Flooding in First Nations communities

Structural mitigation

ISC provides funding to First Nations on reserves for structural mitigation projects that reduce or prevent the impact of natural hazards and climate change on residential and community buildings, water and wastewater systems and roads.

Projects through the Capital Facilities and Maintenance Program and the First Nations Infrastructure Fund include, but are not limited to:

• dikes
• sea walls
• erosion-control measures
• drainage improvements
• structural elevation of buildings
• nature-based solutions, for example, wetland rehabilitation, living dikes, bioswales and naturalized costal restoration

Emergency Management Assistance Program

In partnership with First Nations communities, provincial and territorial governments and non-government organizations, Indigenous Services Canada's EMAP helps eligible and on-reserve First Nations communities access emergency assistance services.

EMAP provides funding to communities so they can build resiliency, prepare for natural hazards and respond to them using the four pillars of emergency management: mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.

ISC reimburses First Nations, host communities, provinces, territories and third-party emergency management providers 100 percent of eligible costs. This includes expenses for accommodation, transportation, food, clothing, security protection costs, mental health and wellness supports and emergency social supports, as well as practices that support cultural continuity.

As part of EMAP's capacity enhancement stream, ISC also invests in additional First Nations emergency management coordinators so that communities can better prepare for and respond to flood threats in a culturally-relevant way. ISC provides funding for over 320 full or part-time emergency management coordinators in in First Nations communities, tribal councils, and other First Nations organizations across the country. These dedicated positions  provide local   leadership with additional with valuable emergency preparedness and planning capacity during flooding events.   For fiscal year 2026–2027, ISC is providing $12.98 million in ongoing capacity enhancement funding to support community disaster resilience, by providing funding to First Nations, tribal councils, and Indigenous regional organizations to hire Emergency Management Coordinators.

EMAP's Non-Structural Mitigation and Preparedness funding stream can also help First Nations communities prepare for emergencies and reduce their impact. They can seek funding support to develop and test emergency management plans and to increase their capacity to respond to floods. For fiscal year 2026-2027, ISC will provide $18 million in funding to support First Nations in preparing for and mitigating against flooding events and their impacts.

ISC will continue to work with First Nations in their leading effort to build back better and prepare for possible future flooding events. Under ISC's Building Back Better Strategy, EMAP funds weather-resistant improvements to impacted infrastructure, including residential housing, to be more resilient to damage caused by floods.

Specific examples in each region are set out below.

Atlantic

(Atlantic regional office)

ISC, in coordination with Emergency Management Coordinators in Atlantic region, has developed a community of practice where information is shared, including best practices related to all-hazards emergency management preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery.

In addition to providing funding support to First Nations on reserve under the four  pillars of emergency management, ISC works collaboratively with provincial partners and other federal departments to support flood preparedness and mitigation.

New Brunswick River Watch is a dedicated water-level monitoring system and program to assist with flood planning and mitigation in the province. ISC and First Nations monitor the program, participate in provincial river watch briefings and provide situational awareness to ISC officials as needed.

In the 2025-2026 fiscal year, ISC Atlantic provided First Nations and tribal councils with financial support for preparedness and non-structural mitigation activities in Atlantic Canada supporting preparedness, resiliency and capacity. Funding in the region supported over 100 projects and includes:

• capacity supports for 43 dedicated Emergency Management positions in 33 First Nations communities and 5 tribal councils
• communication equipment such as Trunk Mobile Radios
• drone purchases, training and equipment
• updates to all hazard emergency management and incident management plans
• emergency management plan testing and exercising
• professional development for First Nations emergency management staff and teams

In Nova Scotia, each of the 13 First Nation communities have an Emergency Program Coordinator. In addition, funding is provided for two Emergency Program Coordinators for each of the two tribal councils in the province.

Through response and recovery, ISC supports First Nations on reserves in responding to imminent threats, including flooding and recovery from emergency events. If an event occurs, the Building Back Better Strategy is used to implement measures to prevent or reduce the risk of future flooding.

Quebec

(Quebec regional office)

ISC and the Government of Quebec are working bilaterally to support First Nations during disasters and are advancing coordination on disaster risk management.

ISC supports emergency preparedness activities for First Nations in Quebec, including the updating of emergency management plans, training of responders and conducting emergency management exercises.

Risk mitigation measures have been implemented in First Nations communities with financial support from ISC. These include:

• installing drainage systems in homes at risk of flooding due to high groundwater levels (Nutashkuan and Kanesatake)
• raising the foundations of homes located in areas affected by groundwater flooding (Listuguj)
• stockpiling sandbags in preparation for potential flooding (Kanesatake and Mashteuiatsh)
• installing alert systems and developing evacuation plans (Chisasibi)

In addition to these direct investments, ISC supports First Nations through the following measures and projects:

• providing funding to the Grand Council of the Waban-Aki Nation to establish an emergency management support program for First Nations
• maintaining the regional agreement with the Canadian Red Cross to support First Nations in emergency preparedness and during evacuations by delivering training and exercises related to disaster services and risk management and by planning for disaster relief services

The Ministère de la Sécurité publique du Québec is responsible for civil protection in Quebec. It supports municipalities in protecting people and property during disasters.

