Question Period Note: Wildland Fires

The safety and security of First Nation communities continues to
be a shared priority with partners.
• With support of First Nations-led organizations and through the
Emergency Management Assistance Program, ISC will continue
to support communities in preparing for wildland events with
increased resiliency to future climate related emergencies.
• ISC ensures constant contact with at-risk communities,
providing their leaders with the latest information and resources
to make the best decisions, including advance payments to First
Nations to ease cashflow pressures.

Emergency Management Assistance Program
ISC’s Emergency Management Assistance Program (EMAP) helps communities on reserve
access emergency assistance services. EMAP provides funding to First Nation communities so
they can build resiliency, prepare for natural hazards and respond to emergencies using the four
pillars of emergency management (mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery).
ISC works with provincial and territorial governments to ensure First Nation communities have
access to comparable emergency assistance services available to other residents in their
respective jurisdictions.
Provinces and territories are responsible for emergency management within their areas of
jurisdiction and therefore, have the expertise and capacity to deliver services on behalf of ISC.
To ensure that First Nation communities have the assistance they need within the broader
provincial or territorial emergency management system, ISC is in regular contact with provincial
and territorial emergency management officials.
Working with provincial partners, ISC funds the FireSmart program, which builds skills in First
Nation communities to prevent and prepare against wildland fires. Programing involves training
First Nations teams in wildfire suppression duties, as well as fuel management and vegetation
clearing, which reduces the intensity and spread of wildfires.
Canada’s wildland fire season, which has been linked to climate change, is lasting longer with
more frequent and intense events. First Nation communities are particularly vulnerable to these
increasing events, with 80% of First Nation communities being located in areas prone to
wildland fire. First Nation communities are 18 times more likely to be evacuated than those offreserve
and take longer to recover.

If pressed on Emergency Management Assistance Program
• As our climate continues to change, the government is
committed to helping First Nations prepare for emergency
events.
• Through FireSmart and the Emergency Management Assistance
Program, ISC continues to works with First Nation communities
to build skills to prevent and prepare for wildfires.
• FireSmart has been successful in working with communities to
reduce the spread and intensity of wildfires.
• We continue to work with First Nations as well as Provinces and
Territories to advance multi-lateral agreements which see First
Nations as full and equal partners in emergency management.

If pressed on additional emergency management resources in
First Nation Communities, including isolated communities
• ISC will continue to work directly with on-reserve communities,
including isolated communities, to prepare for emergency
events through ISC’s Emergency Management Assistance
Program.
• This program has multiple funding streams, including the
FireSmart program, Non-Structural Mitigation program, and
response and recovery funding, that will ensure that First Nation
communities are able to respond to emergencies, and properly
prepare for the next one.
• ISC will continue to work closely with First Nation communities
to ensure they receive the funding, and supports they need to
protect their community members and infrastructure.

If pressed on Kátł’odeeche First Nation evacuation order
• ISC is working with Kátł’odeeche First Nation leadership, and
the Government of the Northwest Territories to ensure that
everyone in their community is able to evacuate safely, and has
proper accommodations and supports moving forward.
• Moving forward, we will work with the Kátł’odeeche First Nation
and the Government of the Northwest Territories to protect and
repair any damaged infrastructure, and rebuild the community
putting safety first.
• ISC will focus on supporting Kátł’odeeche First Nation to ensure
that their community can rebuild in a way that allows them to
continue with their traditional practices, such as hunting and
trapping.

If pressed on wildfires in Nova Scotia
• The Government of Canada continues to closely monitor the
wildland fires in Nova Scotia.
• We are continuing to work with First Nations leadership, and the
Province of Nova Scotia, to ensure that affected First Nations
communities are receiving the support and resources they need.
Our first priority is to keep communities members safe.
• As we fight the wildfires, we will ensure that each First Nations
community receives the resources needed to build back better
from these horrific fires, with future safety and resilience at top
of mind.

