August 14, 2024 — Millbrook First Nation, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People, Nova Scotia — Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) and The Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq (CMM)

First Nation governments are playing a leading role in assessing the immediate needs of their communities and determining the appropriate course of action during emergencies. As emergency events such as wildfires, floods, hurricanes, and snow storms are increasing in frequency and severity, having dedicated community-level emergency management coordinators is vital. Furthermore, the Government of Canada is advancing towards establishing multilateral emergency management service agreements that include First Nations as full and equal partners and support First Nations-led emergency management.

Today, Angeline Gillis, Executive Director of the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq, and Jenica Atwin, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services, announced funding to hire 8 new emergency management coordinators for the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq member communities in Nova Scotia.

A total of $2.4 million over five years will be provided to the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq for the enhancement of emergency management assistance in communities. More specifically, with this announcement, 8 First Nation communities in Nova Scotia will be able to better prepare for and respond to emergency events quickly and in a culturally relevant way while having access to emergency response services comparable to other residents in their jurisdiction.