The director of the Canadian Red Cross believes the nation needs to lessen its reliance on the armed forces and better prepare for natural disasters.
Natural disasters, according to Conrad Sauve, are growing more frequent and severe, putting a tremendous amount of burden on governments and groups like the military.
The absence of adequate planning and preparation for such catastrophes, he claims, has been brought to light.
As once-in-a-century storms and disasters turn into yearly occurrences, Sauve thinks Canada should lessen its reliance on the military and instead develop a civilian army to respond.
Sauve gave testimony before the House of Commons defence committee, which is investigating how frequently the military is sent to Canada after a significant weather disaster.
His remarks, however, also come as a large number of Red Cross volunteers and Canadian military are aiding Atlantic Canadians in picking up the pieces after Hurricane Fiona.
According to Red Cross, Canada should rely less on the military to respond to disasters.
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