New Brunswick Press Release

Thursday, November 03, 2005
Posted 2:31 PM

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE: Public Alert System to be Tested in New Brunswick.  Emergency Measures Organization to Display Emergency Warnings Over the Weather Network and MeteoMedia.

FREDERICTON, NEW BRUNSWICK - NOVEMBER 3, 2005 - Pelmorex Communications Inc. and Communications Laboratories, Inc. (Comlabs), announced today the launch of a joint project to develop and test advanced public warning capabilities with the province of New Brunswick.

The all hazards public alerting system, designed to warn citizens of imminent threats to life and property from made made and natural events, will be broadcast across two cable channels, the Weather Network and MeteoMedia.  By late 2005 the system will begin delivering localized public alerts to those geographical areas affected by an impeding emergency.

"This project responds to heightened concern about public safety and emergency preparedness," said Ernest MacGillivray, Director, Emergency Measures Organization, and New Brunswick.  "The timely distribution of emergency messages makes all the difference when it comes to saving lives and property and the province is committed to advancing public warning capabilities in New Brunswick, and across Canada."

Pelmorex Communications, Inc. and Communications Laboratories, Inc., two private sector companies, will provide the necessary infrastructure to deliver the public alert system at no cost to the province.  Pelmorex Communications, Inc., which owns and operates the Weather Network and MeteoMedia will deliver the localized public alerts.  Communications Laboratories (Comlabs) Inc. will provide the emergency management system, EMnet, which allows public safety officials to communicate in a secure and efficient environment.

"Our unique technology has allowed us to work with Environment Canada for more than fifteen years broadcasting localized public alerts in areas affected by sever weather," said Pierre Morrissette, President and CEO of Pelmorex.  "Targeted broadcasting means, for example, that viewers in Fredericton will not see warnings meant for Edmundston.  This ensures that residents in non-threatened communities are not needlessly alarmed or confused."

 EMnet is a satellite based warning and messaging system that was designed specially to meet the needs of the emergency management community.  EMnet allows public officials to disseminate warnings and messages to individual or groups of stats simultaneously and instantaneously.

"The power of EMnet is that it standardizes the manner in which emergency officials communicate with and through the broadcast industry, and with each other," said Doug Allport, Comlabs spokesperson.  "When disaster strikes and seconds count, communications must be effective, efficient, reliable, secure and fast."

"This project represents Canada's first implementation of the now internationally standardized Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) for moving public warning information between parties, and the Standard Geographical Classification (SGC) for identifying areas to be alerted," adds MacGillivray.  "Both are consistent with Industry Canada's CanAlert efforts to define national requirements for public warning."

The CRTC has called for and is currently reviewing applications for a national emergency broadcast system.  Pelmorex has submitted an application for its All Channel Alert (ACA) public alerting system, which enables authorized government agencies to alert Canadian cable or satellite subscribers, in both official languages, to imminent threats to life or property caused by severe weather disturbances, natural disasters or other local emergencies.

ABOUT PELMOREX
Pelmorex is a privately owned Canadian company that owns and operates the Weather Network and MeteoMedia specialty channels distributed to over ten million Canadian households representing 98 percent of Canadian cable and direct-to-home satellite  subscribers.  Pelmorex is a leader in providing customized weather-related content and services to business and consumer markets in Canada, including the poplar interactive websites www.theweathernetwork.com and www.meteomedia.com.  It has broadcast Environment Canada warnings on the two specialty channels since 1987 and has studio facilities in Ontario and Quebec and a news bureau, serving the maritime provinces, based in Moncton.

ABOUT COMLABS
Communications Laboratories, Inc. is a respected leader in the satellite warning and communications arena, having previously engineered the U.S. National Warning System (NAWAS), a telecommunication system linking all levels of governments in the U.S., as well as the Emergency Management Network (EMnet), which has become the leading upgrade for both NAWAS and the U.S. Emergency Alert System (EAS) in many U.S. states.  For more information, visit www.comlabs.com.

For more information please contact:

Sarah Tuite
NATIONAL Public Relations
416-848-1703
stuite@national.ca

Roch Landriault
NATIONAL Public Relations
514-843-2345
rlandriault@national.ca

Ernest MacGillivray
Emergency Measures Organization
1-800-561-4034
ernest.macgillivray@gnb.ca

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