Federal, provincial, and territorial ministers responsible for emergency management meet regarding the 2026 wildfire and flood season

OTTAWA, ON, April 27, 2026 /CNW/ - Federal, provincial, and territorial ministers responsible for emergency management met virtually today to discuss shared priorities, preparations and response in the midst of spring flooding across Canada and in advance of the 2026 wildfire season. They reaffirmed their commitment to close collaboration in the months ahead.

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.

Ministers reviewed the wildfires and floods risk assessment for 2026. Wildfire risk is expected to be unevenly distributed throughout the country this year. Ministers underscored the importance of readiness and mutual aid and will continue to share resources and firefighting assets to support regions that are hardest hit. Similar to 2025, drivers like changing heat and moisture conditions will have an impact on the development of wildfires throughout the spring and summer.

For flooding, the preliminary risk assessment indicates that flooding for many regions is likely to be average this year. However, the conditions in local communities will be influenced by variable temperatures and above normal precipitation in northern and eastern British Columbia, northern and central Prairies, including Manitoba, southern and central Yukon, Ontario, and western and central Québec.

Ministers discussed the renewal of the National Public Alerting System and the importance of continued federal, provincial, and territorial collaboration on this initiative as the work moves forward. A renewed National Public Alerting System will ensure that Canadians continue to receive warnings of imminent natural disasters, extreme weather events, and security threats so they can take action to protect themselves, their families and their communities. This work will consider recommendations of the Nova Scotia Mass Casualty Commission, including a call for a public alerting framework to promote consistent and effective alerting, while respecting the jurisdictions of federal, provincial and territorial governments.

Ministers reviewed progress on the renewal of the Emergency Management Strategy, including partner engagement to date and next steps. At the direction of ministers, the renewal of the strategy is focused on three themes: preparedness, response capabilities, and risk reduction and recovery. Ministers have agreed that the updated strategy should be practical, partner-driven, and responsive to the increasingly complex risk environment. The renewed strategy is anticipated by the end of 2026.

Ministers closed the meeting with a commitment to meet again in-person in November 2026. At that time, they will also have a dedicated meeting with leaders of National Indigenous Organizations.

Quotes 

"The recent past shows us that extreme weather events, wildfires and floods are getting more frequent in Canada. The federal government, and provinces and territories are working closely to build our collective resilience from coast to coast to coast. We have learned from the past and are forging new ways to collaborate and share information so every community across the country is ready when disaster strikes."  

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

"As Canadians focus on our resilient, sovereign nation in a rapidly changing world, we are seeing more frequent and more complex emergencies, from storms, floods and wildfires, to cyber, chemical spills, supply chain risks and acts of serious violence. This underscores the importance to be ready for and respond well to all these things through strong coordination among federal, provincial and territorial partners and all of their agencies. Our focus for 2026 is on strengthening readiness, improving public alerting, and working together to ensure communities are ready and supported when it matters most."

Honourable Robert Gauvin, Co-chair, New Brunswick Minister of Public Safety and Minister Responsible for la Francophonie

Quick facts

• Based on hectares burned, the 2025 wildfire season was the second worst recorded in Canada. There were over 6,100 fires that destroyed 8.92 million hectares; over two times the 10-year average. Seventy-six thousand people were evacuated from their homes and, sadly, there were two civilian deaths.
• The Emergency Management Strategy is renewed every five years to ensure it reflects current risks and lessons learned. Since its publication, Canada has faced a global pandemic, experienced its worst wildfire season on record in 2023, and emergency events continued to reach historic milestones in provinces and territories.
• Emergency Preparedness Week is from May 3 to 9, 2026, and encourages communities across Canada to better understand the risks in their area, and to learn what actions can be taken to protect individuals and households.

Related links

• Emergency Management Strategy (2019)

SOURCE Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada (PSEPC)

Contacts: Soraya Lemur, Press Secretary, 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]