Don’t be alarmed: emergency alert system test coming Wednesday

OTTAWA — Don’t be alarmed — it’s only a test.

Provincial and territorial emergency management systems will send test signals to your wireless device Wednesday, as well as to radio and TV stations.

Depending on where you live, the tests will be conducted mid-morning or early afternoon in every part of the country except Nunavut.

The emergency alerts have become a familiar sound since the national public alert system was first tested in early 2018.

Since January, Canada’s telecom regulator says 125 emergency messages have been issued, warning Canadians of potentially life-threatening situations including tornadoes, floods and Amber Alerts.

Some of the alerts were issued late at night, prompting a few people to complain that they are an annoyance — and face a massive backlash on social media from others who support the alerts.

Pelmorex Corp., which operates the system’s technical infrastructure, says the test alerts are necessary to ensure the system is working properly and to educate Canadians on what the warning signals look and sound like.

To receive alerts, compatible wireless devices must be equipped with the latest operating software, and be connected to an LTE network when the alert is issued.

All wireless devices sold by service providers after April 6, 2019 were required to be public alerting capable.

Here is when the test signals are scheduled to be transmitted:

Alberta 1:55 p.m. MST

British Colombia 1:55 p.m. PST

Manitoba 1:55 p.m. CST

New-Brunswick 10:55 a.m. AST

Newfoundland and Labrador 10:55 a.m. NST

Northwest Territories 9:55 a.m. MST

Nova Scotia 1:55 p.m. AST

Nunavut — No test

Ontario 2:55 p.m. EST

Prince Edward Island 12:55 p.m. AST