Mr. Speaker, as the 2025 wildfire season approaches, I would like to provide an update on the planning and investments we have made to support wildfire prevention, mitigation, and resilience. Our approach is focused on preparing people and communities across the NWT to live safely alongside wildfire, ensuring that we are ready for emergencies.
Last year, we launched a number of new FireSmart programs, including the FireSmart Advanced Home Assessment Program and the Neighbourhood Recognition Program. Across the territory, more than 100 Northerners had their homes assessed, receiving expert guidance from fire professionals on steps they can take to enhance fire safety.
Critical to this success was the engagement of community fire departments across the NWT. Over the winter, 15 local fire departments received training in the Neighbourhood Recognition Program, with additional sessions planned for the Advanced Home Assessment Program.
Mr. Speaker, last month we announced $10 million in additional investments in FireSmart initiatives over the next three years. We are also working with a number of communities on vegetation management projects that build on $20 million in federal funding being administered by the NWT Association of Communities. We look forward to sharing the significant improvements and innovations as the work progresses.
We have funded eight community wildfire preparedness day projects, empowering local teams to lead these initiatives. We are also forming regional and territorial FireSmart advisory groups that will help guide the critical FireSmart work we are currently prioritizing.
We are excited to co-host a wildfire preparedness gathering in Yellowknife this spring, in partnership with the NWT Association of Communities. This event will bring together fire department members, community leaders, and Indigenous leaders from across the NWT's forested communities. Activities will include training on wildfire management, fire behaviour, and FireSmart practices, along with cross-training exercises to enhance local response capabilities. This reflects our renewed commitment to interagency cooperation and cross-government collaboration.
Mr. Speaker, our team has worked very hard to prepare for the upcoming wildfire season. They have taken advanced fire behaviour training, fulfilling a key recommendation in the 2023 wildfire review. We are continuing to mobilize personnel, aircraft, and equipment to respond to a potential early start to the fire season and have invested in additional structural protection equipment to ensure a rapid response when any property is threatened.
Annual training will start shortly to ensure our wildfire management teams are fully prepared once the snow melts and fire danger rises.
In short, Mr. Speaker, our team is ready to fulfill this government's promise of safe communities for Northerners, communities that are more resilient to a changing climate that has resulted in longer and more severe wildfire seasons. We will continue to invest in a wide range of activities, education, and training that enhance wildfire prevention, increase resilience, protect communities, and allow our team to respond quickly and efficiently to protect residents and the natural beauty of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of ECC the Ministers' statements. Minister of Health and Social Services.
