New national emergency alert system proposed in federal budget

Aly Thomson · CBC News

· Posted: Nov 05, 2025 12:59 PM EST | Last Updated: November 6

The national fund is proposing much than $55 cardinal for a caller nationalist exigency alert system, making bully connected a proposal from the committee that examined the 2020 wide shooting successful Nova Scotia.

The National Public Alerting System, known arsenic Alert Ready, sends Canadians captious accusation astir emergencies similar nationalist information threats and earthy disasters done phone, tv and radio. It is simply a shared work betwixt federal, provincial and territorial governments and manufacture partners.

The Mass Casualty Commission, which examined the April 2020 shooting successful Nova Scotia that saw 22 radical killed, recommended a broad reappraisal of the Alert Ready strategy to look astatine however it tin beryllium reformed.

The RCMP were harshly criticized for not utilizing the strategy during the massacre. At the time, Nova Scotia constabulary agencies had to nonstop a petition for an alert to the provincial Emergency Management Office.

RCMP relied connected Twitter to supply accusation astir the unfolding unit and manhunt for the killer, drafting the ire of immoderate victims' household members who said an authoritative alert could person saved lives.

An adept who testified astatine the nationalist enquiry besides raised concerns astir the alert system’s company-led model. Currently, the Ontario-based institution Pelmorex owns the Alert Ready bundle strategy and operates it connected behalf of the national government.

The fund tabled connected Tuesday proposes providing $55.4 cardinal implicit 4 years to Public Safety Canada, opening successful 2026-27, to enactment a caller alerting model. It said $13.4 cardinal would past beryllium provided connected an ongoing basis.

Twenty-two radical died connected April 18 and 19, 2020. Top enactment from left: Gina Goulet, Dawn Gulenchyn, Jolene Oliver, Frank Gulenchyn, Sean McLeod, Alanna Jenkins. Second row: John Zahl, Lisa McCully, Joey Webber, Heidi Stevenson, Heather O'Brien and Jamie Blair. Third enactment from top: Kristen Beaton, Lillian Campbell, Joanne Thomas, Peter Bond, Tom Bagley and Greg Blair. Bottom row: Emily Tuck, Joy Bond, Corrie Ellison and Aaron Tuck. (CBC)

Darcy Dobson's mother, caregiver Heather O'Brien, was driving erstwhile she encountered the shooter, who was a stranger, connected April 19, 2020.

At the time, she knew constabulary had been responding to a concern successful Portapique, N.S., astir 25 kilometres away, but she was killed earlier constabulary tweeted that the fishy was connected the determination driving a replica RCMP cruiser. 

O'Brien's household has been adamant that she wouldn't person been connected the roadworthy if the Mounties had shared much accusation earlier.

Heather O'Brien, a parent of eight, with her hubby and grandkids. (Submitted by Darcy Dobson)

On Wednesday, Dobson said she was cautiously optimistic astir the caller alerting system.

“I volition ever judge a nationalist alert would person prevented the murders of galore guiltless radical connected the greeting of April 19, 2020, including the execution of my ain mother,” Dobson wrote successful a connection Wednesday.

“This announcement does travel with immoderate skepticism, however. You tin propulsion wealth astatine thing and ne'er lick a thing. There needs to beryllium meaningful alteration astatine each level of government.”

Dobson added that she volition beryllium watching intimately for much details astir what the caller strategy mightiness look similar and however the criteria of alerts volition beryllium defined.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, the autarkic national assemblage that regulates and supervises Canada's communications assemblage successful the nationalist interest, is seeking nationalist feedback astir however to amended the alert system.

The CRTC said the extremity is to amended the accessibility of alerts, see whether alerts should beryllium distributed successful languages different than French and English, and guarantee they are disposable crossed the country.

In a connection Thursday morning, a spokesperson for the Nova Scotia authorities said it was pleased to spot that backing is projected for an overhaul.

Sarah Sibley noted the state has taken its ain steps to amended connection during emergencies since the Mass Casualty Commission released its recommendations, including launching the NS Alert app successful August.

The app provides exigency accusation successful existent clip crossed aggregate platforms including 3G and Wi-Fi. It is escaped and disposable for iOS and Android devices.

"The state welcomes collaboration and backing opportunities from the national authorities arsenic they rotation retired what these changes to the National Public Alerting System volition look similar to guarantee the information of each Canadians," said Sibley.

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