Share your thoughts 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: Open
Start date: July 15, 2025
End date: November 21, 2025
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 is reviewing how public alerts are distributed in Canada. The goal is 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.
How to participate
There are a few ways you can participate. Please note that we will make all comments public. The deadline to participate is November 21, 2025 at 8 p.m. (Eastern time).
We accept videos in ASL and LSQ for this consultation.
You must provide a working link to your video in the comments box in the “Submit an intervention” section of the intervention form.
Be part of the conversation
Share your input through our engagement platform: CRTC Conversations
Submit a formal comment
Use the intervention form.
We also accept comments in ASL and LSQ. You must submit a link to your video using our form.
You will have to agree to our privacy statement first.
Participate by mail
Send a letter with your ideas and input to:
Secretary General
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
Gatineau, Quebec
Canada, K1A 0N2
Send us a fax
Send a fax to 819-994-0218 with your comments.
If you need help submitting your comments, contact our public hearings group by email to hearing@crtc.gc.ca.
First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples and organizations requiring assistance submitting comments, including oral interventions, can contact the CRTC’s Indigenous Relations Team.
Who is the focus of this consultation
We are 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 may be 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 invite 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 are learning
- Interventions (comments we received online, by mail and by fax)
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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