ICLR Friday Forum: Wildfire interface mapping for Canada (February 17, 2017)

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On February 17, 2017 ICLR conducted a Friday Forum workshop entitled 'Canadian wildland fire interface maps: Tools for wildland fire protection of our communities, industries, and infrastructure' with Lynn Johnston of the Canadian Forest Service. Wildland fires have the potential to destroy communities, industrial buildings, and critical infrastructure and they also put human lives at risk. Wildland firefighting aims to prevent these destructive events, but not all fires can be controlled. Two recent wildfire events, Slave Lake in 2011 and Fort McMurray in 2016, resulted in significant destruction with direct costs of over $1 billion (Slave Lake) and $4 billion (Fort McMurray). In this webinar, Lynn Johnston reviewed wildland fire as a threat to Canadians and provided details of recent research into mapping locations across the country where communities, industry, or infrastructure have the potential to be at risk from wildland fire (known as “interface” areas). Lynn Johnston is a Forest Fire Research Specialist with the Canadian Forest Service at the Great Lakes Forestry Centre in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. She has worked with the CFS since 2007 on a variety of wildland fire topics, including fire behaviour, fire risk, and fire and climate change. Lynn recently completed her MSc. at the University of Alberta in Forest Biology and Management, focusing on wildland fires. Her thesis research provided a first national map of interface areas in Canada (i.e. where human-built structures and potentially burnable land meet.

Education

National Interface Mapping for Canada
ICLR Friday Forum Webinar
February 17, 2017

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Data: National Fire
Database
Wildland Fire Background
Yearly average:
7000+ fires
2.5 million ha
but…by area human (15%) vs. lightning (85%)
Fire causes:
Human (65%) vs. lightning (35%)

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Fuels

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Wildland Fire

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Evacuations
Data: Beverly and Bothwell
(2011)

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Structure Ignition

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Fire Mitigation

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Fire Management

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Fire Research

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Knowledge Gap
Where are we most
vulnerable/at risk to wildfire?
?

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Wildland-Urban Interface
Infrastructure InterfaceIndustrial Interface
Wildland-Urban Interface

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Research Objective
Produce maps of interface
areas across Canada.
?also…
Provide basic statistics on the interface and
perform analysis of spatial patterns.

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Interface Maps

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Mapping the Interface Area
Fuels Values
Calculate
interface
area
Infrastructure
interface
Wildland-industrial
interface
Wildland-urban
interface
Product: three national
maps of interface areas
Data source: LandCover 2000
land cover types and CanVec+
Data source: CanVec+

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Fuels and values:
Contains information
licensed under the Open
Government Licence –
Canada.

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Cost distance:
Fuel Weight
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
10
Contains information
licensed under the Open
Government Licence –
Canada.

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Wildland-Urban Interface:
Contains information
licensed under the Open
Government Licence –
Canada.

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Interface Maps
116.5
million hectares

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Interface Maps
32.3
million hectares

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Interface Maps
10.5
million hectares

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Interface Maps
108.9
million hectares

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Provincial/Territorial Maps

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Custom and Small Scale Maps

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Local Interface Maps

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Local Interface Maps

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Local Interface Maps

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Local Interface Maps

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Local Interface Maps

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Local Interface Maps

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Local Interface Maps

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Provincial/territorial Choropleth Maps

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Fuels
Burnable wildland fuels: 562 million hectares
= 67% of total land area
Wildland Fuels
Relative Fuel Weight
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
6% of burnable wildland fuel is
wildland-urban interface
2% of burnable wildland fuel is
wildland-industrial interface
Fuels
20% of burnable wildland fuel is
infrastructure interface
Wildland Fuels
Relative Fuel Weight
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Structures

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Structures
Of all “Populated Places” across Canada…
60%
have at least 500 hectares of
wildland-urban interface within 5 km

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Wildland Fires

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Wildland Fires
17% of fire polygons from 1980-2014 are
“wildland-urban interface fires”
but 6% for lightning-caused fires
and 39% for human-caused fires

