Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience Eleanor Olszewski shares how Canada is investing in prevention, planning, and resilience.
How has Canada’s approach to wildfire preparedness evolved over the past few years?
Canada’s approach to wildfire preparedness has evolved as wildfires have grown more destructive and unpredictable. They are no longer seasonal challenges confined to certain regions. They are a national risk that can have significant local consequences and require year-round planning, strong coordination, and a greater focus on resilience.
Disasters like the Fort McMurray wildfire in 2016 and the Jasper wildfire in 2024 have shown how quickly wildfires can threaten communities, homes, critical infrastructure, and entire communities. They remind us that preparedness cannot begin when the first spark ignites; it must be built year-round through prevention, mitigation, planning, coordination, and stronger response capacity.
That is the shift Canada is making: from reaction to resilience. It means shifting beyond a reactive approach to disasters and instead building the plans, capacity, and partnerships needed in advance to strengthen preparedness, prepare and respond to ensure coordinated response efforts to reduce impacts.
The federal government collaborates closely with provinces, territories, Indigenous communities, emergency management partners, non-governmental organizations (NGO), and frontline responders throughout the year. We are also improving seasonal risk assessments, strengthening coordination inside the federal government, and enhancing our ability to mobilize support quickly when communities need it most.
We have made significant investments to increase Canada’s wildfire response capacity, including more than $316 million to establish a new national aerial firefighting surge capacity through the lease of 10 aerial firefighting aircraft via the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) starting in the 2026 wildfire season. We have also opened a new, modern facility for the Government Operations Centre, which is better equipped to coordinate the federal response during large-scale emergencies. More recently, we’ve invested $108 million to renew the Humanitarian Workforce Program, so key NGO partners can continue supporting communities during evacuations, response and recovery.
As Minister responsible for Jasper’s recovery from the devastating 2024 wildfire, I have seen firsthand how difficult the road back can be. But I have also seen the strength of residents, first responders, Indigenous partners, local leaders and volunteers who come together when their communities need them most.
What are your priorities for wildfire preparedness and resilience over the next few years?
My priority is to continue moving Canada from a reactive approach towards resilience.
As wildfires are more frequent, severe, and costly, we cannot afford to treat preparedness as something that begins only once a crisis is underway. We need to help communities understand their risks, reduce those risks before emergencies happen, and recover in ways that make them stronger for the future.
That starts with prevention and mitigation. Across the country, we are supporting wildfire risk reduction, FireSmart initiatives, fuel management, better planning, and stronger local emergency preparedness. These are the investments that may not always be visible when they work, because success often means preventing the worst outcomes.
It also means strengthening the systems that help keep people safe from both wildfires and other threats. We are modernizing the National Public Alerting System, with an investment of $55.4 million over four years and $13.4 million ongoing, so Canadians continue receiving life-saving emergency alerts.
Another priority is people – and the trained workforce needed to manage and mitigate emergencies. Emergency response capacity depends on first responders, local, provincial and territorial emergency management agencies, Indigenous and local leaders, volunteers, NGOs, and search and rescue partners. We need to keep investing in the people and organizations that communities rely on during evacuations, responses, and recovery.
Partnership with Indigenous communities is also essential. Indigenous knowledge has an important role to play in land stewardship and disaster risk management. Supporting Indigenous-led solutions and strengthening local emergency management capacity is central to our approach.
Finally, we need to keep strengthening national coordination, which is already a key part of our system. The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) is also playing a key role in coordinating the response between provinces and territories in term of resource management. Wildfires do not recognize provincial or territorial boundaries. When one region is under pressure, the rest of the country steps up. This is why the important investments we’ve made in aerial firefighting, Humanitarian workforce and public alerting system matter.
Ultimately, success will not only be measured by how quickly we respond when disaster strikes. It will be measured by how resilient we are and how we support communities across the country to prepare, reduce risk, protect lives, and recover stronger.
What message would you like to share with Canadians as we head into this year’s wildfire season?
My message to Canadians is simple: be prepared, know your risks, and look out for one another.
As we face the 2026 wildfire season, many Canadians are understandably watching conditions closely. That is especially true for people that have in recent years experienced evacuations, property loss, or the uncertainty that comes with living with elevated wildfire risk.
I understand those concerns. As an Albertan and Minister responsible for Jasper recovery, I have seen the impact wildfires can have on families and communities, and how difficult the road to recovery can be. But I have also witnessed something else too: the courage of first responders, the strength of local leaders, and the way neighbours show up for one another when it matters most.
Canadians should know that a tremendous amount of work has taken place to prepare for this wildfire season. Federal, provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous communities, firefighters and other fire responders, NGOs, and volunteers have been planning, training, and coordinating for months. The federal government has also made major investments to strengthen our preparedness, coordination and response capacity to wildfires.
But emergency management is a shared responsibility. Not only do all levels of governments have a responsibility for planning, coordination, and response, but every Canadian can take practical steps to protect themselves, their families. Small actions before a wildfire or an emergency make a big difference when the unexpected happens.
I encourage Canadians to stay informed by visiting Get Prepared.ca, understand the risks in their area, make an emergency plan, prepare an emergency kit, and always follow the guidance of local authorities.
Wildfire seasons are always challenging, but Canadians are not facing them alone.
Preparedness saves lives. And by working together before, during and after emergencies, we can keep our communities safe and make Canada more resilient.
