Water bomber pilot shortage grounds some aircraft in Ontario

Several aircraft used to fight forest fires in Ontario are sitting in airport hangars and on tarmacs due to a pilot shortage.

JP Hornick, president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), said the province is now short three water bomber pilots and six helicopter pilots due to low pay and poor working conditions.

"The Ontario pilots are the lowest paid in the country, and what the government has put on the table would bring them up to a whopping second lowest paid position across the country," Hornick said.

That pilot shortage has meant one of Ontario's nine Canadair CL-415 water bombers has been grounded. Three of the province's eight helicopters used for firefighting have also been grounded.

Hornick said two of the five bush planes used by the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) have also been grounded because only three pilots are available to fly them.

Hornick said the problem is likely to get worse because four of the five captains who pilot the fleet of water bombers are retirement age and the province is already short three pilots.

MNR cites training, new equipment to fight fires

In an email to CBC News, Ministry of MNR spokesperson Emily McLaughlin said the province is investing nearly $64 million in training and new equipment to fight forest fires.

"Our government will dedicate all necessary resources to ensure the safety and protection of Ontario during wildfire season and have prepared for this fire season by filling nearly 100 additional permanent fire personnel positions," McLaughlin said.

She added that should the wildfire situation change in northern Ontario, the province is prepared to "deploy additional resources as needed to ensure a timely and effective response."

Hornick said pilots aren't applying for positions with the ministry when they can make more elsewhere, such as flying with commercial airlines.

"They're saying they're going to buy six more planes, but they don't even have enough staff to fly the planes they have," Hornick said.

"Over the last two years, they've held three pilot hiring competitions. Only one qualified applicant emerged due to the low pay and none of them were hired."

'We have to have teams ready'

Guy Bourgouin, NDP member of provincial parliament (MPP) for Mushkegowuk-James Bay, has also raised concerns about the pilot shortage.

"If their plan is rain, that's not a plan," he said, referring to the provincial government.

"We have to have teams ready… We need pilots ready when the season starts."

Hornick said the province has made an offer to the union outside of arbitration, but the arbitration process agreement has not yet been signed.

"Our members state very clearly there is no trust between the parties because of the extensive delays that the government has taken in talks for these special case considerations, which the wildland firefighters and water bomber pilots are part of."

A government spokesperson says they also "expressly offered to allow OPSEU the ability to seek a binding decision from an arbitrator for additional increases as part of pre-established wage enhancement process. Unfortunately, OPSEU rejected this proposed approach."