Listen to this article
Estimated 4 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.
To help battle Newfoundland and Labrador’s historic summer of wildfires, hundreds of thousands of dollars was spent on contracts for firebreaks on an emergency basis in 2025.
A firebreak is an intentionally created gap where burnable material, like vegetation and trees, are cleared in an effort to stop a fire from spreading further by removing the flammable materials that could feed it.
It was employed as a firefighting tactic against the Kingston, Martin Lake and Paddy’s Pond fires this summer.
CBC News asked for an interview with Forestry Minister Pleaman Forsey, but the department’s communications director, Victoria Barbour, responded with an email instead.
She said the provincial government is focused on helping Newfoundlanders and Labradorians “live in safe communities.”
“Four dozer guards were constructed on the Kingston fire and six dozer guards were constructed on the Paddy’s Pond fire,” said Barbour.
Nine companies were hired to help construct firebreaks in 2025 for a total of $701,474.95, she said.
“Firebreaks are also in place in areas that have experienced recent significant wildfire activity including Labrador City, Wabush, Churchill Falls, North West River, Grand Falls-Windsor and Sheshatshiu,” Barbour wrote.
This work was undertaken by the previous Liberal government.
MHA and Liberal forestry critic Elvis Loveless says all levels of government need to work together. (Colleen Connors/CBC)
Fortune Bay-Cape La Hune MHA and Liberal forestry critic Elvis Loveless — who is also a former minister of fisheries, forestry and agriculture — said the previous Liberal government issued two tenders for firebreaks for Conception Bay South and the areas around Burnt Point and Salmon Cove while in office.
He said the call for firebreaks came from the public and fire departments.
Exploits MHA Pleaman Forsey was recently named to Premier Tony Wakeham’s cabinet as the forestry minister. (Ariana Kelland/CBC)
CBC News previously reported that according to a list of recently disclosed provincial government procurement contracts, Conception Bay South-based Platinum Construction Company Limited was awarded a $51,600 contract to construct firebreaks. Another contract, valued at $419,983.35, was awarded to Jerseyside-based Tier 1 Capital Corporation to build firebreaks in Burnt Point and Salmon Cove.
Both contracts were listed as being awarded shortly after the PC party won a majority government on Oct. 14.
Janelle Simms, a spokesperson with the public procurement office, said the two firebreak contracts were for work issued on an emergency basis in August and not for upcoming projects.
“The published awards show October dates because that is when the purchase orders were issued to record the transactions,” she told CBC News in an email.
“Due to the fire response, emergency procurement processes were used, which resulted in purchase orders being issued after the actual transactions occurred.”
In a follow up interview, Loveless said he wasn’t actually sure when the two contracts were awarded. He said they might have been awarded on an emergency basis and when the election happened it put the government into caretaker mode, and the contracts were filed after the election enabling contractors to be paid.
Loveless, in his initial interview, said it’s going to take all levels of government working together to be prepared for future wildfires.
He said he’d like to see the PCs ensure there’s money available to help communities and invest in emergency preparedness, including the Atlantic Wildfire Centre and equipping firefighters properly.
“Because we know in those smaller communities, the challenge that lies with them having the proper resources. And they need to connect with the federal government,” said Loveless.
During the campaign, now-Premier Tony Wakeham said he would invest in the province’s firefighting capabilities, including ensuring firefighters and search and rescue teams have the gear they need to respond to emergencies.
Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to visit our landing page.