States of emergency in Canada

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{{Use Canadian English|date=July 2020}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}

A state of emergency occurs when any level of government assumes authority it does not generally possess to respond to a crisis. This is done by invoking said authority under specific legislation, and permits the government to expend funds, mobilize forces, or suspend civil liberties.

Declarations

= Federal =

The Canadian government has declared a state of emergency four times, three in the 20th century and under the authority of the War Measures Act and one under the Emergencies Act. Under the War Measures, the three declared were:

In 1988, Parliament replaced the War Measures Act with the Emergencies Act, which extended the powers beyond war applications. The sole application has been:

= Provincial and territorial =

Historically, states of emergency have been declared by provinces for internal issues. Save for the 2004 White Juan Blizzard, until 2020 there had never been a situation where multiple provinces made a province wide declaration. This changed during the COVID-19 pandemic where every province and territory made the declaration, opposing similar measures from the federal government. Every province has the ability to assume emergency powers under either a specific emergency act or under a public health act. In some provinces, like British Columbia, both exist and can grant specific authorities. British Columbia's Civil Defence Act{{Cite web|title=Revised Statutes of British Columbia, 1960|url=https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.psc/revstatbc0001&i=415|website=HER Online}} was enacted in 1951 and renamed the Emergency Program Act in 1973.{{Cite web|title=Table of Statutes - Repealed, Replaced and Renamed|url=http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/content/tos/tos/?xsl=/templates/browse.xsl|access-date=2020-03-23|website=www.bclaws.ca}}

class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"

|+List of emergency declarations in the provinces and territories 1867-2019

!Year

!Event

!Province/Territory

!Under the Authority of

1948

|River flood

|British Columbia{{cite news |id={{ProQuest|1313879767}} |title=Army Takes Control Of B.C. Flood Areas: Premier Calls Official State Of Emergency |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |location=Toronto |date=1 June 1948 }}{{Cite news |date=June 1, 1948 |title=B.C. Fights Flood, Looters |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YCA_AAAAIBAJ&dq=fraser+river+emergency&pg=PA1|work=The Windsor Daily Star |page=1}}

|Army Act (UK){{Cite news |last=Fricke |first=Erwin |date=June 1, 1948 |title=First Dike Goes At Creston |url=https://open.library.ubc.ca/viewer/nelsondaily/1.0423309#p0z-2r0f:emergency |work=Nelson Daily News}}

1966

|Ferry Strike

|Prince Edward Island

|Emergency Measures Act{{cite news |id={{ProQuest|1316369027}} |title=P.E.I, declares emergency, ready to take over ferries |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |location=Toronto |date=25 Aug 1966 }}

1989

|Forest Fires

|Manitoba{{cite news |id={{ProQuest|1237730616}} |last1=York |first1=Geoffrey |title=Forest fires force 16,500 to flee homes: Manitoba government declares a general state of emergency |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |location=Toronto |date=24 July 1989 |page=A1 }}

|

1999

|Snow Storm

|Quebec{{cite news |id={{ProQuest|1133680531}} |last1=Balfour |first1=Clair |last2=Johnson |first2=William |title=State of emergency is proclaimed in Quebec as Island of Montreal is isolated by blizzard: Incomplete Source |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |location=Toronto |date=5 March 1999 |page=A20 }}

|

rowspan="3" |2003

|SARS outbreak

|Ontario

|Emergency Management Act{{Cite web|last=Bruton|first=Bob|date=2020-03-20|title=COVID-19 Pandemic is Ontario's 3rd state of emergency – Barrie 360Barrie 360|url=https://barrie360.com/covid-19-pandemic-is-ontarios-3rd-state-of-emergency/|access-date=2020-03-23|website=Barrie 360|language=en-US}}

Wildfires

|British Columbia

|Emergency Program Act{{Cite web|last=Infrastructure|first=Transportation and|date=2017-07-07|title=Provincial state of emergency declared|url=https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2017TRAN0196-001286|access-date=2020-03-23|website=news.gov.bc.ca}}

