JOHN Aldag, MP for Cloverdale-Langley City, said on Monday that he jointly seconded Bill C-224, an act to establish a national framework for the prevention and treatment of cancers linked to firefighting, to address inconsistencies across provinces and raise awareness for cancer prevention among firefighters.

Alday noted: “Currently, there are no national standards for identifying occupational cancers for firefighters. Manitoba recognizes 19 cancers, while British Columbia only recognizes 9. This is unacceptable. I support the development of a national framework to raise awareness of cancers linked to firefighting and to support improved access for prevention and treatment.”

He said: “Our firefighters risk their lives to save others and preserve our infrastructure, leading to increased risk of cancers. The least we can do is recognize the cancers that are occupational risks and provide treatment and preventative measures for our firefighters. I hope this leads to the eventual removal or decrease in use of these toxins so the risk to firefighters can be reduced as much as feasible given the nature of their profession.

I will be speaking further on this issue when the bill is first debated on April 4th.