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Wildland Fires

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Wildland Fires
6% of fire polygons from 1980-2014 are
“wildland-industrial interface fires”
but 3% for lightning-caused fires
and 12% for human-caused fires

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Wildland Fires

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Wildland Fires
38% of fire polygons from 1980-2014 are
“infrastructure interface fires”
but 25% for lightning-caused fires
and 65% for human-caused fires

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Risk
Future Work
Fire Risk in Interface Areas Change Detection and
Future Prediction
Interface
Areas
FWI
Ignition
Probability
FBP
Detailed fuel
information
Structure
Value/Potential
Loss
Suppression/
Values Protection
Capacity
Structure
Ignition
Historic
Fires
Homogenous
Fire Regime
Zones (HFZ)
Topography
Burn
Probability

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Applications of the Interface Maps
The three maps of interface areas (urban, industrial,
and/or infrastructure) will be freely available.
Can easily be combined with other spatial data.
Can be used in multiple applications:
• FireSmart
• Fuel treatments
• Building codes
• Municipal bylaws
• Industrial fire regulations
• Infrastructure fire mitigation
• Resource prepositioning
• Fire prioritization
• Interface fire alerts
• Values protection
• Incorporate into risk models
• City planning
• Evacuation planning
• Insurance
• Fire management budgeting, purchases
• Railway policy/planning
• Powerline safety

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Thank You!
Mike Flannigan
Tara McGee
Jen Beverly
Kelsy Gibos
Canadian Forest Service
Joshua Johnston
Xianli Wang
Francois Robinne
Karen Blouin
Laura Gray
Emily Tuomi
Jeremy Johnston
Brian Wiens

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© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2016
Questions?

Greetings, Attached FYI ( NewBase Special 23 September 2015 ) , from Hawk Energy Services Dubai . Daily energy news covering the MENA area and related worldwide energy news. In todays’ issue you will find news about:- • Qatar Barzan Gas Project to fuel hydrocarbon growth • UAE:Amec Foster Wheeler set for M.E expansion despite low oil prices • Kenya Invites Expressions of Interest to Acquire 3D Seismic in the Offshore Lamu • Ukraine to pay $230/CM for Russian gas – Energy Minster • US: Oil's Killing U.S. Power Generators, And They Don't Even Burn It • Oil, bond prices move in opposite directions • Sustained low oil prices could reduce exploration and production investment • Conflicting signals continuing to confuse we would appreciate your actions to send to all interested parties that you may wish. Also note that if you or your organization wish to include your own article or advert in our circulations, please send it to :- khdmohd@hotmail.com or khdmohd@hawkenergy.net Best Regards. Khaled Al Awadi Energy Consultant & NewBase Chairman - Senior Chief Editor MS & BS Mechanical Engineering (HON), USA Emarat member since 1990 ASME meme since 1995 Hawk Energy since 2

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ICLR Friday Forum: Part 1 - Canada’s National Guide for WUI Fires (August 20,...

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On Friday, August 20, 2021, ICLR hosted a two-part webinar titled "The National Guide for Wildland Urban Interface Fires (Part 1), and an Impact Analysis of the National WUI Guide (Part 2).' Part one was led by Dr. Noureddine Bénichou, a Principal Research Officer at the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada. Part 1: Canada’s National Guide for Wildland-Urban Interface Fires A National Guide for Wildland-Urban Interface Fires, the first of its kind for Canada, was recently published by the National Research Council of Canada as part of the Climate-Resilient Buildings and Core Public Infrastructure (CRBCPI) initiative. The Guide is intended to mitigate the growing risk of damage and loss due to WUI fires by improving the resilience of buildings and communities to wildfire. Drawing on recent wildfire research, existing codes, standards and guidelines, and new insights from international experts, the Guide provides comprehensive support for the WUI areas of Canada, including information on hazard and exposure assessment, vegetation management and construction measures, and community planning, resources and outreach.

