From the Province of Ontario
The governments of Ontario and Canada are investing $64 million to strengthen the province’s wildland fire program. The funding program will enhance Ontario’s firefighting abilities, allowing the province to hire and train key personnel and fund the purchase of new support equipment and technology, including fuel systems, tankers, trucks and software systems.
“Our government is making critical investments in our wildland fire program – on the ground and in the air – to keep Ontario at the leading edge of wildland firefighting,” said Graydon Smith, Minister of Natural Resources. “As an internationally recognized leader in wildland fire safety, we are preparing for more frequent and complex fire seasons to protect our communities now and in the future.”
To help keep communities safe this fire season and in the future, Ontario is also:
- Contracting the services of four additional medium helicopters to support fire suppression, increasing Ontario’s total number of contracted helicopters to 13.
- Ensuring support for communities impacted by fires and floods by contracting the services of an additional plane to assist with community evacuations, if needed.
- Creating more than 100 additional permanent positions to build leadership and experience within our wildland fire program. These new year-round positions will support improved career path opportunities for fire rangers and other staff.
- Investing $5 million to help attract and retain wildland firefighting staff. This investment recognizes the critical services of wildland firefighters and pilots with an incentive/retention payment of up to $5,000 for the 2024 fire season.
- Supporting wildland firefighters and investigators with improved access to benefit entitlements and eligibility for the same presumptive benefits as municipal firefighters and fire investigators.
“I am so proud of Ontario’s highly trained and skilled members working in wildland firefighting,” said Kevin Holland, Associate Minister of Forestry and Forest Products, “and as we strengthen our forestry sector, it’s crucial to leverage these skills to ensure the safety and resilience of Ontario communities affected by wildfires. Our training programs and investments are essential in supporting all communities that depend on our wildland firefighters.”
With the end of this fire season approaching, Ontario continues to look to future seasons and other ways to improve and modernize our equipment, personnel, and air fleet.
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What does this kind of language even mean: “100 additional permanent positions to build leadership and experience within our wildland fire program. These new year-round positions will support improved career path opportunities for fire rangers and other staff.”?
I don’t see anything here about monitoring and spotting where fires are first forming, so they can be acted on sooner than later. Ought not that be part of the work?
Yes, putting slashed money back in to services, with grandiose announcement, is a slick proposition.
Not only did Doug Ford previously CUT the wildfire fighting budget by $142.2 million Ontario continues to go backwards rapidly under Dud Ford.
Unlike the rest of the world.
Search “Polluting gas will provide 25% of Ontario’s electricity in 2030 – up from 4%”
Search “Court sides with youth in historic climate case against Ontario”
Doug Ford was actually fighting to pollute more against students in court.
And lost.
Only Conservatives would pay much more to pollute.
Including paying lawyers with our tax dollars.
Renewable plus storage makes up 80% of the world’s new energy sources.
Because they are much cheaper.
Not just because of climate change including the resulting devastating wildfires.
“since 2021, more workers have been employed in the “clean” energy sector than in the fossil sector”
Search “Explosive Growth – How Green Energy Fuels the Economic Boom”
“renewable energies made up ten percent of growth in global Gross Domestic Product – equivalent to 320 billion dollars.”
“Indeed, the growth rates for renewable energies last year were impressive: 80 percent of newly built electricity capacities worldwide were attributable to wind, solar, water, and biomass.”
We need to change the mind set in our communities. Last month as I drove into town, I saw four large backyard fires, in the day time, with only one being attended. Some people still leave them burning when they go inside for the night. It starts there with education and law enforcement. Of course, there are fires ignited by lightning that we can not prevent.
As a former MNR-trained forest fire tech who worked in Northwestern Ontario I echo Bob Brian’s concern that only part of the originally designated wildfire funding has been restored, and I question the spin.
What happened in Jasper can happen in Muskoka. I am wondering if the Wildland fire risk and possible costs have been properly estimated by the Ministry. I understand that the personal health risks taken by woodland firefighter are high as it seems they cannot work with all the respiratory protection that town firefighters wear. I hope the benefits announced here are sufficient for retention or recruitment. We cannot expect local volunteer firefighters to step in to fight wildland fires which are a different beast. I wonder if new strategies and equipment are needed in the arsenal. Firesmart education for homeowners should be adapted to our densely forested rural area. Maybe residential development in our area should occur with firebreaks and appropriate buffer zones, less flammable roofing and siding and porches. Unfortunately we must be better prepared for the costs of the changing unpredictable climate that our fossil fuel pollution has caused.
The article starts out ” The governments of Ontario and Canada”. So obviously the feds are involved also, not just Doug Ford. I have always wondered why towns and villages that could be destroyed by wildfire don’t have a a buffer zone of zero trees. Northern Ontario used to have lots of women and men that work in the logging industry. Pay these people to clear a safety zone….cut the trees and use the wood ….or just let them burn.
Can you imagine forest fires in Ontario like we recently saw in Alberta and British Columbia?
This is the best Ford can do to ensure our safety especially in Central and northern Ontario!
The thought is so frightening I don’t even want to think about it! Thanks Mr. Ford for doing so very little!
Yes, I have been involved in Alberta forest fires. You hair turns grey overnight!
Ford backpedals on yet another reckless mistake.
Only $64 million restored?
“As Ontario faces the devastating consequences of ongoing wildfires, it becomes apparent that the Doug Ford government’s decision to slash the forest firefighting budget by a staggering 67 per cent ($142.2 million according to 2019 Ontario Budget) was a reckless and short-sighted move.”