Hackers release corporate data stolen from London Drugs
Retailer London Drugs says cybercriminals who stole files from its corporate head office last month have released some of the data after it refused to pay a ransom.
Canada and the United States won't be able to provide each other with much in the way of firefighting reinforcements this year as the two countries contend with one of the earliest and most severe wildfire seasons in recent memory.
Despite a long history of helping out, both need all hands on deck to battle rampant wildfires on either side of the border, says a Natural Resources Canada background memo obtained by The Canadian Press.
Both the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre and its U.S. counterpart are at Level 5 of the "national preparedness" scale, the highest tier, "indicating a deficit of personnel in both countries," the memo says.
"Within that context, neither country has been able to share resources with each other."
Both will continue to be able to access other international resources if necessary, the memo notes -- indeed, about 100 firefighters from Mexico recently arrived in B.C., joining a number of Canadian Armed Forces personnel -- but the situation points to a challenge that's only going to get worse.
"There's two outlooks to think about: the first is the outlook for the rest of the summer, and the outlook for the rest of the summer is hot and dry," said James Johnston, a forest management and wildfire expert at Oregon State University.
"Then there's the outlook for summers to come, and that outlook is even hotter and drier."
Last year, Canada sent 529 front-line crew members, 62 supervisory teams and a number of aircraft to help the U.S. battle a slew of fires across hard-hit California, Oregon and much of the Pacific Northwest, the backgrounder noted.
This year, however, both countries have their hands full: in B.C. alone, where 269 active fires were reported Wednesday, experts are anticipating the worst summer in the province in more than 70 years. Across the Prairie provinces, more than 160 fires are burning in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and northwest Ontario.
All told, Canada's currently active wildfires have consumed about 1.2 million hectares of territory, an area twice the size of Prince Edward Island.
In 14 different states across the U.S., meanwhile, about 21,000 firefighters are battling 96 fires, including 24 large blazes in Montana and 20 in Idaho.
"The demand from the 2021 fire season shows we both need more resources in the future," the Natural Resources memo says.
The situation is serious enough to have come up in a phone conversation Monday between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Joe Biden, who agreed that it's beyond time to come up with a different approach.
In addition to their shared focus on mitigating climate change, the memo says the two countries are discussing a "co-ordinated investment program" to increase the pool of trained firefighters.
"Given that we are seeing longer, more intense fire seasons due to climate change and a resulting strain on resources, Canada and the U.S. are looking at ways to address these challenges in a co-ordinated way," it says.
Canada is also working on a "blueprint" for North American collaboration on the science surrounding wildfires, based on a proposal developed by Natural Resources Canada and the U.S. Forest Service in conjunction with experts from all three countries.
"Canada is continuing to look at ways to work collaboratively with the United States as well as other partner countries to develop innovative solutions, increasing global capacity to respond, and reducing the vulnerability from catastrophic wildfires."
Last week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom told Biden that the U.S. Forest Service, which is responsible for nearly 60 per cent of the forest lands in the state, took a "wait-and-see" approach to the massive Tamarack fire, which has been burning on both sides of the California-Nevada boundary.
"They waited, and what we saw is the fire took off," Newsom said.
"We need your help to change the culture in terms of the suppression strategies in this climate, literally and figuratively, to be more aggressive on these federal fires."
Indeed, said Johnston, one important step will be for the rest of the world to stop waiting for vast tracts of the continent to catch fire before thinking about how to deal with the problem.
"There simply isn't any easy solution," he said, noting that California spent nearly two per cent of its annual gross domestic product on dealing with wildfires.
Proactive strategies -- using mechanical means and prescribed burns when conditions are less volatile to reduce the amount of raw fuel -- will be a critical part of any successful plan.
"It's true that the only way to fight fire is with fire," Johnston said.
"We don't have a choice about whether to have fire, but we do have some choices about where and when."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2021.
Retailer London Drugs says cybercriminals who stole files from its corporate head office last month have released some of the data after it refused to pay a ransom.
A Toronto man who won $70 million in a recent Lotto Max draw literally fell off his chair when he saw the funds in his bank account.
Approximately 50 Montreal-area students — the vast majority of them female — were suspended Wednesday after their school deemed the shorts they were wearing were too short. On Thursday, several students staged a walk-out to protest what they believe is a "sexist" dress code that unfairly targets girls.
Something shifted in the pretty little village of Lumby, B.C., after Tatjana Stefanski vanished. It used to be the sort of place where parents let their kids roam free or play in the local creek, but everything has changed.
Celine Dion's fans are getting a first glimpse of the superstar's struggle with a rare neurological disorder in an emotional trailer for an upcoming documentary about her career and life.
An unlikely celebrity emerged from social media to cheer on the Edmonton Oilers as they face the Dallas Stars tonight in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.
American Airlines has distanced itself from a court filing in which the carrier said a nine-year-old girl should have noticed there was a camera taped to the seat of an airplane lavatory.
French luxury makeup and skincare brand Clarins is pulling out of Hudson's Bay stores in Canada.
The B.C. Supreme Court has ruled in the provincial government's favour on the City of Surrey's legal challenge to its ongoing transition to a municipal police force, according to B.C. Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth.
The proprietors of Regina's sole discount theatre are aware they're carrying on a significant legacy.
When Jujhar Mann said he wanted to be a pastry chef on a grade school career project, he didn't imagine that pursuing his dream would land him on a popular Netflix baking competition.
A city known for its history, ties to outer space and southern barbecue, is also home to a Winnipeg chef dishing out dozens of perogies.
A Montreal photographer captured the moment a Canada goose defended itself from a fox at the Botanical Garden.
Public libraries in Atlantic Canada are now lending a broader range of items.
Flashes of purple darting across the sky mixed with the serenading sound of songs will be noticed more with spring in full force in Manitoba.
Catching 'em all with impressive speed, a 7-year-old boy from Windsor, Ont. who only started his competitive Pokémon journey seven months ago has already levelled up to compete at a world championship level.
A sanctuary dedicated to animals with disabilities is celebrating the third birthday of one of its most popular residents.
2b Theatre recently moved into the old Video Difference building, seeking to transform it into an artistic hub, meeting space, and temporary housing unit for visiting performers in Halifax.