Gerrard gets heated in QP over fire preparedness
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/05/2016 (3432 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Liberal MLA Jon Gerrard appeared flabbergasted Tuesday when the first question period of the Brian Pallister government was not dominated by strategies for defending Manitoba against a catastrophic Fort McMurray-scale wildfire.
Getting the Liberals’ one question late in question period, Gerrard demanded that Sustainable Development Minister Cathy Cox explain what preparations she’s making “to prevent northern communities from being theatened by fire?” Clearly, said Gerrard, climate change should have us expecting wildfires and we must be ready.
Earlier, all parties had expressed sorrow for Fort McMurray residents, and all parties praised the efforts of fire crews both professional and volunteer, ground and air, from Manitoba, Ontario, and other parts of Canada, who have contained the Beresford Lake and Caddy Lake wildfires with no injuries and no loss of homes or cottages.

“Climate change is an issue of great importance to us,” replied Cox.
Gerrard suggested Manitoba should obtain fire boats, which he said can shoot large amounts of water 450 feet onto shore to fight fires. And citing former Tory premier’s Gary Filmon’s review of B.C. forest fire prevention plans in 2003, Gerrard called on the Conservatives to order a full review of Manitoba’s firefighting strategy, including prevention methods and building materials.
But Cox said that the wildfires on the eastern border with Ontario have shown that Manitoba has the necessary resources.
Pallister said any review would be rolled into the review his government is conducting of all provincial services in a search for waste and duplication efficiencies.
Gerrard later said in an interview that, “the topic today should have been the fires. We need to be ready, should such a fire happen in Manitoba.”
The Liberal MLA for River Heights could not say how much fire boats would cost, or how mobile they would be in being transported from lake to lake, especially lakes with no road access.
However, Gerrard said he saw one privately owned fire boat last summer in Saskatchewan, which was especially useful in dousing the narrows between lakes which fires can frequently jump.
“It provides added protection,” Gerrard said.
nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca