MANITOUWADGE — Saving lives and property is hard work - which is why Manitouwadge's mayor and council have voiced their support for volunteer firefighters and search and rescue workers across the country.
At their most recent council meeting, Manitouwadge’s council addressed correspondence regarding Bill C-310 and amendments to subsections 118.06 (2) and 118.07 (2) of the Income Tax Act (Tax Credit for Volunteer Firefighters).
Coun. ToniLynn Ruff voiced her enthusiasm for the township’s support of Bill C-310 and expressed her gratitude for their own fire department.
“We are lucky here in Manitouwadge to have a full complement of our fire department. A lot of that is thanks to Chief Kruger for his hard work. That is not the case across Canada. There is a lack of volunteers and if Bill C-310 can help even recruit a few more people then I think it’s worth endorsing,” Ruff said.
The amendments proposed in the bill would increase the amount of tax credits for volunteer firefighters and search and rescue volunteer services from $3,000 to $10,000.
Mayor Jim Moffat said he sees the increase in tax credits as a "great thing."
Bill C-310, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (volunteer firefighting and search and rescue volunteer tax credit), was first introduced and read to the House of Commons in early December.
The Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs voiced their support for the bill by creating a petition that remained open until just after the bill was read in the House of Commons.
Correspondence about the new bill came to Manitouwadge from the townships of Lincoln and Plympton-Wyoming - which pledged their support based on a resolution passed by the municipality of Wawa in November.
Calls for support have been circulated widely to other municipalities across the province.
Coun. Cody Keough echoed Ruff’s perspective and shared his own reasons for supporting the new bill.
“Sometimes, these volunteers have to deal with crash sites and things like that. Kudos to them for dealing with those situations. Any way that we can assist them is great,” Keough said.
