Canada’s western province of British Columbia is known to be at risk for a major earthquake but its auditor-general, Russ Jones, says it is unprepared to deal with one. Jones says his office first advised the provincial government about this kind of safety concern 17 years ago and he was surprised to find it is still not prepared.
Experts have recently estimated there is a 12 per cent probability of a catastrophic quake hitting B.C. in the next 50 years, says Jones. But he adds successive governments have chosen to spend money on more immediate pressing demands than to prepare for a dangerous quake that may or may not occur.
The province’s minister who oversees emergency planning, said the government has accepted and will take action on all of the auditor-general’s recommendations.
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