Ontario

(Ontario regional office)

Indigenous Services Canada supports emergency management coordinators to provide First Nations with additional capacity to plan for and deal with various natural emergencies, including flooding.

In fiscal year 2025-2026, ISC will enter year eight of a 10-year bilateral agreement with the Province of Ontario to strengthen the province's response capacity to natural hazards and events affecting First Nations, including flooding and wildfires.

In 2025-2026 fiscal year, ISC will support 33 emergency management coordinators in the following First Nations communities and organizations:

• Grassy Narrows
• Mohawk Council of Awkwesasne
• Beausoleil
• Fort Albany
• Attawapiskat
• Kashechewan
• Fort William
• Ginoogaming
• Henvey Inlet
• Sagamok
• Thessalon
• Serpent River
• Mississauga, also known as Mississauga #8
• Batchewana
• Wabaseemoong, also known as White Dog
• Nipissing
• Saugeen
• Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg, also known as Pic Mobert
• Taykwa Tagamou Nation
• Wahnapitae
• Mattagami
• Wiikwemikoong unceded territory
• Wasauksing First Nation
• Sandy Lake
• Weenusk
• Nokiiwin
• Pwi-Di-Goo-Zing Ne-Yaa-Zhing Advisory Services'
• Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corporation
• Indigenous Police Chiefs of Ontario

Note: ISC's EMAP capacity funding covers emergency management coordinators in the above communities. Other First Nations communities may be funded through other means, including service agreements.

Funding is available for First Nations and tribal councils who are interested in providing front-line support during an emergency event. Areas of training include incident management, aerial imaging, resource management and community wellbeing.

New partnerships have been established with various First Nations communities and First Nations organizations to develop Indigenous-led teams to assist and support First Nations residents when they are evacuated to host communities:

• ISC is funding two capacity positions within the Indigenous Police Chiefs of Ontario (IPCO) to assist communities in Ontario with mapping for wildfire preparedness, flood mapping and 911 services. This support is for communities that lack the internal capacity to develop these plans. IPCO can provide guidance or fully manage the entire project, depending on community needs 

ISC continues to support First Nations-led solutions designed to increase host evacuation capacity in Ontario.

Manitoba

(Manitoba regional office)

Prevention and mitigation efforts are crucial to avoiding future situations such as the severe 2011 Manitoba flood. To date, ISC has invested more than $80 million to protect Manitoba First Nations from future flooding. This included approximately $54.9 million to construct permanent dikes or make temporary dikes permanent at 11 First Nations in Manitoba:

• Berens River
• Canupawakpa
• Ebb and Flow
• Kinonjeoshtegon
• Lake Manitoba
• Little Saskatchewan
• O-Chi-Chak-Ko-Sipi
• Opaskwayak
• Poplar River
• Sandy Bay
• Sioux Valley

A permanent ring dike has also been in place at Roseau River Anishinabe First Nation since 2004.

The Province of Manitoba issues annual spring flood outlooks which ISC and First Nations in Manitoba use to evaluate and monitor for potential flooding.

Since January 2020, ISC has provided capacity enhancement funding to all 63 First Nations and seven tribal councils in Manitoba to support communities' and tribal councils' First Nations Emergency Management Coordinators.

ISC supports First Nations in Manitoba during emergency events and will activate the Canadian Red Cross, when requested by First Nations.

Saskatchewan

(Saskatchewan regional office)

ISC supports First Nations, tribal councils and First Nations organizations in Saskatchewan under the 4 pillars of emergency management on an annual basis to enhance emergency management capacity at the community level, including spring flood planning by:

• creating community emergency management leads and liaisons to provide emergency management planning, guidance and advice to leadership, the First Nations and partners
• forming community emergency management teams and committees
• developing and updating community all-hazard emergency management plans, including all-hazard risk assessments
• exercising design and related training, for example, emergency management, creating incident command systems and emergency operations centres, addressing emergency social services and training information officers
• community engagement to enhance preparedness, response and recovery capacity

Through EMAP, ISC also supports:

• Annual First Nations Emergency Management Forum, where First Nations in Saskatchewan share emergency management initiatives and experiences, lessons learned and build relationships and partnerships
• After Action Reports with First Nations, tribal councils and partners as part of post-emergency and evacuation assessments
• Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) activation and training to coordinate and manage emergency events at community level
• First Nations collaboration agreements developed with Canadian Red Cross for direct assistance during emergencies, including evacuations as well as preparedness and planning initiatives and training and exercises in risk management
• First Nations emergency social services preparedness and training
• search and recovery capacity and training

ISC uses the Building Back Better strategy to support First Nations in response and recovery to reduce community vulnerability for natural disaster related emergency events and strengthen community capacity and resilience.

