Federal Budget Pledges Up to $2.5 Billion for De Havilland Canada Water Bomber Production; Wildfire Crews Seek Ground Support

The latest federal budget has committed up to $2.5 billion in financing to help De Havilland Canada ramp up production of Canadair water bombers. The Finance Ministry said the funding will help establish a second assembly line in Alberta, doubling production to 20 aircraft per year.

The announcement follows a destructive 2026 wildfire season in British Columbia, in which 1,474 wildfires burned more than 4,700 square kilometres and destroyed or damaged more than 500 structures.

Front-line crews welcomed the funding but said aircraft are only one part of the response. Riley Moskaluk, who has fought wildfires in B.C. since 2016, said aerial attack is most effective early, when a fire is still small, but that aircraft can be sidelined by high winds or poor visibility, problems that arose repeatedly during the 2026 season. He said investing in people on the ground is probably the best long-term step. Managing wildfire operations is a provincial responsibility, but Moskaluk and others argue that if Ottawa is getting involved, it should help fund front-line work.

Sebastian Kollos, a wildland firefighter and vice president of the B.C. General Employees Union, said turnover has operational consequences, because inexperienced crews are more likely to make mistakes that can lead to people losing their homes. Chad Thomas, a 25-year veteran wildland firefighter and director of Aboriginal Land Protection Services, said Ottawa could also fund prescribed and cultural burns and other mitigation efforts in remote and First Nations communities. He called for a national accreditation program for contract firefighters, such as those working for First Nation organizations, so crews could work across provinces, and said the lack of national standards means local resources and Canadian contractors are overlooked in favour of international support teams.