Canada considering options for national emergency response agency: Sajjan

After a record-breaking wildfire season, Canada's Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan said it is clear some kind of federal co-ordination agency is required.

A new national emergency response agency may consist of regional response teams that Ottawa can call into action when disaster strikes, Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan said in a recent interview.

It is clear some kind of federal co-ordination agency is required, Sajjan said, speaking to The Canadian Press about the lessons learned after last summer’s record-breaking wildfire season.

But it’s not yet clear exactly what that will look like, he said.

“Yes, I believe that we will have something that’s going to be at the federal level of a response force,” Sajjan said.

“I can’t give you the answer just yet because it’s important for us to really work at the ground level to get a better understanding what those needs are. Because ultimately whatever we have, at the provincial or federal level, has to respond to the emergency. We need to get that right.”

Multiple reports have shown that climate change is leading to more frequent and more severe weather events.

In the last three summers, Canada has seen record temperatures, severe droughts, massive flooding, hurricanes and, in 2023, the worst wildfire season ever.

Since the beginning of the year, more than 18.5 million hectares – or 185,000 square kilometres – of land burned.