Canada Readies Y2K Command Center

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Canada Readies Y2K Command Center

rUpdated 2:43 PM ET November 24, 1999

By Susan Taylor

OTTAWA (Reuters) - With just over four weeks remaining until history's most closely watched new year arrives, Canada is readying a command post that will watch for any Year 2000 bug glitches and arrange necessary repairs.

Under the aegis of the National Contingency Planning Group, founded in 1998 in response to the year 2000 bug, the monitoring and coordination center will be on 24-hour alert between December 29 and January 7.

Worries about what may happen at midnight on New Year's Eve have arisen because some older computer systems use just two digits for the date, and could malfunction by reading 2000 as 1900 or not work at all unless repairs are made.

Results from 6,000 surveys the group has monitored show that Canada's critical sectors are on schedule for Y2K repairs.

"Key sectors of power, oil, gas, telecommunications and finance report having fixed their systems and having backup plans," said Paul Thibault, federal coordinator for Year 2000 contingency planning. But the Canadian center will be ready to handle emergency situations.

About 250 employees will staff the Canadian center in shifts, communicating with counterpart operations monitoring essential services in the country's provinces and territories

The center will also connect with private associations and international centers as they watch essential services such as power systems, banking, and telecommunications.

The Ottawa bunker will rely primarily on computers and telephones to exchange information, though a back-up system, armed with such gear as satellite phones and generators, is ready if Y2K glitches cause equipment to malfunction.

"We don't expect a major problem," said Guy McKenzie, communications coordinator for Y2K "We still certainly rely a lot on computer exchange."

While municipalities deal with 90 percent of all emergencies and provinces respond to the rest, the center will watch for problems and coordinate a response to a major emergency -- much like the 1998 ice storm which effectively shut down the city of Montreal.

"We're not anticipating any major disruptions," said Thibault.

"I don't want, at this stage, to hypothesize on scenarios where we could get involved. Let me just be clear and say that we'd get involved if necessary but we're hoping we won't."

Founded in 1998, the National Contingency Planning Group is responsible for coordinating any federal response to Y2K problems. Part of the Department of National Defense, the group has been checking on the readiness of essential services and helped develop back-up plans for 147 government departments and organizations.

The planning group, which will operate for 18 months, has a budget of C$30 million. Of that, C$4 million has been handed to Emergency Preparedness Canada for Year 2000 work.

Canadians, who are being advised to stock up with a three-day supply of food and water, can phone 1-800-O-CANADA during the date turnover to get Year 2000 updates.

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-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), November 24, 1999

Answers

Thanks Ray!

To me this is good news.

The GOOD thing about being Canadian, is that we're too relaxed to get all huffy and panicky too quick.

The BAD thing about being Canadian is that we're patient--to a fault.

-- (Kurt.Borzel@gems8.gov.bc.ca), November 24, 1999.


Link please?

"[W]e'd get involved if necessary but we're hoping we won't".

It all comes down to hope, doesn't it? I hope they won't, either.

-- counting down (the@days.now), November 24, 1999.


Actually the patient to a fault is a good thing about Canada as we woun't be killing each other off at a great rate like the Yanks in the big cities.

Q. How do you break up a riot in Canada?

A. Cop comes along and says "All right, everybody go home

-- Wierded Out (TheTwilight@zone.com), November 24, 1999.


The Link

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), November 25, 1999.


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