Nova Scotia to buy 4 new water-bombing helicopters

Nova Scotia is buying four new helicopters to replace its aging fleet of water bombers.

The four existing helicopters saw a great deal of use in 2023, which was a record-breaking season for fires. But Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton said Friday that now is the time to replace them.

"They are at the point where they require a lot more maintenance at a lot higher cost," Rushton said.

"And as we look at the replacement steps of this versus the maintenance cost, this is something that we looked at, and with the federal financing that's coming into play this is how we can insure a more updated helicopter."

The federal and Nova Scotia governments have each committed nearly $13 million over the next five years for equipment to battle wildfires, including new helicopters.

Rushton said helicopters are ideal for fighting fires in Nova Scotia because they can dip into the province's many lakes and ponds to refill their buckets.

"We have a couple of hundred fires a year," Rushton said. "And as we look at those fires, many of them we don't hear about because the helicopters are there and are able to attack them in the time."

The new helicopters will be purchased over the next four years. Their price will be subject to negotiation with the manufacturer. Ruston said in addition to fighting wildfires, the helicopters are useful for search and rescue and other tasks.

Rushton said there is also a 10-year timeline for replacing fixed-wing water bombers.

The province is reviewing its performance in the 2023 wildfire season and plans to release the results of that review before the 2024 season. However, a department spokesperson would not say when that release might be.