Michael Lowry, Communications Manager for the Oil Response Unit in Nanaimo

Our March speaker will be Michael Lowry from Western Canada Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC). This is the company that responds to oil spills in the Salish Sea. Michael is their Senior Communications Manager and as such, he teaches community leaders about oil spills and how they are handled.

Michael Lowry’s Background: Michael is a strategic communications and public relations consultant with more than 15 years’ experience in domestic and international settings across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. He has designed communication campaigns for some of BC’s most influential organizations, including Harbour Air, Pacific Blue Cross and Columbia Power. Michael has a BA in Communications from the University of Calgary and a B.Sc. in Politics and International Relations from the London School of Economics.

Oil Spill Response Team in Action

The Marine Response Team: WCMRC is the Transport Canada-certified marine spill response organization for Canada’s West Coast. Their mandate (under the Canada Shipping Act) is to respond to marine oil spills along all 27,000 km of British Columbia’s coastline, and to mitigate the impact when a spill occurs. This includes the protection of wildlife, economic and environmental sensitivities, and the safety of both the responders and the public. On average, they respond to 20 oil spills per year.

We’re looking forward to hearing how this vital function keeps our harbours clean and our marine life safe.