It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Monday, July 17, 2023
Clemson Starbucks workers file petition to unionize, seeking more hours, health insurance
A.J. Jackson, Greenville News Updated Mon, July 17, 2023
Clemson Starbucks workers at the 1082 Tiger Blvd. location have officially filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board to unionize alongside Starbucks Workers United.
The paperwork was filed on Monday morning, and an adjacent letter was sent to Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan to announce their organizing, detailing complaints of discrimination of race and illness, drastic hour cuts, favoritism shown in the workplace, and more.
"I know first-hand that it is possible to love this job," said Kale Hilley, barista at the Clemson location. "But as long as we are in these conditions, it will never be possible. I'm speaking up and voting to unionize because my partners and I deserve better."
The letter also detailed: "We risk losing eligibility for health insurance because our hours are being continually cut. We repeatedly see the destruction of our partner experience occurring due to unrealistic customer demand."
The nationwide union includes more than 8,500 workers looking for better working conditions, fair wages and consistent schedules. Since December 2021, more than 335 stores across the country have successfully unionized, according to workersunited.org.
In response, Starbucks Press issued the following statement:
"We recognize that a subset of partners feel differently and we respect their right to organize and to engage in lawful union activities without fear of reprisal or retaliation," a Starbucks media correspondent said. "As a next step, we welcome the opportunity for our partners at our Tiger Blvd. and College Ave. store to vote in a neutral, secret ballot election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board."
The vote would allow the employees and partners to make their own informed decision regarding union representation.
According to Starbucks officials, their company offers employees an average of $17.50 hour, medical/dental and vision benefits and 100% tuition reimbursement.
– A.J. Jackson covers the food & dining scene, along with arts, entertainment and more for The Greenville News and Anderson Independent Mail. Contact him by email at ajackson@gannett.com, and follow him on Twitter @ajhappened.
Biden, Sanders meet with young labor organizers from Starbucks, Minor League Baseball
Brett Samuels Mon, July 17, 2023
President Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Monday met with union organizers at the White House in a show of support for organized labor.
The two leaders dropped in on a meeting with young workers who have organized unions in industries that have traditionally not been organized, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a briefing.
The meeting included employees from Starbucks, SEGA and Minor League Baseball, Jean-Pierre said. Other administration officials in attendance included acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and National Economic Council director Lael Brainard.
“You’re seeing unions standing up and trying to end the rather poor conditions that they are working under,” Sanders told reporters after the meeting.
Biden, who has touted himself as the most pro-union president in history, tweeted Monday afternoon, “In my White House, labor will always be welcome.”
The meeting comes as the unions representing Hollywood writers and actors are both on strike, and as UPS workers threaten to go on strike.
Teamsters President Sean O’Brien told union members over the weekend the White House has been asked not to intervene if UPS workers strike, saying the administration should be concerned only with corporate greed.
Biden meets labor organizers from Starbucks, Minor League Baseball
Updated Mon, July 17, 2023 By Nandita Bose
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders met with young labor organizers from Starbucks and Minor League Baseball among others at the White House on Monday as a growing number of worker strikes grip the country.
After decades of declining union membership, organized labor is witnessing a resurgence in the U.S., as sky-high costs of living, housing shortages and technological disruptions have bred unusual levels of solidarity among workers in disparate industries, from dockworkers to Hollywood screenwriters.
Employees seeking better working conditions and higher pay have recently organized unions at companies such as Starbucks, Amazon.com, and Apple even as businesses have become more aggressive in pushing back against union activity.
Biden and Senator Sanders, who chairs a committee on labor issues, was expected to congratulate organizers for the work they have done and discuss the president's "belief that worker power is essential to growing the economy from the middle out and bottom up," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
In a tweet on Monday night, Biden said he and Sanders met with young labor leaders to discuss their fight for better pay and benefits.
"The presence of a union means there is democracy. And organizing or joining a union - that's democracy in action," Biden tweeted.
Administration officials in Monday's meeting included Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su, White House National Economic Council Director Lael Brainard, and White House Director of Governmental Affairs Tom Perez, the official said.
