You'll Soon Be Able To Text 9-1-1 In Quebec

And maybe even send videos.

The messages app on an iPhone.

The messages app on an iPhone.

Thomas Dutour | Dreamstime
Senior Editor

Canada has a plan to modernize 9-1-1 services. That could mean the ability to text 9-1-1 and send photos, videos and medical information to first responders is just a few short years away. In Quebec, the government is already preparing for that transition.

As MTL Blog sister publication Narcity Québec reports, Quebec's 2023-2024 budget calls for a $45.5 million investment in emergency response centres so that they'll be able to accommodate the 9-1-1 upgrade.

The federally imposed deadline for a 9-1-1 upgrade is March 4, 2025.

It's all part of a plan by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to implement "next-generation" emergency communication services, dubbed NG9-1-1. Enabling text and video through 9-1-1 might sound simple, but it actually involves multiple steps and coordination between cell service companies, provincial and municipal governments.

By March 2025, all stakeholders need to be ready to decommission old 9-1-1 services to make way for NG9-1-1.

Quebec says its new investment is about making sure municipalities have the resources to make that happen in a relatively tight timeframe.

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  • Thomas MacDonald
  • Thomas MacDonald

    Senior Editor

    Thomas MacDonald was the Senior Editor of MTL Blog. He received a B.A. with honours from McGill University in 2018 and worked as a Writer and Associate Editor before entering his current role. He is proud to lead the MTL Blog team and to provide its readers with the information they need to make the most of their city.

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