Flooding in Eastern Canada
Widespread flooding in Ontario, Quebec and parts of the Maritimes led to evacuations and multiple boil water and “do not consume” advisories this spring.
At the request of local volunteers, SafelyFed Canada prepared a series of public messages for parents and caregivers, with resources in French and English. Messages focussed on early evacuation, dealing with unsafe water and clean-up.
In addition, the team provided support to local public health and emergency responders to ensure that the needs of infants and young children were addressed. SafelyFed Canada will continue to work with local volunteers, experts and emergency managers as well as public health staff to safeguard infants, young children and their families during floods from evacuation through recovery.
Practice makes perfect: Baby-Child Unit Exercises
Our partners at the Regional Municipality of Wood-Buffalo have been practicing deploying the Baby-Child Unit that was born out of the first phase of the Canadian Red Cross-funded Infant Feeding in Emergencies project.
On March 12, Jodine Chase joined volunteers and staff from Emergency Social Services and their partner organizations for a full exercise at the Conklin Multiplex. On May 8, Michelle Pensa Branco joined an activation exercise at the Legion in Fort McMurray along with a large delegation from the Provincial Family and Community Social Services (FCSS). At both exercises, we had the opportunity to practice and refine the operations of the Baby-Child Unit.
Exercises are planned in several more rural communities throughout 2019: stay tuned!
Where you’ll find us over the next few months
May 8 ESS Exercise Fort McMurray, AB
May 13-15 OMSSA 2019 Leadership Symposium Thunder Bay, ON
May 26-28 AQC Grande Conférence Vaudreuil-sur–Dorion, QC
Jun 3-6 Women Deliver Vancouver, BC
Oct 1-3 National BFI Symposium Yellowknife, NWT
Oct 25-27 CLCA Conference Richmond, BC
Nov 11-15 World Breastfeeding Congress Rio de Janiero, Brazil
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