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Across Canada, winter can take many forms, ranging from wild storms to bone-chilling power outages. While many Canadians are familiar with how to prepare for winter emergencies, newcomers to our country may not be.

Baxter Canada has supported Canadian Red Cross programs for years, helping Canadians when they need it the most, and, despite a global pandemic, has continued to provide support to several programs, including the Mobile Food Bank. Baxter has maintained a steady roster of volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic when volunteer support was limited.

On November 14, Barb Gagnon saw flood waters come very close to her house just outside of Princeton, British Columbia. She was evacuated to a friend’s house with her dog, Daisy, and it wasn't long before she decided to roll up her sleeves “in order to keep my sanity and keep busy,” she says.

What makes the difference between a bad winter and a good one is preparation. Depending on where you live, winter can mean extreme cold temperatures, snow storms and power outages. Join us for the next seven days as we do one small thing each day to help prepare for cold days ahead.

Getting out and about during winter is something that newcomers need to prepare for in advance. Breathtaking, frozen Canadian landscapes require special knowledge, skills and planning to navigate safely. Many classic wintertime activities involve being well prepared before getting started.

While many Canadians are hunting for the perfect holiday gifts for those they care about, the Canadian Red Cross Holiday Gift Guide offers many thoughtful and practical gift options that can easily be ordered online from our e-Shop.

The Friendly Calls program was designed to offer a safe, routine place for those feeling isolated or lonely to seek connections. With so many finding themselves feeling lonely, the Friendly Calls program has seen an uptake in participation since the start of the pandemic, with the program itself expanding in many areas across the country.

Brian Boyes is in Kamloops, British Columbia with the Canadian Red Cross as part of the logistics team at the Reception Centre for people evacuated from their homes. He knows what they are going through because he and his wife Angela were two of some 80,000 people who had to flee the wildfire that descended on Fort McMurray in 2016.