Alberta says a provincial Community Fireguard Program is mitigating the risks of catastrophic wildfires in at-risk communities. It will increase wildfire resilience in Canmore and the Bow Valley, according to the province. By removing trees surrounding vulnerable communities that can act as fuel in wildfires, residents, homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure are better protected in the case of a blaze. Alberta says construction on the new Bow Valley Community Fireguard started in the late fall of 2024, after it got $750,000 in provincial funding from the Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta. …Work on the fireguard will be ongoing, including a combination of mechanical tree removal and forest thinning. The entire fireguard will be finished over the next three to five years, and planning is underway for the next stage of construction… Ahead of the 2025 wildfire season, the province said it is working on other fireguard initiatives, including in Whitecourt and Hinton.