4.3-magnitude earthquake rattles western Quebec

There was a minor earthquake in eastern Ontario and western Quebec on Wednesday afternoon. Natural Resources Canada says the quake was centered in Lachute, Que., between Ottawa and Montreal. It struck at about 1:36 p.m. ET and lasted about 10 seconds.

CTV News Channel: John Cassidy, seismologist

A seismologist with Natural Resources Canada says the earthquake like the one that occurred on Wednesday is not unusual. An earthquake with the magnitude of 4.3 may take place every two to three years in eastern Ontario and western Quebec.

Watch: See all Videos in the Player

A A | Email This Email | Print | Comments (92) Tweet

Seismologist Fiona Ann Darbyshire says the area around western Quebec and eastern Ontario experience hundreds of small earthquakes a year, but they're usually quite smaller.

View Larger Image

More on this topic

MyNews: Send us your images and video

CTV.ca News Staff

Date: Wed. Mar. 16 2011 7:57 PM ET

A 4.3-magnitude earthquake struck an area covering eastern Ontario and western Quebec Wednesday afternoon, with people from Ottawa to the Greater Montreal Region reporting that they felt the temblor.

Natural Resources Canada says the quake was centered in Hawkesbury, Ont. -- not Lachute, Que., as had earlier been reported. It struck at about 1:36 p.m. ET and lasted about 10 seconds.

There were no reports so far of any damage.

Viewers from across the region have been emailing CTV.ca to say they felt the earth shake beneath their feet. One reader sent an email to CTV News saying she felt a tremor in Ste-Adele, Ste-Anne de Lacs in the Laurentians. Another said she felt a "deep rumble" around 1:35 p.m. in Orleans, Ont., that lasted a "full minute."

Last summer, a 5.0-magnitude quake rattled Ontario, Quebec, and parts of the northeastern United States, sending some residents running into the streets. That quake's epicentre was about 56 kilometres northeast of Ottawa.

Just like last year's shaker, Wednesday's earthquake brought down the website for Earthquakes Canada as Canadians rushed to the site for information.

Many visitors on Wednesday were greeted by frozen screens, but by about 2 p.m. EST the site appeared to be working again.

Last June's earthquake left Natural Resources staffers scrambling for two hours, according to documents obtained by The Canadian Press. It took four hours for the site to be fully working, raising questions about how well-prepared the department is to communicate with Canadians in case of a real crisis.

Bruce Presgrave, a spokesperson with the Earthquake Information Center, told CTV News that the region is known for small earthquakes as it lies in an area called the West Quebec Seismic Zone. The zone is bordered by the Ottawa Valley, the Laurentians, and eastern Ontario.

Small earthquakes are felt in this zone three or four times a year. Earthquakes cause damage in the zone about once a decade.

According to Natural Resources Canada, around 450 earthquakes occur in eastern Canada each year. Among them, perhaps four exceed magnitude 4, while 30 will exceed magnitude 3.

Comments are now closed for this story

Trish123
said
0 0

To those comparing this to Japan, or the west coast or wherever, I don't think the media is making a "huge deal" out of this story, they are simply reporting it. "There was a minor earthquake today.." and then the basic facts about it. Obviously they are going to report it..they report all weather. And earthquakes are on the public's mind right now.

LISA B.-ALEXANDRIA
said
0 0

I was sitting the couch reading and the whole house vibrated..my son woke up thinking it was the front load washing machine that is right next to his room lol!

Beverly Tapp
said
0 0

I felt it in St. Lazare it lasted about 10 seconds, at first thought it might be something that fell outside the house.

Connie Ho
said
0 0

Yes, I certainly felt the earth quake when I was working at home today. The house shook slightly. I know well it is not a heavy vehicle passing or some construction work in the area. I remember a few months ago Montreal had an earth quake too. Last time it felt stronger and longer. So this time I recognize the 4.3 tremor instantly. We are lucky. This is nothing compared to the Japan earthquake.

cindy
said
0 0

I felt it in Pointe Claire - I thought it was one of those overweight trucks passing on Sources Blvd.
Lasted about 10 seconds

macal
said
0 0

I didnt feel anything in Montreal... I was on Jean Talon.

G.L.
said
0 0

what i find most ironic is everyone said an earthquake can't happen in Canada after Japan's earthquake. They said our nuclear plants are safe because that doesn't happen here.

I remember there was an earthquake 25 years ago in northern Alberta. I felt it in the basement, thought I was having a medical issue until I went upstairs and my parents saw the light above the tab;e sway.

Doom and gloom comments make me wonder why some people live on the earth. The earth has been shifting for millions of years. It's not God or the end of the world. That keeps me living I don't know about anyone else.

rick
said
0 0

The situation has now become too serious to even think of an election.

Jean from Montreal
said
0 0

I was painting my kitchen and something made the brush move all by itself. Ahhhh! now I know what happened.

mary
said
0 0

How come I felt something around 2.30 pm,I live in pointe claire.

mahanna ali
said
0 0

to the ones posting that this is not news - well, actually it is - this doesn't happen often as we in the east sit on the canadian shield-probably the oldest rock formation on earth (probably as old as mother earth herself) once lofty mountains now eroded to a shadow of what they once were-perhaps a statement of continental movement back then (no longer).this area of the earths crust is now stable and settled.and will only see minor tremors...out west is a different story as the high and rugged coastal/rocky mountain ranges attest to current friction between the continental plates and the tectonic plates of the ocean floor...the earth's crust will relieve the pressure...tremors out west are no doubt far more numerous - vancouver and victoria are also very close to the ring of fire as is los angeles and san fransisco that reside on the st andrias fault line...a recipe for possible disaster.....

