National

Canada, United States expand agreement to help each other fight wildfires

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 22 Jun, 2023 02:09 PM

Canada and the United States are expanding an agreement to share people and equipment to fight wildfires.

Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson and U.S. Ambassador David Cohen are signing the memorandum of understanding in Ottawa today.

This year's wildfire season is amongst the worst we've ever seen. Today, @USAmbCanada and I signed an arrangement that strengthens our countries’ cooperation to combat wildland fires and protect our communities. pic.twitter.com/DuKe9QIWHO
— Jonathan Wilkinson 🇨🇦 (@JonathanWNV) June 22, 2023

The two countries have repeatedly relied on each other to help when the wildfire situation grows beyond what they can handle on their own.

The new agreement replaces a number of separate deals between the two countries in a bid to make the sharing of firefighters, incident managers and equipment more efficient.

It comes as Canada continues to battle its worst wildfire season in history, with more than 61,000 square kilometres of land burned so far this year, which is about the same size as Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island combined.

The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre says nearly 2,000 international firefighting personnel are in Canada right now, including several hundred from the U.S.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

More imported kids' meds heading to stores: feds

The agency, which had previously announced it was importing acetaminophen and ibuprofen to be distributed to hospitals, said the new retail supply should help families struggling to treat their sick children.

More imported kids' meds heading to stores: feds

Emissions cap on oil and gas likely by end of 2023

A cap on greenhouse gas emissions from Canada's oil and gas sector will be ready by the end of next year, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said Monday. In an interview from Egypt where he is attending the 27th instalment of the United Nations climate talks, Guilbeault said the government is developing the regulations in "record time."

Emissions cap on oil and gas likely by end of 2023

Two deny murdering man after B.C. prison escape

Zachary Armitage and James Lee Busch are charged with killing 60-year-old Martin Payne in July 2019, a day after the pair walked away from William Head Institution, located about eight kilometres from the victim's home in Metchosin.

Two deny murdering man after B.C. prison escape

Permanent Indian residents can now be part of Canadian military

As of 2021, there were more than eight million immigrants with permanent residence living in Canada - roughly 21.5 per cent of the total Canadian population. In the same year, nearly 100,000 Indians became permanent residents of Canada as the country admitted a record 405,000 new immigrants in its history.

Permanent Indian residents can now be part of Canadian military

NDP calls for review of federal COVID-19 response

With the final federal public-health restrictions having been lifted in September, NDP health critic Don Davies said it's about time for the government to look back at whether appropriate actions were taken to manage the crisis.

NDP calls for review of federal COVID-19 response

B.C. hails flood recovery but more disasters loom

The record rains brought by an atmospheric river last November swamped southwest B.C., inundated farmland, washed out major highways and railways and forced thousands to flee. Five people died in what the Insurance Bureau of Canada ranks as B.C.'s most costly weather event, with insured losses of $675 million.