Manitoba invests in new waterbombers to battle wildfires

The Government of Manitoba says they are taking steps to manage and suppress wildfires in the coming years.

Friday, the province announced it had purchased three new DH Canadair-515 waterbombers, which would upgrade its current fleet.

“Upgrading our fleet with these three new DHC-515 Firefighter waterbombers reflects our commitment to ensure that our front-line firefighters have the tools they need to protect Manitoba,” said Premier Wab Kinew in a statement.

But, it’s not just the people the province is looking to protect.

“Waterbombers are an integral aircraft for managing and suppressing wildfires, and a fully functioning fleet of aircraft is required to protect Manitoba communities, property, and forests from the increasing frequency and severity of wildfires,” said Natural Resources Minister Ian Bushie.

The Canadian-made planes will replace three aging models that have been in service for over 40 years, to maintain Manitoba’s fleet at seven.

The cost? So far, $80 million. That’s the down payment from the province’s 20-25 budget. Premier Kinew didn’t say how much the total will be.

“The final cost is currently under negotiation, and so we don’t want to compromise the negotiation by announcing it publicly here, but it will be north of $80 million,” Kinew explained.

The new models, called DHC-515s, will be faster, more powerful, and reliable, according to Babcock Canada engineers. Babcock Canada manages and operates Manitoba’s fleet of waterbombers.

“Ultimately, it will enhance Manitoba’s wildfire fighting capabilities for the next so many, 30, 40 years is what we’re trying to and to help out the communities in Manitoba,” said Hristovski, the deputy chief engineer of Babcock Canada.

The move to purchase the waterbombers comes as Manitoba and other parts of Canada have seen an increase in wildfires over the last couple of years.

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Not only are the waterbombers used in Manitoba, but provinces have been known to send their planes to other provinces and even internationally to help battle wildfires.

The province also announced that it is investing $6.7 million toward new and more firefighting equipment and systems, and $1.1 million over four years for a new weather information system, wildfire mapping and reporting system.

The first of the new aircraft is expected to be deployed in 2031 and will be followed by the other two in 2032.