Did you feel that? At 1: 26 pm this afternoon Earthquakes Canada detected a 5.1 magnitude earthquake northeast of Sechelt, triggering an emergency alert to be sent out for the public to drop, cover and hold on.
“I swore that a semi-truck ran into the building up on Marine Avenue or something; this building was swaying,” said Peak publisher Kelly Keil, who was in the Peak office in downtown Powell River at the time. “I was on the phone with an IT guy in Vancouver and he said ‘that was an earthquake, I’ll call you back.”
The Peak also received a report that the quake was felt on Savary Island. Emergency Info BC stated that there is no tsunami threat after the quake shook the province's southwest. There are no reports of damage at this time.
On its website, qathet School District stated that confirmations had been received from every principal in the district that everyone was safe, and no damage had been done.
qathet Regional District general manager of emergency services Ryan Thoms said the earthquake is a good opportunity to become acquainted with emergency procedures. He said the earthquake hit the regional district office noticeably and it was over and done with quickly. He added that the regional district is going to do a safety follow-up to remind everyone about emergency plans.
“For the public, we are always promoting Shakeout BC [shakeoutbc.ca] and Earthquakes Canada [earthquakescanada.nrcan.gc.ca],” said Thoms. “It is no surprise that the earthquake was located not too far away. It was pretty shallow, so that’s why it felt like a good hit.
“It was the kind of earthquake that we know historically happens here.”
Thoms said emergency services has worked to promote the history of earthquakes in the region. He said the last big earthquake in 1946 is a reminder that a significant earthquake can happen here.
“These things happen,” said Thoms. “We’ve been in a really quiet period for the last few decades. It’s easy to be lulled by the quiet and to think earthquakes only happen elsewhere. The reality is there is nowhere around the Pacific Rim that doesn’t experience earthquakes.”
Thoms said the most important thing, since earthquakes can’t be prevented, is to think about how best to prepare for them in homes and workplaces, and to know what to do. He said this earthquake happened so fast that at his workplace, by the time people realized the earthquake was occurring, getting under the desk was almost too late.
Thoms said in a longer duration earthquake, knowing the steps to take, and having the understanding, can be lifesaving.
“It’s why we have the shakeout every year,” said Thoms. “It reminds people of the right things to do. I encourage people to go to those two websites and learn the simple things that will help in an earthquake. Learning to protect yourself is important.”
Thoms said it is also an important time to think about assembling a go-kit for emergencies, which could be helpful in an earthquake if substantial damage is done to homes. He said it is also important for families to have discussions about things to do if an earthquake hits.
“Earthquakes come unannounced, and if you haven’t thought about it ahead of time, there is a tendency to not react and to not keep yourself safe,” said Thoms. “It’s useful to seek good information and education. Hopefully, we don’t have to think about it again for a while, but it is definitely a reality here.”
Thoms said the regional emergency service is always happy to hear from people who are seeking information. Emails can be sent to [email protected].
“Earthquakes are real,” said Thoms. “They are something that you should be prepared for.”
The quake was detected in an area 24 kilometres north/northeast of Sechelt, 35 kilometres west of Squamish and 60 kilometres northwest of Vancouver, according to Earthquakes Canada. The department added that the shaker was one kilometre in depth and was "lightly felt" in the southwestern part of the province.
To report where and when an earthquake was felt, go to earthquakescanada.nrcan.gc.ca/dyfi-lavr/form-en.php?eventid=20250221.2126.
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