{"id":64273,"date":"2026-05-08T09:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T12:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelaker.ca\/?p=64224"},"modified":"2026-05-08T09:30:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T12:30:00","slug":"most-canadians-arent-ready-for-a-disaster-only-1-in-4-have-an-emergency-kit-survey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/?p=64273","title":{"rendered":"Most Canadians aren\u2019t ready for a disaster \u2014 only 1-in-4 have an emergency kit: survey"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"alignnormal\"><div id=\"metaslider-id-56501\" style=\"max-width: 600px; margin: 0 auto;\" class=\"ml-slider-3-108-0 metaslider metaslider-flex metaslider-56501 ml-slider ms-theme-default-base nav-hidden\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"Mini Header 1\" data-height=\"200\" data-width=\"600\">\n    <div id=\"metaslider_container_56501\">\n        <div id=\"metaslider_56501\">\n            <ul class='slides'>\n                <li style=\"display: block; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-63456 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2026-03-30 13:24:56\" data-filename=\"Mini-Header_Amy-Seymour200x600.jpg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.royallepage.ca\/en\/agent\/nova-scotia\/enfield\/amy-seymour\/56178\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mini-Header_Amy-Seymour200x600.jpg\" height=\"200\" width=\"600\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-56501 slide-63456 msDefaultImage\" title=\"Mini Header_Amy Seymour200x600\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-61393 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2025-12-31 14:34:23\" data-filename=\"Banner-Ad-Lightworks-2-600x200.jpg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lightworksbookkeeping.ca\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Banner-Ad-Lightworks-2-600x200.jpg\" height=\"200\" width=\"600\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-56501 slide-61393 msDefaultImage\" title=\"Banner Ad Lightworks 2\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-56502 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2025-07-06 03:55:38\" data-filename=\"Laker-Ad-2025-600-x-200-px.png\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.barracudamechanical.com\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Laker-Ad-2025-600-x-200-px.png\" height=\"200\" width=\"600\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-56501 slide-56502 msDefaultImage\" title=\"Laker Ad 2025 (600 x 200 px)\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n            <\/ul>\n        <\/div>\n        \n    <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em><strong>Canadians prioritize pets, phones, and cash <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em><strong>when evacuating disasters: First Onsite survey<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>MISSISSAUGA, ONT<\/strong>.: As wildfires, floods, and extreme storms intensify across Canada, a new survey from First Onsite Property Restoration finds that most people are not ready for them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just over one in four Canadians (28 per cent) have an emergency kit prepared\u2014even as awareness of climate-driven risk has never been higher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Released during <em>Emergency Preparedness Week<\/em> (May 3\u20139), the findings arrive as Public Safety Canada and partners are calling on Canadians to \u201c<em>Be Prepared and Know Your Risks.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The survey findings highlight a clear disconnect between awareness and action. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Three quarters of Canadians (75 per cent) say they know where to find official weather emergency information and alerts. Yet only 38 per cent feel they are prepared for a weather-related emergency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The gap is perhaps sharpest when it comes to basic preparedness. Just 36 per cent of Canadians &#8211; homeowners and businesses alike &#8211; know their local evacuation routes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>ADVERTISEMENT:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"alignnormal\"><div id=\"metaslider-id-56530\" style=\"max-width: 600px; margin: 0 auto;\" class=\"ml-slider-3-108-0 metaslider metaslider-flex metaslider-56530 ml-slider ms-theme-default-base nav-hidden nav-hidden\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"In Story Ad 2\" data-height=\"200\" data-width=\"600\">\n    <div id=\"metaslider_container_56530\">\n        <div id=\"metaslider_56530\">\n            <ul class='slides'>\n                <li style=\"display: block; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-62340 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2026-02-12 23:09:57\" data-filename=\"Eye-Exams-e1770937786634.png\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sackvilleoptometry.com\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Eye-Exams-e1770937786634.png\" height=\"200\" width=\"600\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-56530 slide-62340 msDefaultImage\" title=\"Eye Exams\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-56531 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2025-07-06 10:52:27\" data-filename=\"BLONDE_780x250-600x200.jpg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ninelocksbrewing.ca\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/BLONDE_780x250-600x200.jpg\" height=\"200\" width=\"600\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-56530 