Videoconference of Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Emergency Management

News Release – Videoconference of Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Emergency Management

News Release

FEDERAL/PROVINCIAL/TERRITORIAL MINISTERS MET TO DISCUSS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

For immediate release

OTTAWA, March 17, 2022 — Federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for emergency management met virtually today to approve the release of two important publications and to reflect on the progress made to advance shared emergency management priorities to bolster resilience and response capabilities in Canada.

The meeting was co-chaired by the Honourable Bill Blair, President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, the Honourable Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and the Solicitor General for British Columbia, and the Honourable Richard Mostyn, Minister of Community Services for the Yukon.

Canadians have been profoundly impacted by recent and unprecedented emergency events. Ministers discussed the need for concrete actions to address the increasing frequency and severity of emergency events. Ministers also reiterated the importance of working together and with partners in their respective jurisdictions to better identify, plan for and reduce the impact of emergencies in order to build collective resilience going forward.

Ministers acknowledged that recent emergency events have had disproportionate impacts on Indigenous communities and other at-risk groups. They reinforced the value of emergency management collaboration focused on whole of society engagement and commit to a strengthened collaboration among all partners in emergency management, including Indigenous leadership.

Emergency Management Strategy for Canada Interim Action Plan

Governments across the country are taking action to prepare for future emergencies. As part of those efforts, today, ministers endorsed and released the 2021-22 Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Emergency Management Strategy Interim Action Plan. The interim plan was created to advance defined outcomes within the Emergency Management Strategy for Canada (2019), the country’s official emergency management and disaster risk reduction strategy to 2030.

The Interim Action Plan details concrete steps that FPT governments will take over the next year to strengthen preparedness and build greater resilience to disasters which will collectively advance outcomes defined within the Emergency Management Strategy for Canada. The Interim Action Plan builds off the momentum created by the Strategy and details shared priorities and activities across all four pillars of emergency management: prevention/mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. It sets the stage for future plans to be built on sustained dialogue, active participation and ongoing discussions among all partners.

Ministers recognized the importance of working with Indigenous leadership within their provincial and territorial jurisdictions with respect to their emergency management needs. They discussed the importance of regular dialogue with Indigenous peoples that respects their roles and responsibilities, ensuring that ministers and their officials involve Indigenous leadership in setting emergency management priorities.

Advancing a Public Safety Broadband Network for Canada

Ministers announced the release of a report entitled A Public Safety Broadband Network for Canada: A Canadian Approach to Implementation of the Next Generation of Public Safety Communications. The report, developed by the Public Safety Broadband Network (PSBN) Temporary National Coordination Office, includes recommendations for the development of an interoperable PSBN for Canada that meets the needs of the public safety community. A PSBN is a secure high-speed wireless data communications network. It can be used by emergency responders and other public safety personnel to communicate with each other in emergency situations.

Ministers also expressed their support for continued commitment to collaborate across all orders of government, industry, and first responder end users to advance a PSBN that meets the diverse expectations and interests of stakeholders.
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National Public Alerting System

Ministers underscored the importance of the National Public Alerting System to the safety and security of Canadians. They reaffirmed their commitment to this important emergency management capability by endorsing priorities to support the ongoing sustainability and enhancement of the system. These priorities include exploring alternative funding and governance models and assessing future needs, while ensuring the seamless ongoing operation of the system.

Canada’s Flood Risk Plan

Flooding continues to be the most frequent and costly natural disaster facing Canadians, causing over $1 billion in direct damage to homes, property and infrastructure annually. Ministers received an update on the Task Force on Flood Insurance and Relocation. The task force is examining options for both a national flood insurance program for residents of areas at high risk of flooding and measures for potential relocation. Its report is expected to be available in Summer 2022.

Ministers also discussed the new Flood Hazard Identification and Mapping Program, which will help to inform decision-making in support of flood mitigation, climate adaptation initiatives and in building resilient infrastructure.

Emergency Management Exemplary Service Award

Ministers recognized the incredible and selfless service and achievement of the emergency management community across Canada. They work tirelessly to prevent, mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies and disasters. This has been especially evident during the unprecedented emergency events that have occurred across the country in recent years.

To honour the contributions of those in the emergency management and the search and rescue community, ministers launched the next call for nominations for the Emergency Management Exemplary Service Award. This award is a partnership between provincial, territorial and federal governments and recognizes recipients who have achieved excellence in their professional fields or volunteers across several categories in emergency management and search and rescue. The nomination period will be open from March 17, 2022 to July 1, 2022.

Other Updates

Ministers also discussed the scope of the federal government’s Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements Review. Ministers emphasized the importance of financial assistance in meeting the needs of Canadians impacted by disasters and reaffirmed their commitment to a collaborative process, including meaningful provincial and territorial engagement and involvement.

The importance of improving Canadians’ awareness of disaster risks in their communities, and the actions they can take to be better prepared was discussed by ministers. They underscored the importance of the upcoming Emergency Preparedness Week (May 1-7, 2022) as an opportunity to work with partners to encourage Canadians to take action to be better prepared.

Given the importance of the work in emergency management, ministers agreed to meet again in late Fall 2022.

QUOTES

“Canadians expect all orders of governments to work together, and at today’s meeting I spoke with provincial and territorial ministers about how we can continue to do that. We are showing how we can bolster our ability to manage emergencies through the Emergency Management Strategy for Canada, and we’re giving first responders the tools they need to do their jobs safely and effectively. We also stressed the critical importance of working alongside Indigenous leadership as climate change and severe weather have a disproportionate impact on Indigenous communities across the country.”

The Honourable Bill Blair
‎President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness

“In British Columbia, we received invaluable support from the federal government and other provinces during our flood response last fall. Coming out of this experience, and from discussions with provincial and territorial partners today, we all agree that we need to work in partnership and collaboration. Together we can make sure that, across the country, we are strengthening all four pillars of emergency management to better protect people and communities from future disasters.”

Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, British Columbia

“It is important that our federal, provincial and territorial partners are aligned in our work to bolster all four pillars of emergency management. The Yukon is grateful for the support we have received from the federal government and other provinces during the 2021 flood event and numerous wildfires over the years. The Emergency Management Strategy for Canada Interim Action Plan that was released today lays out concrete steps we will take together to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies and increase the resiliency of our communities and Canada. It is equally important that we recognize and build on each other’s successes, which is why we are proud to launch the Emergency Management Exemplary Service Awards. These awards are one tangible way that we can recognize the efforts of Yukoners and Canadians who have contributed their time and energy to emergency management activities in our jurisdictions.”

Richard Mostyn, Minister of Community Services, Yukon