Courtenay-Alberni NDP MP Gord Johns stood up in the House of Commons on Monday and called on the federal government to take leadership in preparing for a natural disaster caused by an earthquake or tsunami.
“On Vancouver Island we know that it’s not a matter of if a big one will hit, but when a big one will hit,” said Johns.
He admonished the federal government for cancelling the Joint Emergency Preparedness Program and for the recent closure of the Comox MCTS Centre, which was the only Coast Guard communications centre not in a tsunami subduction zone.
“It’s time Canadians, especially those in coastal communities, had the confidence that their government is there for them, ready for these kinds of emergencies,” said Johns.
Tuesday kicks off a week of training in Port Alberni that will provide volunteers with life-saving skills and emergency preparedness techniques in the event of an earthquake or tsunami.