The vice-president of operations for Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency is leaving his role days after an independent review found significant shortcomings in the province’s preparation for, and response to, last year’s devastating wildfire season.
In a statement to Global News, the SPSA said it and Steve Roberts had “mutually agreed to advance” his retirement date to June 30.
“The Agency would like to thank Steve Roberts for his 20+ years of contributions and service to the Province of Saskatchewan,” the statement said.
The SPSA did not comment on whether Robert’s departure was linked to the release last week of a critical independent report by accounting firm MNP on the province’s handling of the 2025 fire season. That review found the province had “significant gaps” in key areas of wildfire management, including prevention, mitigation and emergency preparedness.
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“After reading this 107-page review, it is clear the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency must do better,” Michael Weger, the minister responsible for the SPSA, said when the report was released.
Saskatchewan’s 2025 wildfire season was the second worst on record. More than 500 wildfires burned approximately 2.9 million hectares of land and forced roughly 10,000 people from their homes.
About 400 homes were destroyed in Denar Beach, near the Manitoba boundary in northeastern Saskatchewan,
Weger said the government would invest in implementing the recommendations in the MNP report. They include hiring additional full-time staff to conduct wildfire mitigation work during the winter and support firefighting efforts during the summer.
In its statement, the SPSA said it will begin it search for a replacement for Roberts immediately and start work on implementing 11 priority actions directed by the Saskatchewan government based on the report’s findings.
– With files from Tavi Dhillon & Vanessa Tiberio, Global News
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