In Fiona's wake, politicians reflect on Canadians' kindness after natural disasters

Brad Vis has learned a lot about how to help after watching fire, flooding and landslides destroy parts of the communities he represents.

The Conservative MP for the riding of Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon in British Columbia chokes up when he thinks about the struggle to support people who have lost everything.

"There are going to be calls that you're going to receive … and people [say], 'I don't have a house. What are you doing for me today?'"

Vis pauses, trying to regain his composure.

"When that happens, you can't solve their problem right away, but you can be there for them and you can listen," he went on.

"And you can fight in Parliament, you can work across aisles, you can work with your provincial government, and you can do everything you possibly can in that day.

"You can't be a saviour, but people are going to ask a lot of you, and you got to protect your mental health, and you got to keep fighting because that's why you're here."

Vis made the comments in an interview with CBC Radio's The House as part of a conversation about the role of politicians when a community is in crisis.

His riding was not only hit by landslides and flooding last November, but it also includes the village of Lytton, where two people died in July 2021 after record-breaking temperatures led to wildfires that destroyed most of the community.

During the discussion he shared his experiences with Nova Scotia Liberal MP Mike Kelloway, who is dealing with the effects of post-tropical storm Fiona in his riding of Cape Breton-Canso.

"It's gut wrenching," Kelloway said of the state of his community. 

"I've seen people's homes destroyed. I've seen, I've heard stories of one gentleman who had a roof and it went into the air and it was found three streets over."

In the immediate aftermath of the storm, people were looking for tangible support, such as help clearing debris from their properties, answers about the lack of power or cell phone connectivity, Kelloway said.

It sounds familiar to Vis, who remembers getting calls from people who were separated from family members and unable to contact them.