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Albertans petition to dump Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault over Jasper fire failures

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From Free Alberta Strategy

The Truth Behind Jasper’s Wildfire

For years, forestry experts have been warning of a looming wildfire disaster in Jasper National Park as a result of trees killed by beetle-infestation acting as tinder.

As it turns out, the rapid spread of the fire that led to the destruction of homes and businesses may have been preventable, and federal Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault is blaming climate change instead of taking responsibility for years of federal mismanagement.

The July wildfire has triggered nearly $900 million in insurance claims, making it one of the costliest disasters in Canadian history.

Unfortunately for Guilbeault, this wasn’t just a natural disaster – it was a preventable one.

Guilbeault’s position contradicts numerous warnings about the potential for a major fire in Jasper.

As early as 2017, both the town’s mayor and the local MP raised concerns:

“The dead forest is not so much the tourism concern – it’s a burned up town that can no longer service visitors,” Ireland said. “Apart from the impact it will have on the people who live here, their livelihood, their health and safety and their property.”

“We can’t be complacent. We need to take action to try and do everything we can to safeguard the community.”

A year later, researchers Ken Hodges and Emile Begin specifically warned that a massive fire was inevitable, with Begin describing it as “a matter of when, not if.”

Hodges reflected in July that he was “frustrated” by the destruction and that “we tried to warn them that it was coming.”

“We told them constantly.”

If Guilbeault’s defense wasn’t flimsy enough, new revelations from a parliamentary committee investigating the causes of the disaster make it clear that Ottawa mishandled the response.

Even when the fire broke out, federal officials turned down critical help.

Testimony from firefighter Kristopher Liivam revealed that a convoy of 20 fire trucks was stopped at the entry to the park by Parks Canada officials three days after the fire started.

The federal government went so far as to refuse to authorize joint command with the Alberta government, who had expanded its firefighting budget by more than 50% to a record $155.4 million for the 2024 wildfire season.

Alberta Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis told the committee that he was “very concerned” about the fact that firefighters were turned away during a natural disaster, going on to say that if Alberta had joint command “our position would be that we wouldn’t be turning away anybody.”

“That’s a question… you should probably ask the minister or the national park,” Ellis responded when committee member Dane Lloyd inquired about the Province’s lack of involvement in the unified command structure.

Ellis was, of course, referring to Guilbeault, whose role as Environment and Climate Change Minister also includes overseeing the operations of the national park – catastrophic fire prevention being a major part of that portfolio.

As Postmedia columnist Don Braid puts it, “The refusal to grant joint command was both bizarre and churlish.”

Predictably, rather than owning up to these mistakes, Guilbeault has blamed climate change for the disaster.

Politically, as Braid (again) aptly points out, “A big ugly fire in Alberta is a great boost for [Guilbeault’s] climate agenda.”

Sure enough, when Guilbeault testified, he defended his department’s response, stating “There was no stopping this fire, and no forest was going to escape its path.”

To the big brains in Ottawa, climate change is the culprit.

Albertans aren’t buying it.

Dead trees from years of pine-beetle infestation were left standing, creating dangerous conditions that could have been addressed.

Despite this, Guilbeault is insisting that Jasper was one of Canada’s most “fire-prepared” communities before the 32,000 hectare inferno was sparked in late July.

Shockingly, he even tried to pin the blame on the Conservative Party of Canada, which hasn’t been in power since 2015.

“I find it incredibly ironic that your party… would be asking these questions when you oppose both measures to fight climate change and measures to adapt to climate change.”

Guilbeault and his team ignored repeated warnings about the risks of catastrophic fire, yet they are now using climate change as a convenient excuse to cover up their mismanagement.

If Jasper was, in fact, one of the most “fire-prepared” communities in the country that means the risk of catastrophic fire is greater than originally thought across Canada.

Guilbeault has made it clear that his policies and failures to act are more about political gains than protecting people’s lives and homes.

The fact that this government would use the devastation in Jasper to double down on their expensive and unpopular climate agenda is further proof that he is not fit to lead.

Jasper’s tragedy wasn’t inevitable.

It was a result of federal mismanagement, negligence, and refusal to take action when it was most needed.

