Roundup: Wildfire evacuations have begun

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It’s absolutely insane to think that it’s not even Victoria Day, and we are in the middle of evacuations in northern communities because of wildfires. Several neighbourhoods in Fort McMurray, Alberta, have been evacuated—all neighbourhoods that were decimated by the fires in 2016. Fort Nelson, BC, has been evacuated, as has Cranberry Portage, Manitoba, while the premier toured the area.

Meanwhile in BC, a former forestry minister has co-authored a report calling for better integrated government management of these fires in the province, but also points to things like the plans for Indigenous communities to do controlled burns as they used to have not reached levels that would be meaningful, nor have “broadcast burns” from forestry companies, and recommendations for how forestry can better leave sites less susceptible to fire are not being implemented. One has to wonder what the delay is considering how much worse wildfire season gets every year.

Amidst all of this, we still see certain political parties steadfastly refuse to believe this is the result of climate change, and will instead say things like “the carbon price didn’t prevent a single fire” as though that’s how the price is designed to operate, or you have them spreading the conspiracy theories that agents of the prime minister have been setting these fires, because reasons. It’s not good.

Ukraine Dispatch:

Ukraine’s forces have pulled back in two new positions near Kharkiv as the Russians advance. Russians conducted air strikes on residential areas of Kharkiv. There is speculation that the move on Kharkiv is merely a ploy to pull forces from elsewhere on the front lines, as they have more of an interest in solidifying their gains in Donetsk. AP spent some time with a drone unit in the region, working to slow the Russian advance.

Good reads:

  • Justin Trudeau announced a new EV battery facility in Ontario; his office also says he’ll be travelling to Philadelphia next week to attend a major union event.
  • Bill Blair was in Washington DC, and at an Atlantic Council event, spoke about getting Ukraine to victory against Putin.
  • CSE issued a warning with allied nations about countries like Russia and China targeting non-profits, advocacy groups, journalist, and human rights activists.
  • CSIS’ annual report shows 24 harassment investigations last year (but no word on how any of them were resolved); the director insists this is a sign of culture change.
  • The RCMP Civilian Review and Complaints Commission says that the Force has failed to properly investigate an Indigenous woman’s death—twice.
  • At the two-day summit on Indigenous identity fraud, the Manitoba Métis Federation took aim at the Métis of Ontario, and accused them of appropriating their identity.
  • The foreign minister of the Philippines was in Canada, seeking closer military and business ties, hoping Canada can help keep the peace between the US and China.
  • The CBSA president told a committee that there was a lack of transparency on ArriveCan contracts, but that it was merely “questionable.”
  • Pierre Poilievre announced that his party would be tabling a private member’s bill about forbidding drug decriminalisation and drug use in hospitals.
  • Emmett Macfarlane pushes back against the conservative pundits fear-mongering that the Senate will violate the constitution to oppose Poilievre.
  • My column notes that there are already apologists for Poilievre’s plans to invoke the Notwithstanding Clause who don’t seem to have a clue about what he’s proposing.

Odds and ends:

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One thought on “Roundup: Wildfire evacuations have begun”

  1. Funny no one was blaming climate change for the 2016 Fort McMurray fires. In 2016 the temperatures were in the high 20’s. The temps this week in the Fort Mac region are in the low teens. Evidence of global cooling?

    Meanwhile in Ukraine Russians are making easy progress in the Kharkiv region because no fortifications were built despite the fact money had been allocated for it and paid to companies that didn’t exist. Which reminds me of new term making the college campus scene these days -“pulling a Zelensky.” That’s when students call their parents late at night pleading them to send money for textbooks and other unexpected related course expenses and then using the money for partying.

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