Real time weather alerts via Twitter will ensure Canadians are up-to-date and increase public safety
July 14, 2015 – Montreal, Quebec – Environment Canada
The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of the Environment, Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency and Minister for the Arctic Council, joined by Jacques Gourde, Member of Parliament for Lotbinière — Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, today announced that Canadians can now receive Environment Canada’s weather alerts directly on their mobile device or computer via Twitter.
This new automated weather alert messaging service using Twitter is based on information issued by Environment Canada’s meteorologists whenever dangerous weather conditions threaten. People increasingly get their news through Twitter; disseminating weather alerts through technology that Canadians use will improve their ability to stay up-to-date on breaking weather information. Canadians can select which communities they want to follow and every time an alert is issued, or ended, a tweet will automatically be sent out.
Over 830 communities appearing on Canada.ca/weather are linked to a Twitter account, one French and one English, which can be followed by Twitter users. Weather alert tweets will be sent to your selected regions of interest 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
“Our Government is committed to ensuring Canadians have a weather forecasting system they can rely on to give them timely and accurate information. As more Canadians are using social media to stay informed, this new service will play an essential role in ensuring public safety by providing Canadians with expanded access to severe weather information.”
– The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of the Environment, Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency and Minister for the Arctic Council
“With more Canadians using social media to stay informed, our Government has launched a new weather-alert system to provide timely, consistent weather information to targeted local followers on Twitter. This weather-alert service will play an essential role in strengthening public safety and provide Canadians with greater access to timely, location-specific weather information.”
– Jacques Gourde, Member of Parliament for Lotbinière — Chutes-de-la-Chaudière
“We are happy to have played a role to developing this unique way of sharing weather alerts with Canadians. Our work has resulted in a tool that allows more Canadians, media, businesses, municipalities and emergency organizations to have access to timely and location-specific severe weather information via Twitter.”
– Steve Ladurantaye, Head of government partnerships, Twitter Canada
Ted Laking
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of the Environment
819-997-1441
Media Relations
Environment Canada
819-934-8008
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