Bell investigating 911 outage that disrupted six Canadian provinces early Thursday
Service was restored by 4:40 a.m. after going down at 3:13 a.m. Bell Canada must submit a report to the CRTC within 14 days.
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Bell Canada experienced a 911 outage affecting six Canadian provinces early Thursday morning, disrupting emergency services access in Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
The outage began at approximately 3:13 a.m. and service was restored at 4:40 a.m. Toronto residents who needed emergency assistance during the outage were directed to non-emergency numbers or local police divisions. Toronto Police Service maintained visibility of emergency calls during the disruption using RapidSOS service and returned calls to provide assistance after restoration. TPS and Paramedic Services confirmed 911 service was fully restored in the city.
Bell Canada is the 911 service provider for Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada. The outage stemmed from an issue with Bell's next-generation 911 network. "We continue to investigate the root cause of the issue," a Bell Canada spokesperson said.
Under regulatory requirements, Bell must submit a post-outage report to the CRTC within 14 days. The report must outline what caused the outage, how it was resolved and steps the company plans to take to prevent future incidents.
This marks the second Bell 911 outage in recent months. In July, 84 people in Manitoba were unable to reach emergency services after a hours-long Bell outage the company attributed to outdated legacy 911 networks. At that time, Bell said other regions that had adopted next-generation 911 networks had not faced similar issues—a claim contradicted by Thursday's outage.
The facts
What time did the 911 outage start and end on Thursday?
The outage began at approximately 3:13 a.m. and service was restored at 4:40 a.m. on Thursday, September 17, 2026.
How many provinces were affected by the Bell 911 outage?
Six Canadian provinces were affected: Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
What must Bell Canada do within 14 days?
Bell Canada must submit a post-outage report to the CRTC that outlines what caused the outage, how it was resolved and steps the company plans to take to prevent future incidents.
