Wildfire risk remains well above average across Canada this month
This season is on track to be the worst fire season Canada has ever seen and the risk of wildfires will remain well above average in most of the country throughout the summer, the federal government warned Monday.
At the rate fires are spreading across the country, the total land area burned could surpass the all-time annual high by next week.
"The situation remains serious," Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair said as he and six other federal cabinet minister gave an update on the situation.
"The images that we have seen so far this season are some of the most severe we have we have ever witnessed in Canada and the current forecast for the next few months indicates the potential for continued higher-than-normal fire activity."
As Blair spoke in downtown Ottawa, smoke from fires north and west of the city had settled over Parliament Hill, clouding the iconic Peace Tower in a grey haze.
On Friday afternoon there were 324 fires burning across Canada.
As of Monday morning that had grown to 413, and by late afternoon, the total jumped again to 424.
More than 250 fires were burning out of control, stretched across nine provinces and two territories.
As of June 5, more than 2,200 fires had been recorded this year.
They have so far burned 36,000 square kilometres of land -- an area more than five times the size of Banff National Park, and more than the annual totals for all but four previous years.
The most land ever burned in a single year was 46,000 square kilometres in 2014.
Over the weekend, an average of about 1,800 square kilometres burned each day. If that pace keeps up, the 2023 total will surpass 2014 within the next week.
A new fire risk forecast shows that risk remains well above average in parts of every province and territory except Newfoundland and Labrador.
The risk in most of Labrador is still above average, while the risk in Newfoundland is just average.
There is very little change to the forecast for Western Canada for July or August, but the risk is expected to drop substantially in the Maritimes and eastern Quebec. In most of Ontario and western Quebec, the risk is slated to go from "well above average" to "above average."
Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson called the new forecast sobering.
"It shows us that this year's already devastating season could well get worse," he said.
"Every province and territory will need to be on high alert throughout this wildfire season."
There are now nearly 1,000 firefighters helping battle the flames from the United States, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Additional firefighters from France are also expected, Blair said.
The season's severity is unusual not just in how many large fires are burning, but also because they are burning in almost every province at the same time.
Mike Norton, the director general of the Northern Forestry Centre at Natural Resources Canada, said having coast-to-coast fires in the spring is not normal.
Most years, the Canada Interagency Forest Fire Centre co-ordinates the sharing of equipment and firefighters not just internationally, but also between provinces. That is proving a challenge this year.
Norton said with the international help there should be enough crews.
The military has been called in to help, with 150 soldiers in both Alberta and Quebec and 200 in Nova Scotia.
NDP MP Richard Cannings, the party's emergency preparedness critic, said even though the government is working as fast as it can it still took several days to train soldiers in the firefighting skills they needed, and to get the equipment Nova Scotia needed in place.
"Because of how we organize this in Canada, we weren't ready," he said.
Cannings said the federal government needs to be able to respond at a moment's notice.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said his party is "open to studying any solutions that will help the country better co-ordinate its waterbombers and other assets so that those assets are where they are needed, when they are needed, as quickly as possible."
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the government is focused on getting through this fire season.
"We're going to get through this together and our government will keep being there with whatever it takes to keep people safe and provide support," he said.
He acknowledged, though, that with climate change heightening the fire risk, there are lessons to be learned and decisions to be made about making Canada better able to respond.
"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."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2023.
IN DEPTH
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
'Democracy requires constant vigilance' Trudeau testifies at inquiry into foreign election interference in Canada
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testified Wednesday before the national public inquiry into foreign interference in Canada's electoral processes, following a day of testimony from top cabinet ministers about allegations of meddling in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. Recap all the prime minister had to say.
As Poilievre sides with Smith on trans restrictions, former Conservative candidate says he's 'playing with fire'
Siding with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her proposed restrictions on transgender youth, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre confirmed Wednesday that he is against trans and non-binary minors using puberty blockers.
Supports for passengers, farmers, artists: 7 bills from MPs and Senators to watch in 2024
When parliamentarians return to Ottawa in a few weeks to kick off the 2024 sitting, there are a few bills from MPs and senators that will be worth keeping an eye on, from a 'gutted' proposal to offer a carbon tax break to farmers, to an initiative aimed at improving Canada's DNA data bank.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Board orders deportation for trucker in horrific Humboldt Broncos crash
The truck driver who caused the horrific bus crash involving the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team has been ordered to be deported.
Community mourns victims of fatal boat crash near Kingston, Ont.
The three people killed in last weekend's tragic collision between a speedboat and a fishing boat north of Kingston are being remembered Friday.
Group tied to Islamic State plotted fatal Ontario restaurant shooting: Crown
A gunman who is accused of killing a young Ontario man and shooting four of his family members at their small Mississauga restaurant in 2021 was allegedly part of a trio who had pledged allegiance to the listed terrorist group Islamic State, a Crown attorney said in an opening statement in the Brampton murder trial this week.
'A really bad car crash': Why health experts are raising concerns over surging syphilis cases
A sexually transmitted infection (STI) that was once thought to be a thing of the past is now a public health priority for North American doctors.
Purolator truck drivers from Guelph, Ont. save man walking in Hwy. 407 lanes
A pair of Purolator transport truck drivers from Guelph, Ont. are being hailed as heroes for their efforts in helping a person in crisis.
Trudeau responds to American senators calling on Canada to increase defence spending
Stopping short of offering the assurance U.S. senators are seeking, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government is aware there's more work to do in order to see Canada meet NATO's defence spending target.
A woman took her dog to a shelter to be euthanized. A year later, the dog is up for adoption again
Exhausted and short on options after consulting two veterinary clinics, Kristie Pereira made the gut-wrenching decision last year to take her desperately ill puppy to a Maryland shelter to be euthanized.
Italian teenage computer wizard set to become the first saint of the millennial generation
Pope Francis paved the way for the canonization of the first saint of the millennial generation on Thursday, attributing a second miracle to a 15-year-old Italian computer whiz who died of leukemia in 2006.
Top Russian military officials are being arrested. Why is it happening?
It began last month with the arrest of a Russian deputy defense minister. Then the head of the ministry’s personnel directorate was hauled into court. This week, two more senior military officials were detained. All face charges of corruption, which they have denied.
Local Spotlight
Pomp, circumstance, and Crocs: Barrie, Ont. couple's unforgettable day at Buckingham Palace
When one is extended an invitation to the Royal Garden Party in London, England, there's undoubtedly no shortage of pomp and circumstance. Barrie, Ont. natives Megan Kirk Chang and her husband Brandon experienced just that as they entered the prestigious event hosted at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.
Tim Meadows pledges not to shave until the Oilers win the cup, who are the team's other famous fans?
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.
'Near and dear to all filmmakers': Return of Regina's discount theatre bodes well for fans, movie makers alike
The proprietors of Regina's sole discount theatre are aware they're carrying on a significant legacy.
'Best experience ever': B.C. baker on making it to the finals of Netflix's 'Is it Cake?'
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.
Winnipeg flair on the menu at neighbourhood Houston restaurant
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.
Montreal photographer captures dramatic Canada goose vs. fox fight on video
A Montreal photographer captured the moment a Canada goose defended itself from a fox at the Botanical Garden.
Beyond books: Halifax libraries lends instruments, sports equipment, memory kits and more
Public libraries in Atlantic Canada are now lending a broader range of items.
'A special bird': The unbreakable bond between purple martins and humans
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.
7-year-old Pokémon prodigy heading to Hawaii for world championship tournament
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.