Insurance Bureau of Canada invites Quebec to try out earthquake simulator
As part of an earthquake preparedness campaign, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is touring Quebec and will be inviting residents of participating cities to experience a unique sensation inside the Quake Cottage, a mobile earthquake simulator.
Starting October 6, the Quake CottageTM will travel through Quebec to give Quebecers a unique chance to experience what a quake feels like. The tour, which will take place around the time of the GreatShakeOut*, an international earthquake preparedness event, is aimed at making citizens aware of this often ignored risk.
In fact, Eastern Canada experiences some 450 quakes each year, and there is a real possibility that a major quake will hit Quebec one of these days. Thus, the simulator will let each person experience a 30-second quake measuring 8.0 on
the Richter scale. “Even a magnitude 7 quake in Quebec could see lives lost and cost tens of billions of dollars in damage. Using this experience, we would like to explain to citizens that they may go through such an event in the next 50 years and that they must learn to protect themselves,” explained Pierre Babinsky, Director of Communications
and Public Affairs, at Insurance Bureau of Canada.
Cities mobilized
Several Quebec regions are at risk for a major quake. IBC is therefore touring the province with the simulator from October 6-15 to make as many people as possible aware of this possibility.
The cities welcoming the Quake Cottage on their territory will offer their citizens the possibility of trying out the simulator to help them make adequate preparations to live through a major quake one day. “This tour is a first in Quebec and we’re pleased to see that several cities are making earthquake risk awareness a priority”, stressed Mr. Babinsky.
Tour dates:
- Baie-Saint-Paul, Thursday, October 6, 2016
- Montreal, Monday and Tuesday, October 10 and 11, 2016
- Trois-Rivières, Wednesday, October 12, 2016
- Sherbrooke, Thursday, October 13, 2016
- Quebec City, Friday and Saturday, October 14 and 15, 2016
To take part in the Great ShakeOut, register for free on the organization’s website.