States of emergency in Canada

A state of emergency occurs when a government assumes authority it does not generally possess to respond to a crisis. Typically, this is done by invoking said authority under specific legislation, and permits the government to expend funds, mobilize forces, or suspend civil liberties.
Federal declarations.
The Canadian government has declared a state of emergency three times in its history. All three of these occurred in the 20th century and were done under the authority of the War Measures Act. In 1988, Parliament replaced the War Measures Act with the Emergencies Act, which extended the powers beyond war applications.
Uses
Provincial and territorial legislation and declarations.
Historically, states of emergency have been declared by provinces for internal issues. Save for the 2004 White Juan Blizzard, until 2020 there had never been a situation where multiple provinces made a province wide declaration. This changed during the COVID-19 pandemic where every province and territory made the declaration, opposing similar measures from the federal government. Every province has the ability to assume emergency powers under either a specific emergency act or under a public health act. In some provinces, like British Columbia, both exist and can grant specific authorities. British Columbia is also notable for its early adoption of an emergency act. Its Civil Defense Act was enacted in 1951, and was renamed the Emergency Program Act in 1973. 