Atlantic Canada faces a shortage of disaster volunteers despite frequent hurricanes, floods, and extreme weather events. Fewer people in this region engage in disaster response compared to other parts of the country, creating significant gaps in emergency preparedness and recovery efforts.
With the Humanitarian Workforce (HWF) program set to expire in just over a year, disaster response gaps may widen further. This federally funded program supports organizations like Team Rubicon Canada, The Salvation Army, and the Canadian Red Cross, providing essential resources for recruiting, training, and deploying volunteers. Without federal renewal, these organizations will lose funding, making it harder to respond effectively when disasters occur.
The Nova Scotia Guard was recently introduced as a provincial disaster response initiative in Nova Scotia. However, like the Ontario Guard, it faces many of the same volunteer recruitment and retention challenges. The Nova Scotia Guard is designed to strengthen local response efforts. Yet, it will struggle to succeed if barriers to volunteer engagement remain unaddressed. Without proper investment, training accessibility, and financial support for volunteers, this program risks following the same path as other volunteer-based workforce initiatives—understaffed and underfunded when needed most.
My recent research on disaster volunteerism through Royal Roads University found that only 16% of participants were from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador, the lowest engagement rate nationwide. However, 95% of participants reported wanting to help others, the highest proportion in the country. The issue isn’t willingness—it’s access to training, resources, and support.
Training requirements and scheduling conflicts remain significant obstacles. Nearly half of the participants cited training barriers, with many stating that disaster response NGOs do not offer accessible options in rural areas. Without flexible and localized training, many potential volunteers are excluded from participating.
Transportation challenges also limit volunteer engagement. Many rural participants struggle to access training sites, making it nearly impossible to become disaster responders. If HWF funding is not renewed, training opportunities could shrink even further, exacerbating volunteer shortages in Atlantic Canada. Similarly, suppose the Nova Scotia Guard does not receive adequate support and policy adjustments. In that case, it will face the same limitations as the federal program, failing to create a strong network of volunteers.
Without renewal, disaster response capacity in Atlantic Canada will be severely weakened. Expanding training opportunities, addressing rural volunteers’ barriers, and offering financial incentives could be critical steps before federal government support expires.
We should be asking our government leaders if the HWF will be renewed. If not, how will our leaders prepare Atlantic Canada for the next major disaster?
Note: The earlier summaries of my study focuses on the regional variations which people reported facing when volunteering with NGOs involved in the Humanitarian Workforce (HWF) program. This fourth summary collates the regional variations of barriers reported by people with disabilities.
Links to the related summaries:
Western Canada faces growing need for disaster volunteers as key disaster response program nears expiry.
Volunteering in Central Canada: A Workforce in Need of Change Before Disaster Response Program Ends
Why Are Canadians with Disabilities Left Out of Disaster Response?
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