How Canada helped in past U.S. wildfires as Ford says some are ‘chirping’

CANADA How Canada helped in past U.S. wildfires as Ford says some are ‘chirping’ By Adriana Fallico Global News Posted July 17, 2026 4:02 pm 5 min read 'We’re on standby,' is what Defence Minister David McGuinty said Friday when asked what role the federal government will play in mitigating the wildfire situation in northwestern Ontario. LEAVE A COMMENT SHARE THIS ITEM ON FACEBOOK SHARE THIS ITEM ON X SEND THIS PAGE TO SOMEONE VIA EMAIL SEE MORE SHARING OPTIONS DESCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE INCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE As wildfires continue to burn across Canada, American politicians have been vocal about their displeasure surrounding smoke that has made its way to American skies, including taking aim at Canadian sovereignty. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said to reporters Friday that he “truly believe[s] the Americans are good neighbours,” but added: “If there’s some politicians out there chirping away, well, maybe what you should do rather than complain is send support, send help, because we have done the exact same thing for our American friends. And that’s what you’re supposed to do.” That comes after Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives Jack Bergman, John James, Lisa McClain and John Moolenaar penned a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney and sent it on Wednesday “demanding immediate action from the Canadian government.” “American lungs are paying the price for Canadian inaction, year after year,” the letter said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT “Sovereignty comes with responsibility, and the responsibility to prevent a foreseeable disaster from crossing into another country’s airspace has not been met.” The reference to Canadian sovereignty comes from U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to make Canada the “51st state” and after repeated threats to annex Greenland. 2:00 Evacuation order expanded near Boston Bar for Brunswick Complex wildfires Stick to the Facts Add Global News as a Preferred Source on Google to see more of our stories in your search results. Defence Minister David McGuinty announced Friday that the Canadian Armed Forces are currently on “standby” to help Ontario deal with the impacts of the wildfires raging in the northern regions of the province. According to Natural Resources Canada and the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, there are actively 903 wildfires burning across Canada, with 3,656 total being reported in 2026. Nearly 200 wildfires are currently blazing across northern…