If you hear an emergency alert on your phone, TV, or radio today, don’t be alarmed — it’s only a test of Canada’s public alert system.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), which regulates and supervises broadcasting and telecommunications, announced last week that it’s testing its public alerting system across the country on November 15.
So, what can you expect from the emergency alert?
The text message to cellphones will read: “This is ONLY a TEST and won’t require any action from you.”
Alberta will have no test, but those in BC will receive an alert at 1:55 pm PT, Ontario will be alerted at 12:55 pm ET, and Quebec will be notified at 1:55 pm ET. For all other alert times, head to the website.
To receive these alerts, your phone must have an excellent connection to the internet and be alert-compatible. The government will automatically send these alerts to your phone at no cost, and all radio and TV broadcasters in Canada are required by law to broadcast public alerts.
The National Public Alerting System is a joint effort between governments and industry partners, such as the CRTC, to warn the public of hazards and threats to life and safety, including Amber Alerts and civil emergencies.
The BC government has also expanded the use of the system beyond tsunami warnings to include alerts for floods, wildfires, and extreme heat emergencies.
During the 2023 wildfire season in that province, the system issued 24 evacuation orders as part of a larger initiative to quickly warn people about dangers.
