Witness testimony at a Congressional hearing Wednesday detailed how the Jasper wildfire could have been prevented with better planning.
Meetings began in late September to investigate why the Jasper wildfires started this summer. Thousands of residents and tourists were forced to evacuate the area, and more than 32,500 hectares of land was burned.
Experts expressed concerns about how the federal government handled the disaster.
Forester Ken Hodges said he wrote multiple letters to Parks Canada and the Minister of Environment in 2017 and 2018 expressing concerns about inevitable wildfires in the region. He noticed that they were not very responsive to his recommendations.
“I think if they had completed some strategy on that and had done something within seven years and had some kind of plan, they could have prevented the loss of the town of Jasper itself,” he says.
“They had plenty of time.”
Mr. Hodges has also met with Parks Canada multiple times to offer assistance with wildfire management. He had some concerns after speaking with staff.
“It was very clear to us that they had no experience or knowledge of the issues they were facing,” he says.
It was clear to Hodges that there had been no clear mitigation efforts in the years leading up to the fire.
Some witnesses provided recommendations for long-term planning and prevention.
Randy Schroeder is president of the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association. He attended the meeting as a witness on behalf of firefighters who faced the devastating blaze.
He would like to see a national solution.
“I believe the establishment of a national fire administration will be one of the most important policy measures in the history of fire and emergency management in Canada,” he said.
The National Fire Administration would streamline coordination and communication among local, state, and federal fire agencies regarding national priorities.
Forests Ontario CEO Jessica Kaknevicius emphasized the importance of properly restoring forests over the long term.
“There are a lot of concerns about the health of the forests, there are a lot of concerns about drought and future conditions,” she said. “But how we recover to prepare for future climates is important.”
Choosing the right tree species can ensure forests can withstand increased environmental pressures associated with climate change, she said.
Cacnevicius recommended that investing in integrated science and Indigenous-led restoration practices will be beneficial in the long term.
The evidence and recommendations provided have sparked debate between Liberal and Conservative MPs over the next steps to tackle preventing future wildfires.
The Liberals proposed a conclusion to the Jasper bushfire inquiry, while the Conservatives suggested four additional meetings.
After a heated exchange that included references to inappropriate social media behavior by witnesses and Conservative MPs, the committee approved an amendment calling for two additional meetings. These meetings are scheduled for October 21st and October 23rd.
For Hodges, long-term wildfire planning is important to prevent disasters like the one in Jasper.
“What was done was frivolous and poorly thought out. It did nothing to protect the town from the Jasper fire complex,” Hodges said.