If pressed on wildfires in British Columbia
• Indigenous Services Canada continues to work closely with First
Nation partners, including the First Nations Emergency Services
Society, as well as Emergency Management and Climate
Resilience BC to plan, prepare and respond to the 2023 wildfire
season.
• Through a bilateral services agreement, ISC is providing
$3,040,637 annually to the Province of British Columbia to
support emergency management services for First Nations onreserve
communities. ISC also provides $2.38 million annually to
BC Wildfire Services for wildfire suppression on reserve.
• ISC provided over $11 million to the First Nations Emergency
Services Society in 2022-23 to support their work in all four
pillars of emergency management – mitigation, preparedness,
response and recovery.

If pressed on wildfires in Alberta
• The Government of Canada is currently working with the First
Nation communities in Alberta that are affected by current
wildfires.
• Our focus is to ensure the health and safety of the community
members in affected areas, and protecting community
infrastructure to ensure that affected First Nations are able to
transition back to their every day as quickly as possible.
• We will continue to work with First Nation leadership to ensure
that they have all the resources that are needed moving forward.

If pressed on supports for wildfires in Alberta
• Indigenous Services Canada continues to work with the
communities that it can assist in responding to the wildfires –
First Nations on-reserve.
• Along with other federal partners, we have, and will continue to,
meet with First Nations leadership to ensure that each
community has the resources needed to safeguard its residents.
Ensuring people are safe is our first priority.
• Looking towards the future, we will continue to protect First
Nation communities, and ensure that they have the resources
needed to build back in a manner that will protect their
communities from future emergency events.

If pressed on Mikisew Cree First Nation
• The Government of Canada will continue to work closely with
Mikisew Cree First Nation, and other First Nations in the area, to
ensure that they have the resources needed to keep their
community members, and infrastructure safe.
• We will continue to work with First Nation leadership to ensure
that they are receiving all of the resources needed to protect
their communities.
• My department’s Emergency Management Assistance Program
will support recovery activities following the wildfires, helping
the community recover in a timely, durable and holistic way.

If pressed on Wildfires in Quebec
• The Government of Canada is working closely with First Nation
communities, and their leadership, to ensure that they have the
resources needed to keep their community members and
infrastructure safe.
• ISC has provided some First nation communities with advanced
payments to help ease the financial burden.
• When it comes time to turn our efforts to recovery, we will work
with First Nations leadership to ensure that each community has
the resources need to build back better.
If pressed on Elephant Hill recovery
• We continue to work with the First Nations communities who
were affected by the Elephant Hill wildfires in recovering, and
rebuilding their communities.
• While we continue to focus our efforts on rebuilding community
infrastructure, and ensuring its safety from all future emergency
events, we are also focusing on the lost value of culture, wellbeing
and education services.
• We will continue to work with First Nations leadership, to ensure
they have the resources needed to rebuild their communities in
a manner that safeguards them from future emergencies.

If pressed on Métis supports
• ISC’s Emergency Management Assistance Program provides
funding for on-reserve First Nations communities to prepare for,
respond to, and recover from emergency events, including
wildfires.
• In the case of an emergency event off-reserve impacting Métis
communities, they can apply for support directly from their
provincial or territorial government and through Public Safety
Canada’s Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA)
program.
• We continue to work closely with Public Safety Canada (PSC)
and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
(CIRNAC) to engage with all Indigenous and Metis communities
on their emergency management needs and to develop supports
for their communities.

If pressed on recovery initiatives
• The Government of Canada’s primary focus is ensuring that all
First Nation communities are safe and healthy during these
emergency events. Once the danger to First Nations have
subsided, our focus will be to ensure these communities have
all the resources needed to rebuild their infrastructure.
• Our Emergency Management Assistance Program reimburses
recovery activities following emergencies, including wildfires,
helping the community recover in a timely, durable and holistic
way.
• Using the building back better recovery framework to guide our
work, we support the restoration of communities and assets in a
manner that reduces future vulnerability and strengthens
resilience.