Courtenay-Alberni MP Gord Johns wants a national aerial firefighting fleet.
Johns rose in Question Period on Sept. 23 to call on the government to establish just such a fleet, after yet another season of devastating wildfires in Canada. Specifically, Johns asked for a permanent, sovereign aerial firefighting fleet to protect Canadian communities from escalating climate disasters.
“Canada is facing record wildfires that are destroying communities, critical infrastructure, and lives, while creating dangerous air pollution that harms human health,” Johns said during Question Period. “Yet Canada still does not have its own national firefighting fleet.”
Johns highlighted Port Alberni–based Coulson Aviation, a world leader in retrofitting and building aircraft such as the retired CC-130 Hercules, which have been successfully deployed internationally to combat wildfires. He underscored that investing in Canadian-built solutions would not only strengthen national resilience but also create high-skilled aerospace jobs here at home.
He said that people in his riding were seeing an "increase in intensity and cost of wildfires in Canada, not just in British Columbia but across the country that requires bold and timely action.
“Will the government commit in this budget to establishing a permanent national aerial firefighting fleet — so Canada can defend our communities from climate disasters while also meeting its NATO obligations?” Johns asked.
Following Question Period, Johns wrote a letter to the government, explaining that there is an important opportunity for the federal government to partner with the private sector, in collaboration with potential First Nations partners, to retrofit a portion of Canada’s retired CC-130H Hercules fleet into large airtankers for wildfire suppression.
With wildfire seasons growing longer, hotter, and more destructive, Johns stressed that a sovereign aerial firefighting fleet is a critical investment in climate readiness, public safety, and economic development.
“Canada cannot continue to rely on patchwork contracts and borrowed aircraft in times of crisis. We have the expertise right here on Vancouver Island to build the fleet Canadians deserve. It’s time for Ottawa to act,” Johns said.
The goal outline in the petition is to have the fleet in action for the 2027 fire season.
