he had been listening to my speech a little more carefully, he would have realized that all but four of the fires that were started in my province were started by human activity. Out of 25 wildfires, all but four were started by human activity. Let us keep in perspective how these fires are started and address the real concern here.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to be able to comment on this very important debate on the forest fires this country is facing.

It is interesting, listening to those in the Liberal government talk during this debate. They try to focus in on the things over which they have the least control, and they do not want to talk about the things that are actually their responsibility that have gone very badly. It is typical, really. Forest management in this country has been woefully inadequate under the Liberal government. I can think back to Conservative members who have specifically raised issues, for instance, around the pine beetle and its impact on forests. Those members have warned all of us about the action needed, yet Liberals have failed to take action. There is such a gap in discussion around forest management by the Liberals. They always want to focus on other things, and it is because they have failed.

Could my colleague comment on the lack of even a mention of forest management from the Liberal benches in tonight's debate and what needs to be done differently going forward?

[Ted Falk, Conservative, Provencher, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I want to refer to the speech by my colleague, the member for Parkland. He talked about the importance of doing proper forest management and how that could greatly reduce the impact of forest fires.

I have been a member of the Standing Committee on Natural Resources for the last several years. We studied forest fires during the pine beetle forest study that was conducted. We listened to many indigenous leaders who said that they had a practice of forest management that was not being practised anymore and that if we would do that, with controlled burns and proper management of the deadfall in forests, we would not be facing these out-of-control fires in many regions.

Indigenous people have knowledge they can share with us, and the natural resource people need to listen to it and do proper forest management. Of course, the government also has to pay for that to happen.

[Buckley Belanger, Liberal, Secretary of State (Rural Development)]

Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Oakville West.

I want to preface the messages that I have tonight by saying that I have always promised as a candidate, before having the courtesy of serving as the MP for Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, to tell our stories, so I have come here to share with the people of Canada and the House of Commons some of the challenges, some of the opportunities and some of the aspirations of many of my constituents back home.

Unfortunately, tonight it is a story of fires, of how families have lost their lives, their belongings and their homes, and of how businesses, as we speak, are burning. There are so many brave people trying to do their very best, yet despite the fact that we always speak of Saskatchewan's resilience and of northern Saskatchewan's people's strength and resilience, it is devastating to see that some homes have been burned to the ground and that families have scurried out of our communities in a hurry so their lives do not become threatened.

As we speak, a number of homes have burned. Some say it is as high as 150 homes in Denare Beach. Some say it is 30 homes in Sucker River. There are businesses burning in La Ronge, which is one of the biggest towns in my riding, as we speak, and there are some very brave men and women trying to fight back. Despite the smoke and the impending fire that will be coming their way, many of them are still at the front line trying their darndest to save their homes. This is not a movie. It is really a tragic time for the people of Canada.

I spoke about telling the stories of the people who are bravely out there, and there are many leaders who certainly have answered the call as well. I want to share a few comments, which I think are really important.

One such leader is Chief Peter A. Beatty of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation. He said:

We've already seen over 5,500 members [of our community] evacuated, and the situation is changing by the hour. With wildfires forcing full evacuations in Denare Beach and Pelican Narrows—and thousands more at risk—we are facing an escalating crisis. Many of our communities are becoming boxed in due to road closures and limited evacuation routes. We are doing everything possible on the ground, but this situation is beyond our capacity to manage alone.

The next leader is Chief Joyce Naytowhow McLeod of Montreal Lake Cree Nation. Chief Joyce said:

These wildfires are pushing our communities to the edge, and the situation is growing more serious by the hour. We’re seeing the toll this is taking—on our families, on our health, and on our homelands. This joint declaration reflects our urgency and our unity. We are asking for timely and coordinated action so that our Nations can continue to protect our people with the full backing and partnership of government.

Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte of the Prince Albert Grand Council said, plainly and simply, “This is the time for real partnership and immediate action.”

Bruce Fidler, the mayor of the town of Creighton, Saskatchewan, said that for eight days now, there has been a fire burning right on their doorstep. For the first two or three days, it was basically their local volunteer firefighters working on this fire. The SPSA then brought in some firefighters, but not nearly enough. With high temperatures and high, uncooperative winds, air support has been very inconsistent. They have been asking for everyone they can think of to come and help because they are in dire need of more firefighters and other resources. Their neighbouring community has lost numerous homes and infrastructure. This fire is now on three sides of them, and they are in desperate times. He said he is cognizant of proper protocol, but they need help, whether from the province or the federal government. They are working to save their community and residents and need support.

A young mother, Shayna Richie, from Denare Beach, said that she just got confirmation that her whole house burned down and her whole neighbourhood is gone.

These are some of the quotes of the many people who are impacted by this wildfire. As I mentioned at the outset, the devastation is complete.

