Never Let A Crisis Go To Waste

Background to the latest JUSTCAWS post...

As another Wild Fire Season blows upon us Justin Trudeau continues to follow Winston Churchill's Advice

The most annoying thing - other than smoke itself from Canada’s annual wildfires, is how we now spend more time arguing over cause rather than taking action. I don’t care if its arson, climate change or both, I want the fires put out and efforts made to minimize the chances of them happening again.

Last year, when wild fires hit most of the northern parts of North America, the U.S. doubled down on its significant federal resources and infrastructure to further fund its National Forest Service Agency to fight and prevent forest fires. In fact, while Canada burned and blew smoke south the United States had the lowest amount of fires in decades. Obviously, it is not all cause and effect here as weather patterns play a key role, but President Biden’s Infrastructure Law recognized the urgency and continues to make significant investments to reduce wild fire risk across state, private, and tribal lands.

Which brings us to the source of all the wild fire smoke and political mirrors - Canada. Unlike States, Canada, a country covered in forests - doesn’t have a federal agency to fight fires and protect them.

That job is left primarily to the provinces and territories to administer with the federal government providing some funding. This had led to a system that has to lean heavily generous foreign support to fill in the gaps of our own limited capabilities.  Combine this with the growing threat of more fires and the federal government is finally adding more cash. But as Mark Ramzy of Torstar points out Trudeau has made it clear the federal government would rather support than lead.

So why might that be?

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