Trudeau and ministers to provide update as wildfires burn in multiple provinces

Jun 5, 2023 | 1:05 AM

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is scheduled to provide an update on the wildfires that have forced thousands of people from their homes and caused widespread property damage in several provinces. 

Trudeau will appear in Ottawa today alongside a number of ministers, including Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair and Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.

His announcement comes as several provinces have been dealing  with dangerous wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of square kilometres of land across Canada over the last two months. 

There were more than 150 fires burning in Quebec on Sunday, which forced thousands of people from their homes in the northwestern part of the province over the weekend. 

In Nova Scotia, the largest wildfire in the province’s history continued to burn out of control in Shelburne County, while firefighters managed to contain a blaze near Halifax that damaged or destroyed over 150 suburban residences.

Alberta recently ended a provincewide state of emergency it implemented to deal with unprecedented wildfires in that province, even as officials warned the situation remained serious.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2023.

The Canadian Press