Preparing for Potential Disasters

Each year, accross Canada we face a number of hazards, from earthquakes, to blizzards, to floods. Although the consequences of disasters can be similar, knowing the risks
specific to your area can help you prepare yourself better. During an emergency, you and your family could be on your own for an extended period of time and access to phones, gas, water, sewer and electrical services may be cut. You should be prepared to take care of yourself and your family for a minimum of 72 hours.
By taking a few simple steps , you can become better prepared to face a range of emergencies – anytime, anywhere. The following is some tips from www.getprepared.ca. to create your own emergency plan:

Safe home instructions:

• Make sure you have a working carbon monoxide detector, smoke detector and fire extinguisher.
• Everyone in your home should know where to find the fire extinguisher.
• All capable adults and older children should know how to use it.
• Older children and adults should know how to turn off your home’s water, electricity and gas. Make large, easy-to-see signs for water and gas shut-offs as well as for the breaker panel or fuse box.
• Shut off water and electricity if officials tell you to.
• Leave natural gas service ‘on’ unless officials tell you to turn it off. (If you turn off the gas, the gas company has to reconnect it. In a major emergency, it could take weeks for a professional to respond. You would be without gas for heating and cooking.)
• Teach children how and when to dial 9-1-1. Teach children how to call the out-of-town contact person.
  Ensure your children know where the emergency kit is located.

Prepare an Emergency Kit:
In an emergency you will need some basic supplies. You may need to get by without power or tap water. You may have some of the items already, such as a flashlight, battery-operated radio, food, water and blankets. The key is to make sure they are organized and easy to find. Would you be able to find your flashlight in the dark? Make sure your kit is easy to carry. Keep it in a backpack, duffel bag or suitcase with wheels, in an easy-to-reach, accessible place, such as your front hall closet.

Basic emergency kit:

• Water – at least two litres of water per person per day. Include small bottles that can be carried easily in case of an evacuation order
• Food that won’t spoil, such as canned food, energy bars and dried foods (remember to replace the food and water once a year)
• Manual can-opener
• Wind-up or battery-powered flashlight (and extra batteries)
• Wind-up or battery-powered radio (and extra batteries)
• First aid kit
• Special items such as prescription medications, infant formula and equipment for people with disabilities
• Extra keys for your car and house
• Some cash in smaller bills, such as $10 bills and change for payphones
• A copy of your emergency plan and contact information
• You may want to ensure you have a corded phone in your
  home, as most cordless phones will not work during a power
  outage

Recommended additional items:

• Candles and matches or lighter (rememb
• er to place candles in sturdy containers and to put them out before going to sleep)
• A change of clothing and footwear for each household member
• Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each household member
• A whistle (in case you need to attract attention)
• Garbage bags for personal sanitation
• Toilet paper and other personal care supplies
• Safety gloves
• Basic tools (hammer, pliers, wrench, screwdrivers, fasteners, work gloves)
• Small fuel-driven stove and fuel (follow manufacturer’s directions and store
• properly)
• Two litres of water per person per day for cooking and cleaning

Other Useful Link:

www.getprepared.gc.ca
Preparing for Earthquakes
Personal Flood Preparedness

15th Annual Parade of Renovated Homes: June 8, 2008

The 15th annual Parade of Renovated Homes will take place on Sunday, June 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Professional renovators, many of them award winners, will be on site to discuss their craftsmanship and offer expert advice. The participating locations will be posted early June.

Admission will be by passport, available at each home for $10 per person. Children 17 and under are free. Passports may be purchased at any home, then used for entry to the remaining homes on the Parade. Part proceeds helped fund the purchase of tools, building materials and safety gear for a carpentry training program offered by Guildford Park and Frank Hurt secondary schools in Surrey.
B.C. homeowners are expected to spend more than $7 billion improving their homes this year. The Lower Mainland will account for 65% of this renovation activity. Featured homes include three HouseSmart Renovations’ projects including one in Vancouver’s West Side and two in Surrey, BC.

Professional renovators will be on site to discuss their craftsmanship and offer expert advice.
For more information, feel free to contact HouseSmart Renovations directly by calling 604-541-1502.

For more information on the Parade of Renovated Homes go to the Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association Website.

HouseSmart Featured Member -July

SierraSil® has been a proud member of The HouseSmart Home Services Referral Network for just over a year, and while not directly related to Home Services, SierraSil fits the HouseSmart objective of helping people; in SierraSil®’s case helping people improve their quality of life through relief of chronic inflammation and pain.

SierraSil® is a mineral-rich clay that possesses powerful cartilage-protecting properties. Taken as a daily nutritional supplement, this unique natural solution promotes optimal joint health and mobility while providing your body with the trace minerals it needs everyday for thousands of functions, but can’t make on its own.

The discovery of SierraSil® and it’s benefits date back to the early 1970s, when a prospector was looking for gold in the high Sierra Mountains of the USA. What he found instead was natural clay that sparkled when exposed to sunlight. The mineral compounds found in the clay were a result of geo- and hydrothermal forces that occurred in the area. Indigenous rock material was altered by an underground hot water solution that resulted in a very unusual mineral suite.

Dr. Haydn H. Murray, Professor Emeritus of Indiana University and renowned mineralogist conducted an x-ray diffraction analysis of SierraSil® and reported: “In my more than 50 years of mineral research, I have never seen a combination of minerals like this before. According to Dr. Murray, the synergistic relationship of the minerals results in the calming of inflammation. Clay’s have been used for thousands of years by Indigenous peoples, including Native Americans for their healing properties.

SierraSil® has been proven to be completely safe and effective in helping to diminish joint, muscle and tissue pain because it dampens the fires of inflammation quickly.

Shell Busey has been taking SierraSil® for just over a year:
“After just a few weeks of taking SierraSil®, the pain and inflammation in my knees disappeared-making me feel years younger” –Shell Busey

Also many listeners of Shell Busey’s Home Discovery Show have found relief from taking SierraSil®; in fact the SierraSil® website www.sierrasil.ca showcases testimonials from people all over North America who have seen benefits from this natural mineral supplement.

SierraSil®, through their association with Shell Busey’s Home Discovery Show on the Corus Radio Network, has contributed $3000.00 to the CKNW Orphans’ Fund.

If you’d like more information on SierraSil® or how to order, contact the HouseSmart Home Services Referral Network at 604 542 2236, toll free at 1 888 266 8806, or visit www.thehousesmart.com