Northern region recognized

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  Wood Buffalo, Alberta has been named as one of the top emergency response communities in Canada for its disaster management and prevention practices.
   Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) announced the names of four communities and one organization that have made “exemplary efforts to protect their residents from the risk of extreme weather, weather-related events or earthquakes.” The five recipients were cited under the auspices of Foundation for the Future, a national program that recognizes leadership in disaster loss prevention.
   
At a ceremony in Moncton, NB Mary Lou O'Reilly, Vice-President, Public Affairs and Marketing, IBC, presented a representative from each of the cited communities and the organization with an engraved plaque. She made the announcement during this year's National Emergency Preparedness Week.
   
"Natural disasters are hitting Canadians with increasing frequency and severity," she said. "While often there is nothing that can be done to prevent these disasters, steps can be taken to ensure communities are better prepared to withstand the impact of these disasters."
   
"It's particularly appropriate to celebrate these successes during the recent National Emergency Preparedness Week," she added. "Each of these honourees has shown leadership in disaster loss prevention by going one step further to make its residents that much safer."
   
The five recipients of IBC's Foundation for the Future are Miramichi, New Brunswick; Cambridge, Ontario; Wood Buffalo, Alberta; Saanich, British Columbia and Centre d'avalanche de La Haute-Gaspésie, Québec. Their efforts include fire prevention initiatives, flood prevention programs, measures to protect the community from storm surges, overall preparedness initiatives and avalanche education and awareness initiatives.
   
Wood Buffalo, which includes Fort McMurray, is home to one of the largest industrial regions in Canada. Syncrude, Suncor and Albian Sands are all major employers and community contributors  to the disaster management initiatives.
 
IBC has been working with all levels of government to create a culture of preparedness and it is clear these efforts are paying off.
 
The Honourable Anne McLellan, Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, also announced that the government is committing $14.95 million to establish and operate a comprehensive national emergency management system. The strategy will be developed with the provinces and territories, local communities, first line responders and the insurance industry.
  
Insurance Bureau of Canada is the national trade association of the private property and casualty insurance industry. It represents the companies that provide more than 90% of the private home, car and business insurance in Canada.  IBC's website at www.ibc.ca.