Connect with us

Technology

Governments of Canada and British Columbia Highlight Earthquake Early Warning System Launched in Western Canada to Strengthen Ability to Respond to Earthquakes

Published

2 years ago

on

VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 29, 2024 /CNW/ – Earthquakes are among the world’s most powerful and destructive natural disasters. When an earthquake hits, a few seconds’ notice can make the difference between life and death and can reduce injuries and protect critical infrastructure by allowing people to take immediate actions to protect themselves and others.

Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, the Honourable Harjit Sajjan, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada, and the Honourable Bowinn Ma, British Columbia’s Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, announced that the Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) system in British Columbia is operational and supporting earthquake preparedness efforts in western Canada.

Building on Natural Resources Canada’s long history as the authoritative source for earthquake information in Canada, the EEW system will notify the public of earthquakes in affected areas through a network of sensors. If there is a potentially harmful earthquake, an alert will automatically be issued through the National Public Alerting System seconds to tens of seconds before strong shaking starts, providing people in British Columbia with a few seconds to “‘Drop, Cover, and Hold On.” NRCan is also working with critical infrastructure operators to ensure they directly receive authenticated, technically detailed earthquake alert messages. Operators will use these warnings to trigger automatic protective measures for trains, bridges and tunnels. Some examples of the protective measures operators may take include halting traffic from using bridges and tunnels, preventing planes from landing, stopping trains to prevent derailment and proactively opening firehouse doors so that emergency vehicles can more quickly respond to the aftermath of an earthquake.

With the system operating in British Columbia, and the full system expected to come online in eastern Ontario and southern Quebec later this year, more than 10 million people in the most earthquake-prone regions of the country will be able to receive EEW alerts. This is a major improvement from the previous system, which could only provide information after an earthquake had occurred.

The EEW system is part of a series of federal investments to strengthen the safety, security and resilience of Canada’s emergency readiness infrastructure and meet shared priorities under the Emergency Management Strategy for Canada (EMS). This strategy was developed in partnership with provincial and territorial governments and in consultation with diverse stakeholders and Indigenous organizations.

The Government of Canada will continue to work together with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners to strengthen mitigation, preparedness and response efforts to natural disasters such as earthquakes and ensure the safety of everyone in at-risk regions of Canada.

Quotes

“Ensuring the health and safety of Canadians is a top priority for the Government of Canada. The Earthquake Early Warning System in British Columbia will help reduce injuries, deaths and property losses. By providing valuable seconds of warning, it will allow Canadians to take protective actions during an earthquake, including alerting people to ‘Drop, Cover, and Hold On.’ EEW messages will also be used to trigger automated actions, such as to open doors, stop trains, sound alarms and close valves. This system will make a real difference in further ensuring the health and safety of Canadians.”

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson 
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

“Timely warnings can be the difference between life and death in the face of earthquakes. This early warning system is a critical investment in Canada’s emergency preparedness and response, empowering individuals and communities to take action and reduce the devastating impact of seismic events. By providing crucial seconds to seek safety, we can save lives, reduce injuries and minimize damage to infrastructure and the environment. This system is a vital tool for emergency responders, healthcare providers and all Canadians, helping us build a more resilient nation from coast to coast to coast.”

The Honourable Harjit Sajjan
President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada

“British Columbia is more prone to earthquakes than anywhere else in Canada, and it’s important that we use the most advanced methods available to protect people across the province. The Earthquake Early Warning system can help save lives and prevent injuries by giving people precious seconds to protect themselves and others. We’ve partnered with the Government of Canada on this life-saving system as part of our ongoing efforts to improve and expand our tools to keep people safe before, during and after emergencies.”

The Honourable Bowinn Ma
British Columbia’s Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness

“The Earthquake Early Warning System will enhance the safety of British Columbians and North Shore residents. This system will provide crucial seconds for people to ‘Drop, Cover, and Hold On,’ which can help prevent injuries, save lives and minimize property damage. Today’s announcement also illustrates how collaboration among governments can help advance and ensure the safety of Canadians.”

The Honourable Terry Beech
Minister of Citizens’ Services

Quick facts

The EEW will issue alerts for earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 5 and an intensity level higher than IV — approximately the magnitude where injury or damage is likely to occur. People may receive an alert but might not feel the shaking or only feel a light shake.An analysis of historical trends suggests that earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 5 occur approximately once per year in Canada.EEW involves the rapid detection of earthquakes, real-time estimation of the shaking hazard and notification of expected shaking.EEW systems cannot predict earthquakes. They do not provide hours of advanced warning or even enough time to evacuate a building. Warning times range from a few seconds to tens of seconds, depending on the distance from the earthquake and how the alert is received. The farther away one is from the epicentre, the greater the warning time.There are approximately 5,000 earthquakes detected across Canada each year. Earthquakes can damage infrastructure, destroy buildings, cause power outages, displace communities and even lead to fatalities.Earthquakes in Canada are most common along the Pacific coast of British Columbia and in the Yukon Territory as well as along the St. Lawrence River and Ottawa River valleys in eastern Ontario and southern Quebec.The Canadian National Public Alerting System (NPAS) is a federal, provincial and territorial system that provides authorized organizations throughout Canada with the capability to warn the public about imminent or unfolding hazards or threats.

