As Emergency Response Assistance Canada (ERAC) marks 40 years of service supporting dangerous goods emergency preparedness and response across Canada, this spring offers an important opportunity to reflect on our progress, recognize key milestones, and look ahead to the busy months before us. Earlier this year, we released ERAC’s first Annual Report, a milestone that captures the meaningful progress we made throughout 2025. I encourage all Plan members, responders, and industry partners to take time to review the report and learn more about our achievements, successes, and the pillars that guide our work:  emergency response planning, training, and response. This report reflects the dedication of our staff, responders, and partners who support ERAC’s mission every day.

With just weeks to go, the Dangerous Goods Emergency Management (DGEM) Conference is nearly here. We are very much looking forward to welcoming Plan members, responders, and industry colleagues to Calgary this June at Hotel Arts for what promises to be an engaging and meaningful event. This conference remains an important opportunity to connect, share experiences, and strengthen relationships that support effective emergency preparedness and response across Canada. The event will also provide an opportunity to recognize the dedication and contributions of responders during the Responder Reception and Dinner on June 3.

On the operational front, our 2026 Regional Training and Assessments are underway, reinforcing our commitment to preparedness and responder readiness nationwide. During April 15 and 16, we also held a two-day firefighting training exercise in Brandon, Manitoba, which brought together 18 responders alongside members of ERAC including Yves, Lisa, Buddie, Chris, Sharlotte, Cody, Josh, and Marco. These hands‑on training opportunities remain essential to maintaining the high standards expected of ERAC response operations. Thank you to everyone who was involved in making this training event possible!

Beyond training, ERAC was pleased to participate as an exhibitor at both the Canadian Hydrogen Convention (CHC) and the Energy Safety Conference, where we had the opportunity to connect with industry partners, share our role in emergency preparedness, and engage in important conversations about emerging risks and safety leadership while bringing attention to ERAC. We were honoured to have the Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience, Eleanor Olszewski, and her team visit us at CHC and discuss the importance of the work we do throughout Canada. 

As the seasons change and we move towards summer, I want to thank all of you for your continued support, collaboration, and commitment to safety. I wish everyone a safe and productive spring and summer, and I look forward to the months ahead as we continue to build on the strong foundation of ERAC together.

I look forward to connecting with you at the DGEM conference!

Spencer Buckland
President
Emergency Response Assistance Canada

Join us at the next DGEM Conference this June at Hotel Arts. With two notable keynote speakers, retired Gen. Rick Hillier and Dan Comiskey, along with captivating presentations and incident case studies, this year’s conference is one to make time for as we commemorate 40 years of ERAC. You’re encouraged to register before the cutoff date of May 24 here.

Board Update

We extend our sincere thanks to outgoing, longtime Board member, Darlene Nagy (CPKC), for her time, leadership, and dedication in supporting ERAC’s mission and governance over the past 9 years and wish her the very best in retirement. At the same time, we are pleased to welcome aboard David Larochelle (Propane Levac), who brings valuable industry perspective and experience.

Emergency Response Assistance Canada (ERAC) was proud to be one of the organizations involved in the recent TRANSCAER event held in Calgary at CPKC. This training event provided an excellent opportunity to walk through practical response considerations for dangerous goods incidents, including a live demonstration of the hydrometer and a controlled propane burn-off by ERAC's Alberta Regional Manager/Technical Advisor, Chris Whitman. Thank you to TRANSCAER for organizing a meaningful and well-executed training event, and to CPKC for providing the location and support. These opportunities are critical to strengthening collaboration and emergency management across Canada!

ERAC recently delivered a two‑day firefighting training event in Brandon, combining classroom instruction on day one with a hands‑on live fire exercise on day two. A total of 18 responders, along with members of ERAC, including Yves, Lisa, Chris, Buddie, Josh, Sharlotte, Cody, and Marco, took part in the training. We want to sincerely thank ERAC Technical Advisor, Cody Davis for planning this event, the Manitoba Emergency Services College for providing the training location, and to Plan member, CO-OP, for generously supplying the fuel product that made the live fire exercises possible.