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
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Air France flight from Paris to Seattle lands in Iqaluit after heat smell in cabin
A plane travelling from Paris to Seattle was forced to make an emergency landing in Iqaluit after there was a heat smell in the cabin during the flight.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
RCMP not investigating possible foreign interference cases related to Chiu, Dong: Duheme
Canada's federal police force is not investigating any possible instances of foreign interference in the cases of former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu and Liberal-turned-Independent MP Han Dong, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme says.
Federal government grants B.C.'s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.