Canada's boreal forest is vast and experiences some of the world's largest and most intense wildfires. On average, about 8,000 wildfires burn over 2.1 million hectares of forest every year, representing a territory equivalent to almost half the size of Nova Scotia. About $1 billion is spent each year in Canada to combat wildfires. The Government of Canada recognizes this growing threat and remains committed to protecting its communities, natural resources, and wildlife habitats.
Satellite Earth observation is the only way to provide daily data on all active wildfires spanning the entire Canadian territory. With the objective of strengthening Canada's wildfire monitoring capacity, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, on behalf of the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced today that following an open competitive procurement process, exactEarth Ltd., a subsidiary of Spire Global Canada, was awarded a contract of $72 million for the design of Canada's WildFireSat constellation. The contract has been since assigned to Spire Global Canada following a corporate acquisition.
WildFireSat will consist of seven microsatellites tailored to monitor active wildfires across Canada on a daily basis. This mission will provide essential data to fire managers and other responsible authorities. This data will enable them to track fire behaviour, identify high-risk wildfires, and make informed decisions to better protect Canadians, especially those in remote and northern communities. WildFireSat data will also be used in air quality forecasts, which will give Canadians information to help protect themselves from wildfire smoke.
