Canada will continue to rely on foreign firefighters in coming years: Trudeau
Posted June 14, 2023 1:02 pm.
Last Updated June 14, 2023 1:49 pm.
SAGUENAY, Que. – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada will continue to rely on foreign crews to help fight wildfires in the coming years as extreme weather events become more frequent.
Trudeau told reporters in Saguenay, Que., Wednesday that Canada will count on other countries to send help, in the same way other countries depend on Canadian firefighters to help them in return.
He said wildfire seasons fall at different times around the world, which allows for a “travelling of resources” that helps protect communities all over.
“We’re going to have lots of conversations about what is needed for the coming years to make sure that we can keep Canadians safe and that we’re able to deal with the extreme weather events that will continue to come,” Trudeau told reporters.
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Meanwhile, more firefighters from abroad are expected to arrive on Wednesday to help battle Canada’s worst wildfire season in decades.
Quebec’s public safety minister says about 240 firefighters from Portugal and Spain are set to join the contingents of French and American firefighters who are already helping fire efforts on the ground.
By Friday 1,500 resources will be on the ground to fight the current 110 active forest fires across the province.
There had been hope in Quebec that rainy weather forecast this week would douse the blazes, but officials said Wednesday not enough rain has fallen to stop the fires that have left thousands of people out of their homes in the province.
The province’s forest fire prevention agency said sufficient rainfall isn’t expected before temperatures rise again by the end of the week.
As of Wednesday evacuees are also able to register for the $1500 the provincial government is allocating in compensation for evacuees by opening a request on Quebec.ca by September 9, 2023.
At the height, more than 13,000 people were out of their homes due to forest fires that have been raging in the province since May 29th. As of Wednesday, 2,800 Quebecers remain evacuated.
