Consultation about improving the National Public Alerting System
A sign language interpretation of the executive summary of the Notice of Consultation is available as a video playlist.
Current status: Closed
This consultation ran from July 15 to November 21, 2025. Read the “What we learned” section to find the comments that were submitted.
The National Public Alerting System (NPAS) is used by emergency management officials across Canada to warn the public about emergency situations like severe weather events and other potential concerns to public safety.
This system is a shared responsibility between federal, provincial, and territorial governments and agencies. The CRTC plays a supporting role by requiring cellphone, cable and satellite television providers, and radio and television broadcasters to distribute emergency alerts to the public.
Through this consultation, the CRTC reviewed how public alerts are distributed in Canada. The goal was to help improve the NPAS, including by improving the accessibility of alerts, considering whether alerts should be distributed in languages that reflect local communities, and ensuring that they are available across the country.
Who was the focus of this consultation
We were looking to learn from anyone with an interest in this topic, as well as those who may be affected more or differently than others by emergency alerts.
This consultation was of interest to:
- people in official language minority communities (OLMC)
- persons with disabilities
- people living in rural, remote or Indigenous communities
- emergency management officials
- industry and other stakeholders
- members of the public
Key topics for discussion
We invited you to provide your comments on:
- sending of alerts in both official languages
- whether the system should, and is able to, support Indigenous and other languages
- making the system accessible for people with disabilities
- identifying areas where wireless alerts might not reach
- reviewing the current schedule for public alert tests
- ways the CRTC can ensure that telecommunications and broadcasting service providers are meeting alerting requirements
Read the Notice of Consultation for more details.
What we learned
- Interventions (comments we received online, by mail and by fax)
- Comments received on CRTC Conversations
Related information
- Call for comments - Co-development of an Indigenous Broadcasting Policy | CRTC
- Broadcasting Information Bulletin CRTC 2022-232 | CRTC
- Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin CRTC 2010-961 | CRTC
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