A woman walks her dog along the Ottawa River in Ottawa as smoke from wildfires obscures Gatineau, Que., in the distance on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
OTTAWA – The federal government is studying options for creating a new national disaster response agency.
The discussions come as Canada is experiencing its worst wildfire season in history and several major cities are again blanketed in thick layers of smoke.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to update Canadians on the fire situation later today.
He said earlier this week that the government is heavily focused on getting through this difficult fire season, but that “absolutely” discussions need to be had about how to be better prepared as climate change makes fire seasons like this one more likely.
A senior government source tells The Canadian Press those discussions are already well underway and include analyzing whether to create a Canadian version of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the United States.
Canada’s disaster response plans involve different levels of government but have repeatedly turned to the Canadian Armed Forces to deploy soldiers and equipment to help.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2023.
