Correspondence: Province-Wide Earthquake Preparedness Consultation (Attorney General)

May 2, 2014

His Worship Graham Hill Mayor of the Town of View Royal 45 View Royal Avenue Victoria BC V9B 1A6

Dear Mayor Hill and Councillors:

On March 11, 2014, I announced a province-wide earthquake preparedness consultation, to be chaired by Mr. Henry Renteria (the Chair), former director of California's Office of Emergency Services.

The goal of this consultation is to improve British Columbians' preparedness for a disastrous seismic event. At the end of the year, the Chair will provide my Ministry with a report that will include priority recommendations for improving earthquake preparedness.

In British Columbia, emergency management is a responsibility that is shared among all levels of government, community organizations, First Nations, not-for-profit agencies, academic institutions, families and individuals. Over the next few months, the Chair will consult with a wide range of stakeholders and agencies, through a variety of methods. As part of this exercise, consultation meetings will be held in selected communities, focused primarily on local authorities and First Nations representatives.

This month, Emergency Management British Columbia (EMBC) officials will be sending an invitation to you, and your staff, to participate in these meetings. EMBC will provide specific details about the sessions and will work with your staff to identify appropriate participants from your community.

Enhancing earthquake preparedness is a priority activity for my Ministry, and for EMBC. A long-term plan for enhancing our province's preparedness is currently under development, and input from stakeholders through this consultation, will be key to refining this plan and informing long-term preparedness priorities. Thus, I encourage you to participate in this initiative and to provide feedback as the process unfolds.

We are grateful for this opportunity to work with you to ensure that British Columbians are as prepared as possible for disasters such as a catastrophic earthquake. Thank you for your support.

Yours very truly,

Suzanne Anton QC Attorney General Minister of Justice

pc: Ms. Kim Anema, Chief Administrative Officer