Wildfire protection fund awarded to NWT communities

Three communities in the Northwest Territories will be receiving a helping hand from their fellow Canadians.

Behchoko, Enterprise and Fort Resolution will receive funding for Wildfire Community Preparedness Day.

The annual program was launched by FireSmart Canada in collaboration with The Co-operators, National Fire Protection Association and the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction. Communities across the country receive money to host Wildfire Community Preparedness Day events that will raise awareness, help protect homes, and encourage neighbourhoods to build wildfire resiliency.

A total of $47,000 was awarded to 94 successful community applicants across Canada. Executive Director of FireSmart Canada, Kelly Johnston, expressed the importance of protecting these communities as wildfires worsen.

Wildfire seasons are lasting longer and are more intense. It is critical that communities can live with and manage the realities of wildfires on our landscapes. This is a shared responsibility, and through these community-led events, we can raise awareness and protect people and property by decreasing wildfire risk, particularly in wildland-urban interfaces where the built environment interacts with surrounding vegetation.

The communities will be allowed to use the awarded funds as of May 5th. The funding can then be used through the summer, with the program ending in September.

Cameron Wilkinson
Cameron Wilkinson
News Reporter

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