Climate Change and Saskatchewan

Saskatoon Regina: Massive wildfires exploded across the north of the province, forcing the evacuation of over 13,000 people -- dubbed by some as Saskatchewan first "climate change refugees." Smoke from the fires was so intense it caused air quality warnings in Saskatoon and Regina, choking residents with smoke as far south as Minnesota, according to Rabble. The fires were stoked by intense heat and drought across the prairies. Saskatchewan summer has been a snapshot of our climate future. In Saskatchewan, the persistent drought has seen river levels drop to dangerous lows, while the province is set to record its worst harvest in years. Despite the ferocity of these events, Saskatchewan Premier has been loathe to connect them with climate change, insisting that these events are discrete, one-off events rather than the start of a "new normal." Perhaps we should not be surprised by the Premier failure to connect-the-dots, given his long record of downplaying Canada contribution to climate change, his disdain for hard emission targets and his unrepentant boosterism for oil, gas and coal. Hydrologists warn that such drought may be the new normal, as run-off from the snow-pack in the Rockies diminishes to a trickle due to the effects of climate change. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.