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Saskatchewan wildfire grant too small, says fire chief
🇨🇦 Canada /Disasters & Emergencies

Saskatchewan wildfire grant too small, says fire chief

From Global News · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Saskatchewan announced a $40,000 grant program to help communities achieve FireSmart designation for wildfire preparedness.
  • A local fire chief stated the grant is insufficient, as his community spent $140,000 on protection measures without compensation.
  • The province also outlined other actions in response to a wildfire response report, including enhancing communication and post-incident reviews.

Saskatchewan's new FireSmart Grant Program, offering $40,000 to communities for wildfire preparedness, has been deemed insufficient by a local fire chief. Jim Arnold, chief of the volunteer fire department in Candle Lake, criticized the grant amount, stating his community alone spent $140,000 on FireSmarting its properties.

$40,000 is a drop in the bucket.

— Jim ArnoldThe fire chief of Candle Lake, Sask., commented on the inadequacy of the new provincial grant for wildfire protection.

Arnold highlighted that Candle Lake, with over 2,700 properties requiring protection, undertook a three-day process involving 20 fire department members and external resources. He expressed disappointment that his community has not yet received any compensation from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) for these efforts.

Candle Lake spent $140,000 on FireSmarting the community, and we have not received any compensation from SPSA to date.

— Jim ArnoldThe fire chief detailed his community's expenses and lack of reimbursement from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency.

The grant program is part of eleven initiatives stemming from an independent report on the province's 2025 wildfire response. Other proposed actions include improving communication, streamlining procurement for local vendors, and conducting post-incident reviews with affected communities. While no specific timelines or funding have been attached to these actions, the responsible minister, Michael Weger, indicated they could be implemented quickly.

It really did lay bare a lot of things that we’ve been saying for the last year.

— Karen ThomsonThe deputy mayor of Denare Beach, Sask., reacted to the findings of a wildfire response report.

In contrast to Candle Lake's experience, the community of Wadin Bay, Sask., will retroactively receive the $40,000 grant for its wildfire mitigation costs. Meanwhile, residents of Denare Beach, a community devastated by last year's wildfires, are cautiously optimistic about the proposed actions. Deputy Mayor Karen Thomson hopes for improved communication with the SPSA, noting that unanswered calls from local residents during last year's crisis led to widespread evacuations and significant property loss.

Local knowledge is a big piece because people know the forest, they know the lay of the land. So it’s important to take their advice when it’s given.

— Karen ThomsonThe deputy mayor emphasized the importance of local input in wildfire management.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Global News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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