DENARE BEACH DESERVED BETTER LEADERSHIP, TIM MCLEOD SHOULD BE FIRED

Victims Of Wildfire In Northern Village Call Out Sask. Party Failures In Wake Of Auditor Findings
SASKATOON – Carla Beck’s team is standing with the residents of Denare Beach following the Provincial Auditor’s scathing report, released yesterday, on the Sask. Party’s major failures to respond to the wildfire crisis.

Beck’s team continues to demand Scott Moe fire the Minister at the centre of the horrendous response, Tim McLeod.

In all, two-thirds of Denare burned to the ground. The Auditor found that the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) failed to determine the necessary number of firefighters and aircrafts required for each wildfire season and that the agency did not consistently track or assess costs for contracted resources, leading to delayed response times and inflated contract prices.

Most damning was the report’s conclusion that the Sask. Party government had not provided the SPSA with the funding required to adequately fight wildfires, citing that for the last three years, budgetary costs went nearly $70 million over what was projected.

“This is yet more confirmation that this Sask. Party government either had absolutely no idea what they are doing or willfully ignored the needs on the ground,” said Hugh Gordon, Associate Shadow Minister for Community Safey. “People lost their homes and their livelihood — this government is lucky no one was killed.

“This was such a massive failure. Scott Moe should fire the Minister at the centre of this epic failure, Tim McLeod. Why does he still have a seat at the Cabinet table and earn a Minister’s paycheque when people in the North lost so much?”

Gordon was joined Wednesday by Rhonda Werbicki, a Denare Beach resident who lost her home in the 2025 wildfires and is still working to rebuild her life and her home community.

“My whole life has changed. I’m living 8 hours away from home and my husband and I are only together part-time as he works on the clean-up in Denare,” said Rhonda Werbicki, Resident of Denare Beach, “Tim McLeod has not apologized once. Not once. I don’t know how Scott Moe can have any confidence in him after what he did.”

Beck’s team also continues to call for immediate passage of The Wildfire Strategy Act, which will legally require Northern voices be included in development of a provincial wildfire strategy.

"It’s time to bring willing partners to the table and to make sure Tim McLeod is never allowed anywhere near emergency response again,” Gordon said. “

“When is this government going to take accountability? Residents have been saying for a year now how badly this government failed. The independent MNP report said the same thing. Now the Provincial Auditor has confirmed it.

“Scott Moe needs to get a grip on his failing government before more people are caught up in crisis. It’s time for change.”

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