Province Contracts Water Bombers for Wildfire Season
The Province has contracted with Forest Protection Ltd. for four Air Tractor AT-802 water bombers and one Cessna Caravan Bird Dog plane to provide more wildfire protection for Nova Scotians. The aircraft are stationed at the Debert air tanker base in Colchester County. The news release about the announcement today, May 13, is at: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2026/05/13/nova-scotia-contracts-four-fixed-wing-water-bombers
Photos from the announcement are at: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2026/05/13/announcement-about-wildfire-response-aircraft
Wyatt McMackin, foreground, Forest Protection Ltd.'s aircraft maintenance engineer team lead, and Junjian Chen, aircraft maintenance engineer apprentice, work on the cowling covering on an Air Tractor AT-802 water bomber last week at the Debert air tanker base. (Province of Nova Scotia)
An Air Tractor AT-802 water bomber, foreground, and the Cessna Caravan Bird Dog at the Debert base last week (Province of Nova Scotia)
Phil Leblanc, water bomber pilot with Forest Protection Ltd., climbs into the cockpit of an Air Tractor AT-802 last week. (Province of Nova Scotia)
Forest Protection Ltd.'s Phil Leblanc, Air Tractor AT-802 water bomber pilot, in the cockpit last week. (Province of Nova Scotia)
From left, Bruce MacLean, Bird Dog pilot with Forest Protection Ltd.; Ken Cox, Department of Natural Resources air attack officer; Gaetan Fournier, pilot team lead, Forest Protection Ltd.; and Kerry MacLean, Department of Natural Resources air attack officer, discuss procedures on the flight line in Debert last week. (Province of Nova Scotia)
From left, Bruce MacLean, Forest Protection Ltd. Bird Dog pilot; Ken Cox, Department of Natural Resources air attack officer; Gaetan Fournier, pilot team lead, Forest Protection Ltd.; and Kerry MacLean, Department of Natural Resources air attack officer, in Debert last week (Province of Nova Scotia)
Crew members from the Department of Natural Resources go over procedures in the Bird Dog last week. (Province of Nova Scotia)