Sample Letter to MP

M-635 was a motion in support of volunteer firefighters tabled by MP John Rafferty in January 2011 (you can read it below). It died with the spring 2011 federal election, but I will leave the page up for a while to promote the idea of federal support for volunteer firefighters. Hopefully after the campaign dust settles we will be able to have another similar motion put forward with better success.

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Below is a sample letter to your MP in support of M-635. If you want to use it, just select the text, then copy and paste it either to an email or a document to print. Make sure you customize it with your name and your MP's name! The letter is only my suggested thoughts on the subject. If you feel creative, go ahead and change it or rewrite it to reflect your point of view. The main thing is to do it.

Email is probably the easiest way to send the letter, but snail mail will work as well (and you don't even need a stamp if you mail it to the Ottawa address). If you are unsure of who your MP is, or would like his or her email address,  click here. Simply type in your postal code, and the Internet wizardry does the rest.

If you are from Thunder Bay - Rainy River riding, you don't need to use my letter. Simply send an email to John Rafferty Rafferty.J@parl.gc.ca) and tell him that you support the motion.

Here is the actual motion, in case you haven't seen it yet:

"Mr. Rafferty (Thunder Bay—Rainy River) — That, in the opinion of the House, the government should consider providing funding to volunteer fire departments across Canada, working with provincial and municipal governments to ensure that these departments receive sufficient operational funding, and, if no agreement can be reached with the governments concerned, the government should immediately move to create another funding stream accessible to volunteer fire departments that do not infringe on provincial jurisdictions."

Thanks for your support!

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[Date]


[Mr./Ms.] [Name of your MP], MP
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6

Dear [Mr./Ms.] [Name of your MP]:

I urge you to support M-635, which asks the federal government to work with provincial and municipal governments to ensure that volunteer firefighters receive sufficient operational funding. MP John Rafferty introduced the motion on February 8, 2011 after hearing concerns from volunteer fire chiefs in his constituency about funding and recruiting challenges facing their departments. I am concerned that the Canadian government currently has no national strategy to support volunteer firefighters, and I believe that M-635 is a step in the right direction.

According to the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs, 91% of Canadian fire departments are staffed by volunteers. Residents of rural areas are not the only Canadians served by these dedicated men and women. People from every city, town, and village in this country travel and vacation in areas where volunteers provide medical first response, rescue, and fire protection services. In fact, there would be no extrication or fire protection service on the vast majority of our highways without volunteer firefighters.

Firefighters are the first line of defense in all emergencies, whether the scope is local, provincial, or federal in nature. Many volunteer departments face severe funding and staffing shortages, putting this essential service in jeopardy. Supporting M-635 shows that you acknowledge the federal government's responsibility to ensure the safety of Canadians by supporting volunteer fire departments.

Thank you in advance for supporting M-635.

Sincerely,


[your name]