ICLR Friday Forum: Part 2 - National WUI Guide Impact Analysis (August 20, 2021)

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On Friday, August 20, 2021, ICLR hosted a two-part webinar titled "The National Guide for Wildland Urban Interface Fires (Part 1), and an Impact Analysis of the National WUI Guide (Part 2).' Part two was led by Dr. Keith Porter, co-principal of SPA Risk LLC, an applied-research firm specializing in multihazard disaster risk to buildings and lifelines. Part 2: National WUI Guide Impact Analysis With NRC support, ICLR collaborated with SPA Risk LLC and several stakeholders to examine the impacts of following NRC’s WUI Fire Guide. Following the Guide for new construction can produce benefits that exceed the approximately $5/square-foot costs by 32:1, and more when one can rely on vegetation management. Retrofitting existing buildings, with somewhat higher costs, can save up to 14:1 in high-hazard locations. Application of the WUI Guide across Canada would add $125 billion to construction and retrofit costs over 10 years but avoid $500 billion in future losses, create 20,000 jobs, save 2,300 lives, avoid 17,000 nonfatal injuries, and protect $1 billion in tax revenues. The impact analysis suggests that the guide makes good financial sense for Canada.

ICLR special webinar: Observations from the 07/15/2021 Barrie Tornado (July 2...

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On July 28, 2021 ICLR conducted a special webinar titled 'Observations from the July 15, 2021 Barrie Tornado' led by Greg Kopp of Western University Engineering, ImpactWX Chair in Severe Storms Engineering, and Project Leader of the Northern Tornadoes Project. In this session, Dr. Greg Kopp reviewed findings he and his team documented while conducting an investigation of the aftermath of the July 15 tornado in Barrie, Ontario. The EF2-rated storm damaged approximately 150 homes, with 71 deemed by the City as “too dangerous to enter.” Dr. Kopp and his team arrived in Barrie within hours of the storm. Dr. Greg Kopp is the ImpactWX Chair in Severe Storms Engineering and a professor in Western University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He received a B.Sc.M.E. from the University of Manitoba in 1989, a M.Eng. from McMaster University in 1991 and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toronto in 1995. His expertise and research relate to mitigating damage to structures during extreme wind storms such as tornadoes and hurricanes. He works actively to implement research findings into practice, currently serving as Chair of the ASCE 49 Standards Committee on Wind Tunnel Testing For Buildings and other Structures, and as a member of various other Building Code committees. A former Canada Research Chair in Wind Engineering, he is also the lead researcher for the Three Little Pigs Project at The Insurance Research Lab for Better Homes.

ICLR Friday Forum: Edmonton's approach to stormwater flood mgmt (July 16, 2021)

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On July 16, 2021 ICLR conducted a Friday Forum webinar titled 'Edmonton's approach to stormwater flood management', led by Susan Ancel, Director of One Water Planning for EPCOR Water Services in Edmonton, Alberta. EPCOR has developed a $1.6 billion Stormwater Integrated Resource Plan (SIRP) to mitigate the impacts of flooding in the community. SIRP envisions all stakeholders – citizens, businesses, industry, the City of Edmonton and EPCOR working together to build a flood-resilient future. The goal is to Slow, Move, Secure, Predict and Respond to flooding events to prevent or reduce the impact. EPCOR’s planned flood mitigations projects will take 20 years to complete. The types of projects that are included in SIRP include dry ponds, low impact development, tunnels, combined sewer separation, outfall control gates, inflow/infiltration reduction, building flood proofing, increased sensors and automatic controls and emergency response equipment. The plan was developed through consultation with Climate Change Adaptation, Insurance and Financial sector groups across North America. Susan Ancel is the Director of One Water Planning for EPCOR Water Services in Edmonton, Alberta. In her prior role, she was Director of Stormwater Strategies, where she was responsible for developing an Integrated Resource Plan for flood mitigation that considered capital and operational risk mitigation planning, as well as the interrelationships between utilities, insurance, disaster response agencies and the public. Prior to her Stormwater Strategies role she was the Director of Water Distribution and Transmission for EPCOR. Susan is a Mechanical engineer with over 30 years’ experience with the municipal utility sector. She has also served on numerous industry committees including the Board of Directors for the Geospatial Information Technology Association (GITA) from 2001 to 2007 and was President of GITA in 2006. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Canadian Water Network.

