By Sean O’Reilly, President of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC)
“The federal government’s decision to cut critical research programs and scientific positions at Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) poses serious and avoidable risks to safety and security across the country.
Canada’s geography, natural resources, and climate vulnerabilities demand world-class science. Yet almost entire teams responsible for keeping Canadians safe are being eliminated – the vast majority not through attrition, not voluntarily, but via layoffs.
These are highly dedicated public service professionals whose forecasting and analysis play a critical role in ensuring Canadians are not put in harm’s way. Eliminating them makes Canadians less safe.”
Here’s just a snapshot of what’s at stake:
- These cuts decimate capacity at the Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation and Remote Sensing. This threatens our capacity to track wildfires, floods, landslides, and other geohazards, and to monitor the size and threats to freshwater resources. These scientists provide the data that emergency responders and governments depend on to protect communities from disaster and to support responsible resource development.
- The cuts also undermine our Arctic sovereignty. Accurate geoscience, mapping, and monitoring of Canada’s vast northern landmass are essential for asserting territorial rights, protecting northern infrastructure, and ensuring responsible resource activity. Reducing this capacity leaves Canada less able to defend its interests as other nations increase theirs.
- Canada has already lost almost its entire capacity to detect and fight deadly forest diseases. Thirty years ago, we had 16 forest pathologists. If these cuts proceed, we’ll have just four left, and only one left to monitor the entire forestry system east of the Rockies. We’ve already seen the cost of looking away: Dutch elm disease wiped out millions of elm trees across North America. The Emerald Ash Borer is wiping out ash trees now. Without pathologists monitoring forests, dangerous pests and diseases will spread unchecked.
“We want to be clear. These cuts are not abstract. They do not just trim budgets on a spreadsheet; they increase risk. They are positions and programs that directly support disaster prevention, scientific monitoring, resource development, environmental protection, and arctic sovereignty.
At a time when Canada is facing increased threats, significant economic challenges, and big promises over resource projects, these programs are critical, not optional.
We urge the federal government to reconsider these cuts immediately. Canada’s safety, security, and scientific leadership depend on it.”