N.S. premier calls for urgent, proactive firefighting help from Ottawa
Premier Tim Houston repeated his calls for urgent firefighting help Thursday, asking Ottawa to “be proactive” with aid as multiple wildfires continue to burn out of control.
The federal government said Thursday morning the Canadian Armed Forces is preparing to provide firefighting support to Nova Scotia, and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said that military help would start arriving "hopefully" by the end of the day.
“I would urge urgency on their part,” Houston said of the federal government following a cabinet meeting Thursday.
“Getting these fires under control is the most urgent need.”
About 200 houses have been reported as destroyed by the wildfires and more than 21,000 Nova Scotians have been evacuated from their homes.
The premier shared Wednesday an extensive list of requests for support, that include military firefighting crew, a variety of equipment, helicopters to drop water, and 50 per cent cost-sharing for modular housing units for those who have lost their homes to the fire.
“The discussions on many of these things have been ongoing for a number of days… I would urge them to act on those, and be proactive even on what hasn’t been requested,” Houston said.The wildfire at Barrington Lake, Shelburne Co. while out of control and is estimated at the time to be around 1354 hectares. (Courtesy: DNRR)The premier said he learned a great deal about the process of requesting federal aid after post-tropical storm Fiona hit the region, and because of that experience he wrote in his formal request: “where this is an urgent and evolving situation, I would appreciate being made aware right away if any of these requests are required to go through administratively burdensome channels. I am hopeful that we can act first together to address the urgent needs of Nova Scotians.”
Houston said that following Fiona, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “looked me in the eye at one point and said Nova Scotia didn’t fill out the proper forms and that’s why support didn’t come as quickly.”
“I, of course, disagreed with that assessment, but even if that assessment were true, there’s a time to act,” Houston said.
Nova Scotia has already received supplies and assistance from Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, and New Brunswick. Houston has asked that the Coast Guard be deployed to Shelburne County, where the largest wildfire in the province continues to burn out of control.
The 20-member Department of Natural Resources and Renewables firefighting crew that was assisting with the Northwest Territories wildfires returned to the province Wednesday night and were set to begin work on the Nova Scotia wildfires Thursday. As well, 17 firefighters from New York and New Hampshire will start work in the province Saturday.
About 100 American firefighters are also set to arrive in Nova Scotia by Monday, June 5.
Nova Scotia has several ongoing, out-of-control fires Thursday as the temperature rises to between the high 20s and low 30s in much of the province.
The largest wildfire, covering about 19,000 hectares, is in Shelburne County. About 2,000 residents have been asked to evacuate due to the blaze.
A second smaller fire estimated at 120 hectares in size was also reported in Shelburne County Wednesday night, located several kilometres away from the first wildfire.Firefighters arrive at a command centre within the evacuated zone while taking a break from battling the wildfire burning in Tantallon, N.S. outside of Halifax on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese)Meanwhile in Halifax, the Tantallon-area fire is considered 50 per cent contained at 837 hectares, but the situation remains volatile due to the heat and dry weather. The nearby Hammonds Plains fire is holding at four hectares and is 80 per cent contained.
In Pubnico, Yarmouth County, an out-of-control wildfire measures 163 hectares.
Houston and fire officials are expected to provide an update on the state of the fires this afternoon at 3 p.m.
With files from The Canadian Press.
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.