Northeast blackout

|Ontario

|Emergency Management ActVan Rijn, Nicholaas (August 15, 2003). "BLACKOUT: Eves declares state of emergency and warns of rolling power outages for 'weeks to come'". Toronto Star (Special ed.). Toronto.

rowspan="2" |2004

| rowspan="2" |White Juan blizzard

|Nova Scotia

|Emergency Measures Act{{Cite news|title=Storm puts Nova Scotia, PEI in state of emergency|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/storm-puts-nova-scotia-pei-instate-of-emergency/article1128331/|access-date=2020-03-23}}

Prince Edward Island

|Emergency Measures Act

2011

|Floods

|Manitoba

|Emergency Measures Act{{Cite news|title=Manitoba intensifies flood fight effort|work=CBC News|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-intensifies-flood-fight-effort-1.981873}}

2013

|Floods

|Alberta

|Emergency Management Act{{Cite web|title=Review and Analysis of the Government of Alberta's Response to and Recovery from 2013 Floods|url=http://www.aema.alberta.ca/documents/2013-flood-response-report.pdf|website=Alberta.ca|date=8 February 2024 }}

2014

|Assiniboine River flood

|Manitoba

|Emergency Measures Act {{Cite news|last=Hatherly|first=Dana|title=Manitoba to declare state of emergency due to October snowstorm|work=CBC News|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-snowstorm-premier-emergency-1.5319652}}{{Cite web|last=Gibson |first=Victoria |date=2020-03-18|title=Analysis: States of emergency across Canada, what's been done before, and what can be done now|url=https://ipolitics.ca/2020/03/18/analysis-states-of-emergency-across-canada-whats-been-done-before-and-what-can-be-done-now/|access-date=2020-03-23|website=iPolitics|language=en-US}}

rowspan="2" |2016

|Fort McMurray wildfire

|Alberta

|Emergency Management Act{{Cite web|date=2016-05-04|title=Evacuation order expanded ahead of Fort McMurray fire|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/evacuation-order-expanded-ahead-of-fort-mcmurray-fire-1.2887111|access-date=2020-03-17|website=CTVNews|language=en}}

Opioid epidemic

|British Columbia

|Public Health Act{{Cite web|last=Health|date=2020-03-17|title=Joint statement on Province of B.C.'s COVID-19 response, latest updates|url=https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020HLTH0089-000505|access-date=2020-03-23|website=news.gov.bc.ca}}{{Cite web|title=B.C. first in Canada to declare public health emergency after fentanyl overdoses - Macleans.ca|url=https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/b-c-first-in-canada-to-declare-public-health-emergency-after-fentanyl-overdoses/|access-date=2020-03-23|website=www.macleans.ca}}

2017

|Wildfires

|British Columbia

|Emergency Program Act{{Cite web|agency=The Canadian Press|date=2018-08-15|title=British Columbia declares state of emergency over wildfires - BNN Bloomberg|url=https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/british-columbia-declares-state-of-emergency-over-wildfires-1.1124046|access-date=2020-03-23|website=BNN}}{{Cite web|title=B.C. declares state of emergency over wildfires - Macleans.ca|url=https://www.macleans.ca/news/b-c-declares-state-of-emergency-over-wildfires/|access-date=2020-03-23|website=www.macleans.ca|date=15 August 2018 }}

2018

|Wildfires

|British Columbia

|Emergency Program Act{{Cite news|date=15 August 2018|title=Provincial state of emergency declared|work=BC Gov News|url=https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2018PSSG0061-001584}}

