Military to charge for disaster relief

The Canadian Forces has decided to start charging municipalities and provinces to cover the costs whenever the military is called upon to help in emergencies such as floods and wildfires, according to internal Defence Department documents obtained by Postmedia News.

Military officials say federal budget cuts are to blame for the move, which ends a 15-year practice of waiving efforts to recover such costs and could force communities and provinces to think twice before calling the Canadian Forces for help.

Supporting governments during natural disasters in Canada has long been considered one of the military's most important missions.

The costs borne by the military include nearly $4 million for the flooding in Quebec and $3.8 million for flood mitigation in Manitoba.

The assistance was considered critical for protecting lives and livelihoods - and earned the Canadian Forces high praise from across the country.

But such goodwill may be in short supply going forward as provinces and municipalities, which have received help from the Canadian Forces without cost for more than a decade, will now be forced to pay for such assistance.

"Going forward, the waiving of such costs must be the exception, rather than the rule," reads a note prepared for Defence Minister Peter MacKay this past July.

Original Article
Source: vancouver sun
Author: Lee Berthiaume