Achi news desk-
POND INLET, Nunavut –
The prime ministers in the north are calling for a national emergency system to deal with natural disasters that they fear will become more frequent.
After a meeting this week in Pond Inlet, Nvt., they say the fires and floods of recent years point to the need for federal coordination.
Northwest Territories Premier RJ Simpson says Canada is one of the few G7 countries without such an agency.
Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai says municipal and First Nations leaders are already talking about how they can work together when fires or floods threaten their communities.
Nunavut Premier PJ Akeeagok said even his territory is experiencing fires.
The NWT brought in more firefighters earlier this year and in more locations.
“It’s about time we start looking at (a coordinated system),” said Simpson, who was forced to leave the town of High River, NWT, last summer.
Fires raged all the way from the northern end of the Beaufort Delta to the southern slave area, and the capital of Yellowknife was evacuated.
“We’re a small jurisdiction. These massive natural disasters are growing to the point where they’re going to be beyond our capacity,” Simpson said.
The Prime Minister said his territory is grateful for the generous support it has received from Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial governments.
But he said a better system is needed because climate change is setting the stage for more frequent emergencies
“There is more work to be done,” he said. “Now it’s a new world, given the impact of climate change.”
The premiers called on Ottawa to invest more and faster in infrastructure, such as roads, ports and airports that can be used for both military and civilian purposes.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on May 9, 2024.
