Emergency

Hit by several significant emergencies in recent years, the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on August 14 caused more damage, destroying critical infrastructure resulting in more than 2,180 deaths, more than 12,200 injuries, and 298 people missing so far. The Red Cross has been working to meet the urgent needs of people impacted since the first moments after the earthquake occurred. 

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, as information began to flow into Canada about how serious this disease might become, Alberta Health Services started ramping up their testing capacity. Some 10,000 kilometres away in Southeast Asia, the Philippine Red Cross took notice.

As a COVID-19 outbreak in late April and early May 2021 impacted Iqaluit, Mayor Kenny Bell knew that help was needed. The Canadian Red Cross was brought to Iqaluit in mid-May to provide additional support to a homeless shelter in the city but, by the time the team left, they had also done Epidemic Prevention and Control (EPC) assessments for 13 organizations across the city. 

Exactly 25 years ago, during the night of Friday, July 19 to Saturday, July 20, 1996, heavy rain triggered floods in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, threatening the entire region and causing one of the largest evacuations in the history of Quebec. Thousands of people, helpless in the face of the tragedy, braved the torrential floods that swept everything away.

In late June, a plane full of firefighters touched down in Sudbury to help protect communities in Northern Ontario. Shortly after the team stepped off the aircraft, the Canadian Red Cross immediately set to work, ensuring their task would not be more difficult than usual.

“Be open. Be willing to try something you’ve never ever done before.”
 
Looking back on over 30 years of volunteering with the Canadian Red Cross, Bobbi Montean speaks from a wealth of experience.

Fifty years ago, on May 4, 1971, a landslide swallowed 56 homes in the village of Saint-Jean-Vianney in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, claiming 31 lives and forcing 1,342 people to seek refuge in reception centres and shelters.
 

Disasters affect people in different ways, but it is clear that hope, gratitude and determination prevail in stories of the devastating 2016 wildfires in Fort McMurray and the surrounding region. There are many stories of people helping people in the region, but the five following stories showcase the power of humanity at its best.