There are currently 350 Canadian soldiers deployed in the Northwest Territories battling the 239 forest fires active there as of August 25. More are standing by to do the same in British Columbia.
With extreme weather events rocking Canadian communities, the Canadian military is playing an important role in responding to natural disasters. Between 2010 and 2022, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) were deployed across Canada to assist in 37 natural disasters, according to government data.
Here are the details of the CAF’s latest mission, and some background on this lesser-understood part of their work.
A last resort
Using military force, whether in conflict or natural disaster, is usually the last resort. Emergencies are first managed at the local level by fire departments, hospitals and police, according to the CAF.
“If they need assistance at the local level, they request it from the provinces or territories. If the emergency escalates beyond their capabilities, the provinces or territories can seek assistance from the federal government,” a CAF spokesperson told Canadian Affairs.
The CAF’s response to natural disasters is called Operation LENTUS. If a deployment is approved, the CAF sends a reconnaissance team to the area to determine how it can best assist local responders.
“Although this process may take some time, it is absolutely necessary in order for us to provide effective and efficient assistance,” the spokesperson said.
‘It’s quite surreal’
On August 12, an advance unit of about 10 soldiers arrived in Yellowknife to plan the mission there.
“I’ve spent a lot of time in this area, and it’s quite surreal to see how empty the streets are, ” said Major Bonnie Wilken, who was already deployed to Yellowknife when the fires started. “I have a full tank of gas and a bag packed in the event I need to leave quickly.”
By August 14, 120 soldiers from 2 Canadian Division based in Valcartier, Quebec arrived in Yellowknife. These soldiers are trained to do Type III firefighting duties, such as extinguishing burning material near control lines, the CAF spokesperson said.
On August 15, soldiers started building firebreaks around Yellowknife and Hay River. That entails clearing a line of forest outside the city, so when the fire approaches, it has nothing to burn.
Every province has its own unique requirements for firefighting training and certification. Before every wildfire deployment, soldiers undergo a multi-day training program for Type III wildfires that is administered by provincial authorities.
Having the CAF focus on Type III fires “allows the Type I and II civilian firefighters to attack the areas most needing their attention,” Wilken said.
The air force is also deployed.
On August 14, the Force evacuated 100 people from Hay River to Fort McMurray. Two days later, all of Yellowknife’s 20,000 residents were ordered to evacuate as the fire edged closer to the city.
“Northerners are very resilient people. When the city was evacuated, I didn’t see any panic,” said Wilken. “People just got what they needed and started heading out.”
From August 17 to 18, 79 long-term care residents were transferred to Edmonton. Others were moved to Vancouver.
In British Columbia, areas of the Regional District of Central Okanagan are under evacuation order, and some are just under evacuation alert — meaning they must be ready to evacuate on short notice.
On August 25, Minister of National Defence Bill Blair authorized the CAF’s deployment to British Columbia for an initial three-week period. Personnel will support the province with planning, coordination and Type III fire-fighting operations.
Operation RENAISSANCE
The Canadian military can also be deployed to assist with the emergency response to natural disasters overseas. Spearheaded by Global Affairs Canada, these missions are called Operation RENAISSANCE.
Sometimes help is requested from the country itself and other times through a third-party organization, such as the UN, a spokesperson said.
In 1994, the military dispatched troops as part of Operation RENAISSANCE to deal with an outbreak of cholera in Rwanda. By the time the troops arrived, the outbreak had already peaked. To deal with a rapidly developing disaster, the military created a new unit named the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART).
The purpose of DART is to “stabilize a crisis until long-term aid is underway to help the country recover,” the military’s website says.
Since 1998, DART has been deployed overseas seven times.
It was deployed to Honduras in 1998, after Hurricane Mitch struck Central America; to Turkey in 1999 following an earthquake; to Sri Lanka in 2004 for tsunami relief; and to Pakistan in 2005 after an earthquake.
In 2010, the government sent 2,050 CAF members to assist in the disastrous earthquake in Haiti. Assets deployed included two Royal Canadian Navy ships, a field hospital and an infantry battalion.
In 2013, DART deployed to the Philippines to respond to Typhoon Haiyan.
Most recently, CAF members were deployed to Australia to deal with unprecedented wildfires.
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