The Canadian emergency warning system is not working well enough when a disaster occurs, the emergency preparedness minister said on Friday.
Speaking to reporters while on the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Bali, Indonesia, Bill Blair acknowledged that informational signals sent before a sudden, severe storm that hit southern Ontario and Quebec were less useful. as much as they could be.
He did not smile when asked if the pre-storm early warning system was working as well as it could.
“The very simple and clear answer is no. I think there needs to be improvements,” Blair said.
He said signals should be sent earlier, have more and better information about what recipients need to do, and be more consistent when it comes to who receives them.
Residents criticized the system
The storm and its aftermath killed 11 people in Ontario, and many in the Ottawa region are still without electricity.
Some residents criticized the warning system, saying they did not receive a warning when they thought they should. The signals were sent to mobile phones and were also broadcast on television and radio in some areas. This was the first intrusive warning issued for an extreme thunderstorm warning.
Mr Blair confirmed the criticism, calling the early warning system “inconsistent”.
He said one of the most important things he learned at the conference was that there was evidence to suggest that a strong early warning system for natural disasters could reduce casualties and damage by an average of 30 per cent.
He said the federal government would work with the provinces and territories and Environment Canada to make changes to the system.
“It’s not just the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do,” he said.
“It is clear that I believe that the tragic loss of life and the damage that has occurred in Ontario and Quebec over the last few days show that there is still work to be done and we are committed to doing that work.
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