Canada remains the only G7 country that lacks a national disaster relief agency. With the escalating frequency and severity of major disasters, how long can Canadians wait?
By Susan Penwarden
This story first appeared in The Hill Times on April 23, 2026.
A decade has passed since the worst wildfire in Canada’s history tragically struck the Alberta town of Fort McMurray. As we mark the anniversary of that devastating disaster, we must ask ourselves: have we learned the lessons of that experience? Have we done enough to improve how we respond to, and recover from, the disasters we know are coming?
If we are honest, the answer is no.
What used to be ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ disasters are now regular occurrences. Since Fort McMurray, we have seen multiple events attempting to match its devastation: Jasper, Lytton, Kelowna. Eight of the worst wildfire years on record have happened in the last decade.
And yet, our response remains fragmented.
Year over year, we see a system that is stretched thin, struggling to keep pace with the escalation in disasters. Instead of a coordinated national strategy, we see a patchwork of local, provincial and federal responses. The resulting experience for those trying to recover feels bureaucratic and unhelpful. Valuable time is lost. Resources are delayed. And Canadians remain displaced, years after a disaster.
These challenges and the need for a national disaster relief agency have been acknowledged by several Federal ministers, from Bill Blair to Harjit Sajjan, and now Eleanor Olszewski. Just this past year I had the opportunity to attend a roundtable with Minister Olszewski and testify in the House of Commons on this very issue. We have seen promising ideas floated, including a pledge by the federal government to pilot options for a national emergency response agency.
Yet the 2025 federal budget only delivered on funding for incremental upgrades to alert systems and new water bombers. Sorely missing: the national disaster coordination that Canadians deserve.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) has laid out a clear vison for how to better protect Canadians; a whole-of-society approach spanning public, private, volunteer and non-profit sectors, that includes:
- a national emergency management agency and recovery strategy that standardizes emergency planning and operational protocols;
- sustained investment in climate adaptation; and
- the modernization of building and housing policy frameworks to reflect the climate reality communities face today, ensuring we build in resilience by design.
It’s also worth noting that this is no longer just about climate resilience—it’s about economic resilience. Protecting communities is central to protecting Canada’s economic sovereignty. This is more important now than it has been in generations.
In the past five years, our data shows a +1,900 per cent increase in wildfire claims compared to the previous five-year period. IBC has also reported a +1,000 per cent increase in insured wildfire losses in the decade since the Fort McMurray disaster. This doesn’t account for the uninsured losses that are borne by government, communities and individual Canadians, nor does it capture the emotional toll disasters have on health and mental wellbeing.
A recent Aviva Canada survey by Nanos Research showed roughly half of Canadians now feel powerless in the face of major climate events, with the majority saying they weigh wildfire risk (50%) and flood risk (62%) when choosing the location of their home.
In the absence of a national approach, Aviva collaborates with industry peers and local communities to look for opportunities to improve the post-event response where we can. We also partner with experts such as Team Rubicon Canada and Wildfire Defense Systems (WDS) to protect homes and help speed restoration and recovery efforts, while issuing immediate payments to impacted customers to help support them as they navigate the unimaginable. However, we are limited by what we alone can control.
A made-in-Canada disaster relief agency would improve coordination and situational awareness, streamline resource deployment, and formalize collaboration between government, insurers and emergency response organizations. Most importantly, it would give Canadians the confidence that wherever they live from coast-to-coast-to-coast, they can count on reliable, consistent support when disaster strikes.
We deserve nothing less.
Susan Penwarden has worked as an insurance executive in the United Kingdom, France, Denmark and Canada, and currently serves as Managing Director, Personal Lines, at Aviva Canada.
