De Havilland getting up to $2.5B in federal financing to ramp production

The federal government is pledging up to $2.5 billion in financing for Canadair water bomber maker De Havilland Canada in a bid to ramp up production of the iconic firefighting aircraft.

The money will allow for a second assembly line in Alberta, which De Havilland says will provide the means to double production capacity to an eventual 20 water-scooping planes per year.

The manufacturer, whose "super scoopers" can suck up more than 6,000 litres of water in 12 seconds and dump it on wildfires, also says it will put the cash toward new staff and production in Victoria, Calgary and Ontario.

The government says in an email the funding will take the form of loans and loan guarantees delivered by Export Development Canada.

Ottawa says the interest rates and repayment terms are confidential.

Demand for amphibious firefighting aircraft is on the rise as the scale and intensity of wildfires increases.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 3, 2026.

By Christopher Reynolds | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.