Steven Guilbeault has shown time and again that he’s unfit to serve as Environment Minister.

The voices calling for Guilbeault’s removal are growing louder because his inability to lead is endangering more than just our environment – it’s endangering our communities.

If you agree, please sign the petition today to demand that Steven Guilbeault be fired:

 

 

In politics, accountability is essential.

It’s time to hold Steven Guilbeault accountable for his failure to protect Jasper and ensure that something like this never happens again.

Together, we can demand real solutions to prevent future disasters.

Thank you for your continued support!

Regards,

The Free Alberta Strategy Team


The Free Alberta Strategy is a series of initiatives our Provincial Government can implement today, without needing any permission from Ottawa, to make Alberta a sovereign jurisdiction within Canada.

The Strategy has two key objectives:

  • Establishing complete Provincial Legislative Sovereignty within Canada
  • Ending Equalization and Net Federal Transfers out of Alberta

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International

Bill Maher Torches California’s Disastrous Wildfire Response in Brutal Monologue

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After 27 fatalities, the destruction of over 12,000 structures, and $150 to $250 billion in damages, California resident and comedian Bill Maher didn’t hold back his outrage over his state’s catastrophic wildfire response on Real Time.

In a scathing monologue, Maher first pointed out to the climate cult that mandating EVs and shaming people for their carbon footprints means nothing when the government can’t even manage wildfires.

“You know what the absolute worst thing for the environment is? Wildfires. A 2022 study found that the smoke from just the two in 2020 wiped out 18 years of carbon reduction in the state—which means we suffered the pain of driving those early-model Priuses for nothing,” Maher quipped.

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Maher zeroed in on LA Mayor Karen Bass’s selection of Kristin Crowley as fire chief, suggesting she was only chosen for being the “best lesbian” for the job instead of the best person—something Maher argued was “not good enough” for essential services.

“Am I against a lesbian being chief? Of course not. Do I think a lesbian can do the job? Of course, I do. And maybe she’s the best person for the job. Or maybe they really wanted a lesbian in that job, and she’s just the best lesbian for the job, and with essential services, that’s not good enough,” Maher snapped.

“Crowley’s official bio says, ‘Chief Crowley leads a diverse department, creating, supporting, and promoting a culture that values diversity, inclusion, and equity, while striving to meet and exceed the expectations of the communities.’ Well, you didn’t exceed my expectations, which was that the whole city wouldn’t burn down!” he stressed.

“But it’s telling that diversity is mentioned twice before we get to ‘while striving to meet expectations.’ Now, can you do two things at once? Yes, but it matters where your head is,” Maher argued.

Maher went on to admit that it’s “not wrong” to blame wokeness for California’s disastrous fire response, turning his attention to Deputy Fire Chief Kristine Larson, whose recent comments are so absurd that Maher called them “kind of racist.”

Larson said in a viral social media post, “You want to see somebody that responds to your house, your emergency, whether it’s a medical call or a fire call that looks like you.”

Maher fired back at this statement, saying, “which would sound kind of racist if a Southern sheriff said it.”

“Now, is wokeness the main reason for the fires? Of course not,” Maher said. “But let’s not pretend it hasn’t played a role. Our government’s unforced errors are straight out of the progressive playbook: questionable budget priorities, sky-high taxes that get you nothing, and a constant obsession with identity politics instead of fixing what’s broken.”

“Cali’s got commissions, agencies, bureaucrats, and even sign language interpreters who emote with their face,” Maher continued. “But where’s the common sense? Where’s the action?” he asked.

In his final words, Maher warned California that they better figure out how to actually govern “soon” because “wildfires in California are like boob jobs in a strip club: inevitable, and only getting bigger.

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Watch the full monologue below:

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Alberta

Jasper rebuilding delayed as province waits for federal and local government approvals

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From Jason Nixon, MLA for Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre and Alberta’s Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services on X

Alberta’s government immediately took action to support those who lost their homes in the Jasper wildfire. We were on track to deliver 250 homes, but Alberta cannot do this without land. It’s been radio silence from Ottawa since Premier Danielle Smith sent a letter to the Prime Minister nearly a month ago. Read my full statement

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