For more than 10 years, Canadian Red Cross volunteer Janis Brown has been there to support Canadians impacted by wildfires, floods, hurricanes, and public health emergencies; this summer, she was one of the people affected by wildfires in British Columbia.

July 2013. Lac-Mégantic. A train derailment followed by explosions, that claimed 47 lives devastated the town of Lac-Mégantic, and forever changed the community. Volunteer Denis Desilets was on site to help the Canadian Red Cross during one of the darkest moments in Quebec’s recent history. 

As conflicts around the world continue to be covered in news and shared across social media feeds, young people in Canada are asking difficult questions about war, displacement, and humanitarian crises. Increasingly, educators are being asked to help students navigate these conversations — often without enough tools or support.

When most people think about emergency response, they picture the moment disaster strikes. The rising water. The evacuation order. The dramatic images on the evening news. But preparedness can look very different.

When wildfires forced the evacuation of thousands of people from Jasper in July 2024, many residents left not knowing when they would return, or what would be waiting for them when they did.

Nearly two years after a massive wildfire led to the evacuation of the town of Jasper, Alberta, recovery is well underway and the community continues to grow closer. 

During the night of July 19 to 20, 1996, unrelenting rain thrashed the Saguenay–Lac‑Saint‑Jean region. Rivers surged and spilled over their banks, roads vanished one after another, and as the water advanced, entire neighbourhoods were swallowed up by rushing floodwaters.

15,600. That’s the number of hours Claude Beaupré has devoted in service of others since he began volunteering with the Canadian Red Cross in 2021. An outstanding commitment that has made a real difference for hundreds of people affected by disasters.