Biden, who is often referred to as the most pro-union president in U.S. history by labor leaders, had a similar meeting with union activists from Amazon and Starbucks at the White House last year.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by Sonali Paul)
Biden and Sanders meet union organizers amid labor turmoil A little more than a week after contract talks between UPS and the union representing 340,000 of its workers broke down, UPS said Friday, July 14, 2023, it will begin training many of its non-union employees in the U.S. to step in should there be a strike, which the union has vowed to do if no agreement is reached by the end of this month.
CHRIS MEGERIAN Mon, July 17, 2023
WASHINGTON (AP) — With labor turmoil roiling industries from coast to coast, President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders met with organizers at the White House on Monday to talk about ways to boost union membership.
The organizers represent industries and workplaces that have not traditionally been represented by unions, such as Starbucks coffee shops and video game companies.
Sanders, an independent from Vermont, said outside the White House that more people are “standing up and saying it is important for us to have a union so we can earn better wages, better working conditions, better pensions and dignity on the job.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president believes that “worker power is essential for growing the economy from the middle out and the bottom up.”
The meeting took place as strikes have been launched and threatened around the country. Entertainment unions representing actors and writers have shut down film and television production over concerns about how revenue is shared in an industry geared more toward streaming content online.
“The president believes all workers, including the writers, including the actors, they deserve a fair pay," Jean-Pierre said. "And they deserve fair benefits.”
She said the administration hopes that "the parties come together and have a mutually beneficial agreement as soon as possible.”
There's already talk of a United Auto Workers strike as contract talks get under way and the industry wrestles with a transition toward electric vehicles. In addition, the Teamsters said its drivers might walk off the job as they struggle to reach a new contract with UPS. Negotiations have a deadline of July 31, and union leader Sean O’Brien said he doesn't want the White House to get involved.
“My neighborhood where I grew up in Boston, if two people had a disagreement and you had nothing to do with it — you just kept walking,” he said on Sunday.
All of this is taking place as Biden pushes the Senate to confirm Julie Su as his new secretary for the Department of Labor. She helped resolve a dispute between dockworkers and shippers, but that has not dislodged her nomination, which is opposed by Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat.
Jean-Pierre said the White House had an “unwavering” commitment to Su and would continue to fight for her.
___
AP White House correspondent Zeke Miller contributed to this report.
9th Circuit denies bid by environmentalists and tribes to block Nevada lithium mine Construction continues at the Lithium Nevada Corp. mine site Thacker Pass project on April 24, 2023, near Orovada, Nev. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday, July 17, 2023, rejected the latest bid by conservationists and tribal leaders to block construction of a huge lithium mine already in the works along the Nevada-Oregon line. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)
SCOTT SONNER Mon, July 17, 2023
RENO, Nev. (AP) — The latest bid by conservationists and tribal leaders to block construction of a huge lithium mine already in the works along the Nevada-Oregon line was denied by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday.
A three-panel judge of the San Francisco-based appellate court rejected a half-dozen arguments the opponents had put forth in their appeal seeking to overturn federal land managers' approval of the project.
That included claims it violates multiple environmental laws and would destroy lands tribal members consider sacred because they say dozens of their ancestors were massacred there in 1865.
Lithium Nevada Corp.'s mine at Thacker Pass near the Oregon line, 200 miles (320 kilometers) northeast of Reno, has pitted environmentalists and Native Americans against President Joe Biden’s plans to combat climate change. The mine would involve extraction of the silvery-white metal used in electric vehicle batteries.
On Monday, the judges didn't specifically address the claims that the project fails to comply with a new opinion the 9th Circuit issued last year that blocked a copper mine in Arizona based on a more stringent interpretation of the 1872 Mining Law regarding the use of neighboring lands to dispose of waste.
Rather, they more generally differed to the expertise of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, which approved the mine in 2021, and the decision by U.S. District Judge Miranda Du earlier this year to allow construction to go forward even though she concluded the mine was not in complete compliance with the new interpretation of the Civil War-era mining law.
The bureau's approval of the mine “was not arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion or otherwise not in accordance with” the National Environmental Policy Act, the 11-page ruling said.
The bureau approved the mine in 2021 on an accelerated basis under Donald Trump's administration. The Biden administration has continued to embrace it in an effort to ramp up U.S. production of lithium needed for electric vehicles that are an integral part of his clean energy agenda.
