Amazon has announced the opening of its first Disaster Relief hub in Canada, dedicating a portion of an existing Amazon fulfillment centre in Edmonton to supporting Canadian communities before, during, and following major disasters.
The e-commerce giant said that the hub will specialize in wildfire response, stocking and donating supplies that nonprofits and responders need most. The company says it is operational now, and that a grand opening is planned for October 2026 once the facility reaches full capacity of 180,000 emergency supplies.
Amazon Canada will work with the Canadian Red Cross and Team Rubicon Canada to donate and deliver supplies within hours of a disaster from the Canada hub.
These supplies include Air Purifiers and N95 masks, heavy-duty boots and gloves, respirators, helmets, goggles, and sifters.
The hub will also be restocked to respond to additional disasters, including floods and tornadoes. It will contain general disaster relief supplies like cleaning equipment and necessary supplies for displaced families (diapers, wipes, strollers).
To keep the facility ready year-round, Amazon associates at the Edmonton Fulfilment Centre have the opportunity to dedicate part of their shifts each week to fully paid work supporting the hub. This includes receiving, sorting, and organizing relief supplies.
The company has also noted that it is monitoring the current wildfire situation closely, and is “ready to respond when our non-profit partners need us.” Amazon also noted that the last three fire seasons have been among the 10 worst on record, with the 2023 season being the most destructive, consuming 16.5 million hectares.
This new hub comes as both Google and Amazon reported increased emissions due to data centres, which Mobilesyrup’s Gaming Editor Brad Shankar pointed out goes against the net zero targets that both companies have set for themselves. This is also not the first disaster relief hub the company has, as it tripled wildfire safety supplies at its US hub following the California wildfires back in January.
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