SASKATOON, SK, Aug. 14,
2024 /CNW/ - With another challenging wildfire
season underway and wildfires increasing in frequency and severity
across Canada — impacting our
health, economies, communities and wildlife — the Governments of
Canada and Saskatchewan are supporting Canadians and
residents of Saskatchewan who are
threatened by wildfires. For the remainder of the 2024 wildfire
season, Saskatchewan is forecasted
to experience above-average wildfire activity.
Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and
Natural Resources, with the Honourable Paul Merriman, Minister
of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety for Saskatchewan, announced a joint investment of
over $47.7 million over five years
under the Government of Canada's
Fighting and Managing Wildfires in a Changing Climate Program
(FMWCC) – Equipment Fund and the Resilient Communities through
FireSmart (RCF) Program.
A joint investment of $44.8
million through the FMWCC – Equipment Fund will support
Saskatchewan's efforts to purchase
wildland firefighting equipment such as handheld two-way radios,
protection sprinklers and hoses, and flotation and protection pumps
and pump kits. Both Canada and
Saskatchewan are providing
$22.4 million each over five
years. This funding will further improve fire management
efforts in Saskatchewan by
procuring and upgrading specialized wildland firefighting equipment
and by hiring and training personnel to better prepare for and
respond to wildfires. This will enhance safety for communities and
firefighters and improve the sharing of resources across
Canada. Funding is already
flowing, and the province has purchased equipment that is already
helping fire fighters in battling wildfires this season.
This funding also builds on last year's $524,780 contribution to the Prince Albert Grand
Council Indigenous Wildfire Stewards Pilot Program. The
contribution came from Natural Resources Canada's (NRCan) FMWCC –
Training Fund, which provides support to primarily Indigenous
communities and organizations to train firefighters and to increase
NRCan's understanding of the needs and barriers in this space.
A joint investment of over $2.9
million, made through the RCF Program, will enhance wildfire
prevention and mitigation efforts and expand the adoption of
FireSmart in Saskatchewan. Both
Canada and Saskatchewan are providing over $1.4 million through the program. With this
funding, Saskatchewan will
establish whole-of-society governance to increase community
wildfire prevention and mitigation initiatives.
Keeping Canadians safe and healthy is a top priority for both
governments. By working together with provinces, territories,
Indigenous communities and international allies, the federal
government continues to address and support the fight against
wildfires, ensure public safety and protect homes, livelihoods and
lives.
Quotes
"The federal government is urgently working to respond to these
fires by providing provinces, territories and partners with the
support they need to address the challenges posed by wildfires.
Today's announcement with the Government of Saskatchewan highlights our commitment to
working together to mitigate and respond to wildfires through the
Fighting and Managing Wildfires in a Changing Climate Program and
the promotion of FireSmart Canada as a national program. Through
tangible and fast-flowing funding, the Government of Canada is helping to address the current
wildfire season and prepare for future challenges."
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
"The Government of Saskatchewan
welcomes the federal government's commitment to collaborate in
maintaining our wildland firefighting equipment and reinforcing the
Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency. Through this partnership, we can
enhance public safety and deliver a strong, coordinated response to
wildfires across the province."
The Honourable Paul Merriman
Saskatchewan's Minister of Corrections,
Policing and Public Safety
Quick Facts
- The Government of Canada is
working with communities and organizations affected by wildfires to
better understand the unique role the federal government plays in
serving these communities; to offer nationally recognized equipment
to support all firefighters to be better equipped to respond
to wildland fires; and to support a more sustainable approach
to training, employment and all-hazards management in Indigenous
communities and beyond.
- The FMWCC Equipment Fund was launched in 2022 to
proactively invest in and support provincial and territorial
efforts in strengthening fire management capacities and
capabilities across the country. By facilitating the purchase of
wildland firefighting equipment, such as fire crew trucks and
personal protective equipment, the fund aims to increase capacity
to respond to wildland fires.
- Under Natural Resources Canada's FMWCC – Equipment Fund,
provinces and territories must cost-share investments with the
Government of Canada for
equipment, such as vehicles, mobile units, avionics upgrades
(parts), hoses, pumps and enhanced communications equipment, and
for the repair of aging equipment and training.
- FireSmart Canada, a national program within the Canadian
Interagency Forest Fire Centre, empowers Canadians to increase
neighborhood resilience to wildfires and minimize their negative
impacts. It offers resources, programs and recommendations designed
to help individuals, landscape planners, forest managers and others
protect homes and communities from wildland fires.
- Visit Canada.ca/wildfires for a complete list of
links to various federal supports for individuals impacted by
wildfires.
Related products
- Canadian Wildland Fire Information System: Monthly and
Seasonal Forecasts
- Canadian Wildland Fire Strategy
- Fighting and Managing Wildfires in a Changing Climate
Program
- WildFireSat: Enhancing Canada's ability to manage
wildfires
- Wildfire Resilient Futures Initiative
- Wildfires – Canada.ca
- Canada's National Adaptation
Strategy: Building Resilient Communities and a Strong Economy
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SOURCE Natural Resources Canada