Lise Vaugeois

In response to the comments made in the July 18 Trillium article “Ontario proposes new ministerial powers to prepare for wildfires, steeper penalties for offenders“, I’m disappointed and puzzled to hear that Minister Graydon Smith’s proposals on Wildfire Management once again ignore the key issue of firefighter recruitment and retention. Wildland firefighters have repeatedly made the case that they need to be classified as “firefighters” in order receive the appropriate level of pay and benefits. Without this, the service cannot keep experienced firefighters and … fully staff their crews. On June 24, the Ford government made a promise to my colleague, Guy Bourgouin, and committed to reclassification… And yet, here we are again, with the Ministry now “studying” the reclassification issue instead of making the change they committed to make on June 24. …Calling people heroes, while enforcing unacceptable job conditions, is adding insult to injury.