Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry

Toronto, ON – Ontario’s forest firefighters will soon have the same presumptive WSIB coverage that urban firefighters do. Like urban firefighters, forest firefighters are at a higher risk of cancer, heart disease and heart injuries, and post-traumatic stress disorder. While certain diagnoses for urban firefighters are presumed to be work related, forest firefighters didn’t have...

Toronto – As our communities brace for the imminent start of the 2024 wildfire season, Wildland fire workers are calling a one-time bonus announced today by the Ford government a drop in the bucket, BandAid response that won’t fix the dire and ongoing crisis. Last season – Canada’s most destructive on record – frontline Wildland...

On Monday, February 26, OPSEU/SEFPO forest firefighter and Local 703 VP Noah Freedman and OPSEU/SEFPO President JP Hornick spoke at a press conference at Queen’s Park calling for immediate government action to fix the health and safety crisis for Ontario’s forest firefighters before the imminent start of the 2024 wildfire season. They were joined by...

Queen’s Park, Toronto – Veteran forest firefighter Noah Freedman and OPSEU/SEFPO President JP Hornick joined with NDP MPPs Lise Vaugeois, Guy Bourgouin, and Sol Mamakwa at Queen’s Park today to call out the Ford government for their complete disregard for forest firefighters’ health and safety and to demand action before the imminent start of the...

Forest fire worker, OPSEU/SEFPO Local 703 Vice-President Noah Freedman, spoke to CBC about some of the long-term health consequences forest fire workers face as a result of the work they do. Like urban firefighters, forest fire workers are at a higher risk of cancer than other workers. But unlike urban firefighters, forest fire workers don’t...

OPSEU/SEFPO Local 703 Vice President Noah Freedman wrote a power letter to the editor  describing the risk and working conditions forest fire workers face to keep us and our communities safe. He mentioned the urgent need for reclassification to retain experienced forest fire workers before the start of the 2024 wildfire season. Forest fire workers...

Forest fire workers represented by OPSEU/SEFPO are calling out Graydon Smith, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, for false statements made during a closed-door news conference in Timmins that shut out frontline forest fire workers. Reporters at the Minister’s news conference asked the Minister why he won’t commit to reclassification. In what has become expected...

TORONTO – Forest fire workers represented by OPSEU/SEFPO are calling out Graydon Smith, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, for false statements made during a closed-door news conference in Timmins that shut out frontline forest fire workers. The workers held their own news conference to demand real solutions and immediate action to resolve the retention...

A memo from Director of Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services (AFFES), Chris Cuthbertson, confirmed that forest fire workers will now have access to standby pay retroactive to April 1, 2023. This is HUGE! The efforts of forest fire workers and their determination to win had impact! They rallied their colleagues and organized their workplaces. They...

Forest fire worker and OPSEU/SEFPO Local 703 Vice-President Noah Freedman from Sioux Lookout spoke with local media from Muskoka about a meeting forest fire workers and OPSEU/SEFPO President JP Hornick had with the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry this August. Forest fire workers and President Hornick met with Minister Smith to seek his commitment...

The campaign to fight for better pay and working conditions for Ontario’s forest fire workers is hitting news media. In the past week, multiple mainstream media outlets covered what is one of the worst wildfire seasons on record. CBC Radio OPSEU/SEFPO member Taylor Dalzell from Pickle Lake appeared on about his experience on the frontlines....

President of OPSEU/SEFPO Local 713 and 30 year veteran forest fire worker, Mark Belanger, spoke alongside official opposition leader Marit Stiles at a news conference hosted by Ontario NDP on July 24, 2023. The conference was held on behalf of forest fire workers directly involved in fire suppression services – fire rangers, pilots, warehouse workers,...