Minister Goodale advises Canadians of upcoming national public alerting test

Ottawa – November 19, 2018 – Today, the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, issued the following statement to make Canadians aware of an upcoming test of Canada’s public alerting system.

“Canadians require timely and accessible information in emergencies so they can take the necessary precautions to protect themselves and their families. That’s why Alert Ready, the National Public Alerting System, is a priority for the Government of Canada and our provincial, territorial and industry partners.

On November 28, 2018 each province and territory plans to issue a public awareness Alert Ready test over radio, TV and wireless networks at 1:55 p.m. local time (2:55 p.m. local time in Quebec) to further assess and refine the system.

The first ever test over wireless networks was held last May. This test revealed a number of technical challenges that have since been addressed. Regular testing helps ensure that we are prepared to deliver urgent and lifesaving warnings to the public in times of an emergency or disaster.

Not all Canadians will receive the test alert on their phone for a variety of reasons. You can visit Alert Ready for more information on your device’s compatibility, and for steps you can take to make sure you receive the alert if your phone is compatible.

Since April 2018, more than 100 emergency wireless alerts have been successfully issued across the country. These alerts have been credited with saving lives, as recently experienced with the Ottawa/Gatineau tornadoes on September 21^st. Many people suffered devastating losses that day as six powerful tornadoes touched down in the area. Although Canada’s public alerting system could not save people’s homes or properties, it provided people with precious time to seek shelter from the catastrophic winds and flying debris.

All partners continue to fine-tune the system, seeing what works, and what we can learn from its deployment in recent emergencies. This is a powerful tool and I applaud these tireless efforts to improve this essential safety system.”