The inaugural Great British Columbia ShakeOut drill conducted on January 26th , 2011 was a great achievement, with more than 470,000 registered participants and very positive province-wide media coverage on the importance of earthquake awareness and emergency preparedness. Although highly successful, the January 26th date (chosen because it was the 311th anniversary of the Great Cascadia earthquake that struck the Pacific Northwest) conflicted with Secondary Schools provincial exams.

After consulting with School Districts, the Ministry of Education, and through a survey that involved emergency management stakeholders from across the province, it was decided to align the Great BC ShakeOut with Shakeout drills in western U.S. states and elswwhere on the third Thursday of October each year.