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Story summary
Jason Halkett, who started the Ditch 2 wildfire in northern Saskatchewan last year, has been sentenced to six years in prison. The fire forced evacuations along Highway 2 and cost the province more than $10 million. Halkett pleaded guilty earlier this year to arson causing damage to property. Judge Jeffrey Lubyk handed down the sentence on Thursday in Montreal Lake provincial court, saying it was a "grave offence." Crown prosecutor Robyn Ermine had requested a ten-year sentence, while defense lawyer Evan Strelioff argued for three to 3.5 years. The maximum under the Criminal Code is 14 years. Halkett has four years and eight months left to serve after credit for time already spent in custody.
Written for “Wildfire Sentencing Saskatchewan” on 2026-10-08,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Man who started northern Sask. wildfire sentenced to 6 years
Fire forced evacuations along Highway 2, cost province more than $10M
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Fire → start → M
The man who started the fire that became last year's Ditch 2 wildfire has been sentenced to six years in prison.
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that → start → prison
Jason Halkett pleaded guilty earlier this year to arson causing damage to property.
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Halkett → plead → property
Judge Jeffrey Lubyk handed down the sentence Thursday in Montreal Lake provincial court.
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Lubyk → hand → court
This is a person who recognized the risks but persisted in the factors anyway,” Lubyk told court.
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Lubyk → recognize → court
With credit for time already spent in custody, Halkett has four years and eight months left to serve.
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Halkett → spend → years
Crown prosecutor Robyn Ermine had asked for 10 years and the defence had argued for a sentence between three and 3.5 years.
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defence → ask → sentence
When asked to speak, Halkett told the court he's sorry.
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he → ask → court
“I think it's a good balance between what the defence and the Crown were asking.
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defence → think → what
The Crown was asking for a 10-year sentence.
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Crown → ask → sentence
The large community impact, as I had mentioned, the magnitude of the fire and the impacts individually that each community had,” Ermine said in an interview.
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Ermine → mention → interview
During sentencing arguments, defence lawyer Evan Strelioff referred to a report that pointed to Halkett's personal circumstances, noting he has fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and "certainly comes from a disadvantaged background."
Strelioff said Halkett had told him about times in his childhood when the heat and water would be cut off because his parents couldn't pay the bills.
He said while Halkett admits starting the fire, there was no conclusive evidence that he was "reckless" — for example, the fire investigator could not rule out a discarded cigarette butt, Strelioff said.
uncertain
Strelioff → refer → butt
The fire was first reported on May 26, 2025, amid "very high-risk" fire conditions during a dry spring.
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fire → report → spring
It threatened communities along Highway 2 north of Prince Albert, including Molanosa, Ramsey Bay, Timber Bay and Weyakwin.
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It → threaten → Molanosa
Man who started northern Sask. wildfire should serve 10 years, Crown argues
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Crown → start → years
Man pleads guilty to setting fire that caused Ditch 2 inferno in northern Sask.
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that → plead → Sask
The Ditch 2 fire ultimately merged with the Shoe fire.
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fire → merge → fire
Dozens of structures and vehicles were destroyed and damaged.
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Dozens → destroy → structures
Victim impact statements filed in court spoke about fear and uncertainty felt by residents as they fled the fire, as well as the economic effects from things like the closures of businesses and loss of tourism.
Residents also lost access to traditional land-based resources, like food sources, medicine sources and hunting areas.
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Residents → file → sources
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