On Thursday morning, September 17, 2026, emergency call centres across Canada experienced intermittent interruptions to the 911 service. The outages were reported in major urban centres including Toronto, Ottawa, London and Waterloo, as well as in other locations nationwide. Police agencies confirmed that the disruptions were temporary and that service was restored later in the morning.
The Toronto Police Service, Ottawa Police Service, London Police Service and Waterloo Police Service all posted alerts on their official social media channels as the issue unfolded. In each message, the agencies asked residents to refrain from dialing 911 for non‑urgent matters and to use the appropriate non‑emergency telephone numbers instead. The advisories emphasized that the 911 system was experiencing technical difficulties and that callers should expect possible delays or failed connections while the problem was being addressed.
By mid‑morning, technical teams had resolved the intermittent failures and normal 911 operations resumed across the affected jurisdictions. Police services later confirmed that the outage had been brief and that no emergency calls were lost. The coordinated communication effort helped direct the public toward alternative contact numbers, reducing potential strain on the emergency network while repairs were underway. Authorities indicated that the incident will be reviewed to prevent similar disruptions in the future.