Instead of sending in the troops to deal with what promises to be another dangerous wildfire season, Public Safety Canada is testing the capabilities of civilian-led first responders and relief providers.
Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan said the new program will be deployed during this wildfire season in British Columbia and the Northwest Territories.
Sajjan, a former defence minister, added that the Canadian Armed Forces is “not the best resource to deal with a lot of emergencies,” including wildfires.
The federal government is expanding its existing Humanitarian Workforce Program — which supports non-governmental organizations responding to natural disasters and other large-scale emergencies — to support its 2024 wildfire response and other emergency services through pilot programs in British Columbia and the Northwest Territories.
I have a pet theory, with zero direct evidence, but a bunch of anecdotal hints … that the US has ‘encouraged’ Canada to increase our O&G support and output because they want to cut down on their reliance on SAE/OPEC sources.
Because so far America is doing the bare minimum to wean itself off O&G, so they need a reliable alternative source … and we’re it.
If that is true it explains why we purchased the TCP, and completed the line, plus the billions we spend subsidizing O&G.