The federal minister of emergency preparedness was on the province’s southwest coast to get an update on how things are going in the wake of Hurricane Fiona and see what kind of resources are available.

Minister Harjit Sajjan is touring the country collecting information on lessons learned from various disasters, including the worst forest fire season in Canadian history.

While Newfoundland and Labrador was largely spared, nearly every province and territory was affected by devastating wildfires that caused considerable damage, and affected air quality throughout the continent.

Minister Sajjan says in this province he met with officials on the southwest coast to discuss the impact of Hurricane Fiona.

A very heartfelt meeting with the Port aux Basques Town Council, @Gudie and I heard firsthand accounts of the impact Hurricane Fiona had on the southwest coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. The resilience of Newfoundlanders is truly remarkable. pic.twitter.com/nBScs5bfMp

— Harjit Sajjan (@HarjitSajjan) November 26, 2023

“I just wanted to hear the story on what took place” says Sajjan, “what they did, and now looking at…what we can do to make things better.”

Sajjan says he was moved by stories about the damage caused by storm surge that pulled homes into the ocean, many of which had been standing for decades.

He says he’s concentrating on what kind of resources are available in the province for disaster response and what’s needed to make the system even better.