City Councillor Kathy Valentino is asking the federal government to kick in around 2-billion dollars to help municipalities across the country affected by wildfires.

In her role as Vice-President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and President of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities, Valentino made the request in July for the feds to invest the money in infrastructure.

On Friday’s wildfire update, Mayor Colleen Smook provided examples of the type of infrastructure Valentino is talking about.

“Investing in equipment like the Value Protection Trailers, similar to the city’s that we just purchased, and to have them available around the country would also help to make sure that more important infrastructure and buildings can be protected. Funding for things like backup power generator, masks, or filtration systems could also reduce the effects of wildfire seasons and the resulting smoke for residents in fire prone areas.”

With wildfires burning out of control across the country, the need for municipalities to have this equipment is vital.

It’s particularly important for northern areas with limited road access and fire-fighting equipment and expertise.

Since 2023's wildfire season, the federal government has been studying the potential of creating a country-wide fire agency to deploy equipment and expertise as needed, but it hasn’t gone beyond that stage.