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When the COVID-19 pandemic was declared a year ago, it didn’t take long for newcomers to Canada to start knocking harder on the door of the Battlefords Immigration Resource Centre in Saskatchewan.
“People were being laid off from work. Families were struggling to make ends meet. One lady was crying. She had no food to feed her family. We basically pulled funding out of our reserve fund and gave her some money."

The Canadian Red Cross was founded in 1896, and since the very beginning women played a crucial role. To mark International Women's Day on March 8, we‘re going  back in time from the beginning of the Red Cross to celebrate the victories, big and small, of women in Canada.

It is Carmen Ferrer’s job to help meet the needs of people who have lost so much in the wake of disasters. As Head of Emergency Operations, she’s responsible for managing the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) regional response to Hurricanes Eta and Iota. Read how she became a leader.

Fifty-two years ago, on March 4, 1971, part of Quebec was paralyzed by the ‘storm of the century’. Although several other powerful storms occurred in the 20th century, including the very memorable 1998 ice storm, the 1971 storm took the title due to a particularly intense mix of harsh conditions. Here are other historic snowstorms from across the country.

Feeling lonely? It’s expected – and many people are feeling this way right now. Fortunately, there are things you can do. Here’s four tips on helping yourself and others.
 

Maybe it’s happened to you: You’re skating along the frozen surface of a lake, when CRACK! You see a fracture in the ice shoot out from under your skates. Suddenly you’re wondering… How thick is this ice? Should I be this far out? Tips from Canadian Red Cross ice safety expert Lynn Kolba for having a safe day on the ice.

Join us from March 1-31 for the #21DaysOfWellness challenge on Twitter!

COVID-19 has made things extra tough this year. It is more important than ever to find activities to help care for your mental health.

Doing something for 21 days is a great way to start a habit of taking care of yourself and working to build your resilience.

When Mark Pettitt fundraises for his local United Way in Estevan, Saskatchewan, he always tells people that giving is important because, “you never know when you might be the one needing help.”
Little did he know that he would need assistance from the Canadian Red Cross, one of the organizations supported by the United Way Estevan, when an October fire forced his family out of their home in the middle of the night.