POOR EMERGENCY PLANNING LEAVES ONTARIO UNREADY

Auditors found an inch of dust on Ontario’s plan of action in case of major emergencies like terrorism or a natural disaster.

A committee of Ontario politicians responsible for overseeing the province’s response to major emergencies hasn’t met in years, auditors have revealed.

And that’s just one in a number of weaknesses in emergency management identified in the annual auditor’s report, such as “significant” budget cuts and high turnover in leadership.

“It is essential in a province the size of Ontario that the government be ready to act in the event of an emergency,” auditor general Bonnie Lysyk said in a statement Wednesday. “But plans have not been updated in years, and practising for emergencies through simulations are not frequently done.”

The province that is home to nuclear plants and once experienced a massive electricity blackout has no co-ordinated information technology, the auditors found.

An attempt was made in 2009 to correct that failing but was abandoned in 2015 after blowing $7.5 million, the IT project plagued with delays and “user dissatisfaction,” the report notes.