Local MP Carol Hughes is touting calls for better financial support for volunteer firefighters.
Saying "volunteer firefighters account for 71 percent of Canada's total firefighting essential first responders, and an additional 8000 essential search and rescue volunteers who respond to thousands of incidents each year", the Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing MP's tabled a petition calling for an increase to the Volunteer Firefighter Tax Credit from the current $3000 a year to $10,000 a year for those committing to 200 hours of service, noting "that comes out to only about $450 per year, or $2.25 an hour...but if volunteers work more than 200 hours, the tax credit becomes even less", emphasizing "these essential volunteers not only put their lives on the line, but also play an important role in keeping property taxes low".
Hughes reiterated the petitioners' call for the federal Liberal government to support an already-tabled bill that would increase the tax credit, urging them to pass it ahead of the 2024 fire season, particularly after last year's record-breaking fire season.