2019

|Snow storm

|Manitoba

|Emergency Measures Act{{Cite web|last=Lambert|first=Steve|date=2019-10-14|title=State of emergency in Manitoba amid unprecedented snowstorm|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/state-of-emergency-in-manitoba-amid-unprecedented-snowstorm-1.4637375|access-date=2020-03-23|website=CTVNews|language=en}}

class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"

|+List of emergency declarations in the provinces and territories 2020-

!Year

!Event

!Province/Territory

!Under the Authority of

rowspan="13" |2020

| rowspan="13" |COVID-19 pandemic

|Alberta {{refn|group=lower-alpha|Alberta has declared two states of emergency directly related to the pandemic}}

|Public Health Act{{Cite web|last=Black|first=Matthew|date=2020-03-17|title='The situation is very serious': COVID-19 pandemic prompts Alberta to declare a state of public health emergency|url=https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/the-situation-is-very-serious-covid-19-pandemic-prompts-alberta-to-declare-a-state-of-public-health-emergency-1.4856794|access-date=2020-03-17|website=Edmonton|language=en}}{{cite web |title=Alberta enacts 2nd COVID-19 state of public health emergency. Here's what it means |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7481178/alberta-covid-19-new-restrictions/ |website=Global News}}

British Columbia

|Emergency Program Act and Public Health Act{{cite news |last1=Dawson |first1=Tyler |title=As the COVID-19 pandemic hit, provinces declared states of emergency. Now many are up for renewal |url=https://nationalpost.com/news/provincial-states-of-emergencies-were-issued-a-month-ago-most-are-coming-up-for-renewal |work=National Post |date=15 April 2020 }}

Manitoba

|Emergency Measures Act{{Cite web|title=Province of Manitoba {{!}} News Releases {{!}} Manitoba Government Declares State of Emergency to Protect the Public, Reduce Spread of COVID-19|url=https://news.gov.mb.ca/news/?archive=&item=47137|access-date=2020-03-23|website=Province of Manitoba|language=en}}

New Brunswick

|Emergency Measures Act{{Cite news|title=7 things to know about NB's Emergency Measures Act|work=CBC News|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/covid-emergency-measures-act-1.5506995}}

Newfoundland and Labrador

|Public Health Protection and Promotion Act

Nova Scotia

|Health Protection Act{{Cite web|title=Nova Scotia declares state of emergency, announces 7 new cases of COVID-19|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/6714640/coronavirus-update-nova-scotia/|access-date=2020-03-23|website=Global News|language=en}}{{Cite news|last=Gorman|first=Michael|title=The powers of N.S.'s Health Protection Act and what can happen if you don't listen|work=CBC News|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/robert-strang-public-health-protection-legislation-covid-19-1.5499546}}

Ontario {{refn|group=lower-alpha|Ontario has declared three states of emergency directly related to the pandemic}}

|Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act{{Cite web|title=Ontario Enacts Declaration of Emergency to Protect the Public|url=https://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2020/03/ontario-enacts-declaration-of-emergency-to-protect-the-public.html|access-date=2020-03-23|website=news.ontario.ca|language=en}}{{cite web |title=Ontario issuing stay-at-home order, declares 3rd state of emergency amid COVID-19 pandemic |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7743332/ontario-covid-stay-at-home-order/ |website=Global News |access-date=7 April 2021}}

Prince Edward Island

|Public Health Act{{Cite web|date=2020-03-16|title=Premier announces initial financial support, declares public health emergency|url=https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/news/premier-announces-initial-financial-support-declares-public-health-emergency|access-date=2020-03-23|website=www.princeedwardisland.ca}}

Quebec

|Public Health Act{{Cite web|date=2020-03-14|title=COVID-19: Legault declares a public health emergency|url=https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/covid-19-legault-declares-a-public-health-emergency-1.4853119|access-date=2020-03-23|website=Montreal|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Québec|url=https://www.quebec.ca/en/health/health-issues/a-z/2019-coronavirus/|access-date=2020-03-23|website=www.quebec.ca|language=en}}

Saskatchewan

|Emergency Planning Act

Northwest Territories

|Public Health Act

Nunavut

|Public Health Act{{Cite news|title=Nunavut declares state of public health emergency|work=CBC News|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/public-health-emergency-nunavut-1.5501903}}

