Convert CC-130H into air tankers
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to convert part of its retired CC‑130H Hercules fleet into large air tankers to bolster a national wildfire response shared with provinces/territories and usable for international missions. The government responds that conversion raises cost, training and certification issues, provinces lead aircraft acquisition, and recent budgets fund leased firefighting aircraft.
Why we would sign this petition
- Creates a shared national aerial firefighting capability that could respond rapidly to protect communities and critical infrastructure across provinces and territories.
- Reuses retired federal assets and leverages Canadian engineering and private-sector conversion experience, potentially supporting high‑skilled jobs and domestic aerospace capacity.
- Establishes a made‑in‑Canada solution that can be pooled with provincial/territorial resources and offered for international humanitarian or emergency missions.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Firefighting aircraft acquisition is primarily a provincial/territorial responsibility, so federal conversion could create jurisdictional overlap and coordination challenges.
- Conversion requires significant cost, training, and civil‑certification steps noted by the government, which could delay availability compared with leasing ready aircraft.
- Funds spent on conversions might limit investments in prevention, ground crews, or other proven wildfire measures that provinces or federal programs already provide.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED We, the undersigned residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons in Parliament Assembled to the following: Whereas (i) The increasing intensity and cost of wildfires in Canada, not just in British Columbia but across the entire country, requires bold and timely action; (ii) Without a national air tanker fleet, each province must weigh the cost of purchasing or contracting aviation resources, with no guarantee that resources will be available when and where they are most needed; (iii) Fighting wildfires and addressing the climate crisis demands a wartime level of effort and commitment; (iv) Other countries retrofit retired military aircraft for aerial firefighting, providing rapid-response capability and national resilience; (v) The conversion of Canada's retired CC-130H Hercules fleet into state-of-the-art air tankers would protect communities, critical infrastructure, and help meet climate commitments by reducing catastrophic carbon releases from wildfires; (vi) This is a rare opportunity to strengthen Canada's sovereign firefighting capacity while stimulating high-skilled economic activity at home; and (vii) Coulson Aviation, a globally respected company based in Port Alberni, British Columbia, has already converted CC-130 Hercules aircraft into large airtankers and operates them successfully in partnership with governments around the world, including Australia and the United States. Therefore, We, the undersigned, Citizens and Residents of Canada call upon the Government of Canada to: Work in partnership with the private sector to retrofit a portion of the Government of Canada's retired Lockheed CC-130H Hercules fleet into large air tankers for use in wildfire suppression across Canada; Deploy these aircraft as part of a strengthened national wildfire response capacity, to be shared with provinces and territories and, where appropriate, available for international humanitarian and emergency response missions; and Prioritize this made-in-Canada solution that leverages Canadian engineering, global expertise, and delivers clear public benefits in protecting lives, communities, and the environment.
Government response
Response by the Minister of National Defence Signed by Sherry Romanado National Defence remains committed to supporting a whole-of-government approach to emergency management and the Canadian Armed Forces stands ready to support civil authorities when called upon. Through Operation LENTUS, the Canadian Armed Forces supports provincial and territorial authorities in responding to major natural disasters, which can include the provision of personnel, equipment, and facilities. The CC-130 Hercules aircraft currently performs vital search-and-rescue operations and is an essential component of Canada’s air capabilities. Conversion of this aircraft for other purposes would encompass a broad range of considerations including, cost, training, and civil certification. Moreover, the acquisition and operation of dedicated firefighting aircraft fall primarily under provincial and territorial jurisdiction, supported as needed by federal agencies through established mechanisms. Public Safety Canada is the lead federal department for emergency management, and the Canadian Armed Forces remains a force of last resort for responding to emergency situations in Canada. Response by the Minister of Public Safety Signed by ANTHONY HOUSEFATHER, PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY The government would like to thank the petitioners for raising this important issue. The Government of Canada is aware of the increasing severity of wildfires and the risk they pose to Canadians. Protecting our communities from these devastating wildfires requires bold approaches and committed, coordinated action from all levels of government. Budget 2025 is investing $257.6 million over four years to Natural Resources Canada to lease firefighting aircraft, which could include waterbombers or other aircraft, that will bolster provincial and territorial aerial firefighting capacity. Through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, strong national coordination of the federal, provincial, and territorial response to wildfires has kept people safe throughout many fire seasons. Aerial firefighting plays an important role in wildfire response by protecting lives and property, delivering water or fire retardant drops in hard-to-reach areas, slowing fire spread, and supporting ground crews with surveillance. The lease of firefighting aircraft will help to ensure that Canadian wildland fire agencies have access to essential aerial firefighting resources, enhancing support to provinces and territories and Canadians in times of need. Beginning in 2022-23, The Government of Canada also announced the Fighting and Managing Wildfire in a Changing Climate program, which provides $256 million over a period of five years to strengthen wildfire response capabilities across the country through the purchase of firefighting equipment. The Government of Canada remains committed to supporting our provincial, territorial and, when possible, international partners through firefighting resource and information sharing. This is made possible through the government’s continued contributions to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. The Government of Canada will continue to support both our domestic and international partners in combating wildfires. The Government of Canada will continue to explore ways to combat the growing wildfire risk and improve the Canadian economy. The Government of Canada remains committed to protecting Canadian communities from the risks and harms associated with wildfire and collaborating with all sectors of Canadian society and its international partners in achieving this goal. Response by the Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature Signed by The Honourable Julie Dabrusin The Government of Canada thanks the petitioners for expressing their views about wildfire and the importance of managing wildfires in Canada. Parks Canada works with other Government of Canada departments and levels of government on wildfire preparedness and response including Public Safety Canada, Natural Resources Canada, provincial and territorial emergency response agencies, municipal and regional governments, Indigenous governments and communities, and international partners. Budget 2021 provided Parks Canada with $52.5 million over five years to support wildfire preparedness, response, prevention and mitigation. Parks Canada is committed to reducing the risk of wildfires to communities, visitors, infrastructure, and natural and cultural resources on the lands it manages. Parks Canada manages wildfires in national parks from coast to coast to coast. Resource sharing agreements with provinces and territories enable national air support coverage to priority wildfires. Parks Canada does not own any rotary or fixed-wing aircraft. All aircraft used to manage wildfires, including helicopters and air tankers, are obtained either through resource-sharing agreements with provincial and territorial wildfire agencies or through contracts. Parks Canada maintains long-term helicopter contracts to ensure availability of rotary-wing aircraft and enhance the ability to respond to incidents. The Government of Canada prioritizes the safety of the public, first responders and the protection of communities and is committed to better understand, prevent, and manage wildfires.