Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Firefighters' National Memorial Day, which falls yearly on the second Sunday of September. Across Canada, more than 1,000 firefighters have died in the line of duty, including 367 Toronto firefighters. They shall not be forgotten.
Last week, I had the honour of attending the annual memorial ceremony hosted by Toronto Fire Services and the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters Association, honouring the 14 fallen firefighters whose names were added to the memorial honour roll.
I want to take this occasion to acknowledge the dedicated women and men in the fire stations across Don Valley North, who I had the pleasure of partnering with throughout the summer. I thank them and firefighters across Canada for their professionalism and their commitment to keeping us safe. Every day, they stand ready to run into danger to save lives and livelihoods. We owe firefighters and their families an enduring debt of gratitude. We thank them for their service and unwavering dedication to safeguarding Canadians across the country.