New national emergency alert system proposed in federal budget

The federal soldier budget is proposing thomas more than $55 trillion for a young subject emergency alert system, making good on a recommendation from the committee that examined the 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia.

The National Public Alerting System, known as Alert Ready, sends Canadians critical information about emergencies like public safety threats and natural disasters through phone, television and radio. It is a shared responsibility between federal, provincial and territorial governments and industry partners.

The Mass Casualty Commission, which examined the April 2020 shooting in Nova Scotia that saw 22 people killed, recommended a comprehensive review of the Alert Ready system to look at how it can be reformed.

The RCMP came under fire for not using the system during the massacre. At the time, Nova Scotia police agencies had to send a request for an alert to the provincial Emergency Management Office.

RCMP relied on Twitter to provide information about the unfolding violence and manhunt for the killer, drawing the ire of some victims' family members who said an official alert could have saved lives.

An expert who testified at the public inquiry also raised concerns about the alert system’s company-led model. Currently, the Ontario-based company Pelmorex owns the Alert Ready software system and operates it on behalf of the federal government.

The budget tabled on Tuesday proposes providing $55.4 million over four years to Public Safety Canada, beginning in 2026-27, to support a new alerting model. It said $13.4 million would then be provided on an ongoing basis.

Darcy Dobson's mother, nurse Heather O'Brien, was driving when she encountered the shooter, who was a stranger, on April 19, 2020.

At the time, she knew police had been responding to a situation in Portapique, N.S., about 25 kilometres away, but she was killed before police tweeted that the suspect was on the move driving a replica RCMP cruiser. 

O'Brien's family has been adamant that she wouldn't have been on the road if the Mounties had shared more information earlier.

On Wednesday, Dobson said she was cautiously optimistic about the new alerting system.

“I will always believe a public alert would have prevented the murders of many innocent people on the morning of April 19, 2020, including the murder of my own mother,” Dobson wrote in a statement Wednesday.

“This announcement does come with some skepticism, however. You can throw money at anything and never solve a thing. There needs to be meaningful change at every level of government.”

Dobson added that she will be watching closely for more details about what the new system might look like and how the criteria of alerts will be defined.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, the independent federal body that regulates and supervises Canada's communications sector in the public interest, is seeking public feedback about how to improve the alert system.

The CRTC said the goal is to improve the accessibility of alerts, consider whether alerts should be distributed in languages other than French and English, and ensure they are available across the country.

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Reporter/Editor

Aly Thomson is an award-winning journalist based in Halifax who loves helping the people of her home province tell their stories. She is particularly interested in issues surrounding women's health, justice, education and the entertainment industry. You can email her with tips and feedback at aly.thomson@cbc.ca.

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