Public service cuts putting Canadians at risk from climate disasters: union

A federal union is arguing public service cuts are elevating the threats Canadians face from climate disasters.

The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada is holding a rally in downtown Ottawa today to denounce cuts at Environment and Climate Change Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Natural Resources Canada.

The union says the employees affected by the cuts work on flood forecasting, turning satellite and geospatial data into emergency maps, monitoring wildfire smoke and air quality and studying threats to Canada’s forests.

Just over 700 fires are burning across Canada, the national wildland fire summary indicates, and early estimates suggest wildfires raging in northern Ontario have pushed the province to its worst wildfire season on record.

The federal government’s website says that between March 2025 and March 2026, the number of employees at Natural Resources Canada dropped by 418.

Over the same time period, the number of staff at Fisheries and Oceans Canada decreased by 583, while the number of staff at Environment and Climate Change Canada dropped by 593.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 5, 2026. 

By Catherine Morrison | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.