A North Delta residents group is hosting a free community safety forum in Tsawwassen this weekend.
Organized by Sunshine Woods Block Watch, the event on Saturday (March 15) aims to enhance community resilience and safety by providing attendees with essential knowledge and resources on various risk-mitigation topics.
Jackie Kloosterboer, a respected disaster preparedness expert, author and founder of Survive-It.ca, will deliver the forum’s keynote address, speaking on the topic of emergency preparedness.
Also participating will be representatives from Metro Vancouver CrimeStoppers, who will be offering tips and information on crime prevention and community safety; the Canadian Disaster Animal Response Team (CDART), who will be providing guidance on disaster preparedness for pets and livestock; PreparedBC, who will be providing resources for personal and family emergency planning; FireSmart BC, who will be educating attendees on wildfire prevention strategies, community funding and resources for child educators; and additional community experts who will be presenting tools and knowledge to promote overall safety and reducing risk.
As well, Ember, the FireSmart mascot, will be present to engage children with fun and educational activities on wildfire prevention, and the first 80 attendees to arrive at the forum will receive a complimentary emergency grab bag.
“While this is a grassroots event, it is far from small,” organizer and Sunshine Woods Block Watch captain Heinz Kreutz said in an email to the Reporter, noting the event had to be moved from Ladner’s Genesis Theatre to the bigger Equinox Theatre in Tsawwassen due to the high level of interest in the community.
“We currently have 300 attendees registered and the [Equinox] theatre has a capacity of 600.”
In addition to its capacity, the Equinox was chosen as the venue is accessible, and the forum will feature sign language interpreters for the hearing impaired to ensure inclusivity.
"We wanted to reach as many people as possible, and the best way to do this is to reduce boundaries."
Kreutz, who owns KeepSafe Systems and is a volunteer Local FireSmart Representative, said the recent earthquakes that rattled parts of the province emphasize the critical need for community preparedness.
"While earthquake preparedness has always been part of our agenda, the recent tremors underscore the urgency of our mission,” Kreutz said. “This forum offers vital information on not just earthquakes, but a comprehensive approach to community safety.”
Other topics to be covered include fraud and scam awareness, crime prevention, target hardening, emergency preparedness, wildfire prevention and funding resources for community safety events.
Saturday's community safety and FireSmart forum will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 750 53rd St. (adjacent to South Delta Secondary School).
Admission is free; tickets are available at sunshinewoods.ca/forum.