Lithium Nevada officials say the Thacker Pass mine’s reserves would support lithium for more than 1.5 million electric vehicles per year for 40 years.
Conservationists say the open pit mine, deeper than the length of a football field, will pollute the groundwater and destroy precious habitat for sage grouse, pronghorn antelope and other species in violation of environmental laws.
Their lawyers had argued that Du illegally exceeded her authority when she refused to revoke the mine's operation plan in March despite her conclusion that federal land managers had violated the law in approving parts of it.
“This is the first time in public land history that we have a major project violating a number of provisions but is allowed to go forward,” Roger Flynn, the director of the Colorado-based Western Mining Action Project, told the 9th Circuit panel during oral arguments in Pasadena on June 27.
“In the meantime, thousands of acres of public land are essentially being clear-cut,” he said Tuesday about the high-desert sagebrush that serves as critical habitat for the imperiled bird species sage grouse.
The 9th Circuit ruling Monday said Du applied the proper legal standard and found the bureau's sole error in approving the project “weighed against” vacating the entire approval of the mine partly because “there was at least a serious possibility that the (agency would) be able to substantiate its decision on remand.”
Lithium Nevada, a subsidiary of the Canadian-based Lithium Americas, spent more than $8.7 million on the environmental analysis and permitting process, even altering the original plans to move it outside of environmentally sensitive areas, said Laura Granier, a lawyer for the company. She said investments in mitigation, legal costs and initial construction already have exceeded $150 million.
Government lawyers said much of the evidence the Western Shoshone and Paiute tribes presented about the sacred nature of the land came after a formal decision had been issued and that none of it clearly established the actual location of the massacre.
The 9th Circuit ruled Monday that bureau acted “reasonably and in good faith” in its consultation with tribes potentially affected by the mine.
Iran's morality police return after protests in a new campaign to impose Islamic dress on women Women shop in the old main bazaar of Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. Iranian police have announced a new campaign to force women to wear the Islamic headscarf. Morality police returned to the streets on Sunday, 10 months after the death of a woman in their custody sparked nationwide protests.
(AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)
Updated Sun, July 16, 2023
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian authorities on Sunday announced a new campaign to force women to wear the Islamic headscarf and morality police returned to the streets 10 months after the death of a woman in their custody sparked nationwide protests.
The morality police had largely pulled back following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini last September, as authorities struggled to contain mass protests calling for the overthrow of the theocracy that has ruled Iran for over four decades.
The protests largely died down earlier this year following a heavy crackdown in which over 500 protesters were killed and nearly 20,000 detained. But many women continued to flout the official dress code, especially in the capital, Tehran, and other cities.
Authorities insisted throughout the crisis that the rules had not changed. Iran's clerical rulers view the hijab as a key pillar of the Islamic revolution that brought them to power, and consider more casual dress a sign of Western decadence.
On Sunday, Gen. Saeed Montazerolmahdi, a police spokesman, said the morality police would resume notifying and then detaining women not wearing hijab in public. In Tehran, the men and women of the morality police could be seen patrolling the streets in marked vans.
Late Saturday, police arrested Mohammed Sadeghi, a young and relatively unknown actor, in a raid on his home that he appears to have broadcast on social media. Earlier, he had posted a video in response to another online video showing a woman being detained by the morality police. “Believe me, if I see such a scene, I might commit murder,” he said.
The website of the semi-official Hamshahri daily, which is affiliated with the Tehran municipality, said he was arrested for encouraging people to use weapons against the police.
The battle over the hijab became a powerful rallying cry last fall, with women playing a leading role in the protests. The demonstrations quickly escalated into calls for the overthrow of Iran's clerical rulers, whom the mostly young protesters accuse of being corrupt, repressive and out of touch. Iran's government blamed the protests on a foreign conspiracy, without providing evidence.
Several Iranian celebrities joined the protests, including prominent directors and actors from the country's celebrated film industry. Several Iranian actresses were detained after appearing in public without the hijab or expressing support for the protests.
In a recent case, actress Azadeh Samadi was barred from social media and ordered by a court to seek psychological treatment for "antisocial personality disorder" after appearing at a funeral two months ago wearing a cap on her head.
