Protecting Canadians through the Early Earthquake Warning (EEW) system

When every second counts, early warnings can save lives. The Government of Canada (GC) is taking steps to protect Canadians from the impacts of earthquakes through the Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) system—an initiative led by Natural Resources Canada as part of the Emergency Management Strategy for Canada.

The EEW system is designed to detect earthquakes that have the potential to cause harm. It sends alerts to the National Public Alerting System, which then dispatches warnings to people in British Columbia to take protective action before strong shaking from the earthquake. EEW will be activated in parts of Ontario and Quebec in the coming months.

These alerts can help reduce injuries, save lives and minimize damage to infrastructure.

“Earthquakes cannot be prevented or predicted, but Earthquake Early Warning can make incredible improvements to our safety in an earthquake.”

Collaboration for national safety

The successful implementation of the EEW system is the result of collaboration across departments and agencies.

Shared Services Canada (SSC) delivered the digital infrastructure to support this potentially life-saving technology. This ensures seismic data are processed and transmitted rapidly and reliably, enabling EEW in regions with moderate to high seismic risk.

Innovation to enhance resilience

The GC is leveraging modern enterprise IT solutions to enhance public safety and disaster resilience. By implementing cutting-edge infrastructure, Canada is better prepared to respond to and mitigate the effects of natural disasters.

The EEW system is a powerful example of how technology and teamwork can help protect communities and build a safer, more resilient future for all people in Canada.

For more information on Earthquake Early Warning, please visit Canadian Earthquake Early Warning.