qRD response to question about why we aren't planning for evacuation like Gabriola Island is

A video about Nanaimo RD emergency preparedness plans on Gabriola was posted last week with the question... "How come we are NOT doing this?"   

Here is a response we received from the qathet Regional Emergency Preparedness Program assistant...

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Hello, 

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and the Gabriola Island emergency preparedness video. We appreciate residents' active interest in emergency preparedness and community resilience, and we always welcome opportunities to learn from other communities' experiences.

At its core, emergency preparedness is about understanding the hazards that may affect your community, making a plan that works for your household, and taking practical steps to prepare. This is especially true on Lasqueti Island, where self-reliance, adaptability, and neighbour-to-neighbour support have always been important parts of island life. While local governments and response agencies have a role to play during emergencies, the unique nature of Lasqueti means that individual and community preparedness are some of the most effective tools available.

The qathet Regional Emergency Preparedness Program works to support that preparedness through planning, public education, training, and collaboration with local organizations and emergency response partners. Lasqueti Island is included in our regional evacuation framework, and we continue to work with community groups, transportation providers, partner agencies, and neighbouring jurisdictions to improve our collective readiness for emergencies.

One important area of focus for our program is helping residents prepare for situations in which they may need to shelter in place, temporarily leave their homes, or adapt to emergency-related disruptions. Over the past several years, we have offered workshops and educational resources on topics such as wildfire, flooding, severe winter storms, earthquakes, and evacuation planning.

With respect to wildfire, it is worth noting that neither our historical experience nor the most recent Community Wildfire Resilience Plan identifies a likely need for a full-scale evacuation of Lasqueti Island. That does not mean wildfire is not a concern—it remains a hazard that requires preparedness and awareness—but current assessments suggest that localized response measures are more likely than a whole-island evacuation.

For this reason, our program also emphasizes neighbourhood-scale preparedness. We encourage neighbours to work together to understand and mitigate hazards, and to make plans to support one another during an emergency. For example, if a wildfire or another hazard affects one part of the island, residents may be able to safely shelter with friends, family, or neighbours in another part of Lasqueti until the situation stabilizes. Building these local support networks strengthens the community's overall resilience and complements the Regional District's emergency response and evacuation planning.

One excellent way residents can prepare for wildfires is through the FireSmart program. The qathet Regional District has a FireSmart Coordinator and trained FireSmart Representatives on Lasqueti Island who can provide free home assessments. These assessments offer practical recommendations to help reduce wildfire risk around homes and properties, such as managing vegetation, clearing combustible materials, maintaining defensible space, and considering fire-resistant building materials when making upgrades.

Residents are also encouraged to register for the Community Notification System (CNS). The CNS is one of several tools used to share emergency information and warnings with residents, and it can send notifications by phone, text message, and email when there is an imminent hazard or important emergency information. Our website, social media accounts (Facebook and YouTube), local radio, and amateur radio Emergency Communications Unit are our other credible sources of information. 

Lasqueti Island also has its own Community Evacuation Guide, which was developed as part of the regional evacuation planning program. The guide includes information on local hazards, emergency notifications, evacuation routes, grab-and-go kits, emergency contacts, and steps residents can take before, during, and after an emergency.

The Gabriola Island example that was shared highlights many of the same goals we are working toward in qathet. While the approaches may look a little different because of differences in population, transportation systems, available resources, and geography, the overall objective is the same: helping residents understand local risks, prepare themselves and their families, strengthen community resilience, and ensure support systems are in place when emergencies occur.

We encourage residents to explore the available resources and programs, register for the Community Notification System, participate in preparedness activities, and continue building the resilience that has long been a strength of the Lasqueti Island community.

Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts and for helping keep emergency preparedness part of the community conversation.

Sincerely, 

Jessie MacDonald