Question Period Note: Operation LENTUS

What is the Government doing to help Canadians devastated by flooding, fires, and other disasters?

• The Canadian Armed Forces is ready to support and serve alongside our federal, provincial, territorial, municipal and Indigenous partners who work diligently to serve Canadians in need.
• That is why the Canadian Armed Forces has members ready to deploy across Canada on short notice when called upon for Operation LENTUS.
• National Defence continuously monitors environmental conditions and domestic response operations, and is prepared to provide emergency assistance at the request of civilian authorities.

If pressed on Wildfires in Nova Scotia and Quebec:

• Provincial and territorial authorities are the first to respond when a major natural disaster occurs.
• If required, they may request assistance from the Canadian Armed Forces, which is a force of last resort.
• In response to the Provincial Requests for Assistance (RFA) from Nova Scotia and Quebec, the Canadian Armed Forces are moving forward to coordinate support to these federal response efforts.
• Supporting Canadians in times of need is one of the core missions of the Canadian Armed Forces, and we will never hesitate to provide emergency assistance when requested by civilian authorities.

If pressed on Wildfires in Alberta:

• Military personnel have provided a range of support services to civilian partners, including firefighting and airlift resources, as well as engineering support.
• This assistance has been extended for an additional two weeks.

Operation LENTUS

• As per the Federal Emergency Response Plan, the Canadian Armed Forces provide assistance when a province or territory requests federal support to deal with an emergency.
• Operation LENTUS is the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) response to natural disasters in Canada. This operation follows an established plan of action to support communities in crisis. This plan can be adapted to multiple situations. These might take the form of forest fires, floods, ice storms, or hurricanes.
• Canadian Armed Forces assistance complements and enhances provincial, territorial, and local resources with unique capabilities, including military personnel and equipment.
  • Based on the request for assistance, the CAF determines how many people to send, and what kinds of assets to send with them. In recent years, this has been anywhere from 60 to 2,600 members.
• The objectives of Operation LENTUS are:
  • To help provincial and territorial authorities;
  • To respond quickly and effectively to the crisis; and,
  • To stabilize the natural disaster situation.
• The tasks for each iteration of Operation LENTUS depend on the type of natural disaster. Common tasks include:
  • Filling, distributing, and placing sandbags;
  • Mopping up fires;
  • Evacuating people;
  • Transporting people;
  • Delivering aid to remote communities;
  • Helping law enforcement and provincial authorities to get information to the public;
  • Checking on residents; and,
  • Assessing infrastructure.

2023 Deployments

• In response to wildfires in Alberta, the CAF deployed an Immediate Response Unit (IRU).

2022 Deployments

• In response to Hurricane Fiona, the CAF deployed approximately 750 members across the Atlantic Region at the height of this event.
• On October 19, the Royal Canadian Air Force CC-130J Hercules aircraft transported two ambulances from Dryden, Ontario, to Pikangikum First Nation to restore medical transportation capacity.
• The CAF deployed six Liaison Officers to assist Newfoundland with planning and coordinating air transportation in response to wildfires from August 06 until August 15, 2022.
• The CAF deployed two CC-130 Hercules aircraft to support evacuations due to wildfires in Manitoba on July 16, 2022.
• The CAF deployed teams of Canadian Rangers to support evacuations due to flooding in Northwestern Ontario from May 12 until May 20, 2022.

2021 Deployments

• The CAF deployed over 700 members and 10 aircraft to British Columbia in November 2021 to support relief efforts in response to record-setting floods.
• From July 5 until September 5, 2021, over 300 members also deployed to British Columbia to help fight wildfires.
• The Canadian Armed Forces deployed over 100 members to the Manitoba Wildfire Service from July 20 to August 24, 2021.
• Throughout 2021, the Canadian Armed Forces received Requests for Assistance for floods in Yukon, British-Columbia, and Newfoundland; for wildfires in Ontario, Manitoba, and British-Columbia; and for tainted water in Iqaluit.
• From January 19 to 28, 2020, approximately 380 members of the Canadian Armed Forces supported the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador after a major snowstorm led to states of emergency in several communities.

Provincial and territorial authorities are the first to respond when a major natural disaster occurs in Canada. If required, they may request assistance from the Canadian Armed Forces, which is a force of last resort.

2023 Deployments

Quebec Request for Assistance

• On June 3, an RFA requesting the provision of military firefighters and firefighting resources was approved.

Nova Scotia Request for Assistance

• On May 31, an RFA requesting the provision of military firefighters and firefighting resources was approved.

Alberta Request for Assistance

• On May 30, the DND and CAF support was renewed to assist with:
  • Continued provision of firefighting personnel and resources;
  • Continued airlift, for mobility and logistical tasks as the need and capacity allows; and
  • Provision of non-technical ground reconnaissance in areas where CAF personnel are operating.
• On May 26, following discussions with the province of Alberta, and due to the improving fire situation, the arrival of additional international firefighters, and the work of CAF members across the operating areas, the number of CAF personnel was reduced.
• On May 8, an RFA requesting the provision of firefighting resources, airlift resources, and engineering support, including but not limited to the provision of heavy equipment resources, was approved.