Thunder Bay – NEWS – Minister Patty Hajdu has issued the following statement on the current wildland fire situation:
The wildfire situation in Northern Ontario is rapidly changing. People across Thunder Bay—Superior North are feeling anxious, and some have lost their homes, property, and businesses.
As your Member of Parliament, I wanted to give you a quick rundown of the fire response operations and give residents accurate information to keep you and your family safe.
My team and I are working closely with affected communities and community leaders. We are raising issues directly with relevant federal departments and helping people navigate federal and provincial programs and services.
If you have been affected by the fires and need help, please call my office at 807-766-2090. You do not need to figure out which government, department, or program to call first. Call us. We will help you navigate it.
The federal government is working to support Ontario in a number of ways. As the Province of Ontario is leading the wildfire response and is coordinating the provincial emergency response, including evacuations; local authorities and First Nations provide evacuation orders and emergency information for their communities.
The federal government is working to support Ontario to support Canadians in our community. We are working directly with First Nations through Indigenous Services Canada.
We are also ready to support Ontario if this exceeds their capacity and they make a Request for Federal Assistance (RFA). At this time, Public Safety Canada is in direct contact with the Province of Ontario and I understand the province has not made a RFA at this time.
