EDITORIAL | “A WAKE-UP CALL”: MINOR EARTHQUAKE PROMPTS SEISMIC SAFETY CONVERSATION

Photo Credit: North Shore News

Residents of the Pacific Northwest have been aware of the threat of a major earthquake — likely within the next century — for years. However, the unpredictable nature of this event has left citizens blindly preparing for a devastation that may never occur in their lifetime. Nevertheless, just after 1:30 PM on Feb. 21, a minor earthquake hit the Sunshine Coast, prompting discussion about BC’s earthquake preparedness and the effectiveness of new seismically safe schools, including Eric Hamber.

The earthquake was felt throughout the Lower Mainland and into the Fraser Valley. Its epicentre was situated in Sechelt, a seaside community approximately 50 kilometres from Metro Vancouver. According to CBC, officials said that no individuals called regarding injuries or damaged infrastructure, other than minor issues such as cracked drywall or ruptured pipes.

According to a statement issued by the City of Vancouver, the earthquake warranted a level 1 response based on the Earthquake Response Plan, meaning that after the event concluded, local bridges were inspected by structural engineering consultants. 

The earthquake was first measured at a magnitude of 5.4 by Earthquakes Canada, but was later altered to a measurement of 4.7.

An alert was issued at the time of the earthquake by the Canadian Earthquake Early Warning system, which aims to give citizens a slight warning before extreme shaking hits their area. Additionally, BC Ferries authorized a short evacuation and assessed the Horseshoe Bay terminal. They ended up finding it completely safe, but issued a warning that some sailings may experience delays.

At Hamber, staff and students were taken aback by the earthquake, but because it was so minor, responses varied. Some students were told by their teachers to shelter in place under their desks, while others continued with class activities like normal.

“I was in science class [on the third floor] when the earthquake happened, and Ms. X. Ngo (Science), encouraged us to get under our desks,” explained Leah Levine (9). “The shaking was very minor and stopped pretty quickly, and there was a PA announcement afterward that we were all safe.”

Nathan Wong (9), who was attending class nearby on the third floor, didn’t feel the shaking at all, while others in his class did. “Some felt a slight tremor, like the desks were shaking. Some people [were] saying they [didn’t] feel anything, others [were] saying, yeah, they [felt] something.”

“I don’t think [the teacher] noticed,” Wong added.

Similarly, on the first floor, Harrison Kobus (10), didn't feel anything while he was in food studies class. “We were doing a lab, so we were all running around,” Kobus shared. “I didn't feel it. I think some people did, but not that many.”

Ms. M. Poon (English) was teaching a class in the second-floor computer lab during the earthquake, but hardly felt the shaking.

“Well, by the time we went ‘earthquake’, it was over. A few kids went under the desk, but [...] no, we didn't do the full thing,” she told The Nest.

Mr. N. Despotakis (Administration) attributes the varying levels of response to the building’s structure. “On the ground floor, my chair was shaking and I thought someone slammed the door down the hall. It didn't even really feel like an earthquake [...],” he said, acknowledging that, at the same time, some students on the third floor — such as Levine — were under desks. “The building is designed to sway in an earthquake. And that's why students on the second and third floors felt it more significantly than us on the ground floor,” said Mr. Despotakis.

In Ms. N. Buonassisi’s (Languages) classroom, students were unsure if the shaking was truly an earthquake, but eventually decided to take cover under their desks. “I think there might have been a little bit of panic,” she said, adding that it wasn’t clear if there would “be another one, or an aftershock. [We] were waiting for an announcement to come on [about] what to do next.” 

While the earthquake may have frightened some students and staff, Ms. Buonassisi described the event as a “good wake-up call, [...] in one way it was kind of a blessing that it happened.” She believes that this will ensure that people are more aware of the possibility of a bigger earthquake, and advises that everyone follows the proper procedure, no matter how small the earthquake is. 

Earthquake responses varied from school to school. “My classroom was quiet when the earthquake started,” Jaime Wiley, a twelfth grade student at John Oliver Secondary School (JOSS), told The Nest. “The largest wave of the quake created a large boom that instinctively made everyone in the class duck and cover. I was surprised by how well the drills worked.”

