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Tawakkul Ready

If this happens

Phones, banks or internet down

  1. Tune in to radio news:
    • Listen to a battery-powered or hand-crank radio for official municipal and provincial updates when internet and cellular data fail.
  2. Use SMS or alternative communications:
    • Send short text messages (SMS), which often transmit through congested towers when voice calls fail.
    • If unable to call 9-1-1 during an urgent emergency, use a landline, borrow a phone on a different carrier, or head to the nearest fire or police station.
  3. Rely on your paper emergency plan:
    • Consult your printed contact sheet.
    • If network communication is entirely down, walk to your pre-arranged meeting spot to link up with family members.
  4. Pay using small cash and coins:
    • Keep small bills and change on hand; cash functions without electricity or internet and carries zero digital risk.
    • Use cash for groceries, fuel, transit fares and pharmacy items when digital card terminals and ATMs go dark.
  5. Conserve battery and use offline tools:
    • Turn on battery-saver settings and dim screen brightness.
    • Rely on downloaded offline maps and saved reference guides rather than repeatedly attempting to refresh broken connections.
  6. Watch for post-outage scams:
    • Be alert to fraudulent text messages or emails offering outage reimbursements or requesting bank account verification.
    • Never open unfamiliar links or disclose passwords, PINs or security codes.
Sources (8)

Steps 1, 2 and 3 follow Canada.ca’s emergency kits guide, Canada.ca’s emergency plan guide and the CRTC; step 4 follows the Bank of Canada and Canada.ca’s kit checklist; step 5 follows Canada.ca’s power outages guide; step 6 follows Get Cyber Safe and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.