The City of Ottawa has entered a formal partnership with the Canadian Red Cross, making it the lead non-governmental organization for flood recovery. That means the Red Cross will now accept donations from the public to help the thousands of residents affected by the flash flooding on Canada Day, when as much as 167 millimetres of rain hit some neighbourhoods in the span of just a few hours. As of Wednesday’s city council meeting, over 6,000 flooded basements have been reported to the city. The Red Cross 2026 Ottawa Flood Appeal donation campaign will see funds go towards relief, recovery, and preparation for future natural disasters, while also supporting partner agencies. The agreement between the city and the Red Cross will last for six months, and the city will contribute a maximum of $400,000.
Air quality warnings have been lifted from Ottawa, and the smoke from wildfires is expected to subside in some parts of southern Ontario today. Environment Canada says conditions could improve temporarily for some areas today, but persist into the weekend for others. Meanwhile, Ontario Emergency Preparedness Minister Jill Dunlop said that 15 communities in the north have started evacuations or are considering them. Dunlop said it’s likely there will be simultaneous evacuations that need to be done by air, with several communities inaccessible by road. The minister asked for federal assistance as crews battle more than 180 wildfires burning across northern Ontario.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced the federal government plans to spend $2 billion over the next four years on made-in-Canada armoured vehicles. Carney announced the deal Thursday in London, Ont., at General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada, an aerospace and defence contractor whose parent company is headquartered in the United States. Every vehicle will be built at the company’s Ontario factory with parts sourced from providers across the country, and an estimated 6,000 jobs will be created over the next eight years as a result of the deal. The planned addition of 190 armoured combat support vehicles will bring the Canadian Armed Forces’ total fleet up to 550 vehicles. The new vehicles will be used in training exercises at military bases across the country.
