Wilderness Safety & Survival Resources

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Wilderness Survival Schools

Public Safety Canada: 72 hours… Is Your Family Prepared?
A collaboration between the Federal government, the Canadian Red Cross, St. John’s Ambulance, and the Salvation Army to encourage Canadians to be prepared to cope on their own for 72 hours in case of emergency by knowing the risks in their community, making an emergency plan, and getting an emergency kit.

Provincial/Territorial Emergency Management Organizations (EMO)
Provincial EMOs provide information on emergency and disaster preparedness to the general public. This website provides links to the EMO for each province and territory.

National SAR Secretariat

Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA)
CASARA is a national volunteer organization funded by the Department of National Defence, that provides volunteer assistance to the Royal Canadian Air Force for, primarily, aeronautical SAR.

Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada (SARVAC)
SARVAC supports, coordinates, develops, informs, promotes, and implements search, rescue, and emergency response with the underlying principle of saving lives. It is the organizing body for all volunteer Ground SAR in Canada.

SarContacts.info
Database of worldwide Rescue Coordination Centres & other SAR contacts hosted by JRCC Halifax

Magnetic Declination Calculator
Natural Resources Canada tool to calculate magnetic declination for anywhere in the world for any date from 1900 onward. Latitude and Longitude required.

The Atlas of Canada
National Resources Canada offers many mapping resources, including Toporama (which allows you to scroll and zoom across the topographic map detail of the entire country), Interactive, Wall, and Archival maps.

GeoGratis Geospatial Product Index
Also hosted by Natural Resources Canada, the Geospatial Product Index allows you to download a digital copy of any topographic map in Canada. Under “Themes” choose Raster, then “CanTopo – CanMatrix – Latest Edition 1:50 000”.

Natural Resource Maps - Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Same as the Geospatial Product Index, but for Nautical Charts hosted by Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Canada Map Sales
Operated by Manitoba Conservation, it is one of the Regional Distribution Centres for the Government of Canada’s Topographic (and other) maps. This is the place to find and order whatever maps you need.

CalTopo
A popular online mapping application that allows the user to create custom maps with various datasets pulled by public-access sources.

AdventureSmart
AdventureSmart is a national prevention program – built as a collaborative effort by many government and public organizations - focused on reaching Canadians, and visitors to Canada, who participate in outdoor recreational activities.

Cold Water Boot Camp
Explains the effects of Cold Water Immersion based on Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht’s (Dr. Popsicle) research.

Baby it's Cold Outside
A continuation of Cold Water Boot Camp (above) focusing on the Rescue & Treatment side of Hypothermia, Cold Water Immersion, and Ice Rescue.

Manitoba Sustainable Development - Fish & Wildlife Information

PJ Med
A website devoted to pararescue medicine: first aid used by austere & remote environment medical professionals.

Over the last few decades the interest in wilderness survival and bushcraft has seen a significant growth. As such, there are many Wilderness Survival Schools out there. Some of them focus on survival, or bushcraft, or primitive living skills, or wilderness living in all their varied iterations. Look around and research to find the course or school that fits your needs.

If you know of a Canadian Survival School that's not listed, please let us know and we'll add it!

Manitoba (our home province first!)
Alberta
British Columbia
Newfoundland & Labrador
New Brunswick
  • None known
Nova Scotia
Ontario
Prince Edward Island
  • None known
Quebec
Saskatchewan
Territories