Charges were laid on Wednesday under the Forests Act after an investigation into the Barrington Lake Wildfire in Shelburne County, NS, last spring, which the Canadian government speculated was the result of climate change. Shelburne County, NS, resident Dalton Clark Stewart, 22, has been charged with lighting a fire on privately owned land without permission of the owner or occupier, failing to take reasonable efforts to prevent the spread of a fire and leaving a fire unattended, according to a Thursday press release. Stewart is scheduled to appear in Shelburne Provincial Court on March 7. The Nova Scotia government said Natural Resources and Renewables (NRR) continues to pursue all leads related to the wildfire in Tantallon, NS, last spring. While Nova Scotia NRR has gathered considerable information, it said there is a high bar for what can be used as evidence in court. Under the Forests Act, Nova Scotia NRR has two years from the date of an alleged offence to lay charges. Charges are laid only after consulting with the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service and deciding if there is sufficient evidence for a conviction. Seven Canadian cabinet ministers issued a joint statement in September that congratulated themselves for spending $65 million on fighting forest fires, linking ones such as the Barrington Lake Wildfire to climate change. READ MORE: ALL SMOKE: Feds play up link between forest fires and climate change“Climate change is causing wildfires to become more frequent and more severe across Canada, threatening our health, economies and wildlife,” said the Canadian cabinet ministers. “As this year’s unprecedented wildfire season continues in many provinces and territories, the Government of Canada is continuing to support Canadians now while strengthening the country's ability to adapt to a changing climate.”
