HALIFAX The Honourable Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety, today announced on behalf of the Honourable Loyola Hearn, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, an Atlantic tsunami warning system.
"The security of Canadians is a priority of Canada's new government. The devastating tsunami in southeast Asia heightened concerns about tsunami warnings in coastal areas around the world," said Minister Day. "Today, I'm pleased to announce that we are taking action to strengthen our security by activating a warning system for tsunamis along Canada's East Coast."
The new Atlantic tsunami warning system uses the same equipment and procedures already in place to issue storm surge warnings to government agencies, the media and the public. In fact, the enhancements made to the existing system to allow tsunami warnings will also improve the capacity to predict storm surges, which are much more frequent events on the East Coast.
"This system is bringing together Canada's state-of-the-art earthquake monitoring networks with the best alert technologies available in Atlantic Canada," said the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources. "Earthquakes, whether centered under land or sea, could have a dramatic impact on coastal communities, and systems such as this allow us to quickly alert eastern Canadians to potential hazards."
The tsunami warning system is led by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), and the result of collaboration between the federal departments of Natural Resources, Environment Canada, and Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, with provincial emergency management agencies in the 5 easternmost provinces and the U.S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It anticipates the development of an international system for issuing tsunami warnings for the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, similar to the one existing for the Pacific Ocean.
"By linking with the existing weather warning system through Environment Canada's Atlantic Storm Prediction Centre, the new tsunami warning capability ensures Canadians will have access to timely early warnings which may someday save many lives," said the Honourable John Baird, Minister of the Environment.
"We can never be too vigilant in ensuring the safety of our citizens," emphasized Gerald Keddy, MP, South Shore St. Margaret's. "While we can't stop tsunamis from happening, we can work to avoid the tragic loss of life such as that which resulted from the 1929 Grand Banks tsunami."
The new system will continue to be refined and enhanced as technology improves.
Backgrounder:
Atlantic Tsunami Warning
System
