Honourable Eleanor Olszewski
Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience
With record wildfire seasons, Canada is expanding support for provinces, Indigenous communities, and first responders while building long-term resilience. We sat down with The Honourable Eleanor Olszewski to discuss.
What supports are in place to help high-risk rural and Indigenous communities prepare for wildfires?
This year, wildfires impacted many rural and Indigenous communities across the country, and it takes a true team effort to assist these remote communities. Through programs such as the FireSmart initiative and funding that provides support for the purchase of specialized wildfire suppression equipment, in collaboration with provinces and territories, we help equip local first responders with the tools they need to fight increasingly challenging forest fires. We also work closely with and directly fund the actions of organizations like the Red Cross who play a key role in supporting evacuees from remote communities.
For Indigenous communities, Indigenous Services Canada is on the ground and constantly working to ensure the federal government responds quickly in times of crisis and through the Emergency Management Assistance Program (EMAP) we directly support rebuilding and prevention efforts when communities are affected by wildfires. When local capacity to respond is exceeded, we’re always there to help and this summer we deployed the Canadian Armed Forces multiple times to successfully evacuate Indigenous communities threatened by forest fires. Our federal government is working collaboratively with provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to lead across the four pillars of emergency management: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.
Beyond fire bans, how can Canadians directly support forest protection and wildfire resilience?
It‘s a great question – an increasing number of wildfires across the country are human caused – and I think we all need to be aware of what we can do to help. Following provincial fire bans and restrictions is critical, but it’s more than just campfires that can be an issue. We also need to do things like ensure proper maintenance and use of heavy equipment and off-road vehicles, particularly in regions impacted by drought conditions. These measures can help save lives and protect our communities, especially during periods of high fire risk.
People who want to do more to protect their communities can also adopt FireSmart property management practices and take steps in their own homes to make their community more fire resistant.
Taken together all these things make a big difference, and this kind of public education and increased risk awareness contributes to proactive, long-term wildfire resilience across the country.
Has the federal government considered new policies or frameworks that could centralize wildfire resources and expertise?
The federal government, in cooperation with provinces and territories, uses a number of tools to manage firefighting resources including the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC). CIFFC plays a critical role coordinating resources during wildfire season, for example moving firefighters and waterbomber aircraft from one province to another based on critical needs.
This year is now the second worst fire season in Canadian history. As a result, we are actively looking at all options to strengthen the federal government’s approach to emergency management, so we are better able to respond to wildfires and other hazards like hurricanes, floods and cyber incidents. We are drawing lessons learned from past wildfire seasons and exploring models from all around the world to identify approaches that fit our federation. A new federal emergency management agency could lead and coordinate federal disaster response while ensuring that it is additive to the country’s overall emergency management capabilities and our collaboration with provinces and territories – not another layer of bureaucracy.
What immediate federal support can be provided to help provinces manage wildfire more effectively?
Recently, the federal government has stepped up in a big way to build local capacity as we collectively respond to the increasing risks of wildfires. In 2022, the federal government has delivered a program to help provinces and territories purchase equipment like waterbombers and other tools to strengthen their capabilities. We also directly fund the deployment of humanitarian NGOs like the Red Cross and St. John’s Ambulance to help people displaced by wildfires and other natural disasters.
My role as Minister of Emergency Management is to constantly look for ways to ensure we can do more to support the critical efforts undertaken by provinces and territories and at the same time to strengthen federal leadership and coordination. The local ability to respond varies across the country, however, and I take the federal government’s responsibility to keep Canadians safe, no matter where they live, very seriously. This summer, we responded to numerous requests for federal assistance from all across the country and immediately took action.
I will continue to work closely with my provincial and territorial counterparts on ways we can keep working together to keep Canadians safe.
