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12 BCA A .COM FALL 2018 Natural Resources Canada, iStock Most British Columbians know earthquake risk in BC is relatively high. Vancouver Island-based seismologist Alison Bird has been studying the phenomena for more than 20 years and doesn't mince words when talking about the chances of a major seismic event in the province. "BC is the most at-risk province in Canada, and major earthquakes will definitely strike – we simply don't know when," she says. We have a pretty good idea of where, however. The Lower Mainland and coastal (above) BC is the most earthquake-prone province in Canada; low-lying regions such as Richmond (top right), and areas open to the Pacific Ocean, including Tofino (right, inset), are most vulnerable. regions of BC are the most vulnerable to high-magnitude earthquakes because they lie closest to major faults. The 1,000-km-long Cascadia Subduction Zone, for instance, where one tectonic plate is pushing under another, runs from Vancouver Island to northern California. "[Cascadia] is expected to rupture in a megathrust earthquake as large as about magnitude 9, which includes threat of tsunami," says Bird. Between this and the many other fault lines crisscrossing the province, the chances of Seismic Risk Across BC HIGH LOW VICTORIA Vancouver Nanaimo Kelowna Kamloops Cranbrook Port Hardy Revelstoke Prince George Fort St. John Prince Rupert Dease Lake Fort Nelson Masset MEMBERS SAVE BCAA Members save up to on home insurance, and enjoy benefits like a $200 deductible, one-claim forgiveness and access to premier packages, which offer enhanced coverage. bcaa.com/home

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