After 11 years of bringing you local reporting, the team behind the Vancouver Observer has moved on to Canada's National Observer. You can follow Vancouver culture reporting over there from now on. Thank you for all your support over the years!

City and Science World kick off emergency preparedness week with a two day event

Elementary kids in an earthquake drill. Photo by The Canadian Press.

The City of Vancouver is partnering with Science World to kick off Emergency Preparedness Week with an event open to the public at the TELUS World of Science. The event will feature interactive booths and displays from local scientists, first responders and emergency preparedness agencies to help citizens prepare for all types of emergencies.

“City hall continues to work harder than ever before to prepare Vancouver for emergencies,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson in a press release. “Vancouver’s response and recovery will depend on our collective ability to prepare for a major disaster, and I urge all residents and business to take the time to get familiar with their local Disaster Support Hub and emergency plan. The City will continue to support our communities to make Vancouver safer and more prepared for emergencies than ever before.”

“Our government will not become complacent in preparing for emergencies, but that preparation is a shared responsibility in B.C.,” said Minister of State for Emergency Preparedness, Naomi Yamamoto. “British Columbians need to be motivated to create emergency kits and prepare for the worst. The resiliency of our province depends on us all taking action.”

For the second consecutive year, the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is taking its Shake Zone tour across the Lower Mainland during Emergency Preparedness Week. The Shake Zone tour includes the Quake Cottage earthquake simulator. Quake Cottage will be at the Science World event.

"Preparing Canadians for an earthquake is a priority for Canada’s insurance industry,” said Bill Adams, Vice-President, Western & Pacific, IBC. Though more than 3,000 earthquakes happen in BC, only a handful cause any damage. "At some point, a big one will hit. It is not a matter of if, but when,” said Adams.

The event at TELUS World of Science is open to all ages and while there, you can test your seismic construction skills on the University of British Columbia BC earthquake shake table, learn about the City’s Disaster Support Hub initiative, see how an earthquake early warning system works and experience what it is like to feel an earthquake in the IBC Shake Zone earthquake simulator.

Emergency Preparedness Week takes place May 1 to 7 across Canada to promote and raise awareness of the actions people can take to be prepared for an emergency. 

The free two-day event will take place Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30 from 10am to 4pm. For more information visit: scienceworld.ca/lets-celebrate-emergency-preparedness-week

Read More:

More in News

Views from a refugee camp: Who gets into heaven?

I have just returned to Vancouver Island from Greek refugee camps where I met a Yazidi man named Jason who told me about his escape from ISIS in Iraq.   His story begins on a desert road where a...

Vancouver's bicycle sharing grows as 15 new stations installed

Mobi bicycle by Shaw Go in Vancouver. Photo by Christopher Porter from Flickr Creative Commons

International Women's Day Concert celebrates female musicians who turned tragedy into triumph

Every March 8, on International Women's Day, we hear about the achievements of brilliant, talented women around the world. But how often do we learn about the physical and mental disabilities or...
Speak up about this article on Facebook or Twitter. Do this by liking Vancouver Observer on Facebook or following us @Vanobserver on Twitter. We'd love to hear from you.