Amazon opens disaster relief hub in Edmonton for faster wildfire aid

Amazon has opened its first Canadian disaster relief hub inside an existing fulfillment centre in Edmonton, Alberta. The facility will hold more than 180,000 emergency items, including N95 masks, respirators, heavy‑duty boots, gloves, helmets, air purifiers and supplies for floods and tornadoes.

The hub is designed to speed delivery of aid to communities hit by wildfires, which have become longer and more severe in Canada—2023 saw 16.5 million hectares burned. Amazon will work with the Canadian Red Cross and Team Rubicon Canada; Abe Diaz, Amazon’s head of disaster relief, said the hub will enable assistance within hours rather than days. Tim Kenney, COO of Team Rubicon Canada, highlighted the benefit of pre‑positioned supplies for faster response.