As Emergency BC's tagline says: "If you're ready for zombies, you're ready for a disaster" and after reading The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks, I've come to realize that Kimberley is a good place to be, even if a zombie apocalypse should strike. Here's why!
Zombies typically operate like water, taking the path of least resistance. According to Brooks mountains are the second most desirable place to live during a zombie apocalypse. He emphasizes the higher the elevation the better, so fortunately Kimberley is very well situated, being the highest city in Canada!
Brooks also recommends cooler climates, so our modestly frigid winter temperatures could freeze those zombies in their tracks, or at least our abundance of snow would make things difficult for them to tread through.
We are lucky too that Kimberley is hidden away nicely on highway 95A, surrounded by slopes, and concealed by trees. Plus, there is plenty of wildlife out there! Fleeing birds and scurrying small creatures would surely signal a potential attack, and bets are we could also rely on the bears, cougars, coyotes, deer, and moose to do their part to fight and scare the zombies.
And if the undead did try to infiltrate by taking our North or South entrance, our roads in Marysville and Meadowbrook could quickly be barricaded. Fortunately too, the community of Kimberley has proven in the past that they can work together and respond to any disaster. Whether there have been floods, mudslides, or forest fires, the community has speedily responded, working well together to provide the necessities, such as food and shelter. And, as is usually the case during a disaster, our schools, community centres, and churches could become temporary places of refuge, and our SunMine could assure us of a steady supply of electricity to our primary resources.
And even if we were contained to our downtown core and the surrounding neighbourhoods only, we'd still be able to maintain our morale! We'd have many great restaurants still to go to, and several outlets for our creative and recreational passions, and even a few parks and gardens to stroll through. We could also use the Kimberley Underground Mining Railway to safely transport resources and residents from the Ski Hill to the downtown area if necessary, and Kimberley's many trails could provide us with several alternate and well hidden routes, keeping us safe from any zombies that are roaming the streets.
And if our final stronghold was narrowed down to just Townsite and the Ski Hill, Kimberley would still be sitting pretty I think. Those hairpin turns would surely prove to be intimidating heights for the walking dead, and we would still have our medical and fitness facilities, plus we'd still have plenty of ski hill accommodations for us to hunker down in.
And this is why I do believe, should a disaster ever threaten, residents can take comfort in knowing that Kimberley is an apocalyptically good place to be!
*This was published in Go Kimberley*
