Forum Registration / Continental Breakfast

Opening Ceremonies

Facilitator: Gina Doxtator – Agenda & Introductions • Rose Beaudoin, Traditional Algonquin Elder • Lawrence Courtoreille, AFN Knowledge Keeper

Welcome Address

Chief Dylan Whiteduck, Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg

Setting the Context

AFN Regional Chief Gerald Antoine (NWT), EM Portfolio Holder

Presentation by Government of Canada

Sherry Romanado, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness (virtual)

HEALTH BREAK

Plenary #1 – Government of Canada:

Joanne Wilkinson, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Indigenous Services Canada

Facilitator: Gina Doxtator – Review of Agenda/ Announcements

Plenary #2 - Are we Ready? Accessibility Legislation and Emergency Response Planning (with) First Nations Persons with Disabilities

Presenters: Marie Frawley-Henry, Senior Policy Analyst - AFN and Marsha Ireland, Oneida Sign Language Advocate - Oneida First Nation The Accessible Canada Act (ACA) was introduced in 2019, and First Nations will be subject to the ACA in 2026. The AFN is advocating for an extension beyond 2026 to support First Nations engagements. Participants will be informed by recent national survey findings on the specialized needs of persons with disabilities in emergency planning and evacuation.

Lunch provided

Plenary #3 - Relationship Protocol and Supporting First Nations

Presenter(s): Amy Avis and Shelley Cardinal - Canadian Red Cross

Plenary #4 - Governance and Legislation in Emergency Management

Presenter(s): Lloyd Philips, Arnold Lazare, Ryan Montour and Dennis Diabo - Mohawk Council of Kahnawàke Kahnawake has experienced several major incidents over the years including the summer of 1990, an ice storm in 1998, and most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, the community has been proactive and has adopted an Emergency Preparedness Law. This presentation will review how the law contributes to establishing clear direction and authority during all-hazard events, which results in effective response and recovery and supports resilience in the community. Successes as well as lessons learned will be documented.

HEALTH BREAK

CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS

scheduleConcurrent Activity

Workshop #1 - Canadian Council of Forest Ministers Wildland Fire Management Working Group (CCFM WFMWG): Canadian Wildland Fire Prevention and Mitigation Strategy

Presenter: Mike Norton, CCFM WFMWG Co-chair, and Director General, Northern Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada The escalating threat of wildland fires in Canada poses a significant risk to thousands of lives, communities, and livelihoods. Strengthening resilience requires a collective effort to learn, prevent, mitigate, and coexist with wildland fires. The Canadian Council of Forest Ministers is working on developing the country’s first Canadian Wildland Fire Prevention and Mitigation Strategy using a whole-ofsociety approach. Indigenous Peoples and their knowledge must be recognized, respected, and included in Canada’s wildland fire management. During the workshop, participants will have an opportunity to provide feedback to strengthen elements of the draft Strategy and enhance Canada’s resilience to wildland fires.

scheduleConcurrent Activity

Workshop #2 – How Can First Nations Prepare for the Worst Emergencies? An Independent First Nations Alliance (IFNA) Story

Presenter(s); Mathew Hoppe - Chief Executive Officer and Linda Debassige, IFNA The presentation will share a Tribal Council’s approach to supporting road and remote access for First Nations during past social emergencies and community-wide evacuations due to forest fires. IFNA’s approach to protecting community membership through an Integrated Emergency Services approach will highlight the residential smoke detector program within five communities, outline innovative community fire suppression tactics and share its regional fire rescue framework model.

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Workshop #3 – Earthquake Early Warning for Disaster Risk Reduction in Canada (30 minutes in length)

Presenter: Henry Seywerd – Natural Resources Canada Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is developing a national Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) system for at-risk regions of Canada, focused on western British Columbia, eastern Ontario, and southern Quebec. EEW will provide advance notification (seconds to tens-of-seconds) of strong ground motion, allowing for protective actions by emergency measures organizations, critical infrastructure operators, other industrial facilities, and the public. Automated systems can be triggered by EEW to open doors, sound alarms, close valves, stop hazardous machinery, and halt trains. People will be alerted by the National Public Alerting System to Drop, Cover, and Hold on to protect themselves from falling debris.