ICLR Friday Forum: Floodplain mapping over Canada: performance at inundation...

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ICLR conducted a Friday Forum webinar on June 18, 2021 titled 'Floodplain mapping over Canada: Investigating performance at inundation level and understanding dynamics of population flood exposure', led by Dr. Slobodan Simonovic, Director of Engineering Studies, ICLR/Professor Emeritus, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Western University. Surface runoff estimates from atmospheric re-analysis datasets are increasingly preferred by hydrologists for modelling floods in regions where traditional observations are not sufficiently available. This presentation explores the fidelity of four widely used re-analyses runoff products as hydraulic forcings to a flood inundation model in describing inundation dynamics over Canada. The re-analysis obtained runoff is used with the Catchment-based Macroscale Floodplain (CaMa-Flood) global hydrodynamic model, to derive high-resolution floodplain maps for 100 and 200-yr return periods. The floodplain maps derived from each reanalysis dataset are compared with the regional developed or ‘benchmark floodplain maps’ over six selected flood-prone basins (test basins) in Canada through a set of performance statistics. Using the superior reanalysis runoff dataset, a few historic flood events over the test basins are simulated and subsequently compared with MODIS satellite-derived floodplain information. We notice that more than 75% of the inundation is precisely captured for these events. The second part of the presentation will focus on the use of four global population datasets (together with census data from Statistics Canada as the reference), their performances and skill in flood exposure assessment across Canada. The flood exposure is quantified based on a set of floodplain maps for Canada derived from the CaMa-Flood global flood model. To obtain further insights at the regional level, the methodology is implemented over six flood-prone River Basins in Canada. We find that about 9% (3.31 million) and 11% (3.90 million) of the Canadian population resides within 1 in 100-yr and 1 in 200-yr floodplains. This work (i) strongly supports the need for careful selection of a re-analysis dataset while performing inundation modelling for large regions: and (ii) also highlights the need for careful selection of population datasets for preventing further amplification of uncertainties in flood risk. The results derived from this study may be useful for flood risk management and contribute to understanding other disaster impacts on human-environment interrelationships.

ICLR Friday Forum: Climate Disclosure, Litigation & Finance (May 21, 2021)

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On May 21, 2021, ICLR conducted a Friday Forum webinar titled 'Climate Disclosure, Litigation and Finance'"Climate Disclosure, Litigation and Finance' is a forthcoming chapter in 'Canada in a Changing Climate: National Issues'. In this webinar, chapter authors Paul Kovacs, Gordon McBean, Gordon Beal, Maryam Golnaraghi, Pat Koval and Bohan Li examined the evolving climate risks for businesses and governments. Climate change is now widely regarded as an environmental and an economic issue. While the policy discussion about climate change emphasizes the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to better cope with the impact of extreme events, the business community is increasingly focused on the physical and transition risks and opportunities presented by climate change. The research team will discuss how managing the risks and opportunities associated with climate change affect a company’s ability to access capital, deliver products and services, hire and retain employees and achieve positive financial performance. Paul Kovacs is the Executive Director of the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction. Professor Emeritus Gordon McBean is with the ICLR and Department of Geography and Environment, Western University and the past President of the International Council for Science and former ADM of the atmospheric component of Environment Canada. Gordon Beal, CPA, CA, M.Ed., is the Vice President of Research Guidance and Support for Chartered Professional Accountants Canada and a member of Canada’s National Climate Change Adaptation Platform Plenary. Dr. Maryam Golnaraghi is the Director of Climate Change and Environment at The Geneva Association, a platform of Group CEOs of largest insurance companies, a non-resident senior fellow at The Atlantic Council and serves on a number of boards and advisory councils in the US, Canada and the UK. Patricia Koval, JD, is a Board Director of a number of companies in the United States and Canada, a former partner of a major Canadian law firm, and a member of the Ontario Advisory Panel on Climate Change. Dr. Bohan Li is a research associate at the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction.

