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Online}}] was enacted in 1951 and renamed the Emergency Program Act in 1973.[{{Cite web|title=Table of Statutes - Repealed, Replaced and Renamed|url=http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/content/tos/tos/?xsl=/templates/browse.xsl|access-date=2020-03-23|website=www.bclaws.ca}}]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 Act[Van 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}}] |