“Communities across Canada are more and more often facing the realities of extreme weather events and natural disasters — like wildfires, flood and hurricanes,” Public Safety Canada said in a Feb. 1 statement.
“Large-scale emergencies, including non-weather related threats like pandemics, have devastating impacts on communities and can quickly overwhelm emergency response resources.”
The federal government is looking to understand current capacities, gaps and limitations through the engagement on key topics relating to emergency response. Insights and views will be gathered on ways to “more efficiently leverage these capacities following large-scale emergency events in Canada.”
The department said that enacting with partners and stakeholders is critical in order to ensure that expertise and perspectives “are reflective of the unique needs of each jurisdiction.” Such partners and stakeholders include provinces and territories, Indigenous leaders, non-governmental organizations, voluntary and youth organizations, academia, private sector and others.
“The effects of climate change are having a significant impact across Canada and it’s necessary to explore options to bolster our national readiness posture in a collaborative way,” said Sajjan.
The department noted that emergencies are first managed at the municipal level and if assistance is required it is requested from the province or territory. In the case where the emergency escalates, provinces and territories can request assistance from the federal government to help coordinate further support.
“Emergency management in Canada is a shared responsibility across all sectors of society,” the department added. “Together, we can help communities and Canadians recover more quickly after an emergency and continue providing critical support in times of need.”
The government is inviting those who are working in the emergency management field across Canada to share their views online. Submissions are accepted until March 31. In-person and virtual roundtable discussions will also be held with key stakeholders.
The government aims for this approach to assist Canada’s preparedness for future all-hazard emergency events. The engagement was said to support the priorities of the Emergency Management Strategy for Canada, “which seeks to strengthen the resilience of Canadian society by 2030,” as well as the National Adaptation Strategy to build resilient communities, reducing the risk of climate-related disasters.
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