JOSS students were evacuated. “After the required 60 seconds, we packed up our stuff and walked out to the field,” Wiley said. “We did the usual attendance, and after about 30 minutes, the bell signaled that we were allowed back inside the school. There was an announcement that told us to go back to our period four classes, and from there we were given the option to go to period four or go home.”

JOSS is one of many VSB schools that has not yet been seismically updated. “While I was under the table, I was thinking about the fact that this could be the end,” Wiley said. “I was on the third floor of a hundred-year-old concrete building that is not seismically mitigated.”

Ms. Poon mentioned that at another district school, “half the school went out. [...] I'm not sure if they were told to — I think people did it, and then they went on the PA and said [to] come back in.”

While Hamber students didn’t evacuate the building, Mr. Despotakis says students and staff responded appropriately, despite the inconsistent responses between classes.

“The earthquake was very short. People felt it and by the time people realized it was an earthquake, to even think about going under a desk, it was over.”

Still, the office received multiple calls and emails from parents asking if they should pick up students following the event.

“My advice to the parent was, if [...] where you work is damaged, and your home is damaged, then you would know that it's potentially the time to come to school to check on your child,” Mr. Despotakis said.

Having heard about reports of full evacuations at other schools, Mr. Despotakis believes that the shaking was not felt “the same throughout the District, and I think a big part of that has to do with the buildings.”

Despite significant progress in recent years, a sizable number of students in the District still don’t attend class in seismically safe schools.

The Seismic Mitigation Program (SMP) is a “comprehensive seismic upgrading program to make schools safer in the event of an earthquake,” according to the VSB webpage. This program also draws on help from the Vancouver Project Office (VPO), a joint undertaking between the Ministry of Education and the Vancouver Board of Education. The VPO has been working since 2014 to find ways to advance seismic upgrades and replacements in Vancouver. 

The SMP focuses on making schools all across BC seismically sound, and assesses the risk posed to each school building with the help of professional engineers. The most recent progress report for the SMP is from November 2024, and states that 228 of the 498 projects have been completed.

Following the launch of the program, the ministry has poured over $1.9 billion into priority projects, specifically allocating funds to locations that are at the highest risk in the event of an earthquake. Within the ministry’s three-year capital plan, there is $1,098 million allotted to remaining high-risk seismic projects.

These billions have created tangible results for Vancouver students. Since 2014, the VSB has completed two new schools, 11 school replacement projects, two partial replacement projects, and 10 school upgrading projects, along with two new elementary schools currently under construction. Since 2017, the province has spent over $300 million on 12 seismic mitigation projects in Vancouver.

Still, over 20,500 VSB students — or 42 per cent of all students — attend class in facilities deemed by the VSB to be at “high risk” should a severe earthquake occur, according to an analysis conducted by The Nest. Fifty-six per cent of high school students are at “high risk,” and thousands of staff would also be affected.

Student enrollment data from 2022, and a 2024 VSB report that assessed the District’s seismic safety were used in The Nest’s analysis.

However, in its assessment of seismic integrity of schools, the report does not differentiate between “New/Replacement schools,” “Fully/Partially Upgraded Schools,” and “Low to Medium risk schools.” Therefore, the number of students that could be harmed in a severe earthquake — those whose schools are considered “medium risk” — may be even higher.

That said, four seismic mitigation projects — including the construction of entirely new schools — are currently in the advanced design or construction stages, and dozens more are expected to follow in the coming years.

The first year of the District’s 2025–2026 Five-Year Capital Plan will see the launch of five seismic mitigation projects, serving high school students attending King George, Killarney, and David Thompson, and students at two elementary schools. In following years, the District aims to launch an additional 17 new projects, aiming to boost seismic safety at schools such as JOSS, Churchill, Windermere, and others.

The plans, however, are ultimately contingent on provincial funding. The province allocated $3.75 billion over three years to “improve, replace and build new schools” in 2024. However, the funds are also expected to be used to expand capacity and are meant to serve all BC school districts in need of seismic upgrades.

“The safety and well-being of students and staff is our top priority. We continue to work with the provincial government to advance projects that improve the seismic resiliency of our facilities,” the District said in a statement sent to The Nest.

With over 200 schools still in a vulnerable position in the event of a major disaster across BC, this earthquake was taken as a wake-up call by citizens, asserting the importance of seismic safety and earthquake preparedness.