Media Advisory - Tour of Victoria, B.C. community health centre retrofitted
against earthquake

TORONTO , Feb. 3 /CNW/ - The Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) has conducted a non-structural retrofit of a community health centre in Victoria, British Columbia to reduce the impact of a potential earthquake. ICLR and James Bay Community Project staff will be onsite to provide a tour of the facility and answer questions:

    
                 Tour date:    Thursday, February 4
                 Time:         9:00 a.m. PST
                 Location:     James Bay Community Project Board Room
                               547 Michigan Street, Victoria BC, V8V 1S5
    

At this event, the media will receive practical tips to share on how homeowners, owners of small businesses and administrators of health and social service agencies and others can reduce the impact of earthquake in order to reduce deaths, injuries and property damage.

Established in 1998 by Canada's property and casualty insurers, ICLR is an independent, not-for-profit research institute based in Toronto and at the University of Western Ontario in London , Canada . ICLR is a centre of excellence for disaster loss prevention research and education. ICLR's research staff is internationally recognized for pioneering work in a number of fields including wind and seismic engineering, atmospheric sciences, water resources engineering and economics. Multi-disciplined research is a foundation for ICLR's work to build communities more resilient to disasters.

James Bay Community Project is a uniquely integrated community health and social service center which includes five core components: a primary health care centre, seniors outreach programming, the Victoria youth drop-in clinic, early childhood/family resource programs and a range of community services such as a library, information and referral services, food security programs, a thrift store, and community volunteer placements. The programs are based on a broad definition of health, and seek to improve community, family and individual health and wellbeing. JBCP works in partnership with many other agencies and organizations in the Greater Victoria area. JBCP is a non-profit society ( James Bay Health and Community Services Society), with a community elected board of directors.

For further information: Media contacts: Penny Coates, Manager of Family and Community Services, James Bay Community Project, phone [phone] ext 311, [email protected]; Sonja Ruthe, Community Emergency Preparedness Coordinator & ESS Director, The Corporation of the District of Oak Bay Emergency Program, cell [phone] (event day) or [phone] (Fire Hall), [email protected]; Glenn McGillivray, Managing Director, ICLR, use cell [phone] (event day), tel. [phone], ext. 3216, [email protected]