Across Canada, emergency management professionals and volunteers dedicate countless hours to keeping people safe. They prepare communities for natural disasters, respond when emergencies strike, and help Canadians through the difficult work of recovery.
Much of this work happens away from the public eye, but its impact is felt every day in communities across the country. Established through a partnership between federal, provincial, and territorial governments, the Emergency Management Exemplary Service Awards (EMESA) are an opportunity to recognize the people that make the emergency management system work and to thank them for their extraordinary contributions.
Today, the Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, federal Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, along with the Honourable Robert Gauvin, New Brunswick's Minister of Public Safety and Minister responsible for la Francophonie, honoured recipients of the 2026-2027 Emergency Management Exemplary Service Awards at a ceremony in Edmonton.
This year, 297 recipients from across Canada are being recognized through 76 awards - a record for the EMESA awards program. The awards recognize individuals, and groups, who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, dedication, and service in helping Canadians prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies of all types.
Recipients include individuals, and groups, from Indigenous communities, all orders of government, academia, professional associations, non-governmental organizations, and the next generation of emergency management leaders. This year's EMESA awards ceremony marks only the second time recipients from all provinces and territories are being honoured together.
While their contributions take many forms, recipients share a commitment to serving others. Whether volunteering their time to help someone in distress, bringing communities together to prepare for future emergencies, or mentoring the next generation of emergency management professionals, their efforts make a lasting difference in the lives of Canadians.
