Residents in Owen Sound, Ontario, were briefly unable to reach emergency services using landline phones on March 10, 2026, due to a technical failure. The Owen Sound Police Service issued a warning after discovering that Bell copper landlines were not connecting to 911. During the disruption, officials advised the community to use mobile phones to get help, as cellular service was not affected.
The Owen Sound Emergency Communications Centre handles emergency calls for over 370,000 people across 28 municipalities and two First Nations communities. The City of Owen Sound confirmed that the issue was fixed by 11:57 AM that same day. Some users may have been confused because the phone company’s online outage tool incorrectly showed that there were no problems in the area during the event.
The outage lasted approximately three and a half hours before the phone company resolved the problem. A similar technical problem with the 911 phone lines also occurred on October 7, 2024, which was also repaired by the service provider. Officials continue to monitor the emergency communication system to ensure residents can always reach help when needed.
