The Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness in Canada, Bill Blair, says that people need to get information about what to do in advance and faster.

In a statement on Friday, he said, "Canada's emergency alert system does not work well enough when a disaster occurs."

Speaking to reporters while at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Bali, Indonesia, Bill Blair acknowledged that the information alerts sent before a sudden and severe storm hit southern Ontario and Quebec were not helpful enough.

He added that the alerts should have been sent earlier, with more and better information about what recipients should do, and be more consistent regarding who receives them.

The storm and its aftermath caused the deaths of 11 people in Ontario, and many in the Ottawa area are still without power.

Some residents criticized the alert system, saying that some did not receive warnings when needed. Alerts were sent to mobile phones and also broadcast on television and radio in some areas. This was the first alert for a severe thunderstorm warning.

Blair admitted the mistake and described the early warning system as "used inconsistently."

He then said that one of the most important things he learned at the conference is that there is data indicating that a strong early warning system for natural disasters can reduce losses and damages by an average of 30 percent.

He said the federal government will work with the provinces, territories, and Environment Canada to make changes to the system.

He added, "I believe the tragic loss of lives and the damage that occurred in Ontario and Quebec over the past several days shows that there is still more work to be done, and we are committed to doing that work."

Edited by: Dima Abu Khair