There is something we have to say as MPs for that area. We are telling Canadians that it is time for us to look at the wildfires of the west and help the cause in some way, with a telephone call, a donation or even just prayers, because we are battling a huge crisis in northern Saskatchewan. It is my home territory. It is my home riding.

Some people may wonder what I am doing in Ottawa when I should be with my communities and my people. I came home several days ago, and I came back to Ottawa after visiting my home communities and seeing the devastation first-hand. I am now going back in a couple more days. Canada has to realize that these families, these areas and these regions need our assistance. As I said at the outset, when I was asked a question about how we can help and make things better, the answer is that the federal government is ready and standing by to help.

One of the reasons I am here in Ottawa is to tell the people of Canada that the west has always been a proud part of our country. They need our understanding now, and most certainly they need our help. Sadly, in this day and age, wildfire season has become a permanent fixture for too many people across our great country, but as I mentioned, the people of Saskatchewan, and in particular the people of northern Saskatchewan, are resilient.

Tonight is a tough night for them. The next several weeks are going to be tough for them, and the next several months even tougher. Through helping each other, supporting each other and, quite frankly, in many ways praying for each other, I think we will survive this storm, but boy, there are a lot of people who are hurting and who are devastated by what is happening in my own community.

I will tell the people of Canada that, yes, I wish that I was there right now, but I am not; I am here. I am telling them that the northern part of Saskatchewan is burning up, as it is in Manitoba, and we are here to share their stories and push hard to tell them that there is hope.

I want to recognize all the folks who have done tremendous work: the first responders, the Red Cross, the leaders, the men and women who are helping care for the evacuees and the evacuees themselves.

This is not something that we simply speak about. We need to have action attached to words. Once again, I will say that from our perspective as a federal government, we will be there for Manitoba, we will be there for Saskatchewan and we will be there for all of Canada.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I welcome the new member to the House. For his benefit and that of others who are new, I want to do a quick walk down memory lane. There have been Conservatives in the House who have been warning about the problems of bad forest management for a very long time. I will give as one example Jim Eglinski, former Conservative member for Yellowhead, who asked a question on June 16, 2017. Highlighting the pine beetle infestation, he said:

Much of the forest is dead or dying. The dead trees are a tremendous fuel load that present a significant risk to the community of Jasper.

Residents are concerned for their own safety and that of the visitors...

Will the member recognize that this question, asked eight years ago and not responded to, shows what a failure the government has been on forest management? He says the government will be there. Does he recognize that the government needs to face up to its own failures and address the issue of forest management, which was barely mentioned in his speech?

[Buckley Belanger, Liberal, Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK]

Mr. Speaker, in this time of crisis, when families are being threatened and their homes are being burned, there are things that we can do to address the situation as we speak. The member speaks of the forestry industry. The forestry industry is a vibrant part of our economy and a vibrant part of our country.

I am going to say again that at the present time, homes are burning and businesses are being destroyed. When the west is on fire, we get this kind of response from the members opposite. Shame.

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Cape Breton—Canso—Antigonish, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I really appreciated hearing from our member from Saskatchewan. It is really good to have a member of the Liberal Party from Saskatchewan. I grew up in Saskatoon, and I have always joked that I have been one of the only Saskatchewan Liberals in our caucus for the last few years. I am really happy that he is here and talking tonight.

We have heard, over many years, about some of the climate-related emergencies we are dealing with, the climate crisis and the forest fires. We have known as Liberals and the government, as we were made aware by Canadians, that we need to do more on that. While on the other side members deny climate change exists and try to blame it on forest management, on this side we know there is a climate crisis that we need to address.

I know the member spent a lot of time in the provincial legislature. I wonder if he could talk about the importance of collaboration with all four levels of government, whether federal, provincial, municipal—

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

I have to interrupt the member to give the hon. secretary of state time to respond.

[Buckley Belanger, Liberal, Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK]

Mr. Speaker, that is a very important question to ask. It is one of the reasons why, as a federal government, we have to make sure we coordinate and work very closely with all the partners involved. That is exactly what we intend to do. We are going to work with the premier and the people of Saskatchewan to address this issue head-on. All it takes is co-operation.

At this point in time, I want to thank the Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience, who has been doing an amazing job. She has provided great leadership, and I really admire some of the extra work that she has put in these last several weeks.

We will stand with Saskatchewan at this very devastating time.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this is the first time I have addressed the new member as secretary of state, and I think this moment requires that we all extend our deepest concerns, sympathy and prayers not only to him but to the people of his community, his riding and all throughout Saskatchewan who are threatened by wildfires. That is the point of what we are doing right now.

I am from British Columbia, where we have had wildfires at the doors. We saw Lytton burn down in 15 minutes on June 30, 2021. To this day, in that community, where over 250 people were living, only nine people have been able to return to rebuild homes. It is a long, hard road. We have to learn from where we are, but compassion comes first.

[Buckley Belanger, Liberal, Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK]

Mr. Speaker, absolutely, compassion comes first. There is no question in my mind that resilience will come second. However, we have to have a full partnership of federal, provincial, local, municipal and indigenous people who can really build a solid response to this crisis.

