Canada to test emergency alert system on TV, radio and phones

An emergency amber alert is viewed on the display of an Apple watch in Ottawa, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick)

Canada will test its emergency alert system on Wednesday.

The test of Alert Ready, Canada’s national public alert system, will take place in every province and territory except Quebec.

While initially part of the testing schedule, the Alert Ready website now says Alberta will not be included.

Test messages from provincial or territorial emergency management organizations will appear on television, radio and wireless devices like smartphones.

Meant to simulate an emergency alert, the test messages will begin with a distinctive alert tone. Depending on where you live, the test alert will appear on May 7 at different times:

• British Columbia – 1:55 p.m. PDT
• Manitoba – 1:55 p.m. CDT
• New Brunswick – 10:55 a.m. ADT
• Newfoundland and Labrador – 10:45 a.m. NDT
• Northwest Territories – 9:55 a.m. MDT
• Nova Scotia – 1:55 p.m. ADT
• Nunavut – 2 p.m. EDT
• Ontario – 12:55 p.m. EDT
• Prince Edward Island – 12:55 p.m. ADT
• Saskatchewan – 1:55 p.m. CST
• Yukon – 1:55 p.m. YST

Since 2024, Canada’s Alert Ready system has delivered 877 public emergency alerts about imminent threats to safety, life or property. They can include AMBER alerts for abducted children, as well as critical and potentially life-saving alerts about tornadoes, flooding and other natural disasters.

While Canadians cannot opt out of receiving these important alerts, they may not appear on all mobile devices, especially those that are not connected to an LTE or 5G network.