BREAK (Transition to Next Workshop)

CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS

scheduleConcurrent Activity

Workshop #4 – Are we Ready? Accessibility Legislation and Emergency Response Planning (with) First Nations Persons with Disabilities

Presenters: Marie Frawley-Henry, Senior Policy Analyst - AFN and Marsha Ireland, Oneida Sign Language Advocate - Oneida First Nation The Accessible Canada Act (ACA) was introduced in 2019, and First Nations will be subject to the ACA in 2026. The AFN is advocating for an extension beyond 2026 to support First Nations engagements. Participants will be informed by recent national survey findings on the specialised needs of persons with disabilities in emergency planning and evacuation. This will be an interactive session with Marsha Ireland, and participants will learn basic sign language and how to include the unique needs of persons with different abilities and disabilities in emergency planning. Participants will take away best practices for effective emergency response planning in First Nations to meet the tailored needs of all individuals in First Nations for all types of emergencies.

scheduleConcurrent Activity

Workshop #5 – Stronger Together - Evacuation Partnerships

Presenter(s): Bree Boyer, Sonya Cloutier, Michelle Gervais, and Maia Foster- Sanchez The Stronger Together approach was developed to address challenges faced by evacuated First Nations and under-resourced host communities in Ontario. The model promotes relationship- and trust-building between First Nations and nearby partners to complement one another’s existing knowledge and capabilities. While the approach was envisioned for collaborative and culturally responsive host operations, it can be applied to all emergency management contexts, whether it be multiple First Nations or a First Nations community and a municipality working together. Speakers will share experiences of capacity and relationship-building across northeastern Ontario, both in hosting operations and enhancing regional capacity. Delegates will receive access to an on-line toolkit that provides the Stronger Together framework.

scheduleConcurrent Activity

Workshop #6 - Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada: Humanitarian Workforce Project

Presenter(s): Lawrence Conway

scheduleConcurrent Activity

END OF DAY

Forum Registration / Continental Breakfast

Facilitator: Gina Doxtator - Morning Review & Agenda

Plenary #5 - Indigenous Services Canada

Kenza El Bied, Director General, Policy and Outreach

Plenary #6 - Public Health Agency of Canada

Dr. Theresa Tam, Chief Public Health Officer of Canada (virtual message)

Plenary #7 - Indigenous Services Canada – Emergency Management Directorate (EMD)

James Moxon, Director General – EMD, and Dr. Tom Wong, Chief Science Officer, FNIHB

HEALTH BREAK

Address by National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, Assembly of First Nations

Plenary #8 - Sources of Strength When Help Never Comes

Presenter(s): Rosalita Whitehair, Diné Nation, Indigenous Disaster Response & Recovery Advocate, Disaster Policy SME/Contributor to Preparing Our Home

CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS

scheduleConcurrent Activity

Workshop #7 - Building Capacity and Resilience in the Face of Wildfires and Floods

Presenter(s): Jordan Porfeit, Nick Mauro and Jesse Latoski and Wilfred Johnston, Yukon First Nations Wildfire Yukon First Nations Wildfire’s (YFNW) workshop, “Building Capacity and Resilience in the Face of Wildfires and Floods,” introduces participants to the significant natural threats in remote areas, and how to action them. YFNW’s goal is to cultivate multi-dimensional responders capable of effectively addressing diverse challenges. This workshop showcases ideas and real-world examples of strengthening community resilience, fostering adaptable leadership, and instilling sustainable practices.

scheduleConcurrent Activity

Workshop #8 - Preparing Our Home: First Nations Youth in Emergency Management

Presenter(s): Brent Boissoneau - Mattagami First Nation, Aaliyah Calliou - Whitefish Lake First Nation #459, Sheena Charles - Stanley Mission, Bailey Chartrand-Tait – Norway House, Jeremiah Louis - Takla Nation, Sheri Lysons - Adams Lake Indian Band, Mia McDonald - Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, Santana Dreaver-Kinistin Saulteaux Nation/Mistawasis Nehiyawak, Shalyn Pigeon - Ashcroft Indian Band, Tessa Thomas – Mattagami First Nation and Lily Yumagulova - Preparing Our Home Preparing Our Home is an award-winning program that empowers Indigenous Youth to become emergency preparedness leaders in their communities. Join us for a Preparing Our Home session where First Nations youth, youth workers and Mentors (seasoned emergency managers) from across Turtle Island will share stories and advice for intergenerational emergency management. You will learn about community engagement, youth-led programming, and training opportunities. We will cover topics and offer resources for community emergency preparedness workshops, tabletop exercises, First Nations-led recovery, and evacuation planning. A strong focus will be placed on the importance of mentorship, peer-to-peer and nation-to-nation learning. To learn more visit: www.preparingourhome.ca.

scheduleConcurrent Activity

Workshop #9 - How to Develop a Strong Emergency Coordinator Position in your Community

Presenter(s): Marc D’Aquino and Paul Berry As community’s emergency programs grow, we will need to support the program with a key position, Emergency Program Coordinator. In this session, the presenters will share with you a process of capacity development to ensure success in this position. The development of the position will require strong commitment from community leadership that will include guidance and financial planning. In Canada, they foster the 4 pillars approach to Emergency Management; Preparedness, Mitigation, Response and Recovery, during this session the presenters will share how this process is a guiding factor to the position development.

