Ministers Meet Indigenous Leaders on Disaster Resilience
Federal, provincial and territorial emergency management ministers gathered in Edmonton with National Indigenous organizations and Treaty Six leadership.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Safety
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Federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for emergency management met with leaders of National Indigenous organizations and Treaty Six leadership in Edmonton, Alberta. The co-chairs, Eleanor Olszewski and Robert Gauvin, issued a joint statement on the meeting.
Why it matters
Wildfires, floods and other disasters are becoming more frequent, severe and costly across Canada, and First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, particularly in rural, remote and northern areas, face disproportionate impacts. Canada faces a growing range of threats, and officials say building resilience is increasingly a matter of national security.
The meeting was co-chaired by Eleanor Olszewski and Robert Gauvin and included leadership from Treaty Six. The source does not provide measured disaster statistics, and the outcomes of the discussions remain unspecified.
The players
Eleanor Olszewski
Olszewski is Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and serves as a co-chair of this year's federal, provincial and territorial meeting of emergency management ministers.
Robert Gauvin
Gauvin is New Brunswick's Minister of Public Safety and Minister responsible for La Francophonie, and he co-chairs this year's federal, provincial and territorial emergency management meeting.
The details
Ministers responsible for emergency management from across Canada met with National Indigenous organizations and Treaty Six leadership in Edmonton on November 9, 2026. The co-chairs later issued a joint statement describing the meeting's purpose and focus.
Timeline
November 9, 2026: Ministers met with Indigenous leaders in Edmonton and issued a joint statement.
Big Picture
The annual federal, provincial and territorial ministers' forum on emergency management is extending its work to include National Indigenous organizations and Treaty Six leadership. The engagement reflects the forum's focus on disaster resilience in communities that face disproportionate impacts from wildfires and floods.
Residents in rural, remote and northern communities should follow official provincial and territorial emergency alerts and know their local evacuation routes. Households can review their emergency preparedness plans as wildfire and flood risks increase across the country.
The takeaway
Disasters are becoming more frequent and costly in Canada, and the ministers' engagement with Indigenous leaders signals that resilience planning is being extended to the communities most exposed to these risks. Staying informed through official emergency channels remains the most practical step for residents.
Further reading
For related coverage, browse Safety reporting across Canada.
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