Wildfires are getting bigger. Floods are getting worse. Extreme heat is becoming the norm, not the exception. Communities across the country are facing a growing climate threat \u2014 and now is exactly the wrong moment for the government to be cutting the public services we rely on to respond.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cuts are hitting public services across the country, including the Government Operations Centre, which\u00a0monitors\u00a0emergencies across Canada 24\/7 and coordinates the federal response.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On top of that,\u00a0PSAC\u00a0members at\u00a0Parks\u00a0Canada\u00a0and\u00a0firefighters at the\u00a0Union of\u00a0Northern\u00a0Workers\u00a0(UNW)\u00a0are\u00a0on the front lines, fighting these wildfires and helping with evacuations. In 2023, more than 300 Parks Canada firefighters were deployed during the record-breaking wildfire season.\u00a0They\u00a0also responded to the devastating Jasper wildfire in 2024 and continue to support wildfire responses across the country today.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Their work goes far beyond fighting fires.\u00a0Firefighters\u00a0at Parks Canada and\u00a0at\u00a0UNW\u00a0work year-round to reduce wildfire risks through prescribed burns and emergency preparedness \u2014 and because many are trained in emergency response,\u00a0they’re\u00a0increasingly called on for floods, hurricanes,\u00a0landslides\u00a0and other disasters too. As climate emergencies intensify, these workers are being asked to do more, with fewer resources to keep up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Some communities face greater risks\u00a0<\/p>\n
Climate disasters affect everyone, but they do not affect everyone equally.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Indigenous, racialized,\u00a0northern\u00a0and remote communities can face greater exposure to wildfires, smoke and other environmental hazards while having fewer resources available to respond and recover.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For remote communities, an evacuation can mean travelling hundreds or even thousands of\u00a0kilometres. Indigenous communities can also face the loss of homes, traditional\u00a0lands\u00a0and ways of life.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This is part of the reality of environmental racism: existing inequalities can leave some communities facing greater environmental risks and fewer protections. Cutting emergency services will only make those inequalities worse.\u00a0<\/p>\n