As Wildfires Rage, Trudeau Says Feds Looking at Creating National Disaster Response Agency

A woman walks her dog along the Ottawa River in Ottawa as smoke from wildfires obscures Gatineau, Que., in the distance on June 6, 2023. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick

As wildfire smoke continues to blanket much of eastern Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government is looking at creating a new national disaster response agency to deal with extreme weather events.

“We need to continue to make sure we are doing everything possible to both keep Canadians safe when these extreme weather events hit, but also make sure we’re doing everything we can to predict, protect and act ahead of more of these events coming,” Trudeau told reporters when asked about creating a new agency on June 7.