Ontario Wildfire Evacuees: How to Access Care Now
Displaced by Ontario's wildfires? Here's how evacuees in Thunder Bay, Toronto and beyond can find walk-in clinics, refills and mental health support fast.
Wildfires burning across Northwestern Ontario have forced thousands of residents from their homes this week, with more than 130 active fires reported and reception centres opening as far away as Thunder Bay, Toronto, and Niagara Falls. If you or someone you know has been evacuated, getting to safety is only the first step — the next is figuring out how to get medical care, refill prescriptions, and manage stress in a city that isn't home.
Here's a practical guide to accessing health care while displaced, plus what to watch for if the heat and smoke are affecting your breathing.
What's happening
As of this weekend, Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry was tracking 131 active wildfires in the northwest region, including several large complexes near Fort Frances and Thunder Bay. Evacuation orders and alerts now cover dozens of townships, and an emergency area order restricts travel on more than 20 roads in the Fort Frances fire zone. Premier Doug Ford visited Thunder Bay over the weekend and urged evacuees not to return home until officials say it's safe.
Reception centres — including one at a Thunder Bay arena offering shelter, food, hygiene supplies, and medical support — are seeing hundreds of arrivals, with some evacuees already being transferred to hotels and community centres in Toronto and Niagara Falls as local capacity fills up. At the same time, a heat warning and "very poor" air quality alert are affecting much of southern Ontario as wildfire smoke drifts south, adding respiratory risk on top of the displacement itself.
Finding care when you're away from your regular doctor
You don't need to be registered with a clinic in an unfamiliar city to get seen. A few options:
- Walk-in clinics don't require an appointment or a local family doctor — bring photo ID and your health card if you have it, but most will still see you without one. Search for walk-in clinics near where you're staying.
- Urgent care centres can handle injuries, infections, and other issues that aren't life-threatening but shouldn't wait for a regular appointment.
- If you're settling into a host city for more than a few days, it's worth browsing family doctors accepting new patients in that area, even temporarily.
- Lost track of the nearest emergency department? Check live ER wait times before you head out, so you're not sitting in a packed waiting room longer than necessary.
Prescription refills without your usual pharmacy
Leaving home in a hurry often means leaving medications behind. In Ontario, pharmacists can extend or adapt many prescriptions in an emergency, and can prescribe for several minor conditions outright — you don't always need to see a doctor first. See how to get a prescription refill without your regular clinic for what to bring (your health card number is enough in most cases, even without the physical bottle) and what pharmacists can and can't renew on the spot.
If you manage a chronic condition — diabetes, asthma, heart disease — tell the pharmacist that you're a wildfire evacuee. Most Ontario pharmacies have emergency protocols for exactly this situation.
Mental health support for evacuees
Sudden evacuation, uncertainty about your home, and being displaced from your community are genuinely stressful, and it's common to feel anxious, numb, or unable to sleep in the days after. That's a normal response to an abnormal situation, not a sign anything is wrong with you.
- Reception centres typically have crisis workers or can connect you to one — ask staff on-site.
- ConnexOntario offers free, confidential mental health and crisis support by phone, 24/7, anywhere in the province.
- If you'd rather talk to someone in person once you're settled, read more about accessing mental health support in Ontario.
Heat and smoke: when it's more than discomfort
With a heat warning and poor air quality layered on top of the wildfire response, pay attention to how you're feeling, especially if you're older, pregnant, very young, or have asthma, COPD, or heart disease:
- Mild symptoms — coughing, itchy eyes, a scratchy throat, mild headache — usually improve by moving indoors, staying hydrated, and using a well-fitting N95-style mask outdoors.
- Call 911 or go to the nearest ER immediately if you or someone nearby has chest pain, severe shortness of breath, confusion, fainting, a body temperature that feels dangerously high with hot dry skin, or symptoms of a stroke (face drooping, arm weakness, slurred speech).
- Children with asthma and older adults with existing lung or heart conditions are at the highest risk from smoke exposure and heat combined — don't wait to see if symptoms pass on their own.
FAQ
I was evacuated without my health card. Can I still see a doctor? Yes. Walk-in clinics, urgent care, and emergency departments in Ontario will treat you without a health card present — you may be asked to provide your health number later, or in some emergency situations, care is provided regardless.
Can a pharmacist in a different city refill my regular prescription? In most cases, yes, especially in a declared emergency. Bring whatever ID or medication information you have, and mention that you're a wildfire evacuee so the pharmacist can apply emergency refill rules.
Where can I find real-time ER wait times near where I'm staying? CanClinics' live ER wait time tracker shows current estimated waits at emergency departments across Ontario, so you can choose the fastest option nearby.
Is it normal to feel anxious or on edge after an evacuation? Yes — this is a common and expected reaction to a sudden, high-stress event. If those feelings are intense, persistent, or interfering with daily life, free support is available through ConnexOntario or a local mental health clinic.
Find care near you
Whether you're sheltering in Thunder Bay, staying with family in Toronto, or have been relocated to Niagara Falls, CanClinics can help you find the nearest walk-in clinic, family doctor, or pharmacy without an appointment. Search clinics near you to get started.
This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you're experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department.
— CanClinics Team
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