The Great British Columbia ShakeOut Earthquake Drill is Back, Featuring the Quake Cottage Earthquake Simulator!

VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 10, 2024 /CNW/ - Experience what a major earthquake feels like—safely. This year's Great British Columbia ShakeOut event will feature the Quake Cottage earthquake simulator, allowing participants to experience a realistic simulation of a major earthquake. Join us at the Vancouver Convention Centre on October 17 to "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" during Canada's largest earthquake drill.

ShakeOut BC, a BC Earthquake Alliance (BCEA) event that has been running since 2011, is an opportunity to practice how to stay safe when an earthquake strikes. By rehearsing the "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" response, participants create muscle memory, which helps them respond quickly and move to safety during a real earthquake.

Members of the media are invited to join representatives from the ShakeOut BC Organizing Committee, BCEA, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA) for the event. The day will include a public preparedness fair with information booths from Natural Resources Canada, Fortis B.C., PreparedBC and other organizations; as well as live demonstrations of the Quake Cottage simulator.

This year's theme is: If you are Prepared for an Earthquake, you are prepared for any emergency.

Date: October 17, 2024

Time: 9:40 a.m. PT (drill at 10:17 a.m.)

Where: Vancouver Convention Centre Plaza, 999 Canada Place, Vancouver (map)

Spokespeople in attendance:

• Mayor Ken Sim, City of Vancouver
• Naomi Yamamoto, Chair, BCEA
• Greg Moy, Manager, Government Relations, Pacific & Western, Insurance Bureau of Canada
• Alison Bird, BCEA Director and Earthquake Seismologist, Natural Resources Canada
• Duncan Webb, Manager for Safety & Emergency Management, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority

You can ShakeOut at home, work, school, or even through a video conference with your friends and colleagues. Sign up today and encourage your family, friends, and colleagues to do the same at www.ShakeOutBC.ca.

Quotes:

Mayor Ken Sim, City of Vancouver:

"I'm proud to support the BCEA as they host the largest earthquake drill ever in our province. The Great BC Shakeout isn't just about practice - it's about coming together as a community and making sure every Vancouverite knows how to tackle whatever challenges come our way. Let's embrace this opportunity to build a culture of preparedness, and make our community stronger and more resilient than ever."

Naomi Yamamoto, Chair, BC Earthquake Alliance:

"We're thrilled to see so many British Columbians committed to preparedness, with hundreds of thousands already signed up for our latest BC Shakeout. We are excited to add the Quake Cottage simulator to this year's event, and are grateful to our sponsors and partner organizations. We encourage everyone in the province to join us—this practice could one day save lives."

Greg Moy, Manager, Government Relations, Pacific & Western, Insurance Bureau of Canada:

"IBC is proud to sponsor ShakeOut BC once again. Earthquakes pose a real threat to our communities, with a 30% chance of a strong, damaging earthquake striking southwestern British Columbia within the next 50 years. The time to prepare is now. Practicing how to respond and reinforcing the importance of preparedness helps all British Columbians be ready to respond quickly and effectively."

Shri Madiwal, Acting VP, Operations and Supply Chain, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority

"We are honoured to be the host venue for the 14^th annual ShakeOut BC earthquake drill. As Canada's largest port, the Port of Vancouver is an integral part of the supply chain—ensuring Canadians have reliable access to goods. We recognize the critical role the port would have in the event of an earthquake to support response and recovery of the region. We look forward to hosting our partners at this year's drill and encourage all British Columbians to participate in this important event."

About ShakeOut BC
ShakeOut BC earthquake drills help people at home, school and work practice how to be safe during an earthquake and provide an opportunity for everyone to improve their overall preparedness. By participating, you, your family, your co-workers and millions of others will be better prepared to survive and recover quickly following an earthquake. As of today, millions of people worldwide are registered to participate in the October 17 drill, including nearly 500,000 British Columbians.

About BC Earthquake Alliance Society
Founded in 2010, the BC Earthquake Alliance (BCEA) is a not-for-profit Society. We are dedicated to promoting awareness and enabling preparedness for earthquakes and tsunamis across British Columbia. BCEA educates, connects, collaborates and acts as an emergency preparedness champion. Our vision is a future where everyone in BC is earthquake and tsunami resilient. To learn more about the BC Earthquake Alliance, visit bcearthquakealliance.ca.

About Insurance Bureau of Canada
Established in 1964, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is the national industry association representing Canada's private home, auto and business insurers. Its member companies make up the vast majority of Canada's highly competitive property and casualty (P&C) insurance market.

As the leading advocate for Canada's private P&C insurers, IBC collaborates with governments, regulators and stakeholders to support a competitive environment for the P&C insurance industry to continue to help protect Canadians from the risks of today and tomorrow. IBC believes that Canadians value and deserve a responsive and resilient private P&C insurance industry that provides insurance solutions to both individuals and businesses.

For media releases, IN Focus articles, or to book an interview with an IBC representative, visit ibc.ca. Follow us on LinkedIn, X and Instagram, and like us on Facebook. If you have a question about home, auto or business insurance, contact IBC's Consumer Information Centre at 1-844-2ask-IBC. We're here to help.

SOURCE Great British Columbia ShakeOut

Media Contact: Brett Weltman, Manager, Media Relations, Insurance Bureau of Canada, [email protected]