Province Replacing Destroyed Water Bomber

Province Replacing Destroyed Water Bomber

Thursday, November 09, 2006 at 13:14

The Saskatchewan government will be replacing a water bomber that crashed near La Ronge this past May, claiming the life of a local pilot.

Environment Minister John Nilson says the Convair CV 580-A will cost $13 million and should be ready by the 2008 forest fire season.

Nilson says the replacement of the airtanker is vital in maintaining the province’s aerial fire suppression and management program.

He says it’s important the province’s firefighting fleet keeps up with the rest of the country, because the equipment can be called on to help other provinces in times of need.

In 2004, the province announced a pledge to invest $183 million over ten years into modernizing the aerial firefighting fleet.

The Transportation Safety Board is still investigating the exact cause of the fatal May 14th crash. The mishap took place during a training run. The plane had been brought into service just weeks earlier.