Press Releases

MICHIGAN — Congressman John James today authored a letter calling on Canadian leaders to take urgent and decisive action to contain the growing wildfire crisis that is poisoning the air and threatening the health of millions across Michigan and the Midwest.

The 2023 wildfire season in Canada was catastrophic, releasing an unprecedented 647 teragrams of carbon — the equivalent of running over 500 million cars for a full year. This toxic smoke has blanketed cities from Detroit to Minneapolis, contributing to increased hospitalizations, respiratory illnesses, and premature deaths, especially among vulnerable populations such as children with asthma, dialysis patients, and seniors. 

For three years running, nearly 70 million acres have burned across Canada, the largest cumulative loss on record, turning major U.S. cities into some of the most polluted urban areas in the world.

Despite the clear public health crisis, Canadian officials have shown alarming disregard. Manitoba’s Premier Wab Kinew recently dismissed the health risks to Americans as “trivial” adding that Americans “enjoying their summers” is not a priority for Manitoba. This lack of urgency undermines decades of cross-border cooperation and damages the U.S.—Canada relationship.

“Michigan families deserve clean air and respect. Canada’s failure to control these wildfires is not just an environmental issue, it’s a public health emergency that threatens our communities,” said Congressman James. “Our friendship with Canada is strong, but friendship requires respect. And respect means protecting each other’s health, not dismissing it."

With over 69 million residents across the Midwest under air quality alerts, and American firefighting teams deployed to help contain Canadian fires, the status quo is no longer acceptable. Congressman James is urging Natural Resources Canada and the Canadian Forest Service to reform outdated forest management policies and invest in modern technologies to prevent future disasters.

Click here to read the full letter.

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