Across the country, people are being forced from their communities and losing homes to wildfires, or spending days under a blanket of smoke.
This week, the Prime Minister along with Ministers Blair, Fraser, Guilbeault, Gould, Vandal, and Wilkinson gave an update on this year’s wildfire season and our government’s continued efforts to support Canadians through this season and seasons to come. Predictions indicate continued higher-than-normal fire activity in the coming months due to ongoing drought and long range forecasts for warm temperatures.
Some of the actions we’ve taken so far to fight wildfires across the country include:
- Approving Requests for Federal Assistance in Alberta, Nova Scotia, and Quebec including the deployment of Canadian Armed Forces members to airlift resources and aid in firefighting roles;
- Investing to train more community-based firefighters across the country this season, including 300 Indigenous firefighters and 125 Indigenous fire guardians;
- Receiving hundreds of firefighters from other countries to support our efforts over the coming days and weeks;
- Partnering with provincial and territorial governments and not-for-profit organizations to match funds donated by Canadians and organizations.
Wildfire smoke can be hazardous to our health. The WeatherCAN app allows individuals to set Air Quality Health Index notifications to help protect themselves. More information on this app can be found here.
Our government will always be there to keep Canadians safe, build strong, resilient communities, and help people rebuild after disaster strikes.