Associated links

Natural Resources Canada Earthquake Early Warning SystemStation CatalogueNational Public Alerting SystemEmergency Management StrategyGovernment of Canada Helps Protect Canadians With Earthquake Early Warning System – Canada.caShakeOutBC and GrandeSecousse

Follow us on Twitter: @NRCan (http://twitter.com/nrcan)

SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Technology

De¹ Introduces Tokenized Asset World on BNB Chain, Developing Financial Intelligence Across the Full RWA Financial Landscape

Published

30 minutes ago

on

October 19, 2026

By

NEW YORK, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — De¹ is launching Tokenized Asset World on BNB Chain, the first domain-specific world under its Financial World Model (FWM). It introduces specialized financial intelligence designed to understand the full onchain RWA landscape, from trading and collateral to borrowing, credit, liquidation and agent activity, and apply that knowledge to real financial decisions.

Traditional finance moves assets through separate networks of brokers, custodians, clearing systems and lenders. Each institution sees a different part of the lifecycle, while transfers, reconciliation and collateral requirements add friction to capital deployment. Bringing assets onchain makes financial activity more programmable, but it does not automatically connect the knowledge held across trading, financing and risk systems.

De¹ is establishing Tokenized Asset World on BNB Chain, where that real-assets financial ecosystem already unfolds in live markets. PancakeSwap, ListaDAO, Venus, Binance Agent OS and BNB Agent SDK span public trading, collateralized lending, structured credit and authorized agent activity. These activities produce distinct signals: executed prices, liabilities, vault constraints, liquidations and the outcomes of agent actions.

Tokenized Asset World brings fragmented financial knowledge into a coherent, learnable model of the full RWA landscape. The domain model is designed to understand the relationships and consequences across financial operations, with verified execution outcomes continuously refining De¹’s understanding of onchain financial physics. This introduces a new layer of intelligence to BNB Chain, enabling a more complete understanding of the tokenized-asset stack across trading, collateral, credit, vaults and agent activity.

AI agents can tap into this intelligence to operate across tokenized-asset markets with a more comprehensive view of liquidity, borrowing conditions, collateral exposure and liquidation risk as a whole. This deeper market understanding could raise more sophisticated strategies, execution and risk decisions. Each agent interaction, in turn, generates new evidence for the model, creating a continuous feedback loop between financial intelligence and live market execution while strengthening De¹’s broader Financial World Model.

About De¹

De¹ is the intelligent infrastructure platform at the intersection of DeFi and AI, building the Financial World Model grounded in live execution and real market feedback. It serves developers, traders, institutions, and AI agents through intelligent execution, unified liquidity, reinforcement learning optimization, and a continuously evolving data flywheel.

Contact: Marketing, pr@de1.ai

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/de-introduces-tokenized-asset-world-on-bnb-chain-developing-financial-intelligence-across-the-full-rwa-financial-landscape-302912966.html

Continue Reading

Technology

Plata reaches $1 Billion ARR Milestone, becoming the fastest digital bank ever

Published

30 minutes ago

on

October 19, 2026

By

The Mexico based digital bank shatters traditional digital banking scaling timelines, reaching a $1 Billion Annual Recurring Revenue  in less than 3.5 years from launch

MEXICO CITY, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Plata, the world’s fastest growing digital financial institution, today announced that in September 2026 it has crossed $1 billion in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR), reaching the milestone in less than 3.5 years from launch in April 2023 and less than a year after receiving its full banking license. Plata´s growth makes it the fastest digital bank in history to reach this benchmark, and puts it on par with some of the world’s fastest growing leading AI companies, underlining Plata’s own AI and tech capabilities.

Plata reaches this goal after having reached more than 4 million customers in Mexico and having launched operations in Colombia at the beginning of September. In Mexico, Plata is now the fourth credit card issuer in the country by number of customers, and the only digital bank with a full product suite including credit, debit, investments, and small business banking. Plata’s growth is also nearing profitability, which is expected to be reached for its Mexico business within the next 6 months.

Plata changed the rules by building a universal financial platform powered by its own technology from day one. By setting up its core banking system, the company proved that regulated financial institutions can scale at AI-like speed without undermining operating performance.

“By building our own technology from scratch, we proved that a bank can move at AI company speed without compromising anything. Now we are ready to accelerate our innovation, make finance effortless and accessible for everyone.” Neri Tollardo, CEO of Plata.

As digital adoption accelerates across Latin America, Plata´s performance sets a new benchmark for financial infrastructure scaling, financial adoption, and operational efficiency in emerging markets.