ICLR wildfire season forecast 2021 (May 20, 2021)

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ICLR Friday Forum: Driving resilience forward with research (April 16, 2021)

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On April 16, 2021, ICLR conducted a Friday Forum webinar titled 'Narrow the Path of Damage: Driving resilience forward with research', led by Anne Cope, PhD, Chief Engineer at the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety. Severe weather disrupts lives, displaces families and drives financial loss. Anne Cope, PhD, Chief Engineer at IBHS, discussed the Institute’s latest research investigating wind, wind-driven rain, hail, and wildfire. From how wildfires burn to how hail damages a roof, top-tier science delivers actionable insights for the insurance industry and homeowners. Anne will demonstrate how IBHS is working to motivate resilience through research to drive down losses and support thriving communities. Anne D. Cope, PhD, P.E., Chief Engineer: Dr. Anne Cope joined IBHS in 2009 just a few months before the groundbreaking for the construction of the IBHS Research Center in Richburg, South Carolina. As the Chief Engineer, she leads the development of research programs to improve the performance of structures in hurricanes, wildfires, severe thunderstorms, and hailstorms as well as the team of engineers, scientists, and skilled craftsman who conduct research on full-scale homes and commercial buildings. She is responsible for the team’s implementation of research findings into building codes and standards. Prior to joining IBHS, Dr. Cope was a project manager and structural engineer with Reynolds, Smith & Hills, Inc., designing projects for NASA, Department of Defense, and commercial launch operations. Dr. Cope’s research encompasses topics ranging from the full-scale simulation of wind effects on buildings to detailed studies of the vulnerabilities of buildings to natural hazards and the development of damage prediction models. She is also a proud veteran of the United States Army. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from Clemson University, and her doctorate from the University of Florida. She is a registered professional engineer in Florida and South Carolina.

ICLR Friday Forum: Tantramar Marshes Flooding (March 19, 2021)

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On Friday, March 19, 2021, ICLR conducted a Friday Forum webinar titled 'Solutions for Tantramar marshes flooding', led by Dr. Jeff 0llerhead, Professor, Geography and Environment Department, Mount Allison University. Most former salt marshes in the Tantramar region of Atlantic Canada are now protected by dykes and are used primarily for agriculture. This has been true for decades to centuries and, as such, their elevation can be as much as 2 m below that of undyked salt marshes in the region. The key environmental drivers shaping the marshes are changing over time with climate change. The rate of relative sea level (RSL) rise is accelerating and there is some evidence that storms are becoming more frequent and sea ice is diminishing. The risk of a catastrophic dyke failure and associated flooding increases each year. Risk from inland flooding is also increasing. Possible solutions include a combination of: (i) raise and reenforce the dyke system, (ii) realign existing dykes and restore salt marshes to provide natural protection, and (iii) remove existing dykes and allow the system to return to a natural state. The highest priority for managing our salt marshes should be to provide them with sufficient accommodation space into which they can transgress naturally. Jeff 0llerhead is a member of the Geography and Environment Department at Mount Allison University in Sackville, NB. He is a coastal geomorphologist who studies beaches and salt marshes. In recent years, he has been particularly involved in designing and monitoring salt marsh restorations in the upper Bay of Fundy.

ICLR Friday Forum: Canmore: Working toward a FireSmart community (Feb 26, 2021)

