On July 16, 2026, NDP Critic for Indigenous Affairs and for the Environment Leah Gazan Issued the Following Statement:
As folks across Canada witness the highly disturbing images of wildfires in Northwestern Ontario, I echo the words of consolation offered by First Nations Chiefs to the Nations and communities impacted, along with their calls for urgent government action to ensure this crisis is resolved and the safety of evacuees is upheld.
As of this week, several First Nations have been evacuated or are at risk of evacuation due to the more than 100 wildfires that have engulfed Northwestern Ontario. These including the Namaygoosisagagun First Nation, Whitesand First Nation, Kiashke Zaaging Anishinaabek, and Animbiigoo Zaagi’igan Anishinaabek.
According to Linda Debassige, Grand Council Chief of the Anishinabek Nation, the Namaygoosisagagun First Nation was forced to carry out an emergency evacuation without the support of emergency services, with many folks reportedly having only minutes to gather their belongings before homes were destroyed by wildfires. Many were forced to flee by boat as fires engulfed their communities. Thanks to the dedication and resolve of First Nations leadership, as of right now, all community members have been accounted for.
Once again we are seeing that Indigenous peoples stand on the front lines of an escalating emergency that is increasingly impacting all of Canada. Due to governments’ failure to adequately advance wildfire prevention efforts, toxic smoke is spreading across many cities, impacting countless people’s health and safety. Today, Toronto was ranked worst in the entire world for poor air quality.
This is something that should put our government to shame, but just yesterday Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke publicly about the “lasting benefits” of expanding fossil fuels at the very moment when communities are engulfed in flames and cities across the country are filled with toxic smoke.
Let us not forget that this is only the most recent example of an ongoing climate emergency. At this very moment of last year, thousands of First Nations individuals and families were evacuated from their communities due to severe wildfires in Manitoba, many of whom were displaced to Winnipeg Centre without adequate resources to ensure their rights to safety, security and dignity were upheld.
Enough is enough. The Liberal government cannot continue actively feeding this environmental catastrophe that is destroying homes and jeopardizing the safety of Indigenous people and communities across the country.
To quote Chief Shana Thomas of Lyackson First Nation, “economic growth and First Nations’ rights cannot be placed in competition with each other. It’s not an either-or. We as First Nations cannot be expected to continually quietly absorb colonial violence that is thrust against our people and our territories while we act as though it’s all in the good of the economy. […] Decisions made in Ottawa have a direct impact on our waters, our fisheries, our culture and heritage, and our aboriginal rights and title.”
I reiterate the calls on the government by the Chiefs of Ontario to immediately remove jurisdictional and administrative barriers delaying emergency assistance for wildfire evacuations; to fully assist in co-ordinating evacuation, transportation, accommodation, health, and emergency response supports; to collaborate directly with First Nations Leadership throughout all response and recovery efforts; and to provide adequate resources to First Nations actively fighting fires and protecting their communities.
In the midst of a climate crisis, I and the NDP stand in solidarity with Chiefs in Assembly who put forward a resolution opposing legislation that weakens environmental standards while pushing projects through without the free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous peoples.
On July 11th, 2026, MP Leah Gazan, NDP Critic for Persons with Disabilities made the following statement:
On June 30, 2026, MP for Winnipeg Centre, Leah Gazan, issued the following statement
On June 21, 2026, MP Gazan issued the following statement on National Indigenous Peoples Day