Question Period Note: Fire safety and recent fires

• Our Government recognizes that Indigenous communities are disproportionately affected by fire incidents that can have devastating impacts on families and communities.
• We are committed to ensuring that First Nation communities have the resources they need to continue their recovery from the devastating flood and wildfire events of 2021, and are better placed to mitigate the impact of emergency events in the future.
• Our Government will continue to work with First Nation leaders and communities to leverage Indigenous knowledge and practices that prevent, and mitigate the effects of wildfires.
• To this end, we are working with Indigenous partners, including the Assembly of First Nations, and organizations with fire investigation expertise to develop a renewed fire protection strategy.
• Further, Budget 2022 commits over $500 million in new investments to counter the growing threat of wildfires in Canada, including by providing support to provinces, territories, and Indigenous communities for wildfire mitigation, response, and monitoring.

• 2021 was an unprecedented year for wildland fires. Wildland fires seriously affected First Nation communities across the country, especially those in central and western Canada. During the season, 64 First Nation communities, with a combined population of 57,623 were impacted by wildland fires. A total of 48 First Nation communities with a combined population of 51,613 were partially or fully evacuated.
• The response and recovery costs for the 2021 wildfire season is expected to significantly surpass the $96M average of the last five fiscal years, with a preliminary cost estimate of $243M, including $19.4M for non-COVID-19 health emergencies. Some costs will be deferred to next year, and in some cases, over a number of fiscal years.
• Budget 2022 proposes additional action to counter the growing threat of wildfires in Canada, including by providing support to provinces, territories, and Indigenous communities for wildfire mitigation, response, and monitoring through the following:
o $269 million over five years, starting in 2022-23, to Natural Resources Canada as exceptional, time-limited support to help provinces and territories procure firefighting equipment such as vehicles and aircrafts;
o $39.2 million over five years, starting in 2022-23, to Indigenous Services Canada to support the purchase of firefighting equipment by First Nations communities;
o $37.9 million over five years, starting in 2022-23, with $0.6 million ongoing, to Natural Resources Canada to train 1,000 additional firefighters and incorporate Indigenous traditional knowledge in fire management; and,
o $169.9 million over 11 years, starting in 2022-23, with $6.9 million in remaining amortization, to the Canadian Space Agency, Natural Resources Canada, and Environment and Climate Change Canada to deliver and operate a new wildfire monitoring satellite system.
• First Nations leadership have flagged a number of challenges with provincial systems, highlighting the importance of further increasing the emergency response capacity of First Nations communities and organizations.
• Through the Emergency Management Assistance Program (EMAP), all costs related to a wildfire response are covered, including accommodations, transportation, food security, and mental health and wellness activities, as are recovery related expenses including repair or replacement of homes, roads and other infrastructure.
• Collaboration with First Nations, provincial and regional partners is being undertaken, to review lessons learned regarding the wildland fire season, including the intersection of COVID-19 precautions and health emergency management in emergency response.

• Minister Bill Blair has created the Cabinet Committee of British Columbia and Federal Ministers on Disaster Response and Climate Relief. While this committee is BC focused, it will help the government strengthen emergency management across Canada ensuring a strategic and proactive approach.
• 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 off-reserve and take longer to recover.
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.

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