Short answer. Canada publishes no official list of public fallout or blast shelters, because it has no such network. Official guidance is to shelter in place in the building you are in, or to evacuate to places officials announce. Reception centres are opened by local authorities during an emergency and named in the alert 123.
Does Canada have public bunkers or fallout shelters?
No current official source describes a public shelter network in Canada, and there is no national count of public shelter places 123. Protection in a radiological emergency starts with the building you are already in.
Where do you go in an emergency, then?
You go where officials tell you to go, when they tell you. Official guidance is to "listen to officials for information about routes, shelters, and procedures" 13. In practice this means:
- Shelter in place when told to: stay indoors, close windows and doors, and turn off systems that move air. Be ready to stay inside for at least 24 hours 1.
- Evacuate only when ordered, along the routes given. Reception centres are opened by local authorities during the emergency and are announced in the alert 123.
Near Ontario's Pickering nuclear station, for example, evacuees in Durham Region go to designated facilities along routes set by the Province 2.
How do you hear where shelters or reception centres are?
Through official alerts: Alert Ready on TV, radio and compatible phones, plus local radio and TV 12. Our Canada alerts page explains how Alert Ready works and what local sirens exist.
How can you protect yourself without a public shelter?
The most useful steps are the ones in the official guidance: a home kit for at least 72 hours, a plan, and knowing how to shelter in place. See:
- Shelter in place or evacuate after a nuclear emergency?
- How fast fallout decays: the 7-10 rule, which explains why the first 24 hours indoors matter
- What a shelter's protection factor is, to understand which parts of a building protect best
- Our Canada emergency supplies page
If you are thinking about a private shelter, our Canada build-a-shelter page sets out what the official sources do and do not say.
Frequently asked questions
Can I find a public fallout shelter near me in Canada?
No official directory exists, because Canada has no public fallout shelter network. In an emergency, officials announce routes, shelters and reception centres through alerts, radio and TV 123.
What should I do if I am told to shelter in place?
Go indoors, close windows and doors, turn off systems that move air, and be ready to stay inside for at least 24 hours while you follow official updates 1.
Who opens reception centres?
Local authorities open them during an emergency and announce them in the alert. Near Pickering, evacuees go to designated facilities along routes set by the Province of Ontario 2.
Sources
- Public Safety Canada (Canada.ca) — Radiological and nuclear emergencies – Get prepared — https://www.canada.ca/en/services/policing/emergencies/preparedness/get-prepared/hazards-emergencies/radiological/how-prepare.html (accessed 2026-10-20)
- City of Pickering — Nuclear Emergencies — https://www.pickering.ca/en/living/NuclearEmergencies.aspx (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Parks Canada — Evacuation guide - Riding Mountain National Park — https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/mb/riding/securite-safety/evacuation (accessed 2026-10-20)
Turn this into action
Your plan for Canada, worked out for your household.
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- The nuclear plants and zones around your home
- Phaenyx Safe: one tap to tell your people you are safe
Sources
- Public Safety Canada (Canada.ca) · Radiological and nuclear emergencies – Get prepared checked 2026-10-20
- City of Pickering · Nuclear Emergencies checked 2026-10-20
- Parks Canada · Evacuation guide - Riding Mountain National Park checked 2026-10-20