slide-56531 msDefaultImage\" title=\"BLONDE_780x250\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-60758 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2025-12-02 17:37:33\" data-filename=\"The-laker-ad-Banner-advertize-1436x578-1-e1769907115378-600x200.jpg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelaker.ca\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/The-laker-ad-Banner-advertize-1436x578-1-e1769907115378-600x200.jpg\" height=\"200\" width=\"600\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-56530 slide-60758 msDefaultImage\" title=\"The-laker-ad-Banner-advertize-1436x578\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n            <\/ul>\n        <\/div>\n        \n    <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"alignnormal\"><div id=\"metaslider-id-56526\" style=\"max-width: 600px; margin: 0 auto;\" class=\"ml-slider-3-108-0 metaslider metaslider-flex metaslider-56526 ml-slider ms-theme-default-base nav-hidden nav-hidden nav-hidden\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"In Story Ad 1\" data-height=\"200\" data-width=\"600\">\n    <div id=\"metaslider_container_56526\">\n        <div id=\"metaslider_56526\">\n            <ul class='slides'>\n                <li style=\"display: block; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-56529 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2025-07-06 10:50:06\" data-filename=\"Brian-Wong-Advert-780-x-250-600x200.jpg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/brianwongmla\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Brian-Wong-Advert-780-x-250-600x200.jpg\" height=\"200\" width=\"600\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-56526 slide-56529 msDefaultImage\" title=\"Brian-Wong-Advert-780-x-250\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-56527 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2025-07-06 10:45:43\" data-filename=\"fr-animal-hospital-1.png\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fallriveranimalhospital.ca\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/fr-animal-hospital-1.png\" height=\"200\" width=\"600\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-56526 slide-56527 msDefaultImage\" title=\"fr animal hospital 1\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-56528 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2025-07-06 10:46:57\" data-filename=\"FR-Law-mini-header-1-600x200.png\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/FR-Law-mini-header-1-600x200.png\" height=\"200\" width=\"600\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-56526 slide-56528 msDefaultImage\" title=\"FR-Law-mini-header (1)\" \/><\/li>\n            <\/ul>\n        <\/div>\n        \n    <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is striking for a country that has watched wildfires, floods, and major storms reshape communities in recent years. Two thirds of Canadians (67 per cent) believe all levels of government could be doing more on disaster preparedness, while only 44 per cent feel confident in their local authorities&#8217; disaster response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;The steps taken before a catastrophic event can define the recovery. An emergency kit, a plan, knowing your route &#8211; these are not dramatic measures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;They are what separates preparedness from panic,&#8221; said Jim Mandeville, SVP, First Onsite Property Restoration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pets, phones, and cash: What Canadians would grab on the way out<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When Canadians and business owners were asked what they would take if they had to flee, the answers revealed their true priorities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pets top the list at 51 per cent, followed by phones and laptops at 50 per cent, cash and credit cards at 47 per cent, and important documents and medication at 42 per cent each. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After the top five, the numbers drop off steeply &#8211; emergency go-bags, food, and first aid kits rank well below the instinctive grabs of pets, phones, and wallets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>ADVERTISEMENT:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"alignnormal\"><div id=\"metaslider-id-56509\" style=\"max-width: 600px; margin: 0 auto;\" class=\"ml-slider-3-108-0 metaslider metaslider-flex metaslider-56509 ml-slider ms-theme-default-base nav-hidden nav-hidden nav-hidden nav-hidden\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"EH Mini Header 1\" data-height=\"200\" data-width=\"600\">\n    <div id=\"metaslider_container_56509\">\n        <div id=\"metaslider_56509\">\n            <ul class='slides'>\n                <li style=\"display: block; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-56510 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2025-07-06 04:23:45\" data-filename=\"Anne-McFarlane-Laker-594x198.png\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.burchellmacdougall.com\/people\/anne-mcfarlane\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Anne-McFarlane-Laker-594x198.png\" height=\"200\" width=\"600\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-56509 slide-56510 msDefaultImage\" title=\"Anne McFarlane Laker\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-56513 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2025-07-06 