Amazon has opened Canada’s first disaster relief hub, specially equipped for wildfires, near Edmonton. The hub, located at the existing YEG1 fulfillment centre in Nisku, is stocked with emergency supplies like masks, protective equipment, essential items for displaced people, and cleaning equipment. During disasters, Amazon will donate and deliver the supplies within hours to non-profit partners like the Canadian Red Cross and Team Rubicon Canada. The company in a Wednesday press release said it is responding to Alberta’s worsening wildfire seasons, but will also help during other disasters, like 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 Amazon Canada vice president and manager Eva Lorenz. Team Rubicon Canada and the Canadian Red Cross applauded Amazon for stepping up to help make disaster relief faster. Employees at the fulfillment centre can dedicate a portion of their weekly regular shifts to work for full pay in the hub. Amazon has one other wildfire relief hub in California, which it opened in 2024 and which contributed to the response to the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires. Including the Edmonton hub, the company has 12 disaster relief hubs in seven countries. Amazon says it has donated and delivered 30 million items in 200 disasters since 2017.