Toshiba, General Electric to build offshore wind equipment supply chain in Japan-Nikkei
A wind turbine is seen behind a streetlamp in Yokohama
Reuters Sat, July 15, 2023 at 3:31 AM MDT·1 min read
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Toshiba plans to establish a domestic supply chain for offshore wind power equipment together with U.S. manufacturer General Electric, Nikkei reported on Saturday, as Japan is expanding in renewable energy in a zero-carbon push.
Japan's offshore wind power market is set to grow as the government aims to install up to 10 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity by 2030, and up to 45 GW by 2040, as part of its decarbonisation push.
Last month, the government finished accepting bids for the second round of offshore wind power tenders to build 1.8 GW of capacity in four areas, with results yet to be announced. First round of 1.7 GW capacity was won by Mitsubishi in 2021.
According to Nikkei, the equipment supply chain would involve around 100 small and medium-sized companies with focus on the areas where offshore wind capacity should be installed.
Toshiba plans to start production in 2026, Nikkei added.
In 2021, Toshiba and GE announced a strategic partnership to localise GE's Haliade-X offshore wind turbines manufacturing in Japan, as the U.S. company wants its technology to be as competitive as possible in Japan's offshore wind auctions.
GE will manufacture a total of 134 wind turbines with 13 MW capacity each for the three offshore wind projects won by the Mitsubishi-led consortiums in the first round, which Toshiba will then assemble, according to Japan Wind Power Association.
(Reporting by Katya Golubkova; Editing by Michael Perry)
Nike announces it will permanently end sponsorship of Hockey Canada
Story by Peter Zimonjic • "Nike is no longer a sponsor of Hockey Canada,” the company said Monday although it will continue to provide on-ice product for Hockey Canada athletes.
Nike announced Monday that it will permanently cease its sponsorship of Hockey Canada in the wake of its handling of a high-profile alleged group sexual assault case.
The sportswear giant first announced a temporary suspension of support in October of last year, at a time when corporate sponsors Chevrolet Canada, Scotiabank and Canadian Tire had also pulled their financial support.
"Nike is no longer a sponsor of Hockey Canada," a company statement issued Monday said.
"We will continue to provide on-ice product for Hockey Canada athletes as part of our partnership with the International Ice Hockey Federation, but our individual partnership with the federation has ended."
Hockey Canada has been embroiled in controversy for more than a year over its handling of a $3.5 million lawsuit.
A young woman filed a statement of claim last year alleging eight hockey players sexually assaulted her after a 2018 Hockey Canada gala in London, Ont.
The London Police Service is currently investigating after reopening the case amid significant public interest following an eight-month investigation that originally closed without charges in February 2019.
Unsealed court documents last year revealed London police said they had reasonable grounds to accuse five world junior players of sexual assault.
Using registration fees to settle complaints
The woman, who was 20 at the time, alleges eight unnamed CHL players — including some on Canada's U20 men's world junior hockey team — sexually assaulted her on June 19, 2018, according to her statement of claim filed in April 2022.
Hockey Canada was accused in the statement of claim of failing to address systemic abuse in its organization and condoning a "culture and environment that glorified the degradation and sexual exploitation of young women."
The claims have not been proven in court.
Last year the Globe and Mail reported that a senior employee at Nike Canada was seen buying drinks for national junior hockey players just before the alleged sexual assault, according to unsealed court records.
During the controversy, hockey parents were outraged to learn that Hockey Canada had quietly paid $8.9 million to 21 complainants since 1989 using the national equity fund made up of players' registration fees without them knowing.
Hockey Canada's entire board of directors and CEO resigned last fall after months of public scrutiny, and calls from politicians of all stripes and the minister of sport for the organization to overhaul its leadership. Hockey Canada appointed Katherine Henderson as its new president and CEO earlier this month.
Hockey Canada told CBC that it respects Nike's decision to end their partnership.
"Hockey Canada is appreciative of the longstanding partnership we had with Nike for over two decades and respects their decision not to continue as a Hockey Canada partner," an emailed statement said.
ONTARIO Ring of Fire stalled due to exclusion of First Nations, Guilbeault says
Story by Naimul Karim • The Ring of Fire development in Northwestern Ontario.
Both the federal government and province of Ontario believe the Ring of Fire, located about 500 kilometres from Thunder Bay, has the potential to produce minerals — such as nickel and copper — currently in high demand as countries look to accelerate the shift away from fossil fuels.
