Latest news with #IntactCentreonClimateAdaptation
Global News
5 days ago
- Climate
- Global News
Canada's 2025 wildfire season now second-worst on record, fuelled by Prairies blazes
Canada's 2025 wildfire season is now the second-worst on record. The latest figures posted by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre suggest the fires have torn through 72,000 square kilometres, an area roughly the size of New Brunswick. That surpasses the next worst season in 1989 and is about half the area burned during the record-setting 2023 season, according to a federal database of wildfire seasons dating back to 1972. 9:12 Why Canada's forests are more vulnerable to wildfires than ever Climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, has made Canada's fire season longer and more intense, scientists say. The last three fire seasons are all in the 10 worst on record. Story continues below advertisement 'We really need to do a lot more to manage our forest, to reduce the impact of climate change and better prepare the communities that are at risk,' said Anabela Bonada, managing director of climate science at the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo. This season has displaced thousands of people and stifled communities across Canada with wildfire smoke. View image in full screen A wildfire burns near Pine Grove Resort, about two hours north Prince Albert, Sask. in late May, forcing campers and area residents to scramble to safety from the smoke and flames. Courtesy: Joanne Dorward Manitoba and Saskatchewan account for more than half the area burned so far, but British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario are all also well above their 25-year averages. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Meanwhile, the military and coast guard were called in to help fight fires in Newfoundland and Labrador this week. This season has put a strain on Canada's firefighting resources. The country has been at its highest preparedness level since late May, relying on international help to tackle the fires. Story continues below advertisement There were 446 international firefighters in Canada as of Friday, said Alexandria Jones, a spokesperson for the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, which co-ordinates Canada's firefighting response. View image in full screen Smoke rises from a wildfire near Peachland, B.C. on July 30, 2025. Courtesy: Lynn Banfield This season has officials exploring partnerships with countries whose fire season doesn't so closely overlap with Canada's, unlike the United States, Jones said. More firefighters are coming from Chile, Costa Rica and Mexico this year than in years past. In all, about 1,400 international firefighters have helped fight Canadian fires so far this year. 'It is very exhausting work, and it does have impacts on mental health and so we're very cognizant that our crews start to get tired,' Jones said in an interview Friday. 'That's another justification why we bring in more international resources.' Story continues below advertisement 2:04 State of emergency renewed in Manitoba as wildfires continue to rage Bonada, the University of Waterloo expert, said this season has underlined the importance of better preparing for intensifying wildfires. Along with reducing greenhouse gas emissions, she pointed to a slew of possible changes to help communities prepare for the future. At the local level, she suggested communities should be integrating fire breaks into their design, planning safe evacuation routes and completing annual emergency planning exercises, among other things.
Montreal Gazette
6 days ago
- Climate
- Montreal Gazette
Montreal weather: Handsome day that enjoys walks on the beach ISO long-term forecast
There's no rain as far as the eye can see. Unless you can see as far as Tuesday, when there's a possibility of precipitation. This weekend is shaping up for heat wave, the definition of which varies from region to region. Environment Canada will issue a heat alert when the temperature hits 30 C with a humidex of 40 C or higher, or when the temperature hits 40 C for more than an hour. The Quebec government says that on average, the temperature must be between 31-33 C during the day and 16-20 C at night for three consecutive days to be declared a heat wave. A special weather statement warning of high heat and humidity in the coming days is in effect Friday for the Montreal area, most of southern Quebec and eastern Ontario. 'From Sunday to Tuesday, temperatures will reach above the 30 degree mark and humidex values will be approaching 40,' the statement says. 'The nights will be warm and will offer little relief.' Montreal and other Canadian cities have instituted HARS, heat alert response systems, that alert the public not only to the extreme weather but to the actions they can take to protect themselves, such as heading to a cooling centre like a library, public pool or mall. A 2008 study showed that during Quebec heat waves, apartment-dwellers flocked to malls and movie theatres to chill out. People with special needs can check with their municipality to see whether there are any services tailored to their needs. Caroline Metz of the the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation suggests naming heat waves in the same way hurricanes are named, to raise awareness and reduce risks associated with extreme weather. We have a few suggestions; drop yours in the comments below. This story was originally published
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Is Canada prepared for floods like the one that happened in Texas?
