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Mr. Speaker, today I rise to share very good news out of Ottawa.

On behalf of the Government of Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced they will be matching contributions made to United Way NWT. This generosity will have a direct impact on people affected by wildfires in Northwest Territories, and I am deeply grateful for Canada’s support.

The GNWT also recently signed an agreement with Natural Resources Canada under the new Natural Resources Canada’s new Fighting and Managing Wildfires in a Changing Climate Program Equipment Fund.

This fund, which allows provinces and territories to cost-share investments for equipment such as vehicles, enhanced communications gear, and repairs to aging equipment, will be used for the purchase of aircraft, vehicles, dispatch consoles, and dust suppressant.

Our agreement with Natural Resources Canada directly enables our government to procure specialized firefighting equipment and strengthen our capacity to manage wildland fires that present a threat to NWT communities.

Mr. Speaker, it has been truly humbling to see our neighbours across the country step up to assist those affected by wildfire and flooding over the last month.

Later today, Minister Thompson and I will be releasing a statement outlining the incredibly generous support we have received from our neighbours in and out of the territory, but I wanted to take this opportunity to briefly highlight these good news stories out of Ottawa for my colleagues in the House.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.