Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew has slammed a group of Republicans for what he described “s “political grandstanding” in response to wildfire smoke drifting into the United States from Canada. Representing a province that borders Minnesota and North Dakota, Kinew accused the legislators of throwing a “timber tantrum” and exploiting environmental concerns “to score political points.”
“These are attention-seekers who can’t come up with a good idea on health care or on making life more affordable,” Kinew told The Canadian Press. “So they’re playing games with something that’s very serious.”
Whilst condemning the political rhetoric, Kinew emphasised that he does not view the complaints as reflective of all Americans. He praised the collaborative efforts between Canadian and U.S. firefighting teams. “I’ve thanked them, and I thanked folks in the Trump administration who sent some of the federal firefighting resources up to Canada and to Manitoba,” he said.” “So we’re going to have a continued relationship and an ability to support each other through wildfires going forward.”
Kinew’s comments were in response to a formal complaint filed last Wednesday by Wisconsin state Rep. Calvin Callahan, joined by Republican lawmakers from Iowa, Minnesota, and North Dakota. The group urged U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and the International Joint Commission to investigate Canada’s wildfire management practices.
“If Canada can’t get these wildfires under control, they need to face real consequences,” Callahan said in a statement. “We won’t sit back while our air becomes a health hazard.” Callahan’s complaint adds to mounting criticism from Republican officials over the transboundary impact of Canadian wildfires. Michigan Rep. Jack Bergman recently sent a letter to Canadian Senator Michael MacDonald urging stronger forest management and increased accountability. Michigan Rep. John James also wrote to Prime Minister Mark Carney last week, stating that his constituents are “choking on toxic wildfire smoke.”
James referenced a July letter from Republican members of Congress to Canada’s Ambassador to the U.S., Kirsten Hillman, and argued that conditions have deteriorated since then. “Kinew’s declaration of a second state of emergency in Manitoba confirmed what many Americans have feared: that Canada is not doing nearly enough to stop these fires before they start,” James said.
James also criticised Kinew’s earlier remarks, in which the premier condemned congressional Republicans for politicising a deadly wildfire season. “It turns people off politics when you have got a group of congresspeople trying to trivialise and make hay out of a wildfire season where we’ve lost lives in our province,” Kinew said in July.
A fast-moving wildfire northeast of Winnipeg in May claimed the lives of a husband and wife, and thousands of residents have since been evacuated. James argued that Kinew’s comments downplayed the serious health consequences of wildfire smoke in neighbouring U.S. states. He described the situation as a public health emergency and warned that it was straining the U.S.-Canada relationship.
The criticism from Republican lawmakers comes amid broader diplomatic tensions. On August 1, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a 35% tariff on Canadian goods after a new security and economic agreement failed to materialise before his deadline. The tariffs exclude products covered under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, but Canada is also facing additional duties on steel, aluminium, copper, and automobiles.
Natural Resources Canada has attributed the surge in wildfires to climate change, citing prolonged drought and rising global temperatures. Trump, however, has repeatedly dismissed climate change as a hoax, and his administration disbanded the scientific team behind a major climate report. Many Republicans point to Canada’s 2023 wildfire season—the worst on record—as evidence of mismanagement. That year, smoke from fires across Canada blanketed parts of the U.S. and even reached northern Europe. Canadian officials warn that this year’s season could be nearly as severe. As of Wednesday, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre reported 744 active wildfires burning nationwide.
U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra acknowledged the gravity of the situation, calling it a reminder of the shared environmental challenges facing both nations. “Canadians stood with us during the tragic California wildfires earlier this year, and we are committed to standing with Canada now,” Hoekstra said in a statement released by the U.S. Embassy.
Wildfires continue to burn across multiple U.S. states, including California, sending smoke into surrounding communities and underscoring the need for cross-border cooperation.
