I would take that as good news if it said “building” instead of “leasing.”
Can’t afford to buy any sorry, all the money needs to go to f35s, it is a matter of national safety.
OK, this is the bit I was wondering about:
- Base location: Abbotsford, British Columbia
Seems odd to position it as pan-Canadian, when the vehicles are based in the extreme southwest of the nation. Getting those to northwest Manitoba isn’t going to happen very quickly.
That said, this will be an excellent replacement for the recently retired aircraft on the Pacific coast that used to provide response for BC, Yukon and western Alberta.
I volunteer for my local air search and rescue in BC, and we talk to the fire folks a lot.
There are simply way more fires in BC in general. At any one time, there is a fire somewhere in BC 10 months of the year. It makes more sense to keep the planes where they’re likely to get the use and expertise.
Probably cheaper to move permanent assets north than double these ones back when the lease is over. I’d imagine it’s cheaper to refuel closer to the border.
Also puts us in position to provide emergency response south of the border and maybe offset this cost.