10:07:29\" data-filename=\"ckg-local-choice-ad-600x200.jpg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ckgelevator.ca\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ckg-local-choice-ad-600x200.jpg\" height=\"200\" width=\"600\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-56509 slide-56513 msDefaultImage\" title=\"ckg-local-choice-ad\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n            <\/ul>\n        <\/div>\n        \n    <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The prominence of phones reflects how central connectivity plays a role in modern emergency response. A charged device is no longer a convenience &#8211; it is a lifeline. And while phones have become the lifeline families rely on when everything else breaks down, that instinct is far more effective when people already have a plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cKnow your key contacts before a disaster strikes &#8211; local emergency services, your insurance provider or broker, your utility companies, and a trusted restoration provider. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;In the chaos of a weather-related catastrophe, finding those numbers should be the last thing on your mind,\u201d said Mandeville.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Preparedness by the numbers: Full survey results by province<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><td><strong>Preparedness Measures &amp; Experiences<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Canada<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>B.C.<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>AB<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>MB\/SK<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>ON<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>QC<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>ATL<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Believe they are prepared for a weather-related emergency<\/td><td>38%<\/td><td>36%<\/td><td>46%<\/td><td>52%<\/td><td>37%<\/td><td>31%<\/td><td>53%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Know who to contact in a property\/weather emergency<\/td><td>60%<\/td><td>58%<\/td><td>65%<\/td><td>74%<\/td><td>59%<\/td><td>56%<\/td><td>66%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Know where to find official weather emergency info\/alerts<\/td><td>75%<\/td><td>70%<\/td><td>81%<\/td><td>89%<\/td><td>79%<\/td><td>62%<\/td><td>85%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Know evacuation routes in their area<\/td><td>36%<\/td><td>43%<\/td><td>49%<\/td><td>42%<\/td><td>33%<\/td><td>24%<\/td><td>53%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Have an emergency kit prepared<\/td><td>28%<\/td><td>35%<\/td><td>31%<\/td><td>36%<\/td><td>28%<\/td><td>19%<\/td><td>30%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Think government can better prepare for floods, fires, or storms<\/td><td>67%<\/td><td>68%<\/td><td>64%<\/td><td>62%<\/td><td>65%<\/td><td>71%<\/td><td>72%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Feel confident in local authorities\u2019 disaster response<\/td><td>44%<\/td><td>41%<\/td><td>46%<\/td><td>51%<\/td><td>42%<\/td><td>43%<\/td><td>59%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Source: First Onsite Weather and Property Survey, Angus Reid Forum, 2026. n=1,505.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Evacuation priorities: What Canadians would grab first<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><td><strong>Top Items Canadians Would Take During an Evacuation<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Canada<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>B.C.<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>AB<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>MB\/SK<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>ON<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>QC<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>ATL<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>1.&nbsp; Pets<\/td><td>51%<\/td><td>51%<\/td><td>50%<\/td><td>48%<\/td><td>52%<\/td><td>52%<\/td><td>47%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2.&nbsp; Personal communication devices (phones\/laptops)<\/td><td>50%<\/td><td>49%<\/td><td>53%<\/td><td>59%<\/td><td>50%<\/td><td>51%<\/td><td>39%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>3.&nbsp; Cash \/ credit cards<\/td><td>47%<\/td><td>42%<\/td><td>44%<\/td><td>49%<\/td><td>47%<\/td><td>47%<\/td><td>52%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>4.&nbsp; Important documents<\/td><td>42%<\/td><td>43%<\/td><td>48%<\/td><td>43%<\/td><td>40%<\/td><td>41%<\/td><td>49%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>5.&nbsp; Medication<\/td><td>42%<\/td><td>37%<\/td><td>42%<\/td><td>40%<\/td><td>43%<\/td><td>42%<\/td><td>47%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Source: First Onsite Weather and Property Survey, Angus Reid Forum, 2026. n=1,505.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>ADVERTISEMENT:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"alignnormal\"><div id=\"metaslider-id-56179\" style=\"max-width: 500px; margin: 0 auto;\" class=\"ml-slider-3-108-0 metaslider metaslider-flex metaslider-56179 ml-slider ms-theme-default-base nav-hidden nav-hidden nav-hidden nav-hidden nav-hidden\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"Biz Card\" data-height=\"200\" data-width=\"500\">\n    <div id=\"metaslider_container_56179\">\n        <div id=\"metaslider_56179\">\n            <ul class='slides'>\n                <li style=\"display: block; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-56185 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2025-06-26 16:00:31\" data-filename=\"Fall-River-Health-biz-card-1000x400.jpg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fallriverhealth.