NDP still pushing for inquiry into wildfire response as independent review begins

Despite the announcement of an independent review into Saskatchewan’s 2025 wildfire season, the Saskatchewan NDP is still pushing for a public inquiry.

The provincial government announced on Monday that accounting firm MNP will conduct the review, focusing on the government’s response to the early and active wildfire season in the province, as well as its fire evaluation methods and the recovery efforts.

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“MNP has extensive experience in conducting post-incident assessments and evaluations of a similar size and complexity in jurisdictions across Canada, including in British Columbia, Alberta, and the Northwest Territories,” a spokesperson for the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency said in an email to 650 CKOM.

NDP Northern Affairs Critic Jordan McPhail says he doesn’t believe people know the full story of what happened this wildfire season. (Marija Robinson/650 CKOM)

“Their approach includes trauma-informed practices and meaningful public and Indigenous engagement, ensuring voices from across the province are heard and respected.”

The third-party review – the first of its kind for the Sask. Public Safety Agency – is expected to cost roughly $400,000, and the government expects it will be completed ahead of the next wildfire season so the lessons learned during the review can be applied.

But the Saskatchewan NDP said that’s not good enough.

“The people in the North deserve answers from a genuinely independent public inquiry, led by an independent judge,” Jordan McPhail, NDP MLA for Cumberland, said in a statement.

“This was a horrific summer for the people of the North and we know the Sask. Party wants to cover up the depths of their failure. My constituents are demanding a public inquiry so they can finally get the answers they deserve.”

The NDP said the provincial government voted down an emergency motion this week that would have launched a public inquiry.

“If this government really has nothing to hide, they should have agreed to our call today and launched the public inquiry,” Leroy Laliberte, NDP MLA for Athabasca, said in a statement.

Asked how much a public inquiry would cost, an NDP spokesperson said the money for the inquiry “could be found within the existing budget.”