York Region strengthens emergency preparedness and maintains full legislative compliance

Newmarket – York Regional Council received the 2025 Emergency Management Annual Report, highlighting how York Region continues to strengthen preparedness and maintain full compliance with provincial legislation, including the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, 2024 and Ontario Regulation 380/04.

“York Region is committed to protecting our communities and ensuring we are prepared to respond when emergencies occur,” said York Region Chairman and CEO Eric Jolliffe. “Through strong partnerships with our municipalities, emergency services and community partners, we continue to strengthen our ability to respond quickly and effectively when residents need us most.”

The report outlines key initiatives undertaken throughout the year to support emergency readiness across York Region. Activities include hazard identification and risk assessments, updates to the Regional Emergency Management Plan, training for staff and partners, emergency exercises and public education.

York Region’s 2025 risk assessment identified severe weather, cyber attacks, infectious diseases, tornadoes, flooding and telecommunications disruptions among the top threats facing the Region. More than 760 staff and partners received emergency management and incident response training last year to ensure a coordinated response during emergencies.

Regional Council also approved updates to the Region’s emergency management bylaw to ensure it continues to reflect current provincial requirements and clearly define roles and responsibilities during an emergency.

“Events like the April 2025 ice storm highlight the importance of strong planning and coordination across municipalities and agencies,” said Township of King Mayor Steve Pellegrini, Chair of the Region’s Finance and Administration. “Through ongoing training, exercises and regular updates to our policies and bylaws, York Region is strengthening its ability to respond to emergencies while continuing to deliver the essential services residents rely on.”

York Region continues to collaborate with all partners to strengthen emergency preparedness across all nine cities and towns. Residents also play a key role in staying prepared by creating an emergency management plan, assembling an emergency kit and knowing where to find reliable information during an emergency.

Learn more about how to prepare by visiting york.ca/BePrepared

The Regional Municipality of York consists of nine local cities and towns and provides a variety of programs and services to 1.29 million residents and 54,000 businesses with over 624,000 employees. More information about the Region’s key service areas is available at york.ca/RegionalServices

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Media Contact:

Kylie-Anne Doerner, Corporate Communications,
The Regional Municipality of York
Phone: 905-806-7138
[email protected]