Wildfire discussion dominates second day of UBCM convention

Whereas toxic drugs and decriminalization of simple possession dominated the first day, the second day of the annual Union of B.C. Municipalities convention saw big emphasis and discussion on this year's horrific wildfire season and years of challenges ahead.

The main convention space saw a plenary session on Tuesday titled "Exploring the Health Impacts of Wildfires," which also emphasized the many exceptional weather events B.C. has faced in recent years and the lives lost or upended as a result of flooding, fires, and severe smoke.

Health Minister Adrian Dix pointed out that nearly a thousand care home residents were forced from familiar surroundings when they were evacuated in the Okanagan and Shuswap regions this summer, a delicate and difficult task; many of them have dementia.

Dix also pointed out that health-care workers were scrambling to care for them, while facing personal challenges of their own.

"Can you imagine continuing to work and caring for people away from your home, travelling with them – while your own home is in jeopardy?" he told an audience of hundreds.

Environment and Climate Change Canada's warning preparedness meteorologist Armel Castellan urged the mayors, councilors, and municipal administrators to take forecasts seriously and plan for severe weather, even when the most sophisticated modelling isn't totally accurate, which was evident ahead of the heat dome.

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control, meanwhile, had a representative laying out the health impacts of repeated smoke exposure, particularly when it's intense and prolonged.

"We need to get our buildings, especially our public buildings, ready for smoke with adequate air filtration and air ventilation systems," said Dr. Angela Yao.

In the afternoon, the province held policy sessions around emergency management regulations, forest management, and preparation for future wildfires that all drew strong attendance, but there were also continual closed-door meetings with ministers and municipal leaders, where the displacement and destruction were top of mind.

"They’ve already made changes, they’ve already expanded the firesmart program, so we appreciate their efforts," revealed West Kelowna Mayor Gord Milson. "We’d like to see more funding and more reliable funding for a longer period of time."

The Columbia-Shuswap Regional District's regional director for the Shuswap pointed out the communities in his area are facing considerable uncertainty with new hotspots appearing daily and shifting winds making the flames unpredictable and spurring a nervous atmosphere.

"Continual smoke and continual stress is just not good for you in any respect and that takes its toll," said Jay Simpson. "We sometimes have a doctor, we sometimes don’t have a doctor in town."

Dix acknowledged the long-term challenges the health-care system in particular will face, with long-term smoke and fire-driven evacuations now the norm.

"A common feature of summers going forward will be impact of wildfires on the health-care system and the most vulnerable in society," he said. "It's going to require all of us to act together."