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This is a test!: Emergency alert system tests happening across Canada today

Test of the Alberta Emergency Alert on May 8, 2019. (KARYN MULCAHY/CTV EDMONTON) Test of the Alberta Emergency Alert on May 8, 2019. (KARYN MULCAHY/CTV EDMONTON)
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Haliburton, Ont. -

Canada's emergency alert system will be conducting a test across the country on Wednesday.

Alert Ready will be conducting the test of Canada's public alerting system from coast-to-coast-to-coast as part of the bi-annual testing program. The alert message will be displayed on TV, over the radio and via mobile devices.

"Conducting regular tests allows us to better educate Canadians about the Alert Ready system and it provides an opportunity to validate that the system is working end to end," Martin Bélanger, director of public alerting at Pelmorex Corp., said in a press release on Monday.

"The testing sound will simulate an emergency alert, beginning with the alert tone, known as the Canadian Alert Attention Signal," Alert Ready said in a statement. "The message will indicate that it is a test and does not require action from the public."

Here's when the testing will happen in each province and territory.

Canadians do not have an option to opt out of the test or alerts distributed through Alert Ready.

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