Ministers from the federal government, provincial and territorial governments in charge of emergency management and the leaders of national Indigenous organizations are having meetings in Toronto this week, hoping to better prepare for future years of disasters.
Science shows that the rapid advancement of climate change is making disasters and extreme weather events more common and more intense. 2025 was the second-worst wildfire season ever recorded in Canada, behind 2023. Toronto, where these meetings are taking place saw catastrophic flooding and power outages for tens of thousands of residents just last July. In 2023, floods in Nova Scotia led to a provincial state of emergency and more than $250 million in insured damages.
“We’re here to make sure that when disasters happen, the response is swift,” said Eleanor Olszewski, the federal emergency management and community resilience minister.