‘Summertime is the best time here,’ Camp said. ‘I have tourists in the shop, the weather is perfect and the days are long.’

‘Yes, nature at its best which brings me to an interesting topic. Did you hear about those six Republican members of the US Congress who penned a public letter to Canada’s ambassador in Washington, demanding that their northern neighbours need to control the smoke emanating from the hundreds of wildfires, currently raging across Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan?”

‘Yes, I read about that. Now isn’t that the craziest idea ever that we can control the wind and the smoke, never mind the fires that cause them?’

‘Let me read to you what they wrote: We write to you today on behalf of our constituents who have had to deal with suffocating Canadian wildfire smoke filling the air. While we know a key driver of this issue has been a lack of active forest management, we’ve also seen things like arson as another way multiple large wildfires have ignited in Canada.’ I quoted. ‘And it goes on and on about how the Canadian smoke is ruining recreational weekends and takes away the ability to create new memories.’

‘Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew pointed out: ‘We’ve lost two Manitobans this wildfire season and we got a couple of ambulance-chasing congresspeople trying to politicize these disasters. We love our American friends but this is just childish.’

‘He’s right,’ I said. ‘In January, Trump blamed Californians for their wildfires, suggested they need more raking. What? In the boreal forest?’ Here in Canada, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith simply faulted the federal government for last year’s wildfire that destroyed parts of Jasper.’ 

‘A most unhelpful blame game,’ Camp said. ‘Robert Gray, a B.C.-based ecologist who has spent more than 40 years managing wildland fires in the U.S., Canada and other jurisdictions, said it was notable that these Congress members did not acknowledge the effects of climate change in their letter.’

‘It’s ludicrous to blame Canadians for the way the winds blows but hey, that’s the MAGA crowd who readily believe such rubbish. Ravi Parmer, B.C.’s Minister of Forests, pointed out that the province also often receives smoke from fires in the U.S. ‘Managing wildfires on both sides of the border is a shared responsibility,’ he said in a statement. 

‘As if fires and smoke stop at the border,’ Camp said. ‘Let me read you a few current stats: More than 210 wildfires are actively burning across Canada and around 32,000 people have been forced to evacuate from their homes. Dozens of fires are burning in Alberta and British Columbia. This weekend, crews in Manitoba, where more than 18,000 people have been displaced, will be contending with 27 large wildfires. Saskatchewan has nearly doubled its count of evacuees, reaching nearly 15,000 this week. Officials are grappling with 24 raging fires, and more than 900,000 hectares have burned. Alberta, meanwhile, has at least 50 smaller fires; about 5,000 people have been evacuated. British Columbia is facing around 65 wildfires, and a handful of communities near the Alberta border have been ordered to vacate their properties, with strong winds in the northeast showing potential for more extreme fire activity by Sunday.’ Do you want to hear more?’

‘No, thanks Camp for that depressing news. Not all the beer in the world could douse those flames and certainly no congressman will come and help fight those fires.’

‘They’re worried about creating smoke-free memories around their barbeques.’

‘Here is two fresh ones on the house,’ Vicky said with a cheerful smile. 

‘What’s that for?’ Camp wanted to know.

‘For you two being such positive, upbeat and cheerful characters.’

‘Imagine that,’ Camp grumbled while Vicky gave me a conspirational wink.