"May you live in interesting times" is said to be an ancient Chinese curse. Although no actual Chinese source has been found there is no doubt of its implications and these times we live in are without a doubt, interesting. So what to do when faced with uncertainty? Go to breakfast of course and talk about it! (And make some plans.)

This June 23, Join us to Celebrate International Women in Engineering Day with a workshop designed to get you thinking about disaster in its various forms. We have a brief panel presentation after which we will divide into small groups to do the actual work of planning for the Zombies.

First up is Alison Bird, seismologist, to remind us of some of the multiple mini-disasters that would accompany The Big One. The second panelist is Jennifer McLarty of Prepared BC with a reminder that there are other disasters to survive (the next pandemic? House/forest fires? US bombing?). Finally, Isabel Wood with Total Prepare, will speak about preparing and finding resources.

The WHY: this workshop was inspired by The Unthinkable - Who survives When Disaster Strikes and Why by Amanda Ripley. The author identifies 3 stages to human reaction in a disaster: Denial, Consultation and Action. The people who survive move through the first two stages faster.

How to prepare? Put some thought into the various disasters we could encounter in day-to-day life. We may end up talking a lot about earthquakes because they often bring many disasters all at once: car crashes, house fires, tsunami, sudden homelessness, no clean drinking water, no electricity, long term disruption to supply chains. Our profession is the one that advises government on the impact of earthquakes. We design building structures, water systems and electrical supply around earthquakes yet many of us don't have well developed plans for our personal lives. Some of us are well on the path so let's get together, share what we have already planned for and learn from each other. After all most people don't die IN the earthquake/disaster; they die after. Let's improve those odds.

7:30AM – Registration
8:00-8:30AM – Breakfast and Networking
8:30-9:45AM – Workshop
9:45AM – Award Presentation, Role Model of the Year
10:00AM – Wrap Up

Alison Bird, Natural Resources Canada

Alison has been working as an earthquake seismologist since 1997: initially for the International Seismological Centre in England and, since 2000, with Natural Resources Canada. For 20 years, she analyzed and researched western Canada's earthquakes, and visited Haida Gwaii as part of a response team after the 2012 magnitude 7.8 earthquake. In recent years, she was part of a team developing a comprehensive risk assessment for Canada. Alison routinely responds in the wake of significant events.

In 2020, Alison joined the Earthquake Early Warning project as Liaison & Outreach Officer. She is involved in numerous outreach activities, and is passionate about seismic-resistant engineering, in encouraging mitigation practices for at-risk communities, and in educating the public about earthquake hazards. She is on the Board of Directors for the BC Earthquake Alliance and on the Organizing Committee for the annual Great British Columbia Shake Out earthquake drill.

Jennifer McLarty, Prepared BC

Jennifer McLarty leads PreparedBC, the province’s emergency preparedness education program serving the public, local governments, First Nations, and schools. Jennifer has been with PreparedBC since its inception in 2015 and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the areas of household, neighbourhood, and community readiness.

Isabel Wood, Total Prepare Victoria

Isabel has dedicated herself for nearly a decade to the field of emergency preparedness. Through her role with Total Prepare, she works closely with organizations such as local governments, universities, airports, RCMP, fire departments, search & rescue teams, and provincial health authorities to create tailored emergency preparedness solutions. She provides presentations and hands-on workshops to a variety of audiences, including business groups, community organizations, universities, schools, and senior living centers.

The parking lot is accessed from the back, off of Dunedin.

To purchase tickets, a BCSEG website account is required. This is no additional cost to register for an account on our web platform. Click "Create Account" at the top of our site page.