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LUNCH

Plenary #9 - Out of the Ashes: Rebuilding Lytton First Nation

Presenter(s): Patrick Michel (virtual presentation)

CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS

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Workshop #10 – Holistic Emergency Preparedness & Response (HEPR): Skills for High-Stress Operations

Presenter(s): Cam Challenger, HEPR, and Paul Berry, HEPR What makes an emergency or disaster “high stress”? How do we make good decisions, when we don’t have all the information we want and there is no time to think? What if we are faced with a situation we have never encountered before and know little? Stress is a very personal experience. A stressor for one person could be a normal day for another. Skills for High-Stress Operations is a workshop to help us explore stress and some tools we could use to manage this emotion, when the stakes are high, and the pressure is on.

scheduleConcurrent Activity

Workshop #11 - Community-Driven Disaster Risk Reduction

Presenter(s): Dr. Etsuko Yasui - Brandon University

scheduleConcurrent Activity

Workshop #12 - Integrating Health into Emergency Management

Presenter(s): Marlene Larocque – AFN and Ardamanreet Dhillon – Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) First Nations in Canada live with the consequences of health inequities, which shape community readiness and capacity to prepare for and respond to floods, wildfires, severe storms, and pandemics. The compromised health status of First Nations compels the necessity to include appropriate measures to advance health considerations into Emergency Management assessments, protocols, and planning tools. Marlene Larocque from the AFN Health Sector will apply a health lens on emergency preparedness. This presentation will highlight the opportunities to integrate proactive measures that support individual and community wellness during Emergencies and reflect on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. Daman Dhillon from ISC will provide an overview of the Health Emergency Management program and supports available to prepare for and respond to health emergencies.

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Workshop #13 - CN Emergency Resources and Outreach Opportunities

Presenter(s): Steven Santelli

scheduleConcurrent Activity

CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS

scheduleConcurrent Activity

Workshop #14 – Adapting to Climate Change: Multi-Sector Approaches to Emergency Management

Moderator: Nathan Polard-Yopek - AFN Presenters: Melissa White and Natalie Dube – AFN Climate change is changing everything - our communities, the land, and the ways we prepare for hazards are being outpaced by the devasting impacts of the climate crisis. As we seek to increase our resilience to the increasingly severe, frequent, unpredictable, and now inevitable risks we will face each year, we need to consider every possible angle for advantage as we continue to adapt. Moderated by Nathan Polard-Yopek (AFN), please join Melissa White, and Natalie Dube as they discuss multi-sectoral approaches to combatting climate change. Leveraging knowledge from other disciplines and applying it to our emergency management preparations and responses will increase our ability to form new partnerships and generate new understanding of what can be done to manage the ever-changing environment and protect our peoples and lands for a future seven generations and beyond.

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Workshop #15 – Health, Wellness and Culture in Emergency Managementthe First Nations Health Authority Approach

Presenter(s): Jodie Millward and Shalyn Pigeon, First Nations Health Authority The First Nations Health Authority will share about how we structure our response to both environmental and health emergencies in partnership with First Nations communities and response partners across the province to bring health, wellness and culture to those when they need it most. This will include the story of last year’s wildfire response in the Interior region of B.C.

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Workshop #16 - First Nations Home Flood Insurance Needs: Implications for Allyship and Emergency Management

Presenters: Dr. Brenda Murphy, Coachhouse Enterprises Inc., and Kevin Smart, Risk Mitigation Strategies Inc. This presentation provides an overview of the recently completed AFN project focused on First Nations Flood Insurance needs that involved First Nations participants and industry experts from across Canada. Dr. Murphy will present findings from the final report, First Nations Home-Flood Insurance Needs Initiative (June 2022) and will discuss how non-Indigenous researchers can use ideas such as ‘two-eyed seeing’ to think about how allies can contribute to decolonizing EM approaches. Kevin Smart will summarize insurance findings from the final report and relate them to emergency management of disaster events. This research was awarded the Emergency Management Exemplary Service Award – Resilient Communities by Public Safety Canada in 2022.

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Workshop #17 - First Nations Emergency Response Association (FNERA)

Presenter(s): Darrin Spence, IFNA First Nation Emergency Response Association are a group of Emergency Management Professionals who work directly with First Nation Communities in the Province of Ontario. FNERA board members work collaboratively with leadership and communities, government and non-governmental agencies with the goal to have Indigenous-led services across all pillars of Emergency Management.

scheduleConcurrent Activity

END OF DAY

Continental Breakfast

Facilitator: Gina Doxtator - Morning Review & Agenda

Plenary #10 - Canadian Red Cross – Inclusive Resilience Project: Indigenous Learnings

Presenter(s): Sarah Rain, Canadian Red Cross

HEALTH BREAK

Plenary #11 – Federation of Saskatchewan Indigenous Nations (FSIN) The Talking Stick App

Presenter(s): Carey T. O’Soup, Executive Director, Emergency Management - FSIN and John MacBeth, Chief Executive Officer, TryCycle Data Systems

Closing Remarks

Gina Doxtator, Forum Facilitator

Closing Ceremonies

Lawrence Courtoreille, AFN Knowledge Keeper and Rose Beaudoin, Traditional Algonquin Elder

FORUM CONCLUDES