Canada’s Public Alert System To Be Tested This Month In Most Provinces It’ll Be May 8, While In Ontario It’s May 15
Adedokun Waliyu 
Canada’s national public alerting system, Alert Ready, will be running a test alert Wednesday on televisions, radios and wireless devices in most provinces as part of Emergency Preparedness Week.
In Ontario, the test will tale place on May 15 at 12:55 p.m.
“The Alert Ready system is a critical service that helps keep Canadians safe,” says Martin Belanger, director of public alerting at Pelmorex. “Testing provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the Alert Ready system and to validate that it works as intended in case of an actual emergency.”
Alert Ready delivers potentially life-saving alerts to Canadians for tornadoes, flooding, fires and Amber Alerts.
Last year, the Alert Ready system put out 1,086 emergency alerts across the country.
“Regular testing provides public safety officials with an opportunity to validate and improve the effectiveness and reliability of Alert Ready. Tests ensure that the Alert Ready system operates as intended during an imminent life-threatening situation,” Alert Ready said in a release Monday.
“Issuing a test alert is at the sole discretion of each provincial and territorial emergency management organization (EMO). The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission requires broadcasters and wireless service providers to distribute one test alert per year either in May and/or November.”
The message will say that it is a test and does not require action from the public. There is no option to opt out of receiving the alerts, “given the importance of warning Canadians of an imminent threat to the safety of life or property.”
What time you can expect the test alert to happen in your area:
Alberta 11:55 AM MDT May 8
British Columbia 10:55 AM PDT May 8
Manitoba 1:55 PM CDT May 8
New Brunswick 2:55 PM ADT May 8
Northwest Territories 9:55 AM MDT May 8
Nova Scotia 1:55 PM ADT May 8
Newfoundland and Labrador 3:25 PM NDT May 8
Nunavut 1:55 PM EDT May 8
Ontario 12:55 PM EDT on Wednesday, May 15
Prince Edward Island 12:55 PM ADT May 8
Quebec 1:55 PM EDT May 8
Saskatchewan 11:55 AM CST May 8
Yukon 10:55 AM YST May 8
