As hundreds of fires continue to burn across the country, officials with the federal government said this morning they’re forecasting higher-than-normal fire activity across most of Canada through to August.
“Our modelling shows this may be an especially severe wildfire season throughout this summer,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a news conference.
“This is a scary time for a lot of people, not just in Alberta, but right across the country, including in the Atlantic, the North and Quebec, too.”
Government data shared with reporters Monday shows 413 fires spanning multiple provinces and the North were burning as of Sunday afternoon, leaving about 26,206 people under evacuation orders in British Columbia, Alberta, Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, Quebec and Nova Scotia.
More than half of those active fires are considered out of control, said Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair.
Mike Norton, director general of the Northern Forestry Centre at the Department of Natural Resources, told reporters Monday morning that seeing so many fires across the country at this time of year is not normal.
He urged Canadians to take “extreme care” in forested areas to avoid starting fires.
“Whether that’s anything from a cigarette butt to an all-terrain vehicle, the season will require a very high degree of care to avoid more fires starting,” he said.
“About half of fires in Canada started from lightning. [We] can’t do much about those but we can do something about accidental starts from people.
So far this season, 2,214 fires have consumed more than three million hectares in Canada. The ten-year average over the same timeframe was 1,624 fires and 254,429 hectares burned, said Norton.
For June, the fire risk is considered well above average in every province and territory except Newfoundland and Labrador, where the risk is considered average.
Trudeau says Canada has enough resources if predictions hold
Richard Carr, a fire research analyst with the Canadian Forest Service, said parts of the country are experiencing the worst aspects of a fading La Niña — a cold oceanic and atmospheric phenomenon — and a developing El Niño warming the sea surface.
“We’ve had a bit more heat than we’ve had during a typical La Niña spring but it does tend to favour very windy, dry conditions,” he said.
Trudeau said the government has approved aid requests from Alberta, Nova Scotia and Quebec and has agreed to send Canadian Armed Forces troops.
He said that given the current fire forecast, Canada should have enough resources to cover the summer.
WATCH: Nearly 250 wildfires still burning out of control Monday
Nearly 250 wildfires still burning out of control across Canada early Monday
10 hours ago
Duration 0:42
Minister of Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair says there are 413 fires burning across Canada as of early Monday — 249 of them still considered to be out of control.
“If things get worse, we are developing contingency plans and we will of course make sure that we are there, whether it’s leaning more on international supports, whether it’s standing up other resources,” he said.
“We will be there to ensure all Canadians are protected right through this summer.”
MONTREAL – Quebec’s ombudsperson is warning that public services are becoming “dehumanized” in the province amid a rise in demand for them.
Marc-André Dowd released his annual report today, which highlights several examples of people receiving inadequate care across the health network in the 12 months leading to March 31.
One dying man who lived alone was denied help cleaning his cat’s litter box by his local health clinic, a service Dowd says should have been given for “humanitarian reasons.”
Dowd also describes staff at a long-term care home feeding residents “mechanically” and talking among each other — despite health ministry guidelines directing staff to maintain eye contact with residents.
The ombudsperson says his office received a record number of problems to investigate across the province’s public services — 24,867 compared with 22,053 last year.
He says his office investigated 13,358 cases between April 2023 and March of this year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
OTTAWA – French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Canada next week after a planned trip in July was cancelled amid political turmoil in France.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in a statement today that Macron will be in Canada Wednesday and Thursday after the leaders attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
Trudeau will welcome Macron in Ottawa on Wednesday, where they are expected to discuss collaboration on geopolitical issues including their ongoing support for Ukraine.
They are also expected to discuss ways to strengthen the response to emerging threats, such as disinformation.
In Montreal, Trudeau intends to show off the city’s artificial intelligence sector, while both countries reaffirm their commitment to work with counterparts on responsible use of AI.
The leaders will also discuss promoting the French language ahead of the Francophonie summit being held in France next month.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Health Canada has authorized Novavax’s updated COVID-19 vaccine that protects against currently circulating variants of the virus.
The protein-based vaccine, called Nuvaxovid, has been reformulated to target the JN.1 subvariant of Omicron.
It will replace the previous version of the vaccine, which targeted the XBB.1.5 subvariant of Omicron.
Health Canada recently asked provinces and territories to get rid of their older COVID-19 vaccines to ensure the most current vaccine will be used during this fall’s respiratory virus season.
Earlier this week, Health Canada approved Moderna’s updated mRNA COVID vaccine.
It is still reviewing Pfizer’s updated mRNA vaccine, with a decision expected soon.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version erroneously described the Novavax vaccine as an mRNA shot.
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