A Hamilton family is in mourning after facing a life-or-death situation last week during the Rogers blackout that sent the country reeling, and an expert says it’s a testament to the “fragility” of Canada’s networks.
Shane Ibey said his father and aunt, Greg and Linda Ibey, who are siblings and both in their 70s, were out doing their weekly errands downtown Friday morning.
Shane said it was just after 10 a.m. ET when Greg noticed Linda wasn’t feeling well and had her sit in a parking lot near a bank.
“He could see that she was in trouble and needed help, more than what my father could offer her,” Shane told CBC News.
Greg called a security guard at the bank who also realized Linda was in trouble.
According to Shane, the next five to 10 minutes were brutal for his father.
First responders finally arrived
Without cell phone service, Greg was “wandering.”
Shane said his father and security tried to spot someone nearby to call 911, but were unable to find anyone.
“My dad started running down the street past the parking lot trying to find people,” Shane said.
“He had to keep leaving her to try and get help,” he said, breaking down in tears.
Shane said his father never found anyone with a cell phone, but eventually first responders arrived.
Shane believes the security guard may have been able to get help from someone at the bank or via a landline.
WATCH | Consumer group asks telecoms watchdog to inquire into Rogers outage:
Consumer group asks telecoms watchdog for inquiry into Rogers outage
John Lawford, executive director of the Center for Public Interest Advocacy, has asked the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to conduct an investigation into the nationwide Rogers outage and set new rules for all telecommunications providers.
Although the ambulance did not have a defibrillator, the first fire engine on the scene did, according to Shane.
Shane said they revived Linda and took her to the hospital without Greg. He said his father was unable to use his vehicle at the time because police considered it part of a potential crime scene.
This left Greg struggling to get to the hospital, but he eventually found a taxi. Once Greg got there, Shane said, he was “involved in the decision to take her off life support.”
Days after Linda’s death, the family is still trying to come to terms with her loss.
“She was the matriarch of our family and both of their parents passed away, so now my dad is on his own,” Shane said, adding that she has two children and has “all the stories that most people in the family don’t know.”
Shane said he never thought people would ever have trouble contacting emergency services.
He added that doctors at the hospital said Linda’s aneurysm would likely have been fatal even if Greg had been able to call 911 right away. An aneurysm is an abnormal ballooning in the wall of a blood vessel and can rupture and cause internal bleeding.
“This outage didn’t cause my aunt’s death, but … every minute counts when something like this happens, and when it’s not available, it seems like it’s something that can be worked on,” Shane said.
WATCH | Rogers reacts to a massive network outage:
Rogers CEO apologizes for massive service outage, blames maintenance update
Rogers CEO Tony Staffieri apologized for the extended network outage that affected customers across the country and blamed it on a network system failure following a maintenance update on the core network.
Tony Staffieri, president and CEO of Rogers, said the outage was caused by a network system failure following a maintenance update.
On Monday, Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne convened a meeting of telecom CEOs, including Staffieri, to discuss ways to prevent such service disruptions and urged them to develop a plan to strengthen the resilience of Canada’s cellular and Internet networks.
In addition, the Public Interest Advocacy Center made a formal request to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to conduct an investigation into the outage.
The outage wasn’t “a moment,” the expert says
Vas Bednar, executive director of McMaster University’s Master of Public Policy Program in the Digital Society, told CBC Radio’s Metro Morning that this outage should not be seen as a “moment.”
Vas Bednar, executive director of McMaster University’s digital society master’s program in public policy, says Rogers should give a full briefing on what caused the outage and what the company learned. (CBC)
Bednar said the outage has put Canada “on the map in a humbling and disturbing way in terms of the fragility of our system and how interconnected it is, and that’s what’s causing people to rethink it.”
The public needs and wants to be involved in conversations around telecommunications companies, she said.
“These services feel like they are now essential services and vital public infrastructure, but they are controlled by private corporations.
“Not only can we benefit from more competition in the space … people are frustrated and feel like they’re paying higher and higher prices for something that just keeps disappointing them.”
Bednar said Rogers should give a full briefing on the reasons for the outage and what the company learned.
Shane said he hopes sharing his experience will help others and show telcos what’s at stake when their services don’t work.
“It’s not just an economic deal,” he said. “Life and death scenarios play out every day.”
LISTEN | Shane Eby tells Metro Morning about his father’s experience:
Metro Morning14:10 Rogers outage shows we need major telecoms change in country, says tech expert
Shane Eby is a Hamilton resident whose aunt suffered a fatal aneurysm during Rogers’ layoff. Vas Bednar, executive director of the Master of Public Policy in Digital Society at McMaster University, talks about the impact of the disruption.
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