FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 29, 2025

REGINA – The president of the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees' Union (SGEU), Tracey Sauer, has called on the Saskatchewan government to take further action to combat the forest fires in the north. She pointed to the Manitoba government’s declaration of a state of emergency to protect their citizens and firefighters as an example. 

“Our SGEU 500+ members working for the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) sacrifice a great deal to protect our communities and help Saskatchewan residents displaced by fire return home,” said Sauer. “Many of them are working at great personal risk right now. They need our government to take these fires seriously.”

Sauer pointed to the measures taken by Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew to call a state of emergency to protect his citizens. That declaration ensured that “federal, provincial and local resources can be delivered in a coordinated response,” according to a Manitoba government release. 

“Many of them are working at great personal risk right now. They need our government to take these fires seriously.”

The Government of Saskatchewan has similar tools they could use under the Emergency Planning Act. It can issue an order-in-council to mobilize equipment and financial resources to assist in natural disasters.  

“We’ve been urging the government to provide our members with the tools they need for some time. For example, replacing Saskatchewan’s fire tower observers with camera technology was a step backwards when it came to preparing for wildfires.” noted Sauer. “The government needs to properly prepare our members for the ever-lengthening wildfire season.”

“The hearts of our 20,000 members go out to the folks affected by the fires raging in northern Saskatchewan, including those under evacuation orders. We hope that the fires threatening your communities are quickly contained and that you can return home soon.”

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For more information:
John Ashton
Communications Officer
Ph: 306.519.2903
E-mail: jashton@sgeu.org