Amazon has launched Canada’s first dedicated disaster relief hub, designed specifically to respond to wildfires, near Edmonton.
The new hub is housed within the company’s existing YEG1 fulfillment centre in Nisku. It is pre-stocked with essential emergency supplies, including masks, protective gear, items for displaced residents, and cleaning equipment.
In the event of a disaster, Amazon will rapidly donate and deliver these supplies — often within hours — to humanitarian partners such as the Canadian Red Cross and Team Rubicon Canada.
The initiative comes as Alberta faces increasingly severe wildfire seasons. While wildfires are the primary focus, the hub will also support relief efforts for other emergencies, including floods and tornadoes.
“By dedicating a portion of an existing facility where we deliver for customers every day, we can also serve communities when disaster strikes, responding in hours, not days,” said Eva Lorenz, Vice President and General Manager of Amazon Canada.
Both Team Rubicon Canada and the Canadian Red Cross welcomed the move, praising Amazon’s contribution to faster and more efficient disaster response.
Fulfillment centre employees will also have the opportunity to volunteer in the hub for a portion of their regular weekly shifts while receiving full pay.
Amazon previously opened a similar wildfire-focused relief hub in California in 2024, which supported response efforts during the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.
With the addition of the Alberta site, the company now operates 12 disaster relief hubs across seven countries.
Since 2017, Amazon says it has donated and delivered more than 30 million items to assist in over 200 disasters worldwide.
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