Somehow (boy, this year has flown by), Halloween is just around the corner, and you never know when a zombie outbreak might occur in B.C.
Fear not, we’ve got you covered, and actually, so does the B.C. Government, which has an entire website dedicated to zombie outbreak preparedness.
B.C. ran a zombie preparedness campaign which began and ended in 2012. However, the website was updated as recently as earlier this year.
By total area, B.C. is the third-largest province in the country, so there are plenty of places to hide when the zombies come looking for your brains.
One thing to consider before deciding on your emergency plan is what kind of zombies we are dealing with here.
Are they the slow-moving zombies? Are they zombies that can’t see and can only hear? Are they fast-running zombies that will outpace you like in 28 Days Later? Another important question to consider is how infection is spread, if at all. Does a bite mean you’re toast and will soon turn into a zombie? Is it spread through saliva?
Most B.C. residents lack earthquake preparedness kits; good luck to those people during a zombie apocalypse.
Your zombie kit
Daniel Chai/Daily Hive
On the note of emergency preparedness kits, there are some items that would be good to have on hand in the case of a Z-mergency.
We’ll first look at the advice the Government of B.C. has, including ensuring you always have at least half a tank of gas.
B.C. also has a few resources on building an emergency kit as well as a grab-and-go bag for when you need to really hit the escape button.
Obviously, you’ll want some non-perishable food items, as well as some tools like a can opener to open those items. For drinking water, B.C. recommends four litres per day, per person, for drinking and for sanitation.
Depending on the state of network service, having a phone charger is a good idea, as phones may prove useful even without service.
Don’t even try to survive the zombie apocalypse without a flashlight and extra batteries.
Last but not least, always have some sort of first aid kit, whether it’s for a zombie apocalypse or any emergency.
B.C. also suggests face masks, toiletries, contact lens replacements, important docs, a whistle, and small amounts of cash.
Location, location, location
Rocky Mountains. (106882997/Shutterstock)
Depending on what part of B.C. you’re in, your survivability changes.
If you’re a Vancouver resident, staying in the city may not be the best course of action. Densely populated urban areas are probably the worst places to be during a zombie apocalypse. Once that infection starts to spread, you are in danger, and it’ll spread faster in the Vancouver area than, say, the B.C. Interior.
In fact, the B.C. Interior is the best place to try and survive.
High terrain and mountainous areas are also great places to be, as zombies — most zombies anyway — struggle with climbing and verticality.
In 2023, Rentola, a rental website, said that Abbotsford and Kelowna were among the top ten cities to survive a zombie apocalypse, while cities like Victoria and Vancouver didn’t fare as well.
The interior is also good from the standpoint of resources and food. Some zombie survival guides suggest being in colder areas is a good thing, because while you might be able to prepare and cope with the cold, the undead may not be so lucky.
B.C. also suggests having an out-of-province contact.
One way most Canadians wouldn’t fare as well as their American counterparts is the lack of firearms in Canada. Stricter gun laws mean not everyone has as much access to guns, so you’ll have to think outside the box to defend yourself if necessary.
Five good places to hide from the zombie apocalypse in B.C.
As Rentola suggested, Kelowna is a great place to be if a zombie apocalypse hit B.C., with mobility, self-sufficiency, and resources being key reasons why.
Using B.C.’s land to your advantage, in a place like Kitimat, B.C., you would be naturally protected by the geographic landscape and the lack of entry points.
The region of Vernon, B.C., could also be a great spot to survive if you get past the initial outbreak phase, due to the agricultural lands that surround it.
Powell River would be another place that offers high survivability due to the natural geography.
Bella Coola area. (Galyna Andrushko/Shutterstock)
Finally, we’re going to suggest Bella Coola as the last of the five. The resource-rich area will offer plenty of natural sources for food and may prove geographically challenging for the prototypical zombie.
Hopefully those zombies can’t swim.
Where would you go in the event of a zombie apocalypse? Let us know in the comments.