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Feds spending $32M to boost northern wildfire management

With matching funds from the province, equipment fund receives $64 million to enhance firefighting capacity
2023-06-22-fortalbanyaffes
The federal government is matching funds from Ontario, announcing $32 million to enhance forest firefighting capabilities in Northern Ontario.

The federal government is matching funds from Ontario, announcing $32 million to enhance forest firefighting capabilities in Northern Ontario.

The money will flow over four years through the federal Fighting and Managing Wildfires in a Changing Climate Program (FMWCC) – Equipment Fund. 

With a matching provincial contribution, a total of $64 million is being spent to enhance Ontario’s capacity to combat wildfires. 

The joint investment will support the purchase of essential equipment, such as fuel systems,  software, tankers, fire trucks, and aircraft, a release from Sudbury MP Viviane Lapointe said in a news release. 

It will also enable the hiring and training of new firefighting personnel, expand support for communities facing evacuations, and enhance benefit entitlements for wildland firefighters. 

The release states the funding will “directly benefit communities in northeastern Ontario that have experienced  severe wildfire activity in recent years — including North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury and Temiskaming Shores — by providing resources and tools to improve local wildfire response and  preparedness.”