British Columbia

Mild earthquake felt on Vancouver Island, Lower Mainland

A 3.8 magnitude earthquake was lightly felt in Victoria and Vancouver, Earthquakes Canada reports.

Earthquakes Canada reports a 3.8 magnitude earthquake about 11 kilometres east of Sidney, B.C.

A map with a star just off Vancouver Island
Residents along the south coast of Vancouver Island and in Metro Vancouver reported feeling the earthquake Thursday morning. (Natural Resources Canada)

A 3.8 magnitude earthquake near Sidney, B.C., rattled parts of Vancouver Island and Metro Vancouver Thursday morning. 

Earthquakes Canada reports it happened just after 4 a.m. PT. The earthquake's centre was about 11 kilometres east of Sidney, B.C., and about 75 kilometres south of Vancouver. 

Collin Paul, a seismologist with Natural Resources Canada, said the earthquake was "lightly felt" along the south coast of Vancouver Island, between Sooke and Ladysmith, and in Metro Vancouver. 

"People in Victoria had light shaking, and in Vancouver, we had weak shaking," he said. 

Paul said no damage was reported, and none is expected for an earthquake of this size.

An interactive map by Earthquakes Canada shows at about residents reported feeling the earthquake as far as Chilliwack and Nanaimo. 

A map with purple squares, indicating a weak earthquake, along Victoria's south coast and across Metro Vancouver.
An interactive map by Earthquakes Canada shows more than 600 residents reported feeling the earthquake. (Natural Resources Canada)

Paul said an earthquake of this magnitude is expected to happen once a decade. 

"This is one of the more significant events we've seen in the last 10 years," he said, adding the last earthquake from the same area was reported in 2015.  


Are we ready for "The Big One"?

CBC Vancouver's podcast series Fault Lines explores the potentially devastating effects of a massive magnitude earthquake predicted to hit the West Coast of North America. Hosted by CBC senior meteorologist and seismology expert Johanna Wagstaffe, you can listen to Fault Lines now at Apple Podcasts and CBC Listen.