Irvine elementary students were among nearly one million British Columbians who practiced how to to "Drop, Cover and Hold On" during the 2019 Great British Columbia (BC) ShakeOut.
Members of the BC Earthquake Alliance, the Insurance Bureau of Canada and Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General and PoCo MLA Mike Farnworth were on hand for the ShakeOut event at the school, which is slated for a $24.3 million seismic rebuild.
During the event, which was attended by several media outlets, Farnworth ducked under a desk, as did a group of Irvine students, to demonstrate the importance of being safe in an earthquake.
“Earthquakes don’t make appointments," said Naomi Yamamoto, president of the BC Earthquake Alliance. "We have to be ready when they arrive. Practising drop, cover and hold on builds muscle memory and is a great way to be prepared to survive and recover quickly.”
Farnworth pointed out that B.C. is in an active earthquake zone and people should know what to do to stay safe.
“ShakeOut is an annual reminder to drop, cover and hold on, and I encourage all British Columbians to take the time to participate.”
With a one in three chance a significant earthquake could occur in south western B.C. in the next 50 years, the public is encouraged to have an emergency kit and a plan on hand.
Meanwhile, the Irvine elementary community is awaiting construction of a new school. According to the latest update, the architects are working on the final set of drawings and the school district is working with the city of Port Coquitlam to obtain permits for construction.
Parents actively campaigned to get a new school out of concern for their children’s safety, and with the district making it a priority, Education Minister Rob Fleming visited the school in January, 2018, promising construction to begin in the spring of 2019 for a fall, 2020 completion, with capacity for 505 students, 115 more than present.
