SaskParty Pans Revamping Of Firefighting Fleet

SaskParty Pans Revamping Of Firefighting Fleet

Monday, July 18, 2005 at 13:38

Water bombers that are used to fight forest fires in Saskatchewan are having their engines upgraded — a move that is being criticized by the Saskatchewan Party.

The provincial government has announced it will spend $93 million to revamp its airtanker fleet.

But Saskatchewan Party MLA Yogi Huyghebaert says the NDP government could have saved millions by developing an air tanker program that combines private and government-owned aircraft.

Huyghebaert says other provinces have entered into partnership agreements with private companies to provide service on a contract basis.

He says that type of arrangement is not only more cost-efficient, it provides much better forest fire protection.