National

B.C. Asks For Tougher Regulations After Drones Hamper Wildfire Fight

The Canadian Press, 04 Sep, 2015 01:41 PM

VANCOUVER — British Columbia is getting tough on drones after unmanned aerial vehicles grounded aircraft fighting wildfires this summer.

Mike Morris, parliamentary secretary to the minister of forests, says the province has asked Transport Canada to strengthen regulations around drones and impose stiffer penalties for violators.

The Forests Ministry wants several issues addressed, including privacy, how drones are registered, and certification of drone operators.

The province is also planning a public awareness campaign to ensure drone owners are aware of their responsibilities.

A drone flying above a wildfire near Oliver last month grounded eight helicopters and five fixed-wing aircraft for more than four hours while the fire spread.

Current regulations prohibit the use of drones near wildfires, and violators can be fined up to $25,000 and face up to 18 months in jail.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Restlessness Resumes On Toronto, U.S. Markets As China Volatility Continues

The Toronto Stock Exchange's main index showed a triple-digit gain within the first 10 minutes of trading Wednesday but that quickly evaporated.

Restlessness Resumes On Toronto, U.S. Markets As China Volatility Continues

Budgets And Balance Are Key Themes In Election Campaign Today

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper is in rural eastern Ontario, where's he's promising to spend $200 million over seven years on expanded broadband Internet access for remote areas.

Budgets And Balance Are Key Themes In Election Campaign Today

Doctors group looking at intensive course to train willing MDs in assisted death

Doctors who are willing to assist in a patient's death once the act becomes legal early next year will need to be trained because they've never been taught the procedures for ending a life, the Canadian Medical Association says.

Doctors group looking at intensive course to train willing MDs in assisted death

First Nation asserts right to northern B.C. island slated for LNG plant

LELU ISLAND, B.C. — Some members of a north coast First Nation are gathering on a small island near Prince Rupert, B.C., to protest plans for a liquefied natural gas project

First Nation asserts right to northern B.C. island slated for LNG plant

Duffy Trial Sheds Light On Pmo's Power, Hand-holding Of Parliamentarians

OTTAWA — Upon quitting the Conservative caucus in the spring of 2013, Alberta MP Brent Rathgeber declared he no longer wanted to be treated like a "trained seal," parroting media talking points written for him by the Prime Minister's Office.

Duffy Trial Sheds Light On Pmo's Power, Hand-holding Of Parliamentarians

Tar Ponds court action shut down after 11 years of wrangling

HALIFAX — The law firm that represents Cape Breton residents who launched a class-action lawsuit claiming the Sydney tar ponds exposed them to contaminants has concluded the litigation should stop after 11 years of legal wrangling.