Canada's western and northern premiers called on Ottawa on Wednesday to step up its response to floods, forest fires and other natural disasters.

The federal government needs to create a new long-term disaster mitigation program, said the premiers, who spent part of their annual meeting in Yellowknife discussing a devastating spring.

There has been unprecedented flooding in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Quebec, and a third of the community of Slave Lake, Alta., was destroyed by wildfires.

The premiers urged the federal government to consider special compensation because of the magnitude of the disasters.

Northwest Territories Premier Floyd Roland, who hosted the gathering, said Ottawa has committed to paying half the costs of the spring wildfires and floods.

Preventive measures needed

But Roland and the other premiers said money should be invested in preventive measures so communities can be better prepared for natural disasters, rather than having to face much higher costs when they have to rebuild.

"We now look at a process for Western Canada to get into an overall discussion so that we can come up with a pan-Canadian policy, so it's not going to be impacted region by impacted region going to knock on the door," Roland told reporters.

Roland said programs could easily be put in place to prevent forest fire damage, such as the clearing of old brush and other debris that can easily ignite.

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall had to miss the meeting because he is dealing with serious flooding in the southern part of that province. Ken Krawetz, the deputy premier, went in Wall's place.

As of Wednesday, 26 Saskatchewan communities had declared local states of emergency because of flooding, up from 18 on Friday.

"There has been major damage to structures, as well as to the livelihood of others," Krawetz said.

Manitoba floodway saved billions

Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger, whose province also had to deal with flooding, said dikes have prevented some "catastrophic" floods in communities there. The Red River floodway cost $1 billion but has prevented about $30 billion in disaster claims over the years.

"So $1 billion gets you $30 billion of savings but just a whole lot less disruption of peoples' lives and disruption in the economy," he said.

"These are good investments and I'm pleased to note that the federal government and the prime minister have recognized this, so we're encouraging that dialogue to proceed rapidly because there's just so many things that we have to do."

The flooding in parts of the Prairies has hit farmers and the entire rural economy hard.

The Canadian Wheat Board has estimated that between 2.4 million and 3.2 million hectares of farmland, mostly in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, will go unseeded. Cattle producers may have to reduce their herds because of pasture damage.

Key agencies involved in disaster management will meet in Manitoba this fall to review the flood and forest fire outlook for 2012 and the premiers want Ottawa at the table.

Trade, labour discussed

During their meeting, which began Monday, the premiers also talked about boosting international trade, dealing with rising health-care costs and preparing for an anticipated labour shortage.

Nunavut Premier Eva Aariak, left, listens as N.W.T. Premier Floyd Roland answers questions from youth in Fort Simpson, N.W.T., on Tuesday. (CBC)

The premiers agreed Western Canada will face skills shortages in the next decade and may need more than a million additional workers to maintain the strong economy.

Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach suggested working with the federal government to reduce the time it takes to get approval for foreign workers.

"I know we lose a lot of people to Australia, which does not take as much time to approve applications as Canada," Stelmach said.

The premiers also expressed concern about possible federal funding cuts to the National Police Service, a business line of the RCMP that provides services to more than 500 Canadian law enforcement and criminal justice agencies.

Violence against aboriginal women an issue

As well, the premiers want more attention focused on violence against aboriginal women and girls. They'll ask their justice ministers to look at the root causes of the violence and provide a progress report by December.

B.C. Premier Christy Clark said the issue has drawn attention in her province because of the women from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside who have vanished or been killed.

She also noted the investigation along the so-called Highway of Tears. Eighteen women have either disappeared or been slain in recent years along Highway 16 in northern B.C.

"It is not just a British Columbia problem though," Clark said. "The violence that aboriginal women and girls face is a national problem in scope."

Aboriginal Day celebrations

On Tuesday, the premiers took a break from talks and flew over the Nahanni National Park Reserve before stopping in Fort Simpson, N.W.T., to take part in National Aboriginal Day celebrations with Dene in the territory's Dehcho region.

The Northwest Territories is the only jurisdiction in Canada where National Aboriginal Day is a statutory holiday. Chief Jim Antoine of the Liidlii Kue First Nation in Fort Simpson said June 21 should be a statutory holiday across Canada.

The premiers said holidays elsewhere, such as Nunavut Day and Louis Riel Day in Manitoba, also recognize the contributions of aboriginal people.

"As more First Nations become better connected to their history, and young people [are] better educated about where they come from … even without a stat, National Aboriginal Day is really taking off," said Clark.

With files from The Canadian Press