Carney government cut nearly half the jobs at nerve centre for managing wildfires: union

Prime Minister Mark Carney during a visit to the Government Operations Centre meeting with workers at the federal emergency preparedness operation, to discuss the wildfire situation in northern Ontario, in Ottawa on July 19, 2026. Photo by Prime Minister's Office

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Before discussing wildfire smoke with U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Cup final on Sunday, July 19, Prime Minister Mark Carney posted photos on social media from a visit to the federal Government Operations Centre (GOC).

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“This morning, I met with federal workers in Ottawa who are supporting the wildfire response efforts in Northwestern Ontario and across the country,” the post read.

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With Trump threatening new tariffs on Canada over smoke that blanketed much of the northeastern U.S. last week, Carney highlighted the government’s efforts to co-ordinate the response to “one of the most intense wildfire seasons in Canadian history.”

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But under the Carney government’s plan to reduce the size of the public service, the centre featured in the post had lost about 50 positions, or nearly half its workforce, according to Canada’s largest public sector union.

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“The government operations centre (GOC) is responsible for coordinating our national emergency response,” Sharon DeSousa, national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), said in a written statement.

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“Gutting it by almost half puts people across the country at risk, including frontline workers who are battling wildfires, supporting evacuations, and risking their lives.”

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The GOC supports emergency preparedness, provides around-the-clock situational awareness and leads the co-ordination of the “integrated federal response to all-hazard events of a national interest.”

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Established in 2004, the centre has helped co-ordinate the national response to emergencies ranging from major floods to the 2014 shootings on Parliament Hill to the 2022 trucker protests in downtown Ottawa.

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On July 17, the centre activated its “Level 3” response to the current wildfire season. Under that response level, GOC works with regional offices to address current and potential requests for federal assistance, and may send liaison officers to the regions or other federal government institutions.

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Workforce adjustment letters sent out in January

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Affected employees at the operations centre received workforce adjustment (WFA) letters in January, according to PSAC.

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Workforce adjustment is the process through which a permanent federal employee can look to alternate with another public servant or take an exit package.

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Most of the employees affected by the cuts have left the centre because they found a position elsewhere or were terminated, the union said. Only some of those who received WFA letters are still actively working at GOC.

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As of Tuesday, July 21, the operations centre had been cut down from a little more than 100 positions by about 50, PSAC said.