ISC also supports First Nations in responding to imminent threats, such as overland flooding, by reducing excessive snowpack and opening culverts and ditches in areas historically affected by rapid snow melt. In March of every year, ISC engages with First Nations, tribal councils, federal and provincial partners and non-government organizations specific to spring flooding to evaluate and monitor for potential flooding impacts to communities.

With investments from ISC, structural mitigation projects to address flooding are also underway in:

• Beardy's and Okemasis, subdivision phase 1 and 2 drainage improvements
• Big River First Nation, establishment of reserve drainage
• Kinistin, drainage improvements
• Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation, roadway and drainage upgrades
• Mosquito, drainage improvements
• Muskoday First Nation, drainage improvements
• Muskowekwan First Nation, roadway and drainage upgrades
• Shoal Lake Cree Nation, school grounds drainage
• Star Blanket Cree Nation, community drainage at White Calf
• Whitecap Dakota First Nation, community drainage and culvert work
• Witchekan, community roads and drainage
• Zagime Anishnabek, community drainage study

Alberta

(Alberta regional office)

ISC continues to support Alberta First Nations on reserves in:

• reducing the potential for flooding that threatens residents, houses and other infrastructure
• responding to imminent threats
• recovering from flood events

ISC uses the Building Back Better Strategy to:

• support the restoration of communities and assets
• reduce the vulnerability of First Nations communities to future flood events
• strengthen community resilience to future flood events

ISC has an emergency management service agreement with the Province of Alberta. This agreement supports Alberta First Nations with on the ground support for response to events and with access to the provincial emergency coordination centre. This includes a direct provincial presence, as required, during emergency events on reserves that is integrated with the broader provincial response as well as preparedness training and emergency planning assistance.

ISC supports a number of projects on reserves specifically focused on preparedness and mitigation for overland flooding. Over the past few years, ISC has provided funding to the following initiatives in region, some are ongoing as a result of delays related to the pandemic:

• Flood hazard assessments supported through the First Nations Adapt program to identify high-risk areas and inform community planning
• Flood mapping to identify flood-prone areas, supporting emergency preparedness and land-use planning
• Flood risk mitigation studies and engineering design to evaluate vulnerabilities and develop infrastructure solutions tailored to First Nations' needs
• Implementation of flood mitigation strategies, including structural and non-structural measures, based on First Nation priorities
• Community-led floodplain and drainage planning, including master drainage plans and high-risk area assessments, to support long-term resilience
• Road drainage system reviews and planning to improve water management and reduce flood impacts on transportation infrastructure
• Support for emergency preparedness and response planning related to mass flood events, with a focus on enhancing community readiness in high-risk areas

In addition, beginning in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, capacity projects have expanded to pilots at the tribal council and treaty area levels to allow First Nations to focus on local project management and assist communities to work together and combine resources for preparedness, response and recovery. This includes ongoing collaboration and engagement for the evolution of emergency management supports available to First Nations in Alberta with discussions happening at all levels.

British Columbia

(British Columbia regional office)

ISC is committed to ensuring First Nations affected by flooding in British Columbia are safe and secure and communities are supported by coordinated emergency management response and recovery activities.

ISC has a 10-year bilateral service agreement with the BC Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness for the provision of emergency services on reserve. This agreement aims to improve the safety, security and resilience of First Nations communities in British Columbia by providing the necessary resources and support for effective emergency management.  Additionally, the First Nations' Emergency Services Society works closely with ISC, First Nations communities, Emergency Management and Climate Readiness and the First Nations Health Authority to support First Nations in preparing, mitigating, responding to and recovering from emergency events.

The First Nations Leadership Council, Indigenous Services Canada and the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness have been working together to advance the development of a new Multilateral Emergency Management Agreement that reflects the unique needs and priorities of First Nations in British Columbia. This work is directed by the resolutions passed by the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, British Columbia Assembly of First Nations and First Nations Summit to support a phased negotiation model. 

