In January of this year a province-wide earthquake drill was held in British Columbia to help residents prepare for “the big one.”
It’s no secret that the Queen Charlotte Fault Line is located at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean just off Canada’s west coast. This is our equivalent of the San Andreas Fault in the western U.S.
This ticking time bomb was last active on January 26, 1700 when a 1,000 mile rupture from Vancouver Island to California triggered a 9.0 earthquake. A tsunami crossed the Pacific and devastated the east coast of Japan.
Geological surveys have confirmed these facts. Physical evidence also confirms that North America’s west coast is due for a similar quake tomorrow or next week or in 100 years.
And yet, 90 per cent of B.C. residents chose to ignore the drill. While school children all over the province crouched under their desks for a minute, even the provincial legislature decided to opt out of the exercise.
I have a feeling that if an earthquake drill was held today, participation would be at record levels. Even provincial legislators might start leading by example.
After witnessing the recent events in Japan anybody living or working on the Pacific Ocean ring of fire should take note. If you still think you can easily withstand and survive the awesome forces of nature, you haven’t been paying attention.
When an 8.9 earthquake shook Japan last week it struck the most disaster-ready nation on Earth. Earthquakes in Japan are an almost daily occurrence and the Japanese have been learning from their experiences for years.
As destructive and devastating as the earthquake was, it would have been even worse if not for the planning and preparation that has been under way for generations.
Still, Mother Nature wasn’t impressed. When she released her unbridled fury at the bottom of the ocean that day, it was every man for himself and the devil be damned.
All the advanced preparations were designed to minimize the impact of earthquakes, even this one, which was the biggest ever in Japanese history. Unfortunately, nothing man-made can withstand a towering wall of water with the power of the Pacific Ocean and a force 8.9 earthquake behind it.
The Japanese people have faced adversity before and are known to be very stoic, the embodiment of the “stiff upper lip.” They face their hardship bravely without getting overly emotional or excited.
I saw and heard the Japanese ambassador speaking to Canadian journalists a day after the disaster. I was moved by his heartfelt and thoughtful answers to some very sensitive questions.
He sincerely thanked Canadians and the rest of the world for the emotional support and promises of assistance. He apologized for having to borrow American helicopters to rescue the victims.
He reassured the world that great care had been taken in the safe engineering and building of the damaged nuclear reactors. He apologized again for appearing to be chauvinistic or bragging about Japanese technology.
He summoned the fighting spirit of the Japanese people to face the future and politely inquired, “Is ‘fighting spirit’ a good thing in Canada?”
As he spoke, he was fighting back tears and I think he really just wanted to find a quiet place to cry and grieve, much like the rest of the world. This classy example of compassion and humanity in the face of absolute tragedy is an example for the rest of the world. Fight on ambassador.
The global community will be generous and donations will pour in, but what can be done when the scale of disaster is so enormous and the human tragedy so widespread? The money, blankets, water and food will help to ease the physical discomforts but only time can heal the stress and emotional hardships of this traumatized nation.
Here in Northwestern Ontario we are shielded, literally, from many of the world’s natural disasters. The solid granite of the Canadian Shield doesn’t shake very much and we are quietly nestled high above sea level, high and dry you might say.
As I write this the sun is shining down from a clear, blue sky. The snow is slowly melting and soon it will be spring. Mother Nature is showing us her gentler side. I have to admit I feel a little guilty.
The strongest earthquake ever was a 9.5 shaker in Chile in 1960. After the events of this past week I’m sure nobody is prepared to break that record.
It’s no secret that the Queen Charlotte Fault Line is located at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean just off Canada’s west coast. This is our equivalent of the San Andreas Fault in the western U.S.
This ticking time bomb was last active on January 26, 1700 when a 1,000 mile rupture from Vancouver Island to California triggered a 9.0 earthquake. A tsunami crossed the Pacific and devastated the east coast of Japan.
Geological surveys have confirmed these facts. Physical evidence also confirms that North America’s west coast is due for a similar quake tomorrow or next week or in 100 years.
And yet, 90 per cent of B.C. residents chose to ignore the drill. While school children all over the province crouched under their desks for a minute, even the provincial legislature decided to opt out of the exercise.
I have a feeling that if an earthquake drill was held today, participation would be at record levels. Even provincial legislators might start leading by example.
After witnessing the recent events in Japan anybody living or working on the Pacific Ocean ring of fire should take note. If you still think you can easily withstand and survive the awesome forces of nature, you haven’t been paying attention.
When an 8.9 earthquake shook Japan last week it struck the most disaster-ready nation on Earth. Earthquakes in Japan are an almost daily occurrence and the Japanese have been learning from their experiences for years.
As destructive and devastating as the earthquake was, it would have been even worse if not for the planning and preparation that has been under way for generations.
Still, Mother Nature wasn’t impressed. When she released her unbridled fury at the bottom of the ocean that day, it was every man for himself and the devil be damned.
All the advanced preparations were designed to minimize the impact of earthquakes, even this one, which was the biggest ever in Japanese history. Unfortunately, nothing man-made can withstand a towering wall of water with the power of the Pacific Ocean and a force 8.9 earthquake behind it.
The Japanese people have faced adversity before and are known to be very stoic, the embodiment of the “stiff upper lip.” They face their hardship bravely without getting overly emotional or excited.
I saw and heard the Japanese ambassador speaking to Canadian journalists a day after the disaster. I was moved by his heartfelt and thoughtful answers to some very sensitive questions.
He sincerely thanked Canadians and the rest of the world for the emotional support and promises of assistance. He apologized for having to borrow American helicopters to rescue the victims.
He reassured the world that great care had been taken in the safe engineering and building of the damaged nuclear reactors. He apologized again for appearing to be chauvinistic or bragging about Japanese technology.
He summoned the fighting spirit of the Japanese people to face the future and politely inquired, “Is ‘fighting spirit’ a good thing in Canada?”
As he spoke, he was fighting back tears and I think he really just wanted to find a quiet place to cry and grieve, much like the rest of the world. This classy example of compassion and humanity in the face of absolute tragedy is an example for the rest of the world. Fight on ambassador.
The global community will be generous and donations will pour in, but what can be done when the scale of disaster is so enormous and the human tragedy so widespread? The money, blankets, water and food will help to ease the physical discomforts but only time can heal the stress and emotional hardships of this traumatized nation.
Here in Northwestern Ontario we are shielded, literally, from many of the world’s natural disasters. The solid granite of the Canadian Shield doesn’t shake very much and we are quietly nestled high above sea level, high and dry you might say.
As I write this the sun is shining down from a clear, blue sky. The snow is slowly melting and soon it will be spring. Mother Nature is showing us her gentler side. I have to admit I feel a little guilty.
The strongest earthquake ever was a 9.5 shaker in Chile in 1960. After the events of this past week I’m sure nobody is prepared to break that record.