[Sima Acan, Liberal, Oakville West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as I rise today to make my first statement in this House, I want to take a moment to recognize and thank the constituents of Oakville West who have honoured me by electing me to speak in the House on their behalf. I also want to thank my team and volunteers, who helped me to get elected and to stand here today.

I thank the member for Winnipeg Centre for bringing this important issue to debate this evening.

Like many Canadians, I have been watching the media reports and images of the wildfires in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and my heart goes out to everyone who is impacted. I can only imagine the devastation and the heartbreak they are feeling about having to leave their homes and the uncertainty that the next days and weeks will bring.

To the first responders who are fighting these fires, there are not enough words to thank them properly for the job they do. Every time there is a wildfire, they put life and limb on the line to keep our communities and their residents safe. I thank them for their courage, dedication and commitment.

I want to reassure Canadians and my hon. colleagues in this House that the government takes seriously its responsibility to keep our communities safe. Indeed, it has responded quickly to provide assistance and support. The Government of Canada remains committed to working with provinces, territories and whole-of-society partners to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies across the country.

The Prime Minister spoke with the Premier of Manitoba, Wab Kinew, on May 28 and is providing Canada's full support as Manitoba battles wildfires. The premier and the Prime Minister are in close contact, and the federal government is assisting Manitoba's provincial wildfire team. The government, via Indigenous Services Canada and across the board, has engaged with the impacted indigenous communities. The Minister of Emergency Management approved two requests for federal assistance from the Government of Manitoba, which were received late in the evening on May 28, to support evacuation efforts in response to the wildfires threatening these first nations communities.

Government of Canada departments have been working closely together on our response. Public Safety Canada's Government Operations Centre, which supports preparedness for and leads the coordination of the integrated federal response to all hazard events of national interest, is currently coordinating the federal response to the situation in western Canada. The Government Operations Centre is working with the Canadian Armed Forces, Canadian Coast Guard, Indigenous Services Canada and other federal and provincial partners to coordinate the response and deploy all necessary resources.

The Government Operations Centre maintains continuous communication with our federal, provincial and territorial partners, including indigenous communities, throughout the cyclical event season on a 24-7-365 basis. Every year, the Government Operations Centre works to deploy risk assessments for cyclical events such as floods, wildland fires and hurricanes, and shares with key partners that hold emergency management responsibilities. This year again, the wildland fire forecast indicated the potential for elevated fire activity in western and central Canada due to ongoing drought conditions and above-normal temperatures.

On a broader scale, the government has a number of measures in place to mitigate the risk of natural disasters as well as to respond. For example, Canada's federal-provincial-territorial emergency management strategy outlines a coordinated approach focused on proactive measures to prevent and mitigate the impacts of disasters before they occur, and the Government of Canada is committed to building resilience to these hazards. This is why the government launched the national adaptation strategy, aimed to support a shared vision for a resilient Canada. The Government of Canada is also there to support communities after large-scale natural disasters.

For over 50 years, the disaster financial assistance arrangements program has played a critical role in supporting the cost of large-scale disasters caused by natural hazards in Canada. Public Safety Canada launched a modernized disaster financial assistance arrangements program on April 1, 2025. The modernized program is the culmination of over four years of extensive collaboration. Public Safety Canada continues to work closely with provinces and territories to ensure a smooth transition to the new DFAA.

Our modernized DFAA prioritizes greater resilience and reduces disaster risk to Canadians. It empowers provinces and territories to develop tailored solutions, increased flexible funding and expanded post-disaster supports. This initiative will help to reduce the long-term costs and impacts of disasters on all Canadians. While there has not yet been a request by provinces impacted by the current wildfires, assistance through the disaster financial assistance arrangements program will be there should they decide to make a request.

The modernized DFAA covers costs for wildfires that directly threaten communities, also known as wildland-urban interface fires. Response costs; repairing, restoring and rebuilding uninsurable infrastructure; improvements to damaged infrastructure; new community or region-wide mitigation projects; and recovery supports like legal, financial or mental health counselling can be cost-shared under the disaster financial assistance arrangements program, to improve the resilience of communities that have suffered a disaster. With this new program, mitigation funding is available for any eligible disaster type under the DFAA. Therefore, provinces and territories that suffer a disaster stemming from a natural hazard, such as a wildfire, and are eligible for DFAA funding can use the DFAA to increase the resilience of the affected communities.

We know natural disasters are increasing in their frequency and severity. As such, the government is continually looking at ways it can improve mitigation strategies, emergency management response and resilience. Any one of us could be impacted by a natural disaster at any time. While natural disasters are by their very nature unpredictable, improved coordination, risk mitigation, rapid response and preparedness strategies can help minimize their impact.

In conclusion, I want to reassure the impacted communities that the government stands with them, ready to help. We are doing, and will do, all we can.