Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for the opportunity to discuss our government's response to wildfires across the country. We know that natural disasters are increasing in frequency and severity, and all levels of government must work together to protect Canadians and our communities.

The 2025 wildfire season has been the second-most severe on record in our country, surpassed only by the unprecedented 2023 season. Our thoughts are with those who have been affected by the fires. I also want to express my deep appreciation and gratitude to the first responders, who work tirelessly to keep Canadians safe.

Throughout the summer, our government met with first responders, local officials, indigenous communities and the Canadian Armed Forces to hear directly about their first-hand experiences in combatting wildfires. Everyone involved in wildfire response demonstrates exceptional dedication to their critical work. As a government, we are committed to making sure that communities, provinces and territories have the people, resources and tools they need to prevent, mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from wildfires.

We take the concerns raised about Canada's wildfire fighting capabilities very seriously. This is a matter of the utmost importance to the minister and the government. We are committed to exploring all options for keeping Canadians safe from the increasing threat of wildfires, and we are taking a whole-of-government approach to determine how best to bolster Canada's wildfire response capabilities.

It is imperative that we have the tools we need to defend our communities from future wildfire seasons. Canadians and their communities deserve to be protected from these emergencies, and we understand the importance of being a good partner on the international stage and meeting our NATO commitments. We are exploring links between these two priorities.

Regarding aerial firefighting capabilities, I am proud to be able to say that Canada is a leader in the aerospace industry, with end-to-end capabilities, being one of the few countries that can design, manufacture and maintain an aircraft from nose to tail. I would also remind the House that as a result of Canada's world-class aerospace industry, the De Havilland water bombers are in high demand, and delivery may be a few years away.

We need to be mindful that long-term resilience goes hand in hand with short-term readiness. However, Canadian industry also has strong abilities in retrofitting existing aircraft to serve firefighting purposes, and they continue to be valuable tools to fight wildfires across this country.

Our government contributes to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, whose valuable work ensures that firefighting resources from the federal government, provinces and territories, and international partners are where they need to be, when they need to be there, to protect communities.

Throughout the wildfire season, the minister keeps in close contact with her provincial and territorial counterparts. The open lines of communication are critical, as wildfire situations can evolve quickly. We collaborate with local officials, provinces and territories, indigenous communities, non-governmental organizations and international partners to mobilize resources, fight fires, evacuate communities and rebuild after the fact.

Wade Grant

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Adjournment Proceedings

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