Government of Canada strengthens the future of federal emergency management

Canada NewsWire

OTTAWA, ON, Nov. 28, 2025

OTTAWA, ON, Nov. 28, 2025 /CNW/ - Every day, people in Canada are reminded that our world is changing. The risks to Canadians from natural disasters, made more frequent and more severe by climate change, are increasing. Continuously improving our collective response to extreme weather events, natural disasters and other emergencies, is a top priority for the Government of Canada.

Today, the Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for the Prairies Economic Development Agency of Canada, announced three key measures to strengthen federal emergency management. These measures include: enhanced federal coordination and emergency response capacity through a new operations centre at Public Safety Canada, launching a public and stakeholder engagement opportunity on the future of federal emergency management, and highlighting Budget 2025 investments to strengthen our ability to respond to future emergencies.

First, following the second worst wildfire season in Canadian history, Minister Olszewski has launched a national public engagement with Canadians and key emergency management stakeholders. The Government of Canada is seeking Canadians' views on the evolving role of the federal government in emergency management going forward and in partnership with provinces and territories. The public engagement is available now to the public online. Minister Olszewski will also be hosting round table discussions with emergency management stakeholders and meeting with Indigenous governments and leaders as well as provincial and territorial authorities as part of this engagement process.

Second, Minister Olszewski officially opened the new state-of-the-art facility that will house the federal Government Operations Centre (GOC). The new space is designed to help address the demands of the increasing pace of disaster frequency and severity and provides robust, secure, and modernized accommodations for the coordination of the federal response to emergencies across the country. The new site has the capacity to manage multiple full-scale emergency situations simultaneously and can accommodate representatives from key federal departments to optimize the flow of information and the coordination of resources. This new operations centre enhances the federal capacity to support provinces and territories and Canadians in times of need and will help deliver on our government's mission to protect Canadians from current and emerging threats.

Finally, Minister Olszewski highlighted investments made through Budget 2025 to strengthen the Canadian emergency management system. Budget 2025 invests $55.4 million over four years and $13.4 million ongoing to support the renewal of the National Public Alerting System, and $257.6 million over four years to lease waterbomber aircraft to bolster provincial and territorial aerial firefighting capacity. Budget 2025 also invests $40 million in the creation of the Youth Climate Corp that will equip young Canadians with the skills they need to respond to climate emergencies, including natural disasters, support recovery and strengthen community resilience across the country.

Emergency management is a shared responsibility with key roles being played by federal, provincial, territorial, and local governments. It also requires deep partnerships with Indigenous Peoples and all-sectors of society. Together we are building our capacity to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters to build a more sustainable and disaster-resilient Canada.

Quote

"In the face of wildfires, floods, and other emergencies, our government will always be ready to respond by providing resources and supports to those on the front lines, including provinces, territories and Indigenous communities. As we reflect on yet another challenging wildfire season, this new operations centre reinforces our government's ability to be more resilient, responsive and to protect Canadians from any hazard that they face.

— The Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for the Prairies Economic Development Agency of Canada

"Our Canadian Armed Forces will continue to stand ready in times of crisis. Coordinating an effective emergency response is a complex undertaking—one that brings together all levels of government, multiple departments and agencies, non-profit organizations, and countless volunteers. We work closely with emergency management authorities to assess needs on the ground and determine what resources can best support provincial and local partners. Our goal is always the same: to help stabilize the situation and provide reassurance to the communities affected."

— The Honourable David J. McGuinty, Minister of National Defence

"The new Government Operations Centre will make a material difference in our capacity to manage multiple or largescale emergencies in a comprehensive and coordinated way. We are stepping up our game in supporting provinces and territories while protecting Canadians."

— Anthony Housefather, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience

Quick Facts

The public engagement includes a short list of questions about the federal government's role in emergency management. Canadians can also submit their responses via email.
The Government Operations Centre is part of Public Safety Canada and leads the federal response coordination for emergency events. It monitors emerging and ongoing natural, human-induced, and national security emergencies 24 hours per day, seven days per week. It coordinates the national-level planning and whole-of-government responses to these emergency events.
Budget 2025 proposes $55.4 million over four years, starting in 2026-27 and $13.4 million ongoing to renew the National Public Alerting System.
Budget 2025 proposes $257.6 million over four years, starting in 2026-2027 to lease waterbomber aircraft to bolster provincial and territorial aerial firefighting capacity.