Minister answers questions about budget for wildfire review recommendations

The province plans to implement 11 recommendations from an independent review criticizing last year’s wildfire response, but there’s still no price tag attached.

The review, completed by accounting firm MNP, was made public on Friday. It highlighted  “significant gaps” in the province’s wildfire and emergency preparedness, as well as the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency’s (SPSA) prevention and mitigation efforts.

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The recommendations contained in the report include a full review of the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency’s structure, stronger emergency management co-ordination, better fire behaviour modelling and risk mapping so that resources can be deployed more efficiently. Improved integration and co-ordination between the agency and communities was also recommended.

Speaking on The Evan Bray Show on Tuesday, the minister responsible for the SPSA Michael Weger said part of the funding for the recommendations will be absorbed into the current SPSA budget.

Weger said it is now his responsibility to enter the provincial budgeting process and demonstrate why these initiatives are important and work alongside cabinet ministers and the provincial government to do so.

He said this work includes outlining how each recommendation will be implemented and developing a budget that clearly identifies carrying out each action item.

Weger told Evan Bray he has reached out to northern residents for their opinions on the review’s recommendations and to hear about their experiences during last year’s wildfire season.

“I’m going to rely on those experiences when we’re going through the budget process to help communicate to my cabinet colleagues the importance of funding these action items,” he said.

Weger shared condolences for those who lost their homes and businesses to the wildfires in 2025.

“In Denare Beach, (there are) some really gut-wrenching stories about what happened,” Weger said. “I can absolutely appreciate the anxiety they have as we are in the current wildfire season now.”

The minister wants individuals in northern communities to know that the province recognizes it can do better as a government to support the SPSA.

Saskatchewan’s 2025 wildfire season is widely considered to have been the worst in the province’s history.