NDP forces an Emergency Debate on Prairie wildfires

OTTAWA — Monday morning, NDP MP Leah Gazan (Winnipeg Centre) wrote a letter to the Speaker of the House of Commons to notify him that New Democrats request an emergency debate on the devastating wildfires in Manitoba and across the Prairies.

The debate was granted by the Speaker and will take place on Tuesday.

“As of last week, more than 17,000 people have been impacted by these wildfires,” said Gazan. “Families have been forced to evacuate their homes, leaving behind their belongings and communities in fear and uncertainty.

“Despite the heroic efforts of frontline workers—firefighters, nurses, doctors, and volunteers—the response system has proven inadequate in addressing the urgent needs of evacuees, particularly in Indigenous communities. This system, which is meant to provide safety, is slow, disconnected, bureaucratic, and unfit especially for the Indigenous and Northern communities' realities.”

Both Manitoba and Saskatchewan have declared states of emergency for the next month and are now appealing for international assistance to contain the fires.

The federal government has repeatedly failed to ensure that remote and northern communities have access to reliable emergency preparedness infrastructure and evacuation support. The NDP has previously called for dedicated emergency preparedness funding for First Nations to address these chronic gaps in response capacity.

“This wildfire crisis is yet another reminder that systemic change is urgently needed,” said Gazan. “I am glad that Parliament will have the opportunity to deliberate and propose emergency measures to protect lives, provide immediate aid, and prevent further trauma for communities on the front lines of climate disaster.”