But the region has also been described as a “ challenging space ” by Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson in December last year as a large portion of the region is made up of peat or wetlands, which act as carbon sinks. Some Indigenous nations have also raised concerns about development in the space, though two First Nations support the building of a road that will make it easier for companies to mine the region.
Guilbeault at a press conference on July 14 said more conversations with Indigenous nations are needed if mining of the region is to move forward.
“For any development to happen in the Ring of Fire, Indigenous nations will need to be part of the discussion in decision making process,” he said. “That hasn’t happened, which is why I think we are not seeing any development.”
The development of the Ring of Fire region is a component of Canada’s plan to build a new electric vehicle battery industry . Currently, the processing of battery minerals is controlled by China. Canada, along with the United States, has taken a number of steps in the last year to lessen its dependence on the Asian country for battery materials.
Guilbeault said the government has been working with Indigenous nations in Northern Ontario along with the province to agree to a framework on how to mine the region.
“Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to agree yet,” Guilbeault said. “We are still working on a proposal for regional impact assessment and so far the Indigenous nations have agreed to move ahead with this. We are waiting on the Ontario government to tell us whether or not they want to proceed jointly.”
A response from Ontario’s Ministry of Mines wasn’t immediately available.
Premier Doug Ford’s government has been vocal in its support for mining in the region. It is currently working on building an all-season pathway to connect the Ring of Fire with manufacturers in the southern part of the province.
Federal minister Wilkinson however, has been more circumspect. In an interview in December he said there were proposals for many other mines in Ontario and other parts of Canada that are “far closer to realization” than the Ring of Fire.
The minister added that people “often get stuck” on the Ring of Fire because of its massive potential. However, from environmental assessments to the proposal of a mining project, there’s still a long way to go before mining can actually begin in the region, he said.
Vanishing whale's decline worse than previously thought, feds say
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A review of the status of a vanishing species of whale found that the animal's population is in worse shape than previously thought, federal ocean regulators said Monday.
The North Atlantic right whale numbers less than 350, and it has been declining in population for several years. The federal government declared the whale's decline an “unusual mortality event,” which means an unexpected and significant die-off, in 2017.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released new data that 114 of the whales have been documented as dead, seriously injured or sub-lethally injured or sick since the start of the mortality event. That is an increase of 16 whales since the previous estimate released earlier this year.
The agency recently completed a review of the whales using photographs from researchers and surveys to create the new estimate, said Andrea Gomez, a spokesperson for NOAA.
“Additional cases will continue to be reviewed, and animals will be added if appropriate, as more information is obtained,” Gomez said.
Related video: Pilot whales strand themselves on isle of Lewis, Euthanised (WION) Duration 1:10 View on Watch
Thirty-six of the 114 whales included in the estimate had died, NOAA documents state. The agency cautioned that only about a third of right whale deaths are documented, so the total number of dead or injured animals could be much higher.
Right whales are found off the Atlantic coast of the U.S. They are vulnerable to collisions with large ships and entanglement in commercial fishing gear. The federal government has worked to craft stricter rules to protect the whales from both threats.
Commercial fishing and shipping interests have both vowed to fight stricter protections. A federal appeals court sided with fishermen last month after they filed a complaint that proposed new restrictions could put them out of business.
The new data illustrate how dire the situation is for the whales, said Sarah Sharp, an animal rescue veterinarian with International Fund for Animal Welfare. The number of injured animals is especially significant because injured whales are less likely to reproduce, Sharp said.
“If animals are putting energy into healing from a wound, they are not necessarily going to have those energy stores for other things,” Sharp said. “I think this just paints a much more accurate picture of the threats these whales are facing.”
The whales give birth off Florida and Georgia and feed off New England and Canada. They have been protected under the Endangered Species Act for decades, and federal authorities ruled in December that they must retain that protection.
Patrick Whittle, The Associated Press
Mysterious giant metal cylinder washes up on Australian beach
Story by Sarah Do Couto • July 17, 2023 A mysterious, copper-coloured cylindrical object was discovered on a beach in Western Australia on July 16, 2023, puzzling local residents and internet sleuths alike.
