This is not a local emergency, or a provincial/territorial emergency, but a national emergency.
It’s becoming clear that this year’s forest fire season will be the most destructive ever. Major fires are blazing throughout B.C., in the Northwest Territories, and across the country.
A provincewide state of emergency has been declared, and several towns are staring disaster in the face. Kelowna’s lovely Lake Okanagan Resort has burned to the ground. The government of B.C. alone has spent $450 million so far this year, and the summer is not yet over. That follows a record outlay of $800 million in 2022.
The federal government’s only financial contribution so far is a paltry $39 million spread over five years, or just $8 million a year. And this drop in the ocean goes for training firefighters. That is indeed a worthy cause, but against costs of $1.5 billion, nowhere near enough. Meanwhile the prime minister’s contribution to the crisis has been to convene an “incident response group” of ministers and officials.
The proposal makes all manner of sense. Indeed, with hot summers forecast to continue, it is the only rational choice.
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