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Fall-River-Health-biz-card-1000x400.jpg\" height=\"200\" width=\"500\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-56179 slide-56185 msDefaultImage\" title=\"Fall-River-Health-biz-card\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-56181 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2025-06-26 15:55:00\" data-filename=\"FR-Guardian-Biz-card-with-phone-300-x-200-1-1000x400.png\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.guardian-ida-remedysrx.ca\/en\/nova-scotia\/fall-river\/fall-river-guardian-7001327?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=maps&amp;utm_campaign=local_presence\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/FR-Guardian-Biz-card-with-phone-300-x-200-1-1000x400.png\" height=\"200\" width=\"500\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-56179 slide-56181 msDefaultImage\" title=\"FR-Guardian-Biz-card-with-phone-300-x-200\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-56187 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2025-06-26 16:03:34\" data-filename=\"Cathy-ad-Laker-1000x400.jpg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.halifax.ca\/city-hall\/districts-councillors\/district-1\/deputy-mayor-cathy-deagle-gammon\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Cathy-ad-Laker-1000x400.jpg\" height=\"200\" width=\"500\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-56179 slide-56187 msDefaultImage\" title=\"Cathy-ad-Laker\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-56180 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2025-06-26 15:53:39\" data-filename=\"Maritime-Car-Wash-Biz-Card-300-x-200-1000x400.png\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/maritimecarwash.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Maritime-Car-Wash-Biz-Card-300-x-200-1000x400.png\" height=\"200\" width=\"500\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-56179 slide-56180 msDefaultImage\" title=\"Maritime-Car-Wash-Biz-Card-300-x-200\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-56190 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2025-06-26 16:16:30\" data-filename=\"Billy-councillor-ad-1000x400.jpg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.halifax.ca\/city-hall\/districts-councillors\/district-15\/councillor-billy-gillis\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Billy-councillor-ad-1000x400.jpg\" height=\"200\" width=\"500\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-56179 slide-56190 msDefaultImage\" title=\"Billy-councillor-ad\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-56184 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2025-06-26 15:59:09\" data-filename=\"Fourth-lock-biz-card-300-by-200-1000x400.jpg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefourthlock.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Fourth-lock-biz-card-300-by-200-1000x400.jpg\" height=\"200\" width=\"500\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-56179 slide-56184 msDefaultImage\" title=\"Fourth-lock-biz-card-300-by-200\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-56183 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2025-06-26 15:57:24\" data-filename=\"KW-Realty-Biz-card-300-x-200-1000x400.png\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/jerryandannettemurphy.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/KW-Realty-Biz-card-300-x-200-1000x400.png\" height=\"200\" width=\"500\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-56179 slide-56183 msDefaultImage\" title=\"KW-Realty-Biz-card-300-x-200\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n            <\/ul>\n        <\/div>\n        \n    <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tools for preparedness<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Emergency Preparedness Week is a timely reminder that resilience is built before a crisis, not during one. To help Canadians and businesses close the gap between awareness and action, First Onsite offers free resources, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A <a href=\"https:\/\/firstonsite.com\/resource\/disaster-supply-kit-checklist\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">disaster supply kit checklist<\/a>: Includes must-have items like food, water, medications, first aid supplies, documents, and special needs items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A <a href=\"https:\/\/firstonsite.com\/resource\/small-business-disaster-recovery-checklist\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">small-business disaster recovery checklist<\/a>: Covers everything from data backup and communications to employee safety protocols.