Three men were injured after trying to subdue a man armed with a knife during afternoon prayers at a Montreal-area mosque Friday afternoon.
Wildland residential areas aren't prepared for wildfires: study
Over the last decade, Canada has experienced increasingly worse wildfires as the impacts of climate change fuel the conditions for raging fires. Natural Resources Canada reports more than 6,000 fires have scorched 16.5 million hectares of land in 2023 alone.
As wildfires worsen year-over-year, has found Canada, along with Australia and the U.S., aren't effectively preparing their citizens in wildland communities for these extreme events.
The review, published on Monday by Ontario's York University, found that these nations are failing to implement effective changes to the structure of homes in vulnerable areas and providing maintenance to ensure they're able to avoid tragedy when disaster strikes.
Associate professor of disaster and emergency management and study co-author Eric B. Kennedy explained the 78 journal articles reviewed by him and co-author Sarah Cowan show there are solutions to this issue, but various factors are stalling effective change.
Wildfire mitigation begins with the physical structure of a home or building, Kennedy told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview on Tuesday, but many homes built after disaster are designed the same way they were before, without taking into account future fire prevention.
These changes can be costly to homeowners, and with rising inflation and frequent wildfires impacting home insurance premiums, these challenges aren't making wildfire mitigation any easier on residents, Kennedy explained.
"It's not just one problem but it's a problem multiplied by a problem, multiplied by another problem and all of those factors multiplying on each other leads to the kinds of tragedies we see today," Kennedy said.
BUILDING BACK BETTER ACROSS ALL SECTORS
Amid Canada's worst wildfire season on record, the federal government introduced various programs focused on firefighting training, wildfire monitoring systems and investing in wildland communities. Kennedy said while wildfire response initiatives are essential to the cause, there needs to be collaborative efforts made across all levels of government and private sectors like insurance companies to protect residents from natural disasters.
Kennedy recommends improving housing guidelines to include quality construction for not only new homes but for the maintenance of pre-existing homes in wildland communities. Insurance companies in particular, he said, also have the opportunity to support residents by covering costs to rebuild a more durable home after a wildfire or even help a homeowner prepare for disaster.
"There are almost pressures from the way insurance payouts are made to build back with the same kind of construction that led to loss in the first place and so I think there are really exciting opportunities for companies to be part of the solution" he said.
Additionally, providing help with home maintenance can alleviate some of the burden for homeowners, particularly Indigenous communities who live in remote areas and have been disproportionately impacted by the wildfires or residents who have physical ailments and are unable to complete home repairs themselves.
"How do we make these mitigations inclusive so that everyone can do them? So, there's a real opportunity for Canada to be a leader on these challenges and based on the fire season we saw this year, it's going to be important," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Kids are inhaling 'Galaxy Gas' to get high. Here’s what parents should know
For some young people, a popular method for getting a quick high is by misusing laughing gas — and lately, that’s in the form of nitrous oxide from products sold by the company Galaxy Gas.
Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Montérégie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.
Recall expands for Nutrabolics vegan bars over undeclared milk
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says a recall of Nutrabolics brand Feed Me Vegan Real Food Protein & Oats bars due to undeclared milk has been expanded.
Kamala Harris accepts CNN debate invitation for Oct. 23, challenging Trump to another showdown
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday accepted an invitation from CNN to debate former President Donald Trump on October 23, challenging her rival to another engagement on a public stage in the final weeks of the campaign.
Is the price of your morning coffee on the rise?
It is not a great time to be a coffee drinker. In general, coffee bean prices are the highest they've been in more than a decade.
Housing support for adult children with severe autism is 'absolutely absurd,' say parents
Looking after an adult with severe autism can be a full-time job. Ask any parent who has a child severely affected by autism spectrum disorder – it’s a job that can get more difficult as the child becomes an adult.
Top Hezbollah leader was among the 37 people killed in an Israeli strike on a Beirut apartment block
Israel and Hezbollah exchanged fire on Saturday as rescue crews in Beirut searched the rubble of an apartment building that was leveled by an Israeli airstrike that killed at least 37 people, including one of the militant group's senior leaders as well as women and children.
Cards Against Humanity sues Elon Musk's SpaceX over alleged trespassing in Texas
The maker of the popular party game Cards Against Humanity is accusing Elon Musk's SpaceX of trespassing on and damaging a plot of vacant land the company owns in Texas.
Local Spotlight
Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.
Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.
An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.
They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.
A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.
Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.
The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.
It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.