Ontario Premier Doug Ford says American politicians need to stop complaining about the wildfire smoke that’s drifting over the border and do the right thing by sending help — like Canada has done when U.S. states were struck by recent natural disasters.
Ford made the remarks Friday in Toronto where he said he believes Americans are good neighbours, but need to start acting that way.
“If there’s some politicians out there chirping away, well maybe what you should do rather than complain is send support, send help, because we have done the exact same thing for our American friends. That’s what you’re supposed to do,” Ford said.
The premier was responding to attacks from Republican politicians who have accused Canada’s federal and provincial governments of inaction, allowing the wildfires burning in Ontario to blanket several states in toxic smoke.
That criticism came in the form of a sharply worded letter from four Michigan members of the House of Representatives who warn Prime Minister Mark Carney that the U.S. “will look elsewhere, and act on our own” if more action isn’t taken.
Wildfires continue to rage across Ontario, forcing more evacuations
Tom Barrett, another Republican member of the House of Representatives, ratcheted that pressure up on Friday, suggesting in a post on X that the U.S. should halt the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge.
“Because Canadian wildfire smoke is pouring into Michigan. Do you think we should delay the Gordie Howe Bridge opening until Canada takes responsibility and gets control of these fires?” he asked in the post.
American political adviser Katie Miller — who is married to Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff — posted an image on X of a map showing Canada’s wildfires with the words: “This is why Canada should be the 51st state.”
Ford said he has spoken to other U.S. elected officials and noted that not all of them are attacking Canada: Some are offering help instead.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, a Democrat, called the premier to ask how her state can contribute.
“I asked for water bombers, I don’t think they have the water bombers available. I asked for firefighters, anything that they can send,” Ford said.
Republicans blast Canada over wildfire smoke, air quality in northern U.S.
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The premier said Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, also a Democrat, asked for help to rescue two groups of campers stranded in the middle of a lake in wildfire country.
Ford said a joint operation between the Ontario Provincial Police and the Canadian Armed Forces managed to rescue both groups of campers, leaving Walz “so, so grateful.”
“As for other elected officials in the U.S., you know I have to remind the American people: When there were wildfires in California, we had our waterbombers on standby,” Ford said.
“When the hurricanes happened … we sent our linemen down there to reconnect [electricity]. We sent resources, we sent everything.”
In an interview airing Saturday on CBC Radio’s The House, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience Eleanor Olszewski told CBC News the U.S. criticism is off the mark.
“The challenge doesn’t know any borders,” she told host Catherine Cullen. “You could argue that we have mutual responsibilities, but the fact of the matter is we’re addressing those responsibilities by forest management techniques, for one, but also by responding, making sure our response to wildfires is as robust as it can possibly be.”
Olszewski said U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra wants the Canada/U.S. collaborative efforts to battle wildfires, where both countries come to one another’s aid, to continue.
“We have helped the Americans a number of times in terms of sending firefighters to assist the Americans regarding their wildfire situation, the Palisades fire previously,” she said, singling out Canadian efforts to help the U.S. battle destructive wildfires in California last year.
“In return, the Americans do send firefighters to assist us. So … this is a relationship that’s been ongoing for decades.”
