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The holidays can be difficult for some, including those who have experienced an emergency or disaster such as wildfires and flooding that affected many throughout the country this year. We’ve gathered some information on stress as well as tips for taking care of yourself and others during the holidays in this booklet, Moving through Recovery: a guide during the holidays.

Knowledge, equipment, and skill. Those are the three things that can help you stay safe on the ice and survive if you fall through it. That’s according to Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht, who operates the Laboratory for Exercise and Environmental Medicine at the University of Manitoba and was the keynote speaker at the 8^th Annual Red Cross Alberta Water Safety Conference in Calgary.

What began as an online search for a mannequin to be used in a small display of historical items at our Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, building has reacquainted us with a long-retired volunteer who had an exceptional history with the Canadian Red Cross in Nova Scotia.

This past year was marked by an unprecedented number of disasters both at home and around the world. In Canada alone, we assisted more than 150,000 people who were affected by disasters such as ice storms, floods and devastating wildfires.

“The stress and anguish (people) go through, especially right after a disaster, and the emotional toll it takes to recover or deal with the situation – it affects everyone,” says Angelo Leo.  The Canadian Red Cross humanitarian from Vancouver has helped people impacted by disasters and emergencies as far away as Nepal, Bangladesh, and the Philippines. But this summer, he volunteered to help much closer to home. Leo is part of the Red Cross Safety and Well-being team and he went to Williams Lake to help people work through the trauma left behind by the massive wildfires that swept across much of British Columbia.

When everyday health emergencies occur, we can sometimes feel overwhelmed in the moment – but it’s important to be prepared in order to spring into action to save a life.  In our recent ‘What To Do If’ series, we discussed what to do if someone is experiencing a panic attack; now we’re taking a look at what to do if someone around you appears to be having a heart attack.

Earlier this year, Canadian Red Cross teams assisted refugee claimants throughout Canada. Restoring Family Links (RFL) services were provided at the border in Saint-Bernard de Lacolle, Quebec 24 hours a day to connect people with their families, wherever they may be. 

When a blizzard left some Red Crossers stranded in Nunavut, they decided to use it as an opportunity instead and ended up offering a psychological first aid course in their hotel for their fellow stranded travellers and whoever was interested.