Everyone loves a good mystery, so when a huge, unidentified metal object washed up on a Western Australian beach, locals and internet sleuths alike couldn't contain their curiosity.
Residents near Green Head beach reported the massive copper-coloured cylinder to police on Sunday. The object, which is still on the beach, was discovered visibly damaged and appears to be partially covered by barnacles.
According to the BBC, the object is roughly 2.5 metres wide and over 2.5 metres long.
Western Australian police initially asked locals to keep their distance from the object in case it was hazardous. On Monday evening, authorities said a chemical analysis of the cylinder "determined the object is safe and there is no current risk to the community."
The investigation into the cylinder's origin is ongoing, though police have said the object is likely not from a commercial aircraft.
The Australian Space Agency said the object "could be from a foreign space launch vehicle," as many eagle-eyed internet sleuths had already hypothesized.
Aviation expert Geoffrey Thomas told the BBC the cylinder is possibly a detached portion of an Indian space rocket launched in the last 12 months. Thomas suggested the object may be a fuel tank. Many on social media have made the same suggestion, proposing the cylinder is likely space junk from India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), which successfully launched in April.
If the object is indeed a fuel tank, Alice Gorman, a leading space archaeologist, told The Guardian the cylinder would have once held toxic materials used in rocket fuel. She hypothesized the cylinder is from some point within the last decade and would be now filled with dirt and sand. Still, she encouraged beachgoers to keep their distance. Some residents were seen crowding the object and building sandcastles around it when it was first discovered on Sunday, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
The state broadcaster interviewed a local resident who said another woman first spotted the cylinder at the water's edge. The unidentified woman reportedly pulled the object from the water using a vehicle with four-wheel drive.
Officials have urged people "to refrain from drawing conclusions" about the object while state and federal authorities continue to gather information.
Western Australian police have since established a guard rotation to protect the cylinder and keep curious onlookers at bay while their investigation continues. Authorities said the cylinder would be removed from the beach once it is identified.
If the object is space debris, the UN's Outer Space Treaty would require the cylinder to be returned to its country of origin.
First troops in B.C. for wildfire fight, as helicopters and Hercules plane readied
Story by The Canadian Press •
The Canadian Armed Forces says the first troops to help in British Columbia's wildfire fight have arrived in the province, with more soldiers, helicopters and a Hercules plane poised for deployment.
The forces said in a statement that a reconnaissance team is on the ground in Prince George in central B.C. and is working with local authorities including the BC Wildfire Service to strategize.
The arrival of the personnel and equipment will be welcomed by firefighters and communities, said the province's Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth.
"We also know we can count on the Canadian Armed Forces to be able to assist in terms of a lot of the work that needs to be done," he said.
"While they don't necessarily fight the fires on the front lines, they can provide important work to be able to allow the firefighters to do the work they need to be doing on the ground."
Farnworth said the federal and B.C. governments, including his ministry, the military and the BC Wildfire Service are currently developing a deployment plan "in terms of where is the best place and where the need is required."
The statement issued by the armed forces says that in addition to the reconnaissance team deployed on Sunday, two companies of soldiers from 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group based in Edmonton will be available "to assist and enable firefighting."
"The first company will likely be deploying to the Burns Lake area, at the Northwest Fire Centre, and the second will likely deploy to Vanderhoof, at the Prince George Fire Centre," the statement says.
It says Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft will support firefighting mobility and logistics, as well as emergency evacuations.
The deployment will include two CH-146 Griffon Helicopters from 408 Squadron, and, if needed, a CC-130J Hercules from 8 Wing Trenton.
Defence Minister Anita Anand said the Canadian Coast Guard will also provide two helicopters to transport firefighters and equipment to remote locations and provide supports to remote coastal communities facing restricted access due to wildfires.
Canada's Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair announced on Friday that military help had been approved after his counterpart in B.C., Bowinn Ma, made a request for federal help amid an eruption of fire activity.
Related video: Canadian Wildfire Smoke Returns This Weekend (The Weather Channel)
The BC Wildfire Service lists more than 360 wildfires burning in the province, with 23 listed as fires of note, where they are a threat to safety or are especially visible to the public.
Recent data has prompted the federal government and B.C. Premier David Eby to say that Canada and B.C. are on track to record their worst wildfire seasons in 100 years.
