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We have lived in this country known for cold climates for generations, but every winter when the mercury drops below -20, we wonder what our ancestors were thinking settling in these frigid lands. Here are 10 signs to alert you to freezing temperatures and tips on how to deal with it.

“I dare you to stick your tongue on that post!”
Who hasn’t heard this as a child? As we get older, we know that lips and other wet areas of skin can stick to cold, metallic objects and that it can, in fact, be downright painful! But many young children unfortunately learn this the hard way. 

Mary Teresa Shalala, or Teri to her friends, has been a Walmart associate in Vaudreuil-Dorion for eight years. While the mother of four works evenings and nights taking inventory, her 33-year-old son Élie Langevin is often busy helping people affected by disasters. Despite their differing realities, they share something beyond a family bond: a passion for helping disaster victims. Teri does so through her employer, which has supported the Canadian Red Cross for 14 years, and Élie volunteers for the organization in Quebec.

With severe drought threatening the lives of millions of people in eastern Africa, urgent food assistance will be needed for an estimated 15 million people in the three countries of Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya alone. It is considered the worst drought in decades. David Fogden, Canadian Red Cross disaster management delegate, was one of these team members to visit hard-hit areas and saw how the drought has a cascading effect on livelihoods, families and communities.

For International Women’s Day today, we want to highlight stories of women who have gone above and beyond to provide care and assistance. Throughout history, women have played an important role in the Red Cross movement here in Canada and abroad.  Today, we’re celebrating Canadian women who are making a difference in the world with the humanitarian work they do whether it’s responding to disasters, providing lifesaving assistance in challenging situations or helping improve the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable people.

On March 7, the Canadian Red Cross in partnership with Dalhousie University’s Global Health Office hosted a panel discussion in Halifax on the challenges and successes in strengthening the lives of women and children in conflict and fragile settings.

​Ethiopia is currently experiencing a number of disasters, including drought and conflict, especially in Eastern and Southern Ethiopia are currently in the grip of a severe drought, the result of failed spring and autumn rains in 2016. Millions are impacted. The Canadian Red Cross is working with the Ethiopia Red Cross to help strengthen their capacity to respond to disasters and emergencies. 

When his mother first brought Munir to the Syrian Arab Red Crescent malnutrition clinic in Al Tal, Rural Damascus, he was so fragile the doctors couldn’t measure him. Munir was five-months-old but weighed just over 2 kilograms – less than his own birth weight. He looked exhausted, worryingly thin, and was unable to sit or hold up his head without his mother’s help.