The Monday news briefing: An at-a-glance survey of some top stories
Highlights from the news file for Monday, July 31
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TRUDEAU THANKS CREWS FOR EFFORTS FIGHTING B.C. FIRES: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau thanked those on the front lines of British Columbia’s firefighting efforts as he stopped in Williams Lake on Monday. Trudeau addressed about 250 people from the fire service, police and military who have been helping keep the wildfires from overrunning communities in what has been a devastating fire season. He thanked the workers on behalf of all Canadians for “stepping up,” saying it is reassuring for people to see everybody pulling together. The prime minister said different levels of government will work in the coming months to set things back to normal for communities damaged by fires. Dozens of homes have been lost as hundreds of fires have burned around the province. Several hundred residents cheered as Trudeau and Premier John Horgan emerged from a local recreation centre, and the cheering grew even louder as the fire service personal filed out of the building. Thousands of Williams Lake residents returned to their homes over the weekend after they were forced to leave July 15 when a fast-moving fire encroached on their community.
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