Environment Committee on Oct. 9th, 2024

[Ken Hodges]

In my opinion, when I looked at it, it kind of demonstrated their lack of expertise in the field of fighting fire and what was potentially coming at them, as well as in dealing with the beetles that existed in that area. That was my impression, and it was also the impression of Mr. Begin, who was working with me at that time.

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Okay, thank you.

Mr. Chair, how much time do I have left?

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

I'm just updating the list. You have a minute and a half.

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Perfect.

Mr. Schroeder, you represent firefighters. What are you hearing from your members about wildfire preparedness in Alberta? What feedback are you getting from the people you represent?

[Randy Schroeder]

We need more pre-emptive mitigation efforts in FireSmart in order to reduce the burden and the fuel loads in high-danger areas. We need better analysis. We need a higher degree of emphasis on public education. That pretty much encapsulates it.

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

What can the federal government do to help the provinces be better prepared for these fires?

[Randy Schroeder]

I believe that we all have to sit down at the table. First, it comes back to the fact that we believe that establishing a national fire administration could be one of the most consequential policy instruments in the history of fire and emergency management in Canada. It will allow, from a federal perspective, recognizing, addressing and coordinating on a regular, systematic and national basis.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Thank you.

We're going to the second round, but it's going to have to be a three-minute and one-and-a-half-minute round.

Mr. Calkins, you have three minutes, please.

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I'll probably be sharing some of my time with Mr. Soroka.

Mr. Hodges, I have some very quick questions, so I think some very straightforward answers could ensue.

You said that Parks Canada should have cleared 10,000 hectares. Could Parks Canada have received a stumpage fee and actually received royalties if it wanted to? The lumber must have been valuable if Parks Canada had had a chance to harvest it.

[Ken Hodges]

There's always value in that timber, yes.

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

However, the trees are gone now because they've burned down, at least in that particular area south of town. It was a class 6 fire, and we've heard from other witnesses here that it was a ground fire. Would it be fair to say that the ground is basically sterilized now? I know I'm asking a lot, but would you presume that there is a high likelihood that it's going to take a very, very long time for natural secondary succession to replace the trees?

[Ken Hodges]

In some parts of it, I would agree with that. It depends on the intensity of the fire.

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

You're a professional forester. You and your partner had, I'm guessing, over 90 years of combined experience when you wrote these letters. Would it be fair to say that the forest companies that could have been called in to do this could have done the work for 10,000 hectares with a reasonable amount of equipment in two summers?

[Ken Hodges]

You have to be careful here because you have to be in mixed stands in order to do the partial harvesting strategy. As for pure pine stands that are dead, the answer is no.

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

They could have maintained ecological integrity.

Is it fair to say that Jasper is now out of the woods? Is Banff out of the woods, or is the same problem going to be there next summer if nothing is done?

[Ken Hodges]

In my opinion, I would agree with that.

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

I'll turn it over to Mr. Soroka, please.

[Gerald Soroka, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

My question is for Mr. Thompson.

Did you say that there were no ember showers or no pine cones being tossed into the town?

[Prof. Dan Thompson]

When I said “ember shower”, that speaks to a widespread, very intense number of embers, and we did not document that. What we would have seen is a sparse shower of embers that caused single home ignitions. That's what our documentary evidence is.

[Gerald Soroka, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

When the Prime Minister, the minister and the Parks Canada officials said that there were ember showers and pine cones being tossed into the town, were they misleading the public, then?

[Prof. Dan Thompson]

No. There were pine cones being launched into town. What I'm talking about is a widespread ember shower where the whole surface is covered. What we would have seen there would have been within three or four kilometres away—

[Gerald Soroka, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

I'm sorry—

[Prof. Dan Thompson]

—launching single pine cones—

[Gerald Soroka, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

I'm going to pass it over to Mr. Mazier, please.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Go ahead, Mr. Mazier.