On May 28, 2026, Canada’s federal government announced a national network of evacuation centres to house residents forced from their homes by wildfires. Emergency Preparedness Minister Eleanor Olszewski said the system will work with provinces, territories and Indigenous leaders to ready community halls, schools and arenas for rapid deployment.. The move follows the 2025 wildfire season, which burned almost nine million hectares and left dozens of communities without adequate shelter.

2025 Wildfire Season Burned Nearly Nine Million Hectares

The 2025 fires were the second‑most destructive in Canada’s recorded history, scorching an area larger than New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island combined. according to the federal briefing, the blaze consumed close to nine million hectares, overwhelming local emergency services and exposing a shortage of long‑term lodging for evacuees.

Indigenous Communities Faced Record 21 Long‑Term Evacuations

Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull‑Masty highlighted that 21 First Nations were displaced for more than 60 days, a stark indicator of systemic inequities in disaster response. she testified that the lack of culturally safe shelters forced many to stay in overcrowded hotels, straining both families and the hospitality sector.

Federal Plan Secures Community Centres, Schools and Arenas as Hubs

The new strategy hinges on pre‑negotiated agreements with municipalities, Indigenous leadership and private‑sector partners to convert existing facilities into fully equipped evacuation hubs. Each hub will stock food, bedding, hygiene supplies and provide on‑site medical and mental‑health services, as outlined by Minister Olszewski.

Activation Will Be Demand‑Driven, Not Pre‑Set

Officials stressed that centres will only open after formal requests from provincial or territorial governments, preserving jurisdictional authority while delivering swift federal aid. this decentralized trigger mechanism is designed to avoid the ad‑hoc scramble that characterized the 2025 response.

What Remains Unclear About Centre Capacity and Locations?

While the framework is in place, the exact number of centres, their geographic distribution and total capacity have not been disclosed. Critics also ask how funding will be allocated to maintain these sites during periods of low fire activity.

Public‑safety experts have welcomed the initiative, noting that climate‑driven fire frequency in boreal regions is rising and that a coordinated shelter network is now a national security imperative.