About Plata

Plata is the fastest-growing financial institution in Latin America and the largest private digital bank by customer volume. In less than three years, we reached a valuation of $3.1 billion with 4 million active credit card customers and crossed $1 billion in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR). Backed by $1.5 billion in equity investment, 1.5 in financing, and a workforce that includes 800 in-house developers, in Banco Plata we have built our own technological ecosystem, which includes a core banking system, CRM, and an app focused on simplifying the financial experience.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/plata-reaches-1-billion-arr-milestone-becoming-the-fastest-digital-bank-ever-302912970.html

SOURCE Plata

Continue Reading

Technology

Trends International Announces Kenneth Smith as President and Chief Executive Officer

Published

30 minutes ago

on

October 19, 2026

By

Experienced executive to lead company’s next phase of retail, digital commerce and strategic growth

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Trends International, LLC, a leading publisher and manufacturer of licensed posters, calendars, stickers, wall art and social stationery products, today announced that Kenneth Smith has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer, effective May 2026.

Smith will spearhead the company’s overall strategic direction and growth initiatives across its retail, wholesale, e-commerce, licensing and direct-to-consumer businesses. In his role, Smith will oversee Trends International and its portfolio of digital businesses, including Art.com and AllPosters.com.

Smith’s appointment comes as Trends International enters a new phase of expansion focused on broadening its retail presence, accelerating e-commerce, strengthening strategic customer relationships, developing new products and licenses, and pursuing partnerships and business opportunities.

“I am honored to lead Trends International and build on the strong foundation established by the company, its founders and its talented employees,” said Kenneth Smith, “We have an exceptional portfolio of brands, licenses, products and customer relationships, and we see significant opportunities to grow the business. Our focus will be on strengthening our retail partnerships, accelerating our digital businesses, developing innovative products and creating new strategic opportunities that deliver value for our customers, consumers, licensors and partners.”

Expanding Retail and Digital Footprint
Under Smith’s leadership, Trends International will continue to invest in its core retail business while broadening its digital commerce capabilities.

The company is focused on deepening relationships with major retailers, expanding distribution, improving merchandising, and developing new product platforms designed to create incremental sales opportunities.

Trends will also continue to build Trends Digital, bringing together the company’s e-commerce capabilities and creating a platform for future digital growth and potential e-commerce acquisitions.

The company’s digital portfolio includes Art.com and AllPosters.com, providing consumers with access to millions of images, posters, prints, wall art, and complementary décor.

“Trends has a tremendous opportunity to build upon its heritage while positioning the company for the future,” Smith said. “We are focused on growth, but equally important is how we achieve that growth — through strong customer partnerships, disciplined execution, innovation and a culture that empowers our people to succeed.”

Strategic Priorities
Smith’s leadership agenda includes several key areas of focus:

Retail growth — Expand relationships and sales with major national retailers and specialty channels.Product innovation — Develop new product formats, displays and seasonal programs that create incremental retail opportunities.Digital commerce — Accelerate the growth of Trends Digital, Art.com and AllPosters.com.Strategic partnerships — Forge new licensing, brand and business partnerships that expand the company’s market opportunity.Operational excellence — Improve organizational alignment, processes, technology, and execution across the company’s businesses.Talent and culture — Build a high-performing organization focused on accountability, innovation, customer service and sustainable growth.

“Kenneth brings a strong combination of leadership, customer focus and business development experience to Trends International,” said Phil St. Jean, Founder and Co-Executive Chairman of Trends International. “His vision for the company and his commitment to our customers, employees and partners make him the right leader for this next chapter. We are excited about what the future holds for Trends International and its businesses.”

About Kenneth Smith
Kenneth Smith is an experienced business executive with a background in sales leadership, strategic account development, business development, customer relationships, and organizational transformation. Throughout his career, Smith has focused on developing strategic growth initiatives, building high-performing teams, and creating long-term partnerships with major customers and business partners.

As president and chief executive officer of Trends International, Smith is responsible for the company’s overall strategy, growth, organizational leadership and business performance.

About Trends International
Trends International, LLC is a leading publisher and manufacturer of licensed posters, calendars, stickers, wall art and social stationery products. Established in 1987, Trends built its business around strong partnerships between licensors, retailers and licensees. Today, the company delivers a broad portfolio of licensed and proprietary products distributed through major retail, specialty, and digital channels.

Art.com, acquired by Trends International in 2023, is a leading online specialty retailer of high-quality wall art and complementary décor. The business offers millions of images and products through its digital commerce platform and interactive visualization tools.

AllPosters.com, part of the Trends International family of businesses, offers consumers a broad selection of posters, prints and wall décor.

For more information about Trends International, Art.com, AllPosters.com or Kenneth Smith, contact:

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/trends-international-announces-kenneth-smith-as-president-and-chief-executive-officer-302912992.html

SOURCE Trends International

Continue Reading

Trending