Yukon

|Civil Emergency Measures Act{{Cite web|date=2020-03-27|title=Yukon declares state of emergency in response to COVID-19|url=https://yukon.ca/en/news/yukon-declares-state-emergency-response-covid-19|access-date=2020-07-21|website=yukon.ca}}{{Cite news|title=Yukon declares public health emergency over COVID-19 pandemic|work=CBC News|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/yukon-hanley-covid-update-mar-18-1.5501711}}

rowspan="6" |2021

|Wildfires

|British Columbia

|Emergency Program Act{{Cite web|last=Brady|first=Sean|title=Provincial state of emergency declared in B.C. due to wildfires|url=https://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/news/provincial-state-of-emergency-declared-in-b-c-due-to-wildfires-1.24344372|access-date=2021-07-23|website=Kamloops This Week}}{{Cite web|last=General|first=Public Safety and Solicitor|date=2021-07-20|title=Provincial state of emergency declared {{!}} BC Gov News|url=https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2021PSSG0047-001404|access-date=2021-07-23|website=news.gov.bc.ca|language=en}}

rowspan="4" |COVID-19 pandemic

|Ontario

|Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act{{Cite web|title=Ontario Newsroom|url=https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/61029/ontario-enacts-provincial-emergency-and-stay-at-home-order|access-date=2021-09-26|website=news.ontario.ca}}

Nova Scotia

|Health Protection Act{{Cite web|last=Scotia|first=Communications Nova|date=2018-05-11|title=One New Case of COVID-19, Three Recoveries, State of Emergency Renewed|url=https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20210806002|access-date=2021-09-26|website=News Releases|language=en}}

New Brunswick

|Emergency Measures Act{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/covid-19-new-brunswick-student-transmission-school-church-proof-vaccination-1.6187922|title=N.B. COVID-19 roundup: State of emergency reinstated as 3 more deaths recorded}}

Alberta

|Public Health Act{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-covid-coronavirus-september-21-1.6183699|title=Everything you need to know about COVID-19 in Alberta on Tuesday, Sept. 21}}

Pacific Northwest floods

|British Columbia

|Emergency Program Act{{Cite web|date=17 November 2021|title=Provincial state of emergency declared|url=https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2021PSSG0073-002190|url-status=|website=BC Gov News}}

2022

| Freedom Convoy protest

|Ontario

|Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act{{cite news |last1=Carter |first1=Adam |title=Ontario declares state of emergency in response to convoy protests |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ford-announcement-ontario-protests-1.6347810 |access-date=11 February 2022 |work=CBC News}}

rowspan="4" |2023

| rowspan="3" |Wildfires

|British Columbia

|Emergency Program Act{{Cite web |last=Hall |first=Josh |title=B.C. state of emergency helps rapid response to raging wildfires: Eby |url=https://rdnewsnow.com/2023/08/19/b-c-state-of-emergency-helps-rapid-response-to-raging-wildfires-eby/ |access-date=2023-08-20 |website=rdnewsnow.com |language=en}}

Alberta

|Emergency Management Act{{Cite news |last=Pasiuk |first=Emily |title=Provincial state of emergency declared in Alberta as wildfires spread and more residents flee |work=CBC News |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-wildfires-evacuations-1.6834665}}

Northwest Territories

|Emergency Management Act{{Cite web |last=Blake· |first=Emily |date=2023-08-16 |title=Minister declares NWT-wide state of emergency |url=https://cabinradio.ca/141808/news/environment/wildfires/minister-declares-nwt-wide-state-of-emergency/ |access-date=2023-08-17 |website=cabinradio.ca |language=en-US}}

Floods

|Nova Scotia

|Emergency Management Act{{Cite web |last=Scotia |first=Communications Nova |date=2018-05-11 |title=Provincewide State of Emergency Lifted |url=https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20230726002 |access-date=2023-08-17 |website=News Releases |language=en}}

Notes

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References