Forecasters are already looking at large-scale global weather models and into forecasts for next year. Forecasters are predicting an El Nino winter, warm with limited precipitation which, depending on the actual outcome, may affect our water levels for next season. It seems that the drought through the NWT will continue.

As such, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, or ENR, will continue to be proactive and ready itself for the next fire season. A debrief of this year’s lesson learned will take place in the fall and public meetings will take place over the winter.

The rollout of the new Air Tractor 802 Fire Bosses continues. The first two planes have been built and are awaiting avionics and floats. The entire squadron of eight aircraft will be ready by May 2017 and will be integrated into the department fleet over the 2017-2018 fire season. New aviation and personnel contracts will be negotiated over the winter.

Mr. Speaker, I cannot stress enough the value of the

FireSmart

Program.

Everyone

has

a

responsibility to help prevent and protect their homes, cabins and communities from the risk of wildland fires. Property owners and communities should be using FireSmart tools to reduce their risk of loss from wildland fire. It was noted over the past month, Mr. Speaker, that some of the cottages and cabins on

the

Ingraham

Trail

were

FireSmarted. This made firefighters’ jobs of protecting these values that much easier.

FireSmarting homes, cabins and communities allow firefighters to concentrate on fighting fires and is in these difficult years a simple solution to a very complex problem. Information on FireSmart is available from local ENR offices and local community governments.

There is still much to do before the next fire season. ENR will clean up and put away the gear from this past summer and prepare for the next. Firefighting can be a dirty, laborious and under-appreciated job. Our hats are off, Mr. Speaker, to the firefighters who return every summer to protect our communities: young women and men from the North and across the country who should be applauded for their efforts. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.