Last Friday's major flooding event in Texas, which killed 89 people including numerous children, has shattered local communities. Questions abound about whether adequate warnings were provided to the residents and campgoers, and if more could have been done to prevent such a tragic loss of lives. And now, some may be turning an eye closer to home, asking whether Canada is prepared for such an extreme weather event. The answer is yes … and no, according to some experts. "Canada's in a very good position, in the sense that we have actually done a lot of research to understand what we need to be doing at the level of homes and communities to reduce extreme weather risk, such as flooding," said Kathryn Bakos, managing director of finance and resilience at the University of Waterloo's Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation. "The problem — and where Canada falls short — is actually the implementation of those actions. And so there's a lot that we know we should be doing, and yet, for various reasons, we are not." WATCH | Time-lapse footage shows waters rising over Texas causeway: Flood-risk maps One of the ways in which Canada isn't prepared is that most flood-risk maps are out of date, with some being decades old. And Canada is no stranger to flood events. In June 2013, a major flood in Calgary from the Bow River overflowing its banks caused an estimated $6 billion in financial and property losses. Five people died. It was one of the costliest weather events in Canadian history. Weeks later, Toronto experienced a major rainfall event that prompted flooding throughout the city. In just 90 minutes, it received 126 millimetres of rain — more than a month's worth — causing the Don River to overflow onto the Don Valley Parkway, the main north-south thoroughfare into the city. On the other side of the river, a commuter train was trapped with hundreds of people on board for roughly seven hours. The incident cost the city $1 billion in damages. With climate change, there's also more evidence that much of Canada will experience an increase of heavy precipitation. "We need to be taking into consideration the the changing and evolving nature of our environment due to climate change," Bakos said. "There are going to be escalating extreme weather risks as we go forward, due to flooding, wildfire risk [and] extreme heat risk in the system." The good news is that last month the federal government announced that it will be investing in flood mapping and adaptation projects. Outdated maps Walter Regan, former president of the Sackville Rivers Association in Nova Scotia, had advocated for 37 years for an updated flood plain map from the town. These maps show areas that are at risk of flooding. It finally happened last year. This is the third version of the map, Regan said. But there is one downside. "Unfortunately, it does not do the entire Sackville River. It just says a portion of it. But that's major progress, and also this time around … they use climate change models to reflect the potential flooding." In 2023, Halifax experienced one of the worst flooding events in its history. On July 21, more than 250 millimetres of rain fell in just 24 hours. While no one died in the city, four people were killed in nearby West Hants and a state of emergency was declared. Regan said that the flood maps were roughly 95 per cent accurate. WATCH | Emergency alerts delayed by almost 2 hours in N.S. fatal 2023 floods, report finds: Why was he so adamant that the maps be updated? "We have car seats for children. We have hard hats for workers.... The flood plain zoning is a public protection measure that's cost-effective and long overdue," he said. "The province should take the lead and protect the citizenry. That's good governance." Bakos said it's important to bring flood-risk maps up to date across the entire country. "On average, across Canada, flood-risk maps are 20 to 25 years out of date. Those flood-risk maps are going to be able to help us identify where there is the greatest risk in the system," she said. And once we've identified the risks, she said, we need to implement flood control systems such as dams, diversion channels and holding ponds. When it comes to urban environments, she says we need to complement grey infrastructure — like sidewalks — with green infrastructure like grasslands and forested areas. No flash flood warning system While Environment and Climate Change Canada issues weather watches and warnings for things like tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and rainfall, it doesn't for floods — that's under provincial jurisdiction, says Dave Sills. "So the federal government isn't allowed to issue a flash flood watch or warning. They issue a heavy rain warning instead," says Sills, who is the deputy director of the new Canadian Severe Storms Laboratory at Western University in London, Ont. Should there be a national flood alert system? "It's hard to say, because it's something that's needed and ... possible, but it would take someone to really push hard for it to happen," he said. "You know, like in Ontario, we have air quality warnings that are issued jointly by Environment Canada and the province. And that's the same kind of thing that's needed. "We need someone to champion this and to make sure that that kind of co-operation happens."
Global News
13-05-2025
- Climate
- Global News
‘A very big hit': Evacuations continue in Manitoba communities as wildfires spread
Evacuations continued Tuesday in areas of Manitoba affected by ongoing wildfires. The province said Nopiming Provincial Park in eastern Manitoba is being evacuated due to the fire threat while Whiteshell Provincial Park has been closed due to an out-of-control fire along the border with Ontario. A fire near Bird River in the RM of Alexander, northeast of Winnipeg, has also forced a number of people from their homes, while the RM of Piney has declared a state of local emergency. The wildfire near The Pas remains out-of-control and the RM of St. Clements is on alert. 0:50 City of Winnipeg issues fire ban in midst of dry conditions Climate change, one expert says, continues to make the wildfire situation worse in Manitoba — a trend that is unfortunately expected to continue. Story continues below advertisement 'You have a heatwave happening in May — it's not that common, it's quite early for the season, and it's right when wildfire season starts,' Anabela Bonada of the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation told 680 CJOB's Connecting Winnipeg. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Those strong winds are great at spreading wildfires, so even if ignitions do occur, and they're small, it's those windy, dry conditions that are quite dangerous and can spread those wildfires.' Bonada said local governments aren't doing enough to deal with wildfire risks and are often ill-equipped for this type of emergency. 'There aren't enough resources for just the amount of risk we have in the system,' she said. 'Municipal governments are kind of strained … they don't receive that much funding, they don't receive that much educational material to be able to implement some of these changes.' Bonada said a big step toward protecting communities would be removing dry vegetation and building fire breaks ahead of wildfire season. Lisa Naylor, Manitoba's emergency measures minister, says the lack of rain and sweltering temperatures have caused trouble. 'Grass fires can start this early, but it's been a very big hit … with how hot it's been and how dry it's been,' Naylor said. Story continues below advertisement According to the latest data from the province, all 74 of the wildfires reported before Sunday were caused by people. 'We need to get better as people respecting what's going on in nature and not starting fires when everything (can easily) go up in flames,' Naylor said. Things are expected to cool off later this week, with some rain expected in Manitoba by Thursday. The province says park closures and fire bans will remain in place until conditions improve.
