🇨🇦 Canada
Last verified: July 2026 — validate with your local authorities during the annual update of the club directory.
1. Emergency numbers
| Service |
Number |
| General emergency (police, fire, medical) |
911 |
| Non-emergency police / municipal info (most provinces) |
311 |
| Health advice line (varies by province, e.g. 811) |
811 |
| Poison Control (varies by province) |
1-844-764-7669 (national line) |
Note: 911 covers almost all populated areas; a few remote/northern communities are still outside 911 coverage — verify local arrangements in the territories.
2. National disaster management
| Element |
In Canada |
| Federal department |
Public Safety Canada — publicsafety.gc.ca |
| Federal coordination hub |
Government Operations Centre (GOC) — coordinates the whole-of-government response; provinces request federal assistance (Request for Federal Assistance) through it |
| Response doctrine |
Emergency Management Framework for Canada — shared federal / provincial-territorial / municipal responsibility; response is led at the provincial/territorial and municipal level |
| Territorial crisis authority |
Each province/territory has its own emergency management organisation (e.g. Emergency Management BC, Alberta Emergency Management Agency, Ontario's Emergency Management Ontario) |
| Citizen preparedness |
GetPrepared.ca — 72-hour kit; provincial "Be Ready" programmes |
3. Alert systems
| System |
What it is |
Access |
| Alert Ready |
National Public Alerting System (NPAS) — wireless, TV and radio emergency alerts (weather, AMBER, civil) |
Automatic on compatible devices |
| ECCC (Environment and Climate Change Canada) |
Official weather warnings: severe thunderstorm, tornado, blizzard, extreme cold/heat, rainfall/flood |
weather.gc.ca + WeatherCAN app |
| Provincial emergency alert channels |
Provincial/territorial governments issue their own Alert Ready messages (wildfire, evacuation) |
Provincial apps / sites |
| CIFFC (fire) |
Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre — national wildfire situation |
ciffc.ca |
| Earthquakes Canada |
Real-time seismic information (BC, St Lawrence) |
earthquakescanada.nrcan.gc.ca |
4. Key non-Rotary actors
| Actor |
Role in disaster |
| Canadian Red Cross |
Evacuation lodging, reception centres, family reunification, financial assistance |
| Salvation Army |
Meals, distribution, emotional support |
| St. John Ambulance / local search & rescue (SAR) |
First aid, ground SAR |
| Provincial/territorial EMO + municipality |
The club's institutional contact (reception centres, recovery) |
| Team Rubicon Canada, GlobalMedic |
Debris/mop-up, water purification, rapid response |
5. Dominant risks → guide cards
| Risk |
Where |
Card to print |
| Wildfire |
BC, Alberta, Prairies, boreal forest; record 2023 season (>15 M ha burned) |
Card C2 |
| Flood |
Spring freshet nationwide; ice-jam and river floods (QC, ON, MB, NB) |
Card B2 |
| Winter storm / blizzard / cold wave |
Prairies, Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic |
Card B3 |
| Ice storm |
Eastern Canada (1998 ice storm reference) |
Card B3 |
| Earthquake |
BC coast / Cascadia subduction zone, St Lawrence and Ottawa valleys |
Card A1 |
| Tornado |
Southern Ontario, Prairies (summer) |
Dedicated card in preparation — see roadmap |
Bilingual note (français): Canada is officially bilingual. For French-speaking clubs (Quebec, Acadian and Franco-Ontarian communities), print the French version of the cards: carte C2 — feu de forêt, carte B2 — inondation, carte B3 — vague de froid / tempête de neige, carte A1 — séisme.
6. Equivalences with the guide's terms
| Generic term in the guide |
Canadian equivalent |
| National disaster management agency |
Public Safety Canada + Government Operations Centre (GOC) |
| National response plan |
Emergency Management Framework for Canada / Federal Emergency Response Plan |
| Emergency medical service (EMS) |
Paramedic / ambulance service (via 911) |
| Territorial state authority |
Provincial/Territorial Emergency Management Organisation (EMO) + municipality |
| National population alert |
Alert Ready (NPAS) |
| Inter-agency coordination |
Government Operations Centre (GOC) |
| Civil-security citizen reserve |
Provincial volunteer SAR / municipal emergency volunteers |
Donation tax rules: gifts to a registered charity (CRA-registered, with a charitable registration number) generate a charitable donation tax credit (federal + provincial). A Rotary club must channel deductible gifts through a registered charity (e.g. The Rotary Foundation (Canada) / a club charitable foundation) — verify the registration number before issuing official donation receipts.
7. Rotary section — to be completed by your club
| Element |
Your information |
| Rotary district (Canadian districts include 5010 Yukon/Alaska, 5040/5050 BC, 5360/5370 Prairies, 7010/7040/7070/7080/7090 Ontario, 7790/7810/7820 Quebec-Atlantic) |
____ |
| District Governor (DG) |
____ |
| District disaster officer (DRO/DRC) |
____ |
| ShelterBox Canada contact |
____ |
| The Rotary Foundation (Canada) / club charitable entity for receipts |
____ |
| Provincial/territorial EMO or municipal emergency contact |
____ |
| Neighbouring clubs (< 50 km) |
____ |
| Last update of this section |
//______ |
Sources: Public Safety Canada (publicsafety.gc.ca), Alert Ready (alertready.ca), Environment and Climate Change Canada (weather.gc.ca), Canadian Red Cross, Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (ciffc.ca). Report any error: g.bourgogne.rtn@gmail.com