Canada Rethinks Defence Spending Amid Worsening Wildfires

Jeffrey Collins and Alex Cool-Fergus argue Canada should redirect defence spending to wildfire prevention and response. The authors point to the 2025 Kingston, Newfoundland fire, which devastated the village, as an example of the increasing threat posed by wildfires.

Provincial authorities lacked sufficient water bomber aircraft to combat the blaze, hampered by repairs, pilot shortages, and budget constraints. Currently, demand for water bombers like the Canadian-made Canadair CL-215 and its successor, the DHC-515, is rising globally, with European nations placing significant orders.

De Havilland Canada, the manufacturer, faces a backlog due to a decade of paused production in the 2010s. The authors suggest Canada’s commitment to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035 offers an opportunity.

They propose allocating 1.5% of that spending to civil preparedness, including bolstering the water bomber fleet and supporting the defence industrial base. The authors contend this shift recognizes that for many communities, climate-change driven wildfires now represent a greater existential threat than traditional military concerns.