January 30, 2025 marked the conclusion of phase roman numeral 1I with outcomes that will bring immediate enhancements to emergency management funding and increase capacity for First Nations across British Columbia, including $2.5 million in new funding committed by Indigenous Services Canada to support the creation of 34 new full-time, multi-year Emergency Management Program Coordinator positions in:

• We Wai Kai First Nation
• T'Sou-ke First Nation
• Hupacasath First Nation
• Scia'new First Nation
• Ditidaht First Nation
• N'Quatqua
• Mowachaht- Muchalaht First Nation
• Esquimalt Nation
• Snuneymuxw First Nation
• Kitselas First Nation
• Skwah First Nation
• Leq'a:mel First Nation
• Kitsumkalum Band
• Chawathil First Nation
• Coldwater Indian Band
• Tzeachten First Nation
• Kitasoo Xai'xais
• Haisla Nation
• Nuxalk Nation
• Lower Nicola Indian Band
• Esk'etemc East
• Tkʼemlúps te Secwépemc
• Tsqescen First Nation
• Stswecemc'c Xgat'tem First Nation
• Saik'uz First Nation
• Skeetchestn Indian Band
• Tl'esqox
• Tl'etinqox Government
• Yunesit'in Government
• Lake Babine Nation
• Iskut
• Blueberry River First Nation
• West Moberly
• Tl'azt'en Nation

ISC additionally provides funding for regional Emergency Management Coordinator positions in the following organizations:

• First Nations Leadership Council and First Nations Summit Society
• 3Nations Society
• Nuu-chah nulth Tribal Council
• Le7 te Melámen Health Society Tŝilhqot'in National Government
• Nlaka'pamux Health Services Society
• Ktunaxa Tribal Council
• St'át'imc Tribal Council, Lilloeet Tribal Council
• Syilx Tribal Council, Okanagan Nation Alliance
• Naut'sa mawt Tribal Council
• Emergency Planning Secretariat
• The Secretariat of the Haida Nation

The regional Emergency Management Coordinators support 109 First Nations communities in British Columbia.

ISC supports flood mitigation projects through the Capital Facilities Maintenance Program and the First Nations Infrastructure Fund while Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) has the First Nations Adapt Program.

Since 2016, ISC has provided $85 million to fund 81 Structural Mitigation projects across the province.

Design and construction stage projects are in progress in the following First Nations:

• Bonaparte First Nation
• Chawathil
• Cowichan
• Esk'etemc
• Gitanmaax
• Gwa'Sala-Nakwaxda'xw
• K'ómoks First Nation
• Kwadacha Nation
• Kwantlen First Nation
• Leq'á:mel First Nation
• Lil'wat Nation
• Lower Similkameen
• Metlakatla First Nation
• Nisga'a Village of Laxgalt'sap
• Nooaitch
• Old Massett Village Council
• Peters First Nation
• Samahquam
• Seabird Island
• Simpcw First Nation
• Skidegate
• Sqwá First NationSonghees Nation
• Stellat'en First Nation
• Stz'uminus First Nation
• Toquaht First Nation
• Ts'kw'aylaxw First Nation
• Tsq'escen' First Nation
• Whispering Pines/Clinton Indian Band

In addition, 29 feasibility stage projects are also in progress in 27 First Nations.

• Emergency Planning Secretariat | Home | Abbotsford, BC

Yukon

(Yukon regional office)

ISC works with 14 Yukon First Nations and three First Nations located in northern British Columbia.

The regional office is working with the Government of Yukon's Emergency Measures Organization (EMO) to negotiate a new 3-year bilateral service agreement for the provision of emergency services to Yukon First Nations.

Additionally, work is underway by ISC towards supporting Emergency Management Coordinators in four First Nations communities, with a goal of increasing the number of coordinators/communities served as additional funding becomes available in the region.

While this work takes place, ISC works with all 17 First Nations and the Government of Yukon, as needed, on all aspects of emergency management including mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.

In the 2025-2026 fiscal year, 10 of 17 First Nations in Yukon and northern British Columbia region received EMAP funding:

• Yukon:
  • Carcross/Tagish First Nation
  • Kwanlin Dün First Nation
  • Liard First Nation
  • First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun
  • Ross River Dena Council
  •  Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in 
  • Ta'an Kwäch'än Council
  • Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation
• British Columbia:
  • Daylu Dena Council
  • Taku River Tlingit First Nation

EMAP funding supports and enhances emergency management capacity at the community level, including spring flood planning, through eligible investments and activities such as:

• investments in equipment for emergency preparedness and mitigation such as:
  • handbooks
  • computers
  • printers
  • storage for emergency equipment
  • updating obsoleted emergency information or status display
  • communications equipment and purchase of a siren
• development of local resource inventories
• maintenance of emergency equipment
• development and updating of community all-hazard emergency management plans, including all-hazard risk assessments
• training and testing of emergency plans through table-top exercises and evaluation of plans including:
  • basic emergency management
  • creating incident command systems
  • creating emergency operations centres
  • addressing emergency social services
  • training information officers
• roles and responsibility training, guidance and advice to leadership, including governance and partner roles
• community engagement through testing of plans to enhance preparedness, response and recovery capacity