B.C. prepared to use Alert Ready notification system as storms continue, minister says
B.C. officials urged residents to avoid all non-essential travel as the province deals with the second in a string of three storms and prepares for the final one.
"We're in the middle of one of the most intense series of storms that we have seen along coastal B.C.," said Deputy Premier and Minister of Public Safety Mike Farnworth at a news conference Sunday morning, as highways between the Lower Mainland and the Interior remained closed and residents of an Abbotsford neighbourhood evacuated in anticipation of more flooding.
"This is historic weather, intensified by climate change," the minister said.
Farnworth asked British Columbians to "hope for the best and prepare for the worst," and said the province is prepared to use the Alert Ready emergency notification system as necessary in communities as weather-related challenges arise.
As of earlier this month, B.C. was the only province in Canada that hadn't used Alert Ready at least once since it became available to provinces in 2019.
Tracking on Alert Ready's website now indicates that B.C. has used the system twice for civil emergencies in 2021.
The system allows emergency officials to send notifications to all cellphones in range of specific cell towers in a given region, but B.C. has primarily used it in province-wide tests over the last three years.
Provincial officials came under significant criticism for failing to activate the system during the devastating storm that closed highways and flooded Abbotsford's Sumas Prairie earlier this month.
Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun said at the time that it was his decision not to send an alert, saying he didn't want to alarm the entire city.
Alerts can be more targeted than that, however, and Farnworth said Sunday that the province is prepared to support local officials in using the system in the coming days.
"Should a community or communities feel that there is an imminent threat to life or public safety, the province stands ready to issue what we call a broadcast-intrusive alert," Farnworth said. "Local governments are the experts on the ground, and emergency managers at the local and provincial levels will continue to closely co-ordinate through the days ahead."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.