Transportation and Transit
As a result of ongoing fiscal discipline and strong economic growth in B.C., the Province of British Columbia is able to support and fund projects that make a real difference to better protect the lives of the citizens of British Columbia.
Many in B.C. remember the earthquake that shook the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island one year ago on Dec. 29. Although there were no injuries or reported damage, this event was a wakeup call for many throughout the province.
Over the past year, many families and businesses throughout British Columbia have built emergency kits and created evacuation and reunification plans. In 2017, there is much more that the citizens of B.C. can and should do, as there is so much on the line.
We’re all in this together, and the Province of British Columbia will continue to lead the country in earthquake preparedness. Since 2001, this includes:
- Over $4 billion in new bridge and large highway infrastructure projects, built to modern day seismic standards;
- $1.2 billion to complete 155 high-risk school seismic projects;
- $2.8 billion in capital projects to seismically upgrade advanced education schools; and,
- $3.9 billion in new construction and upgrades to health-care facilities in high risk seismic zones.
Transportation infrastructure:
- The $3.3-billion Port Mann Bridge/Highway 1 project, the $200-million Pitt River Bridge project and the $600-million Sea-to-Sky Highway project have been built to modern day seismic standards.
- The Lions Gate, Oak Street, Ironworkers Memorial and Queensborough bridges, and the George Massey Tunnel have been seismically retrofitted.
- The $21-million seismic retrofit of the Mission Bridge on Highway 11 is scheduled for completion this winter.
- The Agassiz-Rosedale bridge seismic retrofit is currently in the design stage.
Health facilities:
- Since 2001, there has been more than $10 billion spent for health capital, about half of which went toward new facilities or major capital upgrades that included seismic upgrading. Here are a few examples of recent hospital projects in high-risk seismic zones that included seismic upgrades:
- Royal Jubilee Hospital – Patient Care Centre in Victoria ($349 million, completed 2010)
- Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgical Centre in Surrey ($237 million, completed 2011)
- Nanaimo Regional General Hospital – Emergency Department Expansion ($37 million, completed 2013)
- Surrey Memorial Hospital - Critical Care Tower and Emergency Department ($512 million, new tower completed 2014)
- Greta and Robert H.N. Ho Centre for Psychiatry and Education (HOpe Centre) in North Vancouver ($62 million, completed 2014)
- Queen Charlotte Island/Haida Gwaii Hospital Replacement ($50 million, completed in 2016)
- Joseph and Rosalie Segal Family Health Centre in Vancouver ($82 million, under construction, completes in 2017)
- New Teck Acute Care Centre under construction as part of the BC Children’s and Women’s Hospital redevelopment project in Vancouver ($524 million, under construction, completes in 2017)
- North Island Hospitals project in Comox and Campbell River ($606 million, under construction, completes in 2017)
- New Mental Health Facility and Energy Centre as part of the Royal Columbian Hospital Redevelopment project in New Westminster ($259 million in procurement, completes in 2019)
- The health sector is forecast to spend up to $3.1 billion on capital projects over the next three years. All new construction is built to current seismic standards.
Education facilities:
- The Ministry of Education’s comprehensive seismic mitigation program is recognized worldwide. International experts come here to learn from the work performed in upgrading or replacing high-risk schools.
- Since the launch of the Seismic Mitigation Program, government has invested $1.2 billion to complete 155 high-risk seismic projects in schools.
- $560 million has been allocated for high-risk school seismic projects in the three year capital plan.
- Since 2011, government has invested more the $500 million for seismic upgrades and replacements.
- There are currently 69 school projects in progress under the Seismic Mitigation Program. This includes 21 schools under construction and 42 schools in tender, design and planning stages.
- This school year, a number of seismic projects are underway or will get underway, including: a $27.2 million seismic upgrade to Alpha Secondary school in Burnaby, a $45.7 million seismic replacement for Argyle Secondary in North Vancouver and a $25.9 million seismic replacement for Sir Sandford Fleming Elementary in Vancouver.
Advanced Education facilities:
- Government provides capital, maintenance and operating funding to public post-secondary institutions:
- Annual operating grants have increased 45.5% from almost $1.3 billion in 2001-02 to more than $1.8 billion in 2016-17.
- Government has invested more than $2.8 billion in capital projects since 2001, with over 1,750 capital projects throughout the province. Government will invest $904 million throughout the next three years.
- Government has provided approximately $898 million since 2001 to address capital and facilities maintenance including $112.3 million in 2015-16.
- Seismic safety upgrades are done on a priority basis as routine capital upgrading or as major renewal or replacement projects. School boards, transportation agencies, health authorities, and utilities face the same challenge.
Learn More:
EMBC works year-round with local governments to prepare for emergencies. For more information on how you and your family can get prepared, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/PreparedBC
- How to build an emergency kit: http://ow.ly/XsJC307cqLI
- Household preparedness guide: http://ow.ly/7FqY307cqXV
- Household emergency plan: http://ow.ly/TSqL307cr4o
- More detailed preparedness and safety information on:
- Floods: http://ow.ly/5E2T307crEv
- Power Outages: http://ow.ly/5GoW307crNW
- Landslides: http://ow.ly/CJZH307cs1a
- Severe Weather: http://ow.ly/bJ99307cs9w
For tips on how to stay safe, follow Emergency Management BC on Twitter at: @EmergencyInfoBC (twitter.com) and at: @PreparedBC (twitter.com)
Before you head out on the roads this winter, visit Drive BC at: www.drivebc.ca and remember to “Shift into Winter” More details at: http://ow.ly/SOCon
