Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited West Kelowna last Friday (Aug. 25) to meet with local firefighters, city officials, and the media to discuss the Grouse Complex wildfires that have affected three Central Okanagan communities.
害羞草研究所淭his has been an extraordinarily difficult summer for so many Canadians from coast to coast to coast as communities have been hit with wildfires, extreme weather events on top of all the other economic events people are facing,害羞草研究所� Trudeau said during a news conference at Fire Hall 33.
害羞草研究所淭he one thing we害羞草研究所檝e been able to see everywhere across the country is communities stepping up to be there for each other.害羞草研究所�
The prime minister took a question from an individual who had been evacuated about where the money would come from so that people and communities could rebuild.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e seeing more and more intense weather events, insurance is going to get more difficult for people to obtain, even for those who can obtain it and we know that falls on all of us to be there to help communities and individuals who害羞草研究所檝e lost everything, having to rebuild,害羞草研究所� he said.
害羞草研究所淎ll orders of government will be there to work together to make sure Canadians are getting through this that害羞草研究所檚 what our job is.害羞草研究所�
Trudeau did not announce any funding or programs to help those affected by the wildfires.
He was also asked if the federal government would consider stable funding to municipalities for infrastructure, including wildfire interface programs, instead of communities having to rely on winning grants.
害羞草研究所淲hen we got elected in 2015 we made a commitment to invest in infrastructure that previous federal governments simply had not,害羞草研究所� Trudeau said.
He referred to his government害羞草研究所檚 recent $3 billion in permanent, yearly transit funding. 害羞草研究所淚 think we need to start looking at that around emergencies, we certainly need to start looking at that around infrastructure investments so that cities can make plans to continue to grow.害羞草研究所�
A news release from the federal Conservative Party, sent out at the same time the prime minister was speaking, claimed that during the 2021 election, Trudeau promised to train and equip 1,000 woodland firefighters and provide an additional $500 million to the provinces and territories to buy essential equipment to increase their ability to fight fires before the 2022 fire season.
害羞草研究所淥f the $500 million he promised to the provinces 害羞草研究所� $177 million was cut and diverted to a new satellite that won害羞草研究所檛 launch till 2029,害羞草研究所� said the Conservative Party statement.
害羞草研究所淏udget 2022 then spread the remaining funding over five years, with only $15.6 million earmarked for 2022 害羞草研究所� just 3% of what Trudeau promised.
害羞草研究所淎s of December 1, 2022 not a single firefighter had even begun to be trained.害羞草研究所�
West Kelowna Mayor Gord Milsom, whose community has been hard hit by the McDougall Creek wildfire, said he is hoping to see greater investment from the federal government.
害羞草研究所淚n wildfire mitigation and planning. I believe we could use more support in emergency management programs, particularly emergency support services,害羞草研究所� Milsom said. 害羞草研究所淢ore sustainable, ongoing funding would be very much appreciated, that was my ask.害羞草研究所�
Regional District Central Okanagan board chair Loyal Wooldridge pointed out that Electora Area West was devastated by the McDougall Creek wildfire.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e calling on the federal government, the provincial government, to look at our emergency operations centre as a year-round model,害羞草研究所� Wooldridge said.
害羞草研究所淩ight now we害羞草研究所檙e pulling from municipalities working off the side of their desk.害羞草研究所�
He would also like to see the federal government provide sustainable infrastructure dollars to invest in things such as fire halls and Westside Road 害羞草研究所渨hich is very important to service rural and remote communities.害羞草研究所�
Asked about support for year-round emergency services, Trudeau said the focus right now is getting through the wildfire crisis in the Central Okanagan.
害羞草研究所淲e know, unfortunately, extreme weather events are going to get more frequent, more extreme in the years to come,害羞草研究所� the prime minister said.
害羞草研究所淲e have to learn from what害羞草研究所檚 worked and what hasn害羞草研究所檛 worked as well as it could have and put that in place.害羞草研究所�
READ MORE: 130-hectare planned aerial ignition to take place at McDougall Creek wildfire in West Kelowna
READ MORE: More than 4,000 properties remain on evacuation order across Central Okanagan
gary.barnes@kelownacapnews.com
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