VANCOUVER - Canada's premiers and territorial leaders have wrapped up three days of meetings saying they will ask their ministers to work with the federal government on a new national disaster program.
The provincial leaders say the program should raise funds and develop mitigation strategies for fires, earthquakes, storms and floods, as well as infrastructure issues.
The leaders ended their annual gathering of the Council of the Federation saying they hope the federal government can develop the program by this fall.
The request comes after Premier Dalton McGuinty had to leave the gathering early to deal with wildfires that forced the evacuation of thousands of residents in northwestern Ontario.
Already this year Alberta has had to contend with a wildfire that devastated the town of Slave Lake and Manitoba has seen some of the worst flooding on record.
The premiers and territorial leaders also want a joint trade mission with the federal government to Asia within the next year to maximize trade.
