The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) is receiving $50 million following a special warrant signed last week. The warrant, which was signed Aug. 26, serves to provide the funding for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2027. According to the SPSA, $21 million of the funding will go toward payments for the Province Disaster Assistance Program (PDAP). The remaining $29 million will go to wildfire response activities. In an emailed statement, the SPSA said the PDAP program has already approved 172 designations this year and has begun working with almost 500 local authorities and private residents to process their claims. “This year’s number of PDAP approved designations is well above the previous 10-year average of 43 per year,” the statement read. Among the 172 approved applications are families, businesses and communities that have suffered damages from this year’s pervasive floods. The SPSA further explained that the $29 million for wildfire response includes costs related to: The Opposition NDP welcomed news of the additional funding but questioned what it called an “utter lack of fiscal foresight” from the provincial government to prepare for the wildfire season in the first place. “Year after year, it has failed to adequately budget for these disasters,” read a Wednesday statement. “We continue to see extreme weather events wreak havoc on this province. This is a reality that is not going away. And, despite this, we see a Sask. Party that is choosing to underfund emergency services and bury its head in the sand when it comes to taking any sort of preventative action.” Many Saskatchewan communities faced extensive flooding through the spring and summer of 2026, prompting many to declare states of emergency. This year’s flood response was about 8.6 per cent (or $100 million more) expensive, which the province said contributed to its $825 million projected deficit. Saskatchewan has experienced a much tamer wildfire season this year compared to the historically costly and devastating 2025 season. The provincial response was subject to public scrutiny and prompted calls for better budgeting from the provincial auditor.
