Across Canada, a new storm is gathering — and it has nothing to do with weather. Provincial governments are rolling out sweeping bans on outdoor activities under the banner of “keeping forests safe.” Hiking, camping, even stepping foot on certain public lands is suddenly off-limits.
The official story? Fire prevention. The unofficial reality? Control.
If this all feels eerily familiar, it should. We saw the same tactics during COVID-19. Officials invoked a crisis, framed it as a threat to public safety, and slowly squeezed individual freedoms under the guise of “temporary measures.”
Now the stage is set again. This time, the crisis is wildfires. The message is simple: Stay out of the woods or you’re part of the problem. But when you strip away the PR polish, the bans have little to do with actual fire prevention and everything to do with reinforcing state authority over where you can go, what you can do, and when you can do it.
Fear is the oldest tool in the authoritarian toolkit. During COVID, it was the fear of an invisible virus. Today, it’s the fear of scorched earth and raging flames. The imagery is potent: endless forests reduced to ash. And fear makes people compliant. If you’re terrified, you’ll agree to almost anything — even restrictions that make no practical sense.
Once governments normalize shutting down public lands “for safety,” the precedent is set. Tomorrow it could be bans on lakes, beaches, parks, or even certain neighborhoods. All it takes is the next “emergency” — real or manufactured. The line between public safety and public subjugation gets blurrier with every passing season.
This isn’t about denying that wildfires are dangerous. It’s about recognizing that crisis management has become crisis manipulation. Just like with the pandemic, you’re being told these measures are for your own good. In reality, they’re conditioning you to accept constant oversight and reduced personal freedom as the new normal.
The question isn’t whether you agree with the bans. The question is: How far will you let this go before you push back?
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