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"alignnormal\"><div id=\"metaslider-id-56376\" style=\"max-width: 500px; margin: 0 auto;\" class=\"ml-slider-3-108-0 metaslider metaslider-flex metaslider-56376 ml-slider ms-theme-default-base nav-hidden nav-hidden nav-hidden nav-hidden nav-hidden nav-hidden\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"East Hants Biz Card\" data-height=\"200\" data-width=\"500\">\n    <div id=\"metaslider_container_56376\">\n        <div id=\"metaslider_56376\">\n            <ul class='slides'>\n                <li style=\"display: block; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-56377 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2025-07-02 11:06:46\" data-filename=\"Cup-of-Soul-Cafe-2-500x200.png\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/p\/The-Cup-of-Soul-Cafe-100063475783366\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Cup-of-Soul-Cafe-2-500x200.png\" height=\"200\" width=\"500\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-56376 slide-56377 msDefaultImage\" title=\"Cup of Soul Cafe\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-56495 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2025-07-06 03:44:40\" data-filename=\"john-a-ad-500x200.jpg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/john-a-ad-500x200.jpg\" height=\"200\" width=\"500\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-56376 slide-56495 msDefaultImage\" title=\"john a ad\" \/><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-56496 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2025-07-06 03:45:09\" data-filename=\"Brannens-Biz-Card-ad-500x200.png\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Brannens-Biz-Card-ad-500x200.png\" height=\"200\" width=\"500\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-56376 slide-56496 msDefaultImage\" title=\"Brannens-Biz-Card-ad\" \/><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-58095 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2025-08-28 12:50:18\" data-filename=\"Stacey-Ingram-Mortgage-Specialist.png\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mortgage.rbc.com\/stacey.ingraham\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Stacey-Ingram-Mortgage-Specialist.png\" height=\"200\" width=\"500\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-56376 slide-58095 msDefaultImage\" title=\"Stacey Ingram Mortgage Specialist\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-56497 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2025-07-06 03:46:11\" data-filename=\"Kody-laker-ad-500x200.jpg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Kody-laker-ad-500x200.jpg\" height=\"200\" width=\"500\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-56376 slide-56497 msDefaultImage\" title=\"Kody-laker-ad\" \/><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-56498 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2025-07-06 03:47:28\" data-filename=\"Maritime-Car-Wash-Biz-Card-300-x-200-500x200.png\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Maritime-Car-Wash-Biz-Card-300-x-200-500x200.png\" height=\"200\" width=\"500\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-56376 slide-56498 msDefaultImage\" title=\"Maritime-Car-Wash-Biz-Card-300-x-200\" \/><\/li>\n            <\/ul>\n        <\/div>\n        \n    <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"alignnormal\"><div id=\"metaslider-id-56514\" style=\"max-width: 600px; margin: 0 auto;\" class=\"ml-slider-3-108-0 metaslider metaslider-flex metaslider-56514 ml-slider ms-theme-default-base nav-hidden nav-hidden nav-hidden nav-hidden nav-hidden nav-hidden nav-hidden\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"EH Mini Header 2\" data-height=\"200\" data-width=\"600\">\n    <div id=\"metaslider_container_56514\">\n        <div id=\"metaslider_56514\">\n            <ul class='slides'>\n                <li style=\"display: block; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-56515 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2025-07-06 10:09:25\" data-filename=\"The-McCooeye-Group-Laker-News-Ad-February-2026.jpg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/themccooeyegroup.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/The-McCooeye-Group-Laker-News-Ad-February-2026.jpg\" height=\"200\" width=\"600\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-56514 slide-56515 msDefaultImage\" title=\"The McCooeye Group - Laker News Ad - February 2026\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-56516 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2025-07-06 10:11:18\" data-filename=\"GNS-cruiser-ad-600x200.jpg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gnsequipmentrentals.ca\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/GNS-cruiser-ad-600x200.jpg\" height=\"200\" width=\"600\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-56514 slide-56516 msDefaultImage\" title=\"GNS-cruiser-ad\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n            <\/ul>\n        <\/div>\n        \n    <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Canadians prioritize pets, phones, and cash when evacuating disasters: First Onsite survey MISSISSAUGA, ONT.: As wildfires, floods, and extreme storms intensify across Canada, a new survey from First Onsite Property Restoration finds that most people are not ready for them. Just over one in four Canadians (28 per cent) have an emergency kit prepared\u2014even as [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":57769,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[957],"tags":[1923,10925,10926,4932,10927,48,1261,10928,2254],"class_list":["post-64273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-canada","tag-cash","tag-disasters","tag-emergencies","tag-firstonsite","tag-n-s","tag-pets","tag-phones","tag-survey"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64273","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=64273"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64273\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/57769"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=64273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=64273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=64273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}