The Manitoba government has reached a deal with an Ontario company to take control of provincial firefighting services.
On Nov. 29, the province announced that Babcock Canada Inc., an aircraft company based in Ottawa, would operate Manitoba’s aerial firefighting services for the next decade. Under the contract, Babcock will take control of the day-to-day operation of water bombers and other emergency equipment used to put out forest fires and blazes in remote areas.
The terms of the agreement said the province will keep the seven water bombers it already owns, as well as all the parts, equipment and inventory used with them. However, Babcock will lease and operate the water bombers, combining the provincial air firefighting fleet with some of their own planes, including three “bird dog” spotter planes.
The changes will take effect in spring 2019.
According to Ron Schuler, Manitoba minister of infrastructure, the deal will save the province at least $1 million per year. The deal has had detractors, most notably the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union (MGEU), who said the sale would affect 52 jobs across Manitoba and may have an adverse effect on firefighting services.
Most of Manitoba’s aerial firefighting activity takes place in areas considered to be northern Manitoba. Out of 472 forest fires reported in Manitoba last year – burning almost 220,000 hectares of land – 287 of the fires burned in the northeast, northwest and central fire areas in Manitoba. That included evacuations of some remote communities, including Sapotaweyak Cree Nation and Pauingassi First Nation.
