Federal, provincial, and territorial ministers responsible for emergency management discuss strengthening preparedness, resilience and interoperability

EDMONTON, AB, Nov. 10, 2026 /CNW/ -- Today, federal, provincial, and territorial (FPT) ministers responsible for emergency management met in Edmonton to discuss lessons learned from recent emergencies, emerging risks faced by communities, and their priorities for strengthening future efforts of emergency management personnel, organizations and systems across Canada. Ministers discussed 2026 hazards and the significant impact of wildfires, floods and cold weather on critical infrastructure in communities across Canada. These impacts reinforce the importance of coordinated preparedness, effective response, and long-term recovery.

The meeting was co-chaired by the Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Federal Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, and the Honourable Robert Gauvin, New Brunswick Minister of Public Safety and Minister Responsible for La Francophonie.

FPT ministers' discussions focused on whole-of-society resilience and strengthening preparedness, interoperability, operational readiness, surge capacity, and opportunities for mutual assistance related to a broad range of hazards and emerging risks. Ministers agreed that continued collaboration, including with Indigenous partners and other non-governmental partners, is essential to strengthening preparedness, response capacity, and resilience across Canada, particularly in northern,  remote, and Indigenous communities where emergency management resources may be limited.

Ministers discussed the upcoming renewal of the Emergency Management Strategy for Canada. They noted the need to consider lessons learned from recent events, including climate-linked and other emergencies. The renewed strategy will also consider an evolving risk landscape, so that FPT governments can prevent and mitigate against, prepare for, respond to, and recover within their respective jurisdictions. Ministers will review the work to renew the strategy at their next meeting.

Ministers also reviewed federal, provincial, and territorial efforts to renew the National Public Alerting System (NPAS) and advance the Public Safety Broadband Network (PSBN), recognizing the importance of secure, interoperable communications that keep Canadians informed and support coordinated emergency response.

Ministers discussed the concept of a pan-Canadian networked training model that could strengthen operational readiness, interoperability, and mutual assistance across jurisdictions. Ministers noted that shared training resources could support some jurisdictions with limited training resources and improve access to emergency management training across Canada.

On November 9, ministers held a dedicated meeting with leaders of National Indigenous Organizations, the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Métis National Council, as well as the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations, who presented on Indigenous-specific emergency management priorities. The discussions were taken into account during the meeting the next day. Discussions addressed the impacts of recent critical incidents and disasters in Indigenous communities requiring evacuations. They also focused on the importance of Indigenous-led emergency management to strengthen preparedness, communication, as well as critical infrastructure resilience, and sustainable recovery.

Also on November 9, ministers recognized 297 recipients from across Canada at the Emergency Management Exemplary Service Awards (EMESA) ceremony. The EMESA honours individuals and groups who have made exceptional contributions to protecting their communities, supporting Canadians through emergencies and natural disasters.

Quotes

"As natural disasters and other emergencies become more frequent, severe, and complex, Canadians expect all orders of government to work together to keep them safe. That means strengthening preparedness, improving coordination across jurisdictions to ensure all communities have the tools and resources they need before, during, and after emergencies. Our government is doing its part. Building on significant existing investments, Budget 2025 and 2026 introduce new measures to strengthen federal emergency management capacity and support a more resilient Canada. Our discussions in Edmonton provided an important opportunity to advance this shared work, learn from recent emergencies, and identify ways to improve how we prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters together."

Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada

"As security and emergency risks continue to evolve, our responsibility is to ensure Canada and Canadians are ready and resilient for the full range of threats that can affect our communities. We are strengthening how ready we are, improving how governments and agencies coordinate responses, and building the capabilities needed to protect people, property, critical infrastructure, and our economy. We are working together across governments, Indigenous partners, the private sector, and security and emergency organizations to enhance communities' ability to be ready, to keep impacts to a minimum, to absorb and adapt to emergency events, and recover quickly from incidents, emergencies, and disasters."

Honourable Robert Gauvin, New Brunswick Minister of Public Safety and Minister responsible for La Francophonie

Related links

• Emergency Management Strategy (2019)
• National Public Alerting System
• Public Safety Broadband Network
• Emergency Management Exemplary Service Award

SOURCE Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada (PSEPC)

Contacts: Evan Brick, Senior Communications Advisor, Office of the Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, [email protected] | Paul Bradley, Director of Communications, New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization, [email protected] | Media Relations, Public Safety Canada, 613-991-0657, [email protected]