Ottawa, ON (Feb. 21, 2025) \u2013 Canada\u2019s boreal forest is vast and experiences some of the world\u2019s largest and most intense wildfires. On average, about 8,000 wildfires burn over 2.1 million hectares of forest every year, representing a territory equivalent to almost half the size of Nova Scotia. About $1 billion is spent each year in Canada to combat wildfires. The Government of Canada recognizes this growing threat and remains committed to protecting its communities, natural resources, and wildlife habitats.<\/p>\n
Satellite Earth observation is the only way to provide daily data on all active wildfires spanning the entire Canadian territory. With the objective of strengthening Canada\u2019s wildfire monitoring capacity, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, on behalf of the Honourable Fran\u00e7ois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, has announced that following an open competitive procurement process, exactEarth Ltd.<\/abbr>, a subsidiary of Spire Global Canada, was awarded a contract of $72 million for the design of Canada\u2019s WildFireSat constellation. The contract has been since assigned to Spire Global Canada following a corporate acquisition.<\/p>\n WildFireSat will consist of seven microsatellites tailored to monitor active wildfires across Canada on a daily basis. This mission will provide essential data to fire managers and other responsible authorities. This data will enable them to track fire behaviour, identify high-risk wildfires, and make informed decisions to better protect Canadians, especially those in remote and northern communities. WildFireSat data will also be used in air quality forecasts, which will give Canadians information to help protect themselves from wildfire smoke.<\/p>\n \u201cSatellites offer valuable information that can change our lives for the better here on Earth,\u201d said the Honourable Fran\u00e7ois-Philippe Champagne<\/strong>, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. \u201cThrough investments in WildFireSat, we are using innovative space capabilities to improve Canada\u2019s resilience in the face of today\u2019s environmental challenges. Thanks to this mission, Canada is strengthening its ability to monitor and manage wildfires, which are a growing risk for our country.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCanadians \u2013 like our friends across the southern border \u2013 are experiencing more intense and frequent wildfires than ever before,\u201d said the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson<\/strong>, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. \u201cWildFireSat will provide firefighters across the country with better data to help defend and protect Canadians, reduce environmental and economic losses, and improve forecasting to allow residents and local officials to take precautions. The WildFireSat mission will also reinforce Canada\u2019s position as a global leader in wildfire management and research.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEvery year, we see the devastating impact of wildfires on our communities,\u201d said the Honourable Steven Guilbeault<\/strong>, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. \u201cAs they become more frequent and intense due to climate change, our government is taking action to keep Canadians safe. The WildFireSat mission will provide near real-time wildfire data to be used in smoke and air quality forecasts, ensuring Canadians have the information they need to protect their health. Our government remains committed to helping communities adapt and build resilience\u2014for us, our children, and future generations.\u201d<\/p>\n The mandate of the Canadian Space Agency is to promote the peaceful use and development of space, to advance the knowledge of space through science and to ensure that space science and technology provide social and economic benefits for Canadians. For more information, visit www.asc-csa.gc.ca<\/a>.<\/p>\n SOURCE: Canadian Space Agency<\/em><\/p>\n Tags: aerial imagery<\/a>, Government of Canada<\/a>, wildfires<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Ottawa, ON (Feb. 21, 2025) \u2013 Canada\u2019s boreal forest is vast and experiences some of the world\u2019s largest and most intense wildfires. On average, about 8,000 wildfires burn over 2.1 million hectares of forest...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[1],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23206"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23206"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23206\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Quick facts<\/h4>\n
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Learn More<\/h4>\n
About the Canadian Space Agency<\/b><\/h4>\n