Photo: PAGC, MLTC, and the SPSA sign MOU August 18, 2026 / Photo by Amber Bear
The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA), Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) and Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at strengthening wildfire preparedness, prevention, response and recovery efforts across Saskatchewan.
The agreement, signed Tuesday, August 18, in Prince Albert, formalizes an partnership and creates a framework to ensure First Nations leaders and local knowledge are incorporated into wildfire planning and strategy development.
Under the MOU, the organizations will hold regular engagement before and after each wildfire season while continuing collaboration through the First Nations Wildfire Strategy Working Group. Indigenous Services Canada and the Canadian Forest Service will also participate in discussions focused on sharing knowledge, identifying priorities and developing recommendations to improve wildfire planning and preparedness.
“At the end of the day, wildfire doesn’t care whose jurisdiction it’s in. When the fire threatens the First Nations, our people want to know there’s a plan. And of course, that’s part of the plan that I’m talking about, about the Type 3s. We have to work together to make that workforce working for our communities. We want to know people are talking to each other, and they want to know help will be there when they need it. And we’ve learned a lot from the past wildfire seasons. One lesson is pretty simple. We need to know how we’re going to work together before our communities are under threat and those relationships need to be built beforehand. And when fire season is over, we need to sit down again and talk about what worked and be straight about what didn’t and fix the gaps before the next season. Signing this agreement today is very, very important to the Prince Albert Grand Council. The real test is what it means on the ground for our communities,” said PAGC Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte.
Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte has more than 45 years of firefighting experience in Northern Saskatchewan. Throughout his career, he has been dedicated to protecting communities from wildfires while helping ensure local firefighters have access to the training needed to safeguard their families, homes, communities, and traditional territories.
“Our communities have experienced firsthand the impacts of wildfires,” MLTC Chief Jeremy Norman said. “By strengthening our partnership with the SPSA, we are taking an important step toward improving preparedness, enhancing communication and building resilience for future wildfire seasons.”
The working group will provide a forum to share local and traditional knowledge, community experience and lessons learned from previous wildfire events. It will also develop recommendations to support improvements to wildfire strategy, operational planning and community protection initiatives.
SPSA Minister Responsible Michael Weger said First Nations are key partners in addressing the growing threat of wildfires, while SPSA President and Fire Commissioner Marlo Pritchard said the agreement reflects a commitment to strengthening preparedness, response efforts and long-term community resilience.
The MOU recognizes the need for collaboration across jurisdictions and will support cooperative work throughout all phases of wildfire management, including prevention, preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery.