Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the hon. Minister of Indigenous Services.

I want to begin by thanking the hon. member for Winnipeg Centre for bringing this important and timely debate forward.

Like many Canadians, I have seen the devastating images coming out of Manitoba and Saskatchewan: thick smoke, orange skies, whole communities forced to evacuate and families unsure whether they will have homes to return to. It is frightening, and it is heartbreaking. My thoughts are with everyone who has been displaced and is worried about their homes, health and loved ones. These are difficult times, and the uncertainty is real.

Since the early stages of this crisis, I have been working closely with my provincial counterparts to manage the federal response and to make sure help is reaching the people who need it most. Coordination between federal officials, the province, indigenous communities and humanitarian organizations is constant, and all partners are meeting every day to ensure that we are doing all we can to keep people safe.

I want to express my deep thanks to first responders, firefighters and volunteers, and particularly the Canadian Armed Forces and Coast Guard, who have stepped up and placed themselves in danger to protect others. Their commitment and courage are extraordinary.

I also want to recognize the leadership shown by indigenous governments and local officials, particularly in remote communities, where evacuations are so complex and difficult, and resources are so hard to access. This has been an incredibly challenging time, and the leadership on the ground has been essential.

I want to be clear: Our government acted swiftly when called upon. On May 28, the Prime Minister spoke with Premier Wab Kinew. That same night, we approved two requests for federal assistance from the Government of Manitoba to help evacuate first nations communities under threat. Canadian Armed Forces members were deployed immediately. They began assisting with evacuations the very next morning.

I have heard the concerns raised by the hon. member for Winnipeg Centre, but again I want to be clear that this was not a slow or bureaucratic process. The requests from Manitoba came in late at night. They were approved immediately. This was one of the fastest federal responses in recent memory. By the next morning, Canadian Armed Forces personnel were on the ground, already assisting with evacuations. This was, and still is, a constantly evolving emergency in the case of the first nations, with conditions on the ground changing by the hour.

In places like Mathias Colomb Cree Nation, the situation was especially urgent. I do understand the frustration and the fear that are surely felt by community members and leaders when fire conditions worsen and change, but I want to assure the House that we had contingencies at every step, as we always do.

When the landing strip could not accommodate larger planes, we had to source smaller ones, so the evacuation was necessarily slower. Large planes like the Hercules could not land at that strip. If fixed-wing aircraft were not an option because of smoke or weather, we could move people by helicopter. If helicopters were not viable, we were looking at boats. Our objective was always the same, to reach people quickly and safely, no matter the method. Resources from the Canadian Armed Forces were brought in from across the country, with the result being one of the largest air evacuation operations in Canadian history.

At every stage, we worked in real time with our provincial and indigenous partners to adjust our response to the ever-changing circumstances on the ground. The response was not just fast; it was well coordinated. I have been in regular contact with my provincial counterparts in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, the provinces that were under immediate threat, and we have kept those lines of communication open as the situation evolves. My conversations with ministers Naylor and McLeod were constructive and focused. They all expressed appreciation for the speed, clarity and flexibility of the federal response.

This is really what effective emergency management looks like: governments at all levels working together to adapt, to act and, above all, to protect people. We are working with the Manitoba and Saskatchewan governments to bolster the support from Canadians who donate through the Red Cross, by matching their donations dollar for dollar. Through this, we will stand with Canadians and assist those impacted by the wildland fires through the Canadian Red Cross wildfires appeals.

As Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience, I am overseeing the federal response. I work with the government operations centre, and we coordinate efforts across departments, like National Defence when the armed forces are called out, Indigenous Services, Transport and Health, to make sure that we are providing the right support at the right time. This response is being coordinated day and night, around the clock.

While Saskatchewan has not submitted a formal request for federal assistance yet, we are ready to respond the moment we are asked. In fact, I have already had discussions with Minister McLeod, my counterpart, and I have also had discussions with Mike Ellis in Alberta, before they even asked us, to tell them that we are available for them the moment they need our help.

In the meantime, Indigenous Services Canada has stepped in to support affected first nations. I am working closely with my colleague, the Minister of Indigenous Services, to ensure that all communities have what they need. I want to thank her for her support and her very strong leadership during this difficult time.

When the immediate threat has passed, we will be there to help communities recover and build back. That is where disaster financial assistance arrangements come in. It is a federal program that supports provinces and territories with the cost of responding to major disasters. It helps make sure that rebuilding can happen and that people are not left to do it alone. Canadians rightly expect that when disasters strike, every order of government will do its part, and that is exactly what we are doing.

Let me say this as well. These kinds of moments should not become partisan flashpoints.They should be moments for unity, for standing together to support those on the front lines, to support those whose lives have been upended, and to support them with speed, coordination and compassion. That includes listening to indigenous communities who have told us, clearly and repeatedly, that they face unique and indeed disproportionate challenges during emergencies, especially when it comes to evacuations, overcrowded accommodations, access to culturally safe supports and long-term recovery. We hear those concerns, and we are acting on them.

We know there is more to do. We are committed to doing that in partnership and in good faith. I assure members that in my role as minister for disaster management and also community resilience, I will be focused on ensuring that we learn from these disasters and we prepare better to respond and mitigate the very real threats that we face each year. I invite all members of the House to join me and the government in working on solutions to these important issues.

I want the people of Mathias Colomb Cree Nation, Cross Lake, La Ronge, Lac La Ronge Indian Band and every other community affected by these fires to know that the government is here for them. We will continue to work around the clock to get them the help that they need. We will be there as evacuations unfold. We will be there as recovery begins. We will be there in the following weeks and months. There is a long road ahead. We will be walking it with them every single step of the way.

Eleanor Olszewski

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Emergency Debate

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