TORONTO, May 4, 2026 – Canada’s 2026 Emergency Preparedness Week began on May 3 and will continue through May 9, under the theme “Be Prepared. Know Your Risks.” On May 4, the federal government also announced that it will invest CAD $108 million over three years to renew the Humanitarian Workforce Program, supporting eligible non-profit organizations in deploying trained personnel during major emergency events. For Chinese seniors in Ontario, newcomer families, low-income households, and residents living in basements or high-rise apartments, failing to prepare 72-hour emergency supplies and emergency contact arrangements in advance may lead to delayed access to information, shortages of medication and food, or difficulty evacuating during power outages, floods, extreme weather, or wildfire smoke.
According to Public Safety Canada, Emergency Preparedness Week is intended to remind residents to understand the risks their communities may face and to take practical steps to protect themselves and their families. Official guidance recommends that households prepare an emergency kit that can last at least 72 hours, including drinking water, food that does not require heating, a flashlight, spare batteries, first aid supplies, regular medications, a power bank, copies of important documents, and a small amount of cash.
On May 4, the Ontario government also announced that it will invest more than CAD $6.5 million to strengthen the emergency response capacity of Ontario Corps partners for equipment, supplies, and training. This type of funding mainly improves rescue and emergency support capacity at the community level, but it does not mean residents can rely entirely on outside help during emergencies. For seniors with mobility challenges, people living alone, and newcomer families who are not familiar with English-language alert systems, household-level preparation remains important.
For many Chinese families, the more common problem is not having no supplies at all, but rather having supplies that are scattered, expired, or stored in places family members do not know about. For example, a flashlight may have no batteries, backup medication may not be updated, or important documents may exist only on a phone and become inaccessible during a power outage. Some families also have no pre-arranged emergency contact plan, so if a phone battery dies or the network goes down, seniors and adult children may not be able to reach each other quickly.
In practical terms, families should first confirm three things: whether each household member has enough water, food, and medication for at least three days; whether paper copies are available for emergency contacts, family doctor information, pharmacy details, insurance, leases, and other key records; and whether their phones are able to receive emergency alerts. Canada’s Alert Ready system sends emergency alerts through television, radio, and compatible wireless devices, but phones need to be connected to LTE or newer networks and have normal system settings enabled.
Residents living in basements or low-lying areas should also think ahead about heavy rain and backflow risks. Seniors living in high-rise apartments should prepare a backup plan in case elevators cannot be used during a power outage. If anyone in the household depends on electrically powered medical equipment, refrigerated medication, or mobility aids, families should ask building management, a family doctor, or the relevant service provider in advance about arrangements during outages or evacuations.
It is also important to note that an emergency kit is not something to buy once and then ignore. Food, water, medication, batteries, and copies of documents all need to be checked regularly. Different households also have different needs. Families with babies should prepare formula, diapers, and infant supplies. Families with pets should prepare pet food and leash supplies. Households with seniors or people with chronic illnesses should prepare an updated medication list and medical information.
For Chinese families in Ontario, a practical way to use Emergency Preparedness Week is to start with one household check: organize a 72-hour emergency kit, print emergency contacts, confirm phone alert settings, and agree with seniors in the home on a meeting point and contact method in case of an emergency. If English-language emergency information is difficult to follow, family members, community organizations, or building management may help explain local risks and official notification channels, reducing communication delays and misjudgments during an actual emergency.（LJI by Yuanyuan）
