91裸聊视频楶ulling together in terrifying times91裸聊视频�: Trudeau visits wildfire impacted Okanagan

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited West Kelowna last Friday (Aug. 25) to meet with local firefighters, city officials, and the media to discuss the Grouse Complex wildfires that have affected three Central Okanagan communities.

91裸聊视频淭his has been an extraordinarily difficult summer for so many Canadians from coast to coast to coast as communities have been hit with wildfires, extreme weather events on top of all the other economic events people are facing,91裸聊视频� Trudeau said during a news conference at Fire Hall 33.

91裸聊视频淭he one thing we91裸聊视频檝e been able to see everywhere across the country is communities stepping up to be there for each other.91裸聊视频�

The prime minister took a question from an individual who had been evacuated about where the money would come from so that people and communities could rebuild.

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e seeing more and more intense weather events, insurance is going to get more difficult for people to obtain, even for those who can obtain it and we know that falls on all of us to be there to help communities and individuals who91裸聊视频檝e lost everything, having to rebuild,91裸聊视频� he said.

91裸聊视频淎ll orders of government will be there to work together to make sure Canadians are getting through this that91裸聊视频檚 what our job is.91裸聊视频�

Trudeau did not announce any funding or programs to help those affected by the wildfires.

He was also asked if the federal government would consider stable funding to municipalities for infrastructure, including wildfire interface programs, instead of communities having to rely on winning grants.

91裸聊视频淲hen we got elected in 2015 we made a commitment to invest in infrastructure that previous federal governments simply had not,91裸聊视频� Trudeau said.

He referred to his government91裸聊视频檚 recent $3 billion in permanent, yearly transit funding. 91裸聊视频淚 think we need to start looking at that around emergencies, we certainly need to start looking at that around infrastructure investments so that cities can make plans to continue to grow.91裸聊视频�

A news release from the federal Conservative Party, sent out at the same time the prime minister was speaking, claimed that during the 2021 election, Trudeau promised to train and equip 1,000 woodland firefighters and provide an additional $500 million to the provinces and territories to buy essential equipment to increase their ability to fight fires before the 2022 fire season.

91裸聊视频淥f the $500 million he promised to the provinces 91裸聊视频� $177 million was cut and diverted to a new satellite that won91裸聊视频檛 launch till 2029,91裸聊视频� said the Conservative Party statement.

91裸聊视频淏udget 2022 then spread the remaining funding over five years, with only $15.6 million earmarked for 2022 91裸聊视频� just 3% of what Trudeau promised.

91裸聊视频淎s of December 1, 2022 not a single firefighter had even begun to be trained.91裸聊视频�

West Kelowna Mayor Gord Milsom, whose community has been hard hit by the McDougall Creek wildfire, said he is hoping to see greater investment from the federal government.

91裸聊视频淚n wildfire mitigation and planning. I believe we could use more support in emergency management programs, particularly emergency support services,91裸聊视频� Milsom said. 91裸聊视频淢ore sustainable, ongoing funding would be very much appreciated, that was my ask.91裸聊视频�

Regional District Central Okanagan board chair Loyal Wooldridge pointed out that Electora Area West was devastated by the McDougall Creek wildfire.

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e calling on the federal government, the provincial government, to look at our emergency operations centre as a year-round model,91裸聊视频� Wooldridge said.

91裸聊视频淩ight now we91裸聊视频檙e pulling from municipalities working off the side of their desk.91裸聊视频�

He would also like to see the federal government provide sustainable infrastructure dollars to invest in things such as fire halls and Westside Road 91裸聊视频渨hich is very important to service rural and remote communities.91裸聊视频�

Asked about support for year-round emergency services, Trudeau said the focus right now is getting through the wildfire crisis in the Central Okanagan.

91裸聊视频淲e know, unfortunately, extreme weather events are going to get more frequent, more extreme in the years to come,91裸聊视频� the prime minister said.

91裸聊视频淲e have to learn from what91裸聊视频檚 worked and what hasn91裸聊视频檛 worked as well as it could have and put that in place.91裸聊视频�

gary.barnes@kelownacapnews.com
Like us on and follow us on and subscribe to our daily newsletter.

91裸聊视频