As wildfire season ramps up and tensions over smoke rise Canada-wide, B.C.’s minister of forests is sounding off on tariff threats imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The issue of smoke travelling across the border caused a political firestorm in recent days, in part prompted by a social media post from Trump last week.
“We are holding Canada responsible for the fact that they are not properly maintaining their Forests, and Brush therein, and the United States is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable!” the president wrote Friday on Truth Social.
“This is Willful Negligence, and becoming a yearly occurrence, costing the United States Billions of Dollars, which cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying.”
In an interview with CTV News, Ravi Parmar proposed working together to solve wildfire-related challenges rather than making threats and criticisms.
“You don’t see me standing in front of a camera and criticizing Washington and Oregon for their forestry practices because of the smoke that are impacting our residents,” he said.
“This is what happens at this time of the year—wildfires occur.”
‘We are sick and tired of it’
Parmar instead called for Washington to remove tariffs already in place on Canada’s softwood lumber sector and suggested that would have a “significant impact” on forest management in B.C. and elsewhere in Canada, resulting in less wildfire smoke heading south of the border.
“We want to help Americans build homes. We want to stop fires. What he is doing is a complete dog whistle of politics. We are sick and tired of it,” he said.
Parmar challenged the president’s comments when considering collaborative wildfire suppression relations between Canada and the U.S., bringing up situations in which crews have gone north or south of the border to assist—like earlier in July, when a B.C. helicopter pilot was killed in a crash while fighting fires in Colorado.
“Wildland firefighters are dying on a daily basis in the United States or in Canada or elsewhere, fighting for lives every single day, and here you have a president attacking them and attacking forestry. It’s an absolute shame,” he said.
“It does not sit well with British Columbians and Canadians, and I expect many people around the world.”
Parmar told CTV News the B.C. Wildfire Service works directly with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to learn from each other about forestry management. The partnership is one he is proud of, and Parmar explained that Cal Fire will be sending officials to B.C. in the near future to learn about prescribed and cultural burning.
“I am confident that if we needed the help of Cal Fire, they will be here in seconds to be able to help support us, just like if we’re in a position to be able to help our neighbours across Canada or down south, we’ll be there to support them,” Parmar added.
B.C. has just under 100 active wildfires burning as of Monday afternoon, a number buoyed by approximately 20,000 recorded lightning strikes in 48 hours last week, Parmar said.
Information provided by the B.C. Wildfire Service details more than 700 people working to extinguish fires across the province.
With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Lisa Steacy
