By: Corbett Gildersleve, News Writer
The “Big One,” an earthquake “as powerful as magnitude 9.0” on the Richter scale, has been predicted to occur on the Pacific Coast and impact Metro Vancouver in the next 50–100 years. The Peak looked into what this means for SFU’s Burnaby, Surrey, and Vancouver campuses.
Due to plate tectonics, an earthquake this big would come from the Cascadia Subduction Zone, a 1,000 km “megathrust” fault that runs from northern Vancouver Island to Cape Mendocino, California. According to the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, this fault is where the Pacific’s Juan de Fuca plate slides under the North American plate. Friction builds up between the plates, eventually shifting, causing an earthquake. The Network says “the last known megathrust earthquake in the northwest was in January 1700, just over 300 years ago. Geological evidence indicates that such great earthquakes have occurred at least seven times in the last 3,500 years, a return interval of 400–600 years.” With the last one being 325 years ago, it’s just a matter of time before it hits.
A Vancouver city council report on November 12 modelled a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in the Georgia Strait, the body of water that separates Vancouver Island from the mainland. They estimated this “earthquake could result in nearly 6,100 heavily damaged buildings, leading to over 1,350 severe injuries and fatalities, the disruption and displacement of over one-third of residents and workers for more than three months, and over $17 billion in direct financial losses.”
The Peak spoke with Alisa Zukanovic, director of business continuity and emergency management for Campus Public Safety, to ask how prepared SFU is for the Big One.
“The [Burnaby] campus has one primary access route, which could be affected during a major earthquake. Some buildings are older, but seismic upgrades are currently underway to improve safety.” — Alisa Zukanovic, former director of business continuity and emergency management, SFU risk and emergency planning
With the three main campuses built at different times and located throughout Metro Vancouver, impacts vary. Located downtown at Harbour Centre near the Georgia Strait, the Vancouver campus “faces an elevated tsunami risk,” said Zukanovic. She added, “While Vancouver Island offers some shielding, there is still potential for significant impact from a large tsunami. The region, with a high concentration of infrastructure and population in low-lying areas near the ocean, could experience considerable effects from such an event.”
Zukanovic wasn’t as concerned about SFU’s Surrey campus, which was built in 2002. She said this campus is “not at risk for tsunamis,” adding that the buildings incorporated “modern safety features that contribute to overall resilience in emergencies.”
For the Burnaby campus, Zukanovic’s main concern was that “the campus has one primary access route, which could be affected during a major earthquake. Some buildings are older, but seismic upgrades are currently underway to improve safety.” According to the SFU campus construction tracker, the Lorne Davies Centre renovation includes seismic upgrades. SFU told The Peak that the Shrum Science building is being considered for an upcoming renovation.
SFU also said upgrades and renovations have occurred to the academic quadrangle, Shrum chemistry building, education building, Strand hall, and the applied sciences building since 2017. In the event of hazardous spills and gas leaks, SFU stated that it “maintains a comprehensive hazardous materials emergency response plan, which outlines clear procedures for managing chemical spills, gas leaks, and related emergencies across all campuses.” SFU also said that “guidance on earthquake safety in labs is provided through lab safety training.”
In the event of a major earthquake such as the Big One, SFU has instituted multiple procedures. Risk & emergency planning hold a ShakeOut drill each October, and in the first week of May, they test SFU’s alert system during Emergency Preparedness Week. During an emergency, SFU uses its Safe app and alerts to give real-time updates. For evacuation paths, Zukanovic said that SFU has “designated evacuation routes, including an egress walking path for emergency responders and an alternate route off Burnaby Mountain.” SFU also has assembly areas, such as the soccer fields and parking lots, for people to gather. The university recommends creating a grab-and-go kit with essential items like water, medications, and documents and a personal emergency plan with their family. Zukanovic also noted, “SFU collaborates with the City of Burnaby’s Emergency Social Services to provide additional support when necessary, including the potential to establish a reception center or group lodging if required.”