Mr. Speaker, tansi, aniin, bonjour, ullukkut. I rise today from a place of urgency and responsibility, and I begin by acknowledging that we are gathered on the unceded and unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people. I honour their stewardship and offer my respect to their ancestors and knowledge-keepers, past and present.
I speak today not only as a minister in the House, but as the member of Parliament for Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, a riding that has been deeply affected by the wildfires raging across our north. Thousands have already been evacuated, and more are on alert.
I invite those questioning our government's response to actually speak to the people on the ground. Ask the elders who have been airlifted to safety. Ask the local leadership who have received daily updates through direct lines of communication and who have sent “thank you” messages for the support they are receiving from our government. Our response was rooted in safety first and respect for life. Our response was rooted in the belief that indigenous and northern communities deserve the same level of urgency and care as anyone else in this country. That is the bar we have set, and that is the bar we will continue to meet.
Since May 28, I have been in constant communication with provincial counterparts, including Premier Wab Kinew and Minister Naylor, as well as local leadership, such as Mayor George Fontaine of Flin Flon and councillors from Mathias Colomb Cree Nation. I have also worked closely with my federal colleagues, including the Minister of National Defence, David McGuinty, and the Minister of Emergency Management, Eleanor Olszewski. Every single day, I have made calls, checking in directly with communities and their leadership. I have provided regular updates, reassurance and coordination support. Together, we focused on ensuring that evacuation logistics are clear, timely and culturally responsive.
Above all, our priority has been to make sure that every person is safe, accounted for and not left behind. Flin Flon, Bakers Narrows, Bissett, Pimicikamak Cree Nation, Sherridon, Tataskweyak Cree Nation, Mathias Colomb and now York Landing, we are thinking about all of these communities, their leadership and the people there.
Pukatawagan was a point of tension because we knew they had no road in or out and their rail line had burned. Their evacuation route was long, complex and stressful, but I am relieved and proud to report that we got everybody out. We worked together with the community, the province and the federal government to ensure safety and dignity throughout the entire process.
This crisis is not just a challenge. It is also a mirror. It reflects the reality that climate change is not a future threat. It is happening right now. It is a present emergency. The north is warming at three times the global average. The land is burning, and the ice is melting. Our ways of life, our food, our systems, our cultural practices and our health are all being tested. Make no mistake, the burden is not shared equally. Indigenous and northern communities, which have done the least to cause this crisis, are bearing the brunt of its consequences.
As an indigenous person with relationships throughout the north, with the communities that I serve, these are not statistics to me. These are the families that I adore, my friends and my story. I have heard the fear in people's voices, and I see many of the images being sent from communities that are being affected. I have felt the pressure of this moment and the strength of northerners. Manitobans, Canadians and this new government have been working together.
Throughout this crisis, I have been heartened by the leadership I have witnessed: mayors, chiefs and councillors working together around the clock. These are my heroes, and these are the voices that are guiding our work. I want to express my gratitude to the firefighters, emergency responders, nurses, doctors, volunteers, and the countless community members who are supporting one another with strength and solidarity. My colleagues, including Minister Olszewski and Minister Mandy Gull-Masty, have been working closely to mobilize federal resources, ensuring that supports are trauma-informed, culturally relevant and community-directed.
We know we must not only respond; we must rebuild with intention. We know the people of Flin Flon, Mathias Colomb and Pimicikamak deserve more, and we are here for them. We deserve lasting infrastructure, fire-resistant housing, community-driven climate strategies, and economic opportunities that flow back to the communities, not away from them.
The truth is that these fires are revealing our fault lines, but also our shared responsibility and our strength. They are teaching us that climate justice is indigenous and northern justice and that reconciliation must include environmental responsibility. This is about more than a response; it is about restoring balance between people, policy and the land itself.
I reject the idea that anyone in the House is not doing enough. When people are losing homes, when the land is on fire and when families are displaced is not a moment for partisanship. It is a moment for personal responsibility and collective action, so let us walk this path together with urgency, with humility and with deep respect for those who came before us and those who are watching us right now.
To the people of Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, I want to say that I see them, I hear them and I will continue to stand with them every step of the way.
Meegwetch.