Durham Region: Alert Ready test to sound on phones, TVs and radios Nov. 18 at 12:55 p.m.

A national test of Canada's Alert Ready emergency alerting system will take place on Wednesday, November 18, 2026, with the Ontario test scheduled for 12:55 p.m. EST, according to the official Alert Ready testing schedule. People in Durham Region should expect the test alert on compatible wireless devices, television and radio.

Alert Ready is Canada's emergency alerting system, delivering critical and potentially life-saving alerts through television, radio and LTE-connected and compatible wireless devices. The system was developed with federal, provincial and territorial emergency management officials, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Pelmorex, the broadcasting industry and wireless service providers.

The test schedule lists the same November 18 date for every province and territory, with the time varying by time zone. Alert Ready asks the public not to call 911 for information about the test, noting that non-emergency calls to 911 could delay help for people experiencing real emergencies.