REGINA, Sask. — Officials with the provincial government and the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) marked the arrival of a new aircraft for wildfire and emergency response in the province.
The aircraft, which was shown to media at Regina International Airport, is a Dash 8-Q400 Multi-Role Emergency Response (Q400MRE) airtanker. The SPSA describes it as a land-based airtanker that will join its fleet based in La Ronge.
The province says Saskatchewan is the first jurisdiction in Canada to add this particular model of aircraft to its fleet. Community Safety Minister and minister responsible for the SPSA Michael Weger said the aircraft will be a significant upgrade.
“For many people, the sight of an air tanker brings thoughts of wildfire season. And while this aircraft will play an important role in protecting communities, forests, and critical infrastructure from wildfires, its value extends far beyond that.”
In particular, Weger and other officials pointed to the versatility of the new aircraft to perform a number of roles for the SPSA.
“The Q400 MRE is designed to be one of the most versatile emergency response aircraft operating in Canada. It can transition between wildfire suppression, emergency evacuations, cargo transport, passenger transport, and medical response missions. Whether Saskatchewan is facing a wildfire, a natural disaster, or another emergency situation, this aircraft strengthens our ability to respond quickly and effectively when needed.”
Among the features Weger pointed to were the speed and capacity of the aircraft.
“This aircraft is traveling at a cruise speed of 667 kilometers an hour. It can dump at 232 kilometers an hour. When it's on the ground, it can load in seven minutes 10,000 liters of water retardant at an air tanker base, so a major upgrade.”
He said the new Q400MRE will mean “stronger wildfire response capacity in 2027, enhanced emergency management capabilities, and greater confidence for communities across our province.”
The aircraft is also capable of evacuating people. It can carry up to 64 passengers.
SPSA president Marlo Pritchard said the Q400MRE is “designed to adapt. It can operate as a wildfire suppression aircraft, delivering thousands of liters of retardant or water to support our crews on the ground. Or within days or even hours, it can be reconfigured to transport emergency personnel, move critical supplies, assist with evacuations, or support communities facing disasters.
“That flexibility is what makes this aircraft so important. Emergencies don't always look the same, nor do they fit into a single category. The challenges facing emergency management today require the tools that can evolve alongside those challenges. The Q400MRE does that. This resource gives Saskatchewan Aircraft the capability of supporting response efforts far beyond wildfire season.”
He added that the Q400MRE will work alongside the agency's airtankers, bird-dog aircraft, helicopters and the “highly skilled aviation professionals who operate them.”
This new aircraft is being added after the arrival of a Dash 8-Q400AT airtanker that joined the fleet in 2025. After the new Q400MRE undergoes induction, training and certification, it will replace one CV580 airtanker, which will be retired.
Once that transition is complete, the SPSA's land-based airtanker fleet will include two Q400s and two remaining CV580s. The remaining CV580s are due to be replaced by two more Q400s, a Q400AT and a Q400MRE, by 2028.
Weger said the Q400 that joined the SPSA's fleet in 2025 has “already demonstrated improved effectiveness, reliability, and efficiency compared to the legacy fleet it is replacing, with faster response times, increased productivity, and greater operational flexibility.”
Weger said the agency already has pilots trained to fly the new aircraft, and they will continue training over the winter for next year's wildfire season.
Chris Niemann, president and CEO of Conair Aerial Firefighting, noted that the new aircraft will “serve and protect the people of Saskatchewan 365 days a year.”
He said Saskatchewan's fleet of four Dash 8-Q400 airtankers and MREs will “join a rapidly growing fleet of Dash 8-400 firefighting aircraft, with 29 now responding around the world. Conair looks forward to producing the remaining two Dash 8-400 air tankers on order for Saskatchewan, orders which place the province first in queue for firefighting aircraft deliveries at a time when global demand outpaces supply.”
Weger said they were “very lucky that we made the order when we did, and I really just have so much appreciation for the ministers before me that had the foresight to make this transaction happen at the cost that it did and at the time that it did.”
“If we look to our neighboring provinces in Alberta and Manitoba, I believe their first expected delivery of a new aircraft is 2031.”
The cost of the new aircraft is $57 million, while the total package for the four Conair aircraft is approximately $187 million.
Pritchard said Conair was selected because its aircraft met the specifications outlined in a third-party review, including hangar capacity.
Conair was “able to supply or meet those demands, and that's why Conair was picked,” said Pritchard.
He also pointed to the MRE aircraft's potential for use in emergencies other than wildfires, adding that the aircraft will give the agency “a lot more capability and flexibility, depending on what our mission is.”
As for whether the agency believes it has enough planes in its fleet for the upcoming wildfire season, given some record-breaking wildfire years in the past, Pritchard pointed to mutual aid agreements with neighbouring provinces across Canada and agreements with jurisdictions in the United States.
“We utilize air assets from other provinces when we need them, as they do ours. So it's not just our assets that are used on our fires. We bring in, as needed, as the risk expands, other assets from other provinces and territories and the United States, depending on the severity of the situation.”
Pritchard was also asked about the bird-dog aircraft that had been grounded in July for a safety review following the crash of a similar aircraft in the Northwest Territories. Pritchard said he expects all those repairs to be completed by spring.
NDP criticizes late arrival of new airtanker
In a news release Tuesday morning, the opposition New Democrats chastised Premier Scott Moe for holding a “Sask. Party celebration today for a delayed water bomber that is only ready now, after the 2026 wildfire season.” They noted that the Dash 8-Q400MRE aircraft was supposed to arrive in August.
“Once again, we see the Sask. Party throwing themselves a parade after showing up late. What Northerners see is failure after failure from this provincial government,” said Jordan McPhail, northern affairs and forestry critic, in a news release.
“This aircraft was announced in 2024 and was supposed to be here in the summer. It was supposed to be ready to fight wildfires and protect communities and first responders. Why is it showing up at the start of winter? This is yet another proof point that the Sask. Party is totally in over its head when it comes to public safety.”
