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BC wildfire budget depletes as
heat wave continues

» Number of wildfires nearly doubled from 2014

Mercedes Deutscher
Staff Reporter

WwW the ongoing heat wave
occurring through the
province, BC has experienced an
early start to the wildfire season.
By the end of June, the
government had already depleted
its budget of $63-million
allocated for wildfire relief. The
conservative budget was set to
match mild wildfire seasons.
“It’s difficult to forecast
wildfire suppression costs as
each season varies significantly
depending on weather conditions
and the number and severity of
wildfires that we respond to,’ a
ministry spokesperson told CTV.
Additional funds that are
required to combat these forest
fires will be pulled from the
province’s contingency fund.
Although it is not unusual for
the province to double or triple
its original wildfire budget, it is
very unusual for the budget to be

 

: depleted so early.

“It has been a fairly active

: early fire season,” Navi Saini, a
: provincial fire information officer, :
: said to the Globe and Mail. “The
: fire activity we've been seeing

: and the fires of note, we usually —:
: see that in July-August, not May- :
: June.” :

In an effort to aid and to

: recover funding for fighting

: provincial wildfires, the Ministry
: of Finance will deploy crews to

: help with wildfire relief in other

: provinces and fine those found

: responsible for starting or aiding
: a wildfire.

The Ministry of Forests,

: via CTV, tried to reassure

: BC residents that although

: the wildfire budget has been

: surpassed, the province will do
: whatever is necessary to keep

: residents and property safe by
: automatically approving any

: funds required for combating

: dangerous wildfires.

It appears as if July and

: August will be providing just as
: much dryness to BC’s climate,

: with projected temperatures

: being warmer than average, and

: precipitation levels being scarce.

Most of the province has

: placed high, if not extreme,

: warnings about the potential of
: wildfires. As of July 2, campfires
: are restricted throughout all

: of the coastal region, with the

: exception of a few areas of

: Vancouver Island and Haida

: Gwaii.

: through over 60,000 hectares of
: space, as opposed to an average of :
: just over 16,000 hectares. Several
: notable wildfires have already

: begun this season, mainly in

: Petitot River and Mount Bigfoot
: near Fort Nelson, as well as

: Westbridge, Pemberton, and near :
: Nanaimo.

 

Fires have already burned

Photo by Richard Lam, CP

As of this year, approximately

50 per cent of fires have been

caused by humans. The other 50

: per cent were started by lightning.

Those who witness people

: contributing to the danger of
: wildfires or people ignoring
: campfire restrictions are advised

to contact 1-888-3FOREST (1-888-

: 3367378).

 

A challenge against oil tankers

» Justin Trudeau discusses a BC-specific environmental platform

Mercedes Deutscher
Staff Reporter

ustin Trudeau, leader of the

Liberal Party of Canada,
recently visited Vancouver to
explain his environmental
platform in preparation for
October’s federal election.

One of his environmental
positions is opposition to oil
tankers and oil pipelines.

In support of stopping crude
oil traffic throughout Canada,
Trudeau tells the Vancouver Sun
that he believes it is of great
importance that environments,
particularly BC’s, continue to
remain pristine and that oil
tankers do not damage them.

Trudeau promised in his
interview with the Vancouver Sun
that if he and the Liberal party
are elected, he will review and
alter the process that goes into
planning projects with a potential
impact on the environment,

: saying that, “projects currently in
: the works and in the future will
actually establish the public trust
: necessary.”

Part of this re-evaluation of

: policy will also involve discussing
: environmental issues with those

: who are of aboriginal descent. As
: well, Trudeau wishes to reform

: the National Energy Board in an

: effort to increase the importance
: of public input.

In response to the English

: Bay oil spill in April, Trudeau

: added that the Kitsilano Coast
: Guard would be reopened, in

: an effort to increase oil spill

: emergence services.

In addition to taking a

: critical look at oil-related traffic
: and policies, the Liberal Party

: wishes to make national parks

: more accessible to all Canadians.
: In honour of Canada’s 150th

: anniversary, admission to

: national parks would be free,

: and, after 2017, admission would

: remain free to children and

: new Canadian residents. He

: would also restore $25-million of
: funding cuts. :
: Other environmental reforms :
: suggested by the Liberal Party :
: include creating a plan to reduce
: carbon emissions by charging

: industries for the amount of

: carbon that they are putting into
: the environment; investing more
: in sockeye salmon monitoring

: programs; and increasing marine :
: environment protection by io per :
: cent. The Liberal Party would also :
: like to establish a line of clean :
: energy, without the use of fossil
: fuels, for both Canada and the

: rest of North America, pending:
: assistance from the American and :
: Mexican governments. :

Many have come out to

Doo. ; : > are too vague and not specific
> criticize Trudeau’s environmental :

: platform. Mike Hudema,

: representing Greenpeace,

: told the Vancouver Sun that
: he believes Trudeau's ideas

: enough to tackle climate change.
: The NDP similarly criticizes

: the Liberal environmental

: platform, adding that many

 

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: policies have been borrowed

: from their environmental plans.
: The Conservative government

: criticized Trudeau for being too
: naive in his policies.