TORONTO, Nov. 13, 2025 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, and the Honourable Jill Dunlop, Ontario Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response, issued the following statement:

"As co-chairs of the Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Emergency Management, it is our pleasure to have discussed emergency management needs and how we can deepen our partnership with National Indigenous Organizations. We spent the day with Regional Chief George MacKenzie from the Assembly of First Nations, President Natan Obed from Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and President Victoria Pruden from the Métis National Council. The Honourable Mandy Gull-Masty, Minister of Indigenous Services, also participated in today's meeting.

The frequency and severity of natural disasters is increasing, and First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, particularly those in rural and remote areas, face unique challenges which will require deep collaboration to respond to.

The insight and lived experience from communities most affected, which was shared in today's meeting, will be deeply valuable as we undertake work to renew Canada's Emergency Management Strategy and consider Indigenous resiliency in the face of increasing hazards.

This meeting also focused on having constructive and real conversations about the challenges of this year's flood and wildfire seasons and the acute impacts that were felt by many First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities.

These discussions build on ongoing direct engagement with First Nations, Inuit and Metis, and through these discussions we have committed to further engagement on emergency management and the sharing of valuable analytics and forecasts for the 2026 wildfires season with National Indigenous leaders to improve emergency and planning capacity. The continued engagement will lead to tangible outcomes for the upcoming season.

These discussions highlight the importance of collective action to advance resiliency through all emergency management pillars, ensuring a whole-of-society approach that is truly inclusive of everyone's distinct needs.

As co-chairs, we continue to partner with National Indigenous leadership on ways to improve emergency management for their communities and for all Canadians. We look forward to building on today's productive discussions together."

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SOURCE Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada