Western premiers meet, discuss pushing feds to restore disaster funding

May 5, 2016 | 11:52 AM

VANCOUVER — As wildfires burn uncontrollably in northern Alberta, government leaders in Western Canada are meeting to discuss pushing Ottawa to reverse historic funding cuts to disaster-mitigation programs.

The catastrophic fires have forced discussions around emergency management to the forefront of the agenda at this week’s Western Premiers’ Conference in Vancouver.

British Columbia Premier Christy Clark says threats posed by climate change, such as floods and fires, have increased over the years, while at the same time federal support for disaster mitigation has waned.

Clark says the economy will also play a central role in discussions, including renewing the softwood lumber deal with the United States and bringing Manitoba in the New West Partnership trade deal.