Check against delivery

Mr. Speaker, another challenging wildfire season is behind us. I am here to express my gratitude to our wildfire management team. Challenging wildfire seasons are becoming the new normal. They are something we have come to expect, year after year. 

The Northwest Territories battled significant challenges this year, and again, our team rose to the occasion. They worked closely with communities, Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations, contractors, local fire departments and other partners to protect Northwest Territories residents. I am very proud of the hard work, dedication and commitment of this team.  Especially so this season, when personnel showed up while navigating immense grief and sorrow, mourning the loss of three of our own. Ryan Beck, Olivier Lamy and Robert MacLeod were valued members of our wildfire community, heroes, who lost their lives in the line of duty this June. Each of them served Northerners through work that carries an extraordinary responsibility and risk, and we feel their loss deeply, along with their families, friends and across wildfire and aviation communities. We remember their service, their courage and the impact they made on those who knew them. 

Mr. Speaker, the dedication, sacrifice and contributions of these three professionals must never be forgotten. I ask today that Members take a moment to remember Ryan, Olivier and Robert, and to recognize the commitment, courage and bravery of our wildfire personnel, who showed up every day this season to protect people and communities.

This season was difficult. We experienced tragic loss; we also again saw tough, complex conditions. With 289 wildfires and nearly 1.7 million hectares affected, this year was among the territory’s five busiest wildfire seasons. Fires burn hot and deep in the persistent drought conditions we are seeing. To be successful, work takes patience, tenacity and focus, all particularly demanding on crews and equipment.  

Mr. Speaker, difficulty did not stop our firefighters, air crews and other wildfire experts. They pushed on and protected hundreds of structures across the territory. When communities are threatened by advancing fires, they stay behind and get to work. 

Fort Simpson faced a substantial threat when a wildfire ignited 10 kilometres from town. In hot, dry conditions and high winds, the fire grew quickly.  The NWT’s newly implemented Wildland Urban Interface Mutual Aid, or WUI, program played a critical role in our success at limiting structure loss and battling this blaze. Specialized resources were requested at a critical point, arriving in time to work alongside local crews and departments, establishing and carrying out a strategy that was focused on defending the community. We don’t know what situation we would have been in without the WUI program, but I know we would have been worse off. This program is another tool we have, positioning us to be more resilient to wildfire and helping us be ready for emergencies. 

In Wrigley, crews and resources sustained their efforts as extreme weather drove a large wildfire toward the community and strained supply lines. Fire crews stopped that fire. 

We owe a debt of gratitude to everyone who made it possible to manage simultaneous threats to communities. These situations were serious. We could not have done this work on our own.

Mr. Speaker, we must recognize the incredible support we received from across the Northwest Territories and Canada. Firefighters from Hay River and Fort Smith deployed to Fort Simpson, working street by street with Fort Simpson’s firefighters to combat the fire. Wildland firefighters, Incident Management Team members and air attack officers from Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Manitoba and Yukon came to help when we needed them most. I thank them all. 

The demands of this season highlighted the difference our work to improve wildfire management has made since 2023. The external wildfire operational review guides investments in wildfire prevention, preparedness and response and the steps we take to enhance staff wellbeing, health and safety. We added two new seasonal positions focused on wildfire prevention and mitigation. We are investing $1.8 million annually in community FireSmart projects. We have also trained ten more people as safety officers, strengthening safety across wildfire operations. Investments in the Wildland Urban Interface Mutual Aid program, structure protection training for small community fire departments, crew training and additional equipment are improving our ability to bring the right resources together when communities are threatened.

We have also improved support for personnel through a Critical Incident Stress Management system implemented in 2025–2026, with a major focus on peer support. Supporting the dedicated people who do this important, dangerous, and stressful work is essential to maintaining a safe, effective, and sustainable wildfire program.

Mr. Speaker, we will continue to invest in the future of wildfire management in our territory, just as we will continue to honour those we have lost by carrying them with us and remembering their service, and by caring for those who continue to do this critical work.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.