Hosting a Regional volunteer firefighter roundtable with PS Sherry Romanado and township Mayors

Tim Louis, Member of Parliament for Kitchener-Conestoga, and Bryan May, Member of Parliament for Cambridge and North Dumfries, hosted a roundtable with the Region of Waterloo townships' fire chiefs and their mayors in Badan's fire station alongside Sherry Romanado, Member of Parliament for Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne and Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Kings Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness. 

During the roundtable discussion, hosted at the Township of Wilmot Fire Station 1 on Foundry Street, the MPs discussed issues important to small-town local firefighting, including the desire to increase the amount of tax credit eligibility for volunteer firefighters.

Notably, there was wide support from the chiefs and mayors in attendance, as well as MP Romanado, for MP Louis and MP May's letter to Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland to increase the tax credit for volunteer firefighters in next month's federal budget. The increased tax credit could help alleviate a real issue for the Region's local townships when trying to retain volunteer firefighters.

Along with the challenges of recruitment and retention, the MPs and attendees discussed the rising cost of firefighting equipment and the health and wellness needs of firefighters, all of which the MPs are keen to partner with other levels of government to solve.