Madam Speaker, I am sorry. That was a rookie mistake, made by a 10-year veteran.
The Canadian Armed Forces have now been deployed in the province to help with evacuations, and thousands of firefighters and other personnel are on the ground and in the air doing their best to protect people and property.
We have seen other communities across Canada face similar crises. The town of Jasper, Alberta, suffered a devastating wildfire in July 2024. Tragically, one-third of the town burned to the ground. Families were forced to flee, some now without homes or businesses to go back to. Jasper's experience reminds us that no region is immune to the growing threat of wildfires, and it underscores the urgent need for long-term solutions related to fire prevention and building community resiliency.
In the aftermath of the Jasper fire, the Government of Canada provided vital assistance to allow the town to recover and rebuild, and that is a work in progress. A significant portion of that support has been dedicated to strengthening wildfire response and recovery efforts within Jasper National Park, enhancing the region's ability to respond to future emergencies. Furthermore, the funding has supported new initiatives to help local businesses reconnect with their customers, retain their workforce and revitalize Jasper's vital tourism economy.
Jasper's experience serves as a powerful reminder of what is possible when all governments work together, and perhaps provides a model we can look to as we confront the growing wildfire emergencies across Manitoba and the Prairies.
Today, our government, alongside our provincial counterparts in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, announced that we will match all individual donations to the Canadian Red Cross to provide emergency shelter, food and essential supplies to those impacted by wildfires. We are deeply grateful to the Red Cross and to all its volunteers, who are there for us in difficult times like today.
This disaster is a stark reminder of the growing threat posed by climate change. Wildfires, like those we are seeing in Manitoba, are becoming more frequent, more intense and harder to predict. We must adapt to this new reality. This means strengthening our fire prevention efforts and investing in emergency preparedness, and doing more to help communities prepare, adapt and recover from these disasters. This is why our Prime Minister has created a new ministry in government and named a very able Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience from the province of Alberta.
I know all of us in the House are thinking of those torn from their communities, some who have lost their homes and businesses. By virtue of this debate tonight, we are letting them know that we are thinking of them. We are thinking not only of their needs today, but also of what we need to do tomorrow to build resilient communities that provide for their safety and quality of life in the future.
I want to thank the hon. member for Winnipeg Centre for requesting this emergency debate tonight so we could prove that point.