Despite the ongoing trade war, 80 per cent of Canadians would still send disaster relief across the border. Joy Malbon reports. <\/p>\n
Even in troubled political times of trade tensions, new polling shows Canadians still strongly support helping their American neighbours when disaster strikes. <\/p>\n
Four in five Canadians support or somewhat support sending Canadian first responders to the U.S. to help with natural disaster relief, according to a poll by Nanos Research commissioned by CTV News. Eighteen per cent of respondents either oppose or somewhat oppose sending help.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Nanos Research Chief Data Scientist Nik Nanos said while the Trump administration is threatening more tariffs against Canada, the poll indicates Canadians aren\u2019t letting political drama get in the way of their support for longstanding partnerships.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the very foundational core are two countries that share the continent. \u2026 They have many friendships and lots of positive working relationships,\u201d Nanos said. \u201cAnd those connections, those family and friendship connections, kind of transcend politics.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since 1982, the two nations have shared resources to battle wildfires when they\u2019re able to. It\u2019s part of a long-standing cross-border emergency management agreement covering natural and man-made disasters.<\/p>\n
\u201cCanada has consistently supported the United States when our operational capacity allows,\u201d a spokesperson for Eleanor Olszewski, federal minister of emergency management and community resilience, said in a statement on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AF2N5NIXGRBXVA6COS4O4PZEKI.JPG\")
Water bombers Canada A Quebec Water Bomber pilot waves to onlookers after scooping water from Shediac Bay, NB. The two Quebec based bombers helped to fight the forest fire in the Irishtown, N.B. area on Monday August 11, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Ron Ward <\/p>\n
Canada deployed more than 400 firefighters to the United States in 2018, over 590 personnel in 2020, and 250 firefighters and incident management personnel in 2025, according to the spokesperson. Canada also sent ships, helicopters and supplies to help with the rescue and rebuilding when Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005<\/a>.<\/p>\n The support goes both ways \u2013 in 2023, over 2,000 American firefighters were deployed to Canada to aid in the wildfire fight. \u201cAs long as they need us, we will continue to help Canada\u2019s firefighters,\u201d Jeff Arnberger, chair of the National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group at the U.S. National Interagency Fire Center, said at the time<\/a>.<\/p>\n