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On February 26, 2021, ICLR conducted a Friday Forum webinar title 'Town of Canmore: Working Towards a FireSmart Community, led by Kerri Martens, Deputy Chief of Canmore Fire Rescue and Stew Wilkenshaw, owner/operator of Montane Forest Management. The Town of Canmore is located in southwestern Alberta between Calgary and Banff. The Bow Valley had a rich wildfire history and has evolved from centuries of wildfire. Wildfire exclusion for the past 80+ years and development in the Town of Canmore has resulted in a wildland/urban interface fire threat that requires attention. Stew Walkinshaw and Keri Martens discussed the wildland/urban interface threat within and surrounding the Bow Valley and the steps that have been taken over the past 20+ years to reduce the threat. Keri Martens Keri Martens, MA, is the Deputy Fire Chief of Canmore Fire Rescue. She has been involved in the fire service for over 20 years, originally starting her career as a paid responder and then taking on the position of Fire Chief for the Lake Louise Fire Department in Alberta. Keri took on the role of Deputy Chief with Canmore Fire Rescue in 2018 where her responsibilities include overseeing the Town’s FireSmart program including the implementation of the Home Assessment program along with yearly FireSmart Forums for community residents. Chief Martens sits on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs and chairs the CAFC’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. She holds a Masters degree in Disaster and Emergency Management and is a member of Canada Task Force 2. Keri is married with 2 children and enjoys all the recreational perks of living in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Stew Walkinshaw Stew Wilkenshaw is owner/operator of Montane Forest Management, based out of Canmore, and provides FireSmart specialist services to the Town of Canmore. He has specialized in FireSmart community planning and wildland/urban interface fire operations in western Canada since 1993.

ICLR Friday Forum: What's that sound?: Residents' reaction during a tsunami e...

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On January 15, 2021, ICLR conducted a Friday Forum webinar titled 'What's that sound?: How Residents Responded During a Tsunami Evacuation on Vancouver Island and How Similar Evacuations Might be Improved", led by Ryan P. Reynolds, MGIS, PhD, Post Doctoral Research Fellow, School of Community and Regional Planning, University of B.C. It’s 3am on an early Tuesday morning, and you wake to the sound of a warning siren. You realize it’s your community’s tsunami warning system, and listen as it broadcasts instructions to evacuate the tsunami inundation zone and seek shelter on higher ground. You aren’t sure if you live in the inundation zone or not. What do you do? Dr. Reynolds conducted parallel door-to-door and online surveys to better understand how Port Alberni residents responded to this exact scenario on an early January morning in 2018. He wanted to learn how and when residents learned about the tsunami warning, what actions they took to respond, and where evacuees sought safety. We also wanted to explore residents’ views on how the evacuation was conducted by emergency officials and how the event may have changed their perceptions of tsunami risk in the community. In this webinar, findings were discussed from over 450 public surveys and interviews with 11 community and regional emergency officials in the Alberni Valley and highlight some best practices to improve future evacuations.

ICLR Friday Forum: Safety + serviceability of mass timber buildings for wind ...

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On December 11, 2020 ICLR conducted a Friday Forum webinar titled 'Ensuring safety and serviceability of tall mass timber buildings for wind', led by Dr. Girma Bitsuamlak of Western University. The past two decades have seen the continuing global recognition of tall-wood buildings as a sustainable alternative to address urban densification and sprawl issues. Recent design strategies are using wood as the primary construction material for tall buildings. Alan Davenport’s wind-load-chain indicates that the wind response of structures is governed by their aerodynamic features (shape), wind speed and direction (micro-climate), and dynamic properties (weight, stiffness, and damping). The use of wood panels to construct the lateral and gravity systems of the tall-wood building makes them lightweight and less stiff than buildings made from conventional construction materials. Frequent exposure to wind-induced oscillations can cause discomfort to occupants and deflection related serviceability problems. A coordinated wind research program was launched in January 2016 between FPInnovations, The University of British Columbia, and Western University. The research program includes aerodynamic and aeroelastic investigations of dozens of tall-wood building case studies in the boundary layer wind tunnel laboratory. It also includes a tornadic wind load study at the WindEEE dome. This talk summarized the main findings of the research program. For all case studies, safety and serviceability criteria were satisfied. However, for heights exceeding ninety meters, either aerodynamic optimization, or supplemental damping, or “wind bracing” through different hybridization techniques is required to satisfy the serviceability criteria of the 2015 National Building Code of Canada. Girma T. Bitsuamlak, PhD, PEng, F CSCE Professor and Canada Research Chair in Wind Engineering at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Research Director at Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel Lab. (BLWTL) and WindEEE Research Institute, Site leader at SHARCNET, Western University.

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