‘It’s a little troubling’: Environment Canada cuts to radar research team puts public at risk, experts say

Questions are mounting about Canada's weather alert system after severe storms, flooding, and tornadoes swept through southern Manitoba. Alex Karpa reports.

WINNIPEG - Cleanup efforts continue in Manitoba after a severe storm swept through the southern part of the province earlier this week, bringing heavy rain, hail, high-winds, and tornadoes.

“It was a very intense system,” says John Hanesiak, a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Manitoba.

“It was a bit of an unusual day.”

While storms of this magnitude remain relatively rare on the Prairies, Hanesiak says they underscore the importance of giving forecasters the best possible tools to monitor rapidly changing weather conditions.

Weather radar is a critical tool, providing real-time data that helps predict severe weather events. But Hanesiak says Canada’s current radar system has limitations.

“The forecasters are struggling with trying to detect rotation in thunderstorms in a lot of cases,” he says. “It’s a bit of a wake-up call.”

In 2016, the federal government invested around $180 million to install 33 new weather radar systems across the country. Installation was complete in 2024.

But recently, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) disbanded its radar research team.

Hanesiak says the change came as a shock and he would like to see improvements to the radar system, instead of seeing cuts to the research team.

“It’s an important issue and a number of us are concerned,” he says.

That concern is shared by David Sills, the director of the Northern Tornadoes Project at Western University.

He says without sustained research support, the system is not being fully utilized.

“You need to have the best quality data in front of you in a timely way, so you can make split second decisions and get those warnings out as soon as possible,” says Sills.

“We just don’t have that right now with the current network as it stands.”

Sills adds that many meteorologists often rely on U.S. radar data instead.

“They have a better handle on where the storm rotation is,” he says.

He and other experts, including Hanesiak, recently sent a letter to the federal environment minister expressing concern about the state of Canada’s radar system.

“The minister eventually did respond. I think it was five or six weeks after we had sent the initial letter,” he says.

“It was just kind of the boilerplate stuff, you know, ‘we’re doing what’s needed, public safety is fine, don’t worry about it,’ but it’s not.”

“As the power users of radar in the country, we know what quality radar data looks like, and it’s not there at the point,” he said.

In a statement to CTV News, a spokesperson for ECCC said the changes will “strengthen how science is delivered.”

“While changes to certain areas of applied research related to radar technologies have been made, the department will continue to provide the scientific and technical expertise required to maintain Canada’s current radar network and ensure it remains operational to provide Canadians with lifesaving information,” the statement reads.

“Radar observations continue to play a critical role in weather forecasting, supporting severe weather monitoring, and helping deliver timely and accurate weather information to people in Canada.”

But Sills says the lack of science support and further improvement of the technological products, is putting the safety of Canadians at risk.

“There was a whole list of things that needed to be done to improve the quality for forecasters,” he said.

“Without the radar science group there, it’s not clear how that work could get done. It’s certainly not something that the universities can do.”

Possible active summer season

Meteorologist Scott Kehler was chasing tornadoes in southern Manitoba earlier this week. He says it was one of the most severe weather days he’s ever seen.

“It was a really wild day of weather in southern Manitoba, something that we don’t see very often,” he said.

Kehler says this unusual weather comes as the peak of severe weather season is still weeks away.

“Typically, the severe weather season on the prairies doesn’t reach its peak until mid-July. A lot of that has to do with the amount of humidity that’s available to these storms,” he said.

“Given what we’re already seeing, I think there’s a good likelihood that we will see more severe weather as the summer goes on.”

Hanesiak says that makes continued investment in radar technology even more important.

“If you don’t have accurate, good products to make those forecasts, it’s a little troubling,” he said.