The Great British Columbia ShakeOut Earthquake Drill is Back!

VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 14, 2025 /CNW/ - Prepare to react when an earthquake occurs. The Great British Columbia ShakeOut (ShakeOut BC) event will encourage participants to practise what to do when an earthquake alert is received or shaking is felt. Join us at the BC Legislature on October 16 to "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" during Canada's largest earthquake drill.

ShakeOut BC, a BC Earthquake Alliance Society (BCEA) event that has been held annually 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.

Earthquakes can cause the ground to shake violently very soon after they begin. Alerts from the national Earthquake Early Warning system can only provide seconds to tens-of-seconds to react, so it is important to take immediate action.

Members of the media are invited to join representatives from the ShakeOut BC Organizing Committee, BCEA, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) for the event. On site will be an information booth from ShakeOut BC.

This year's theme is: If you are Prepared for Earthquakes, you are prepared for nearly anything.

Date: October 16, 2025
Time: 10:00 a.m. PT (drill at 10:16 a.m.)
Where: Hall of Honour, Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, British Columbia Parliament Buildings, 501 Belleville Street, Victoria, BC (map)

Spokespeople in attendance:

• Honourable Kelly Greene, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness
• Erin Stockill, Vice President, BCEA
• Greg Moy, Manager, Government Relations, Pacific & Western, Insurance Bureau of Canada
• Alison Bird, BCEA Director and Earthquake Seismologist, Natural Resources Canada

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:

Kelly Greene, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness:

"Taking time to prepare for earthquakes helps keep people and communities safe when it matters most. Participating in ShakeOut BC drills, building an emergency kit and making a home emergency plan are simple and effective ways for people to be ready for emergencies."

Erin Stockill, Vice President, BCEA :

"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 grateful to our sponsors and partner organizations, and to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia for hosting this year's drill. We encourage everyone in the province to join us--this practice could save your lives."

Greg Moy, Manager, Government Relations, Pacific & Western, IBC :

"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."

Background information:

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 16 drill, including more than 650,000 people in British Columbia.

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]