Wildfires have consumed more than 12,900 square kilometres of land so far this year in B.C., already nearing the record of just over 13,500 square kilometres set in 2018.
A working group comprised of members of Public Safety Canada, the Canadian Armed Forces, and B.C. emergency management and wildfire officials met over the weekend to focus on deploying the federal resources.
Blair said last week the federal help could include military assistance for airlift evacuations from remote locations, as well as troops trained as firefighters who can "mop up" to keep blazes from reigniting.
Transport Canada, Parks Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are standing by to provide assistance.
Surinderpal Rathor, the mayor of Williams Lake, B.C., said Monday the arrival of the military will serve as a morale boost for firefighters and communities facing the wildfires.
Williams Lake, a community of about 10,000 people in B.C.'s central Interior, was evacuated in July 2017 due to encroaching wildfires.
"They were welcomed by the people, by the organizations, by the community, by the city, by the authorities, and they were the greatest help," Rathor said in an interview on Monday. "It was the best thing that could have ever happened to Williams Lake. Without their help, we would not have been able to survive."
B.C.'s current wildfire situation includes an "aggressive" fire that exploded in size over the weekend and cut off highway access near the Central Coast, while more than a dozen new blazes have been sparked since Sunday, says the BC Wildfire Service.
The service says Highway 20 east of Bella Coola was closed Sunday evening as the fire that was discovered near Young Creek just the day before swelled to 22-square kilometres in size.
The service says no evacuation orders have been issued for the fire.
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District says the Bush Creek East fire near Kamloops is "highly visible," but no evacuation orders or alerts have been issued even as gusty winds have fanned wildfires around the city.
Environment Canada's forecast for Kamloops called for a chance of rain and a risk of thunderstorms on Monday, with many regions in the province under cloudy skies with possible rain on the way, breaking a weeks-long drought.
B.C. has also made a request for 1,000 international firefighters through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, which co-ordinates firefighting resources across the country.
Firefighting personnel from the United States, Mexico and New Zealand are already in the province, and teams were set to arrive from Australia over the weekend.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2023.
Dirk Meissner, The Canadian Press
Wildfires have now burned 10M hectares of Canadian land
Story by Aaron D'Andrea • Yesterday The Donnie Creek wildfire burns in an area between Fort Nelson and Fort St. John, B.C., in this undated handout photo provided by the BC Wildfire Service. Canada has passed a milestone in hectares burned as the worst wildfire season on record continues.
The stark milestone comes as the nation deals with its worst wildfire season on record, which historically runs between April and September.
The previous record was set in 1989, when 7.6 million hectares were burned.
Officials have warned that in many parts of the country, fire seasons are starting earlier and are becoming longer. Earlier this month, government officials said Canada’s fire season is still far from over, with projections showing potential for higher-than-normal fire activity right across the country throughout the month and into August.
Conditions are being driven by drought and above-normal temperatures, officials said in a presentation to reporters on July 6. Fires are burning across the nation, which is also unprecedented, they added.
Canada’s wildfire season has gotten so dire that the country needs an “unprecedented level of international support” to fight them.
“The firefighting effort has now truly become a global effort,” officials said during the presentation.
The government has signed several agreements with nations on wildfire assistance, and recently inked resource-sharing deals with Portugal and the United States.
Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair told reporters on July 6 that much of Canada will remain at high risk for wildfires throughout July, though in August the risk to some areas will decrease.
Blair did not have a figure to provide when it comes to the cost of the wildfire response.
“I want to encourage all Canadians in high-risk areas to look out for one another, to follow the guidance of your local authorities and stay prepared,” he said.
“While there is serious fire risk in several parts of the country, I want to assure Canadians that there are sufficient resources to respond and to keep Canadians safe.”
David Suzuki on how the environmental movement has failed fighting climate change | Ask Me Anything
Former host of The Nature of Things David Suzuki joins Cross Country Checkup to take your questions about the need for action in the climate change fight, cutting through 'hopeium' and the new normal stemming from wildfire smoke.
Extreme weather a direct consequence of climate change, climatologist says
CBC News: The National 3 days ago Extreme weather is happening worldwide with floods, tornadoes and heat waves. Experts say it really all comes back to climate change, and it's a race against time to cool down global temperatures and mitigate the effects.