Antz
said
0 0

Sorry to burst your bubble Deborah but this was an actual event that just so happens to have taken place in Quebec. It is news worthy. Earthquakes in our Region are rare therefore it will make it on the news. I cannot believe you would even say something like that. No one was comparing it to the tragedy in Japan. Your comments are uncalled for and ridiculous.

snowman
said
0 0

since when do we have to compare all our news with japan? we had a quake. it was reported

Don U
said
0 0

@ D from Calgary....

5.1 is 10x stronger than 5.0, 5.2 is 10x stronger than 5.1 etc....

mahanna ali
said
0 0

we had a trite little tremor the rattled part of southern ontario and quebec early last summer.it lasted about 5 seconds...took me by surprise as not only was the computer monitor shaking but the power of the small tremor was evident...i felt it through and through...i can't begin to imagine the feeling of an earth tremor at 8 (richtor scale) ...no doubt completely helpless...nothing anybody can do...

AHMED
said
0 0

I did not feel this one, although I remember a few years back, I remember waking up on a Saturday in the early morning by what I though was a truck doing a delivery on my street then driving off.....except as time went on teh truck's vibration did not stop...not for a good 15 seconds.

THEN I REALIZED....lucky it stopped.

Vinnie
said
0 0

I felt it all over Quebec! Millions of potholes a result of this catastrophie...

brenda
said
0 0

We live ten miles from a CFB ammunition dump...and some of those explosives, when blown, they move our walls and rattle windows....You think you have problems? this goes all summer long!

Karen
said
0 0

Pine Hill (not far from Lachte), We Felt a lot of movement and heard a large explosion, I thought it was the propane tank. Got a good scare but feels like a reminder to keep japan in our prayers.

pat
said
0 0

Deborah - for your info the quake was also felt in ONTARIO ie. Ottawa & Cornwall. News is news and Quebec is not trying to be a Drama Queen as you have suggested. I'm an Anglo living in Que all of my life and sometimes it gets tiring to hear how people can politicize news events.

AshleyKlassen1990
said
0 0

Wow any kind of earthquake is not good, our world is doing some major shifting!!! A 4.7 is scary for canada how many quakes do we really get? I feel bad for Japan but im also scared for Canada and the rest of the world and what is going to happen in the next few months. It feels so out of control like we have no choice what happens.

margaret
said
0 0

felt the quake in the cornwall area

Moose
said
0 0

I live about 25 kilometers from the epicentre and there was a loud bang and 10-15 secs of tremor. Everyone at work thought it was an explosion. I'm glad it was reported on the net and radio so now we know what happened. Lots of bitter people leaving comments...

PBW
said
0 0

D.Lee's comment, "Feeling the earth vibrate and losing your entire home and family are two completely different things. There are earthquakes all over the world hundreds of times a day, it's only now that everyone is oversensitive." is right on the mark. The question is, why are so many people oversensitive? Could it be from the sensational reporting and doom-and-gloom opinions expressed, especially by posters who, in some cases don't read beyond the headline? Oh for the days when news stories were reported with neutral language - just the five W's, and editorialising was left - horrors! - to editors.

Debbie Dupuy
said
0 0

I thought it was the trucks digging beside my house so I did not get too excited. Wow here in Ottawa, (Riverside south) again. At least it was not as big as the last one.

connie
said
0 0

MONTREAL

I was watching tv and around 1:30-1:40 I felt a big rumble, like a truck was coming through the house. I didn't think it was a earthquake until my sister-in-law called me.

Lori
said
0 0

Just a little shake to bring DOWN to EARTH and lets us think of what other people are living thru!

Poupa
said
0 0

Really people come on!!!! I live in Ste-Marthe-dur-le-lac, a lot closer to the "epicentre" than people in Montreal who are saying that the earth shook for a "full minute" - are these people for really? I think that those people shouldn't be greedy and share whatever they are drinking with the rest of us!

I heard a bang that sounded like someone slammed my front door. I didn't even know what it was until someone in Toronto called me and asked if I was okay! Is everyone being serious??

Everyone should remember that the aftershocks in Japan have been up to 7.0 magnitude - JUST THE AFTERSHOCKS!!

This is a minor event that will cause widespread panic that the "end is near"!

Paul. NS
said
0 0

@patric You'd actually need to multiply it by about 12,000 times (depending upon who you believe for intensity). A 9.0 compared to a 5.0 is approx. 10,000 times more powerfulSeismic wave amplitude is equivalent to approximately (10(m2-m1))^1.5 times the energy emitted by the earthquake. Orm2-m1 = difference in magnitude.

christina
said
0 0

no one said they are freaking out man! for all of you who say "chill" "relax" "big deal" CTV was just informing everyone that we had an earthquake! nothing major, so I think people who say "relax" should be the ones to relax!

We arent used to 4.3 earthquakes, so when we feel one, we wanna share!

And no one went crying to a Japanese telling him or her we had an earthquake! geez, take it easy already!

Deborah
said
0 0

Why is it that no matter what crisis is going on in the world, it all manages to be about and come around to Quebec? Will this perpetual Drama Queen ever stop seizing attention headlines for itself and just be content in its own stability in the here and now?

Jane
said
0 0

I felt it in Chelsea. I hope it smooths out some of bumps on the road. No it was nothing colossal like Japan, Haiti, Chilie, or Christchurch, and thankfully so, but like the weather, it has the same affect. I guess if the Boss was a little more sensitive, he might have enjoyed the little shake up.

Kathie
said
0 0

Yes, I felt it at 1:36. Wrote down the time. In Orleans, East Ottawa. About 5 to 10 seconds of mild shaking.

Laval
said
0 0

I FELT IT TOO!!!! wowwww that was something

I kid, I kid.
said
0 0

Wow, the separatists are really trying! Just kidding, lets see if this gets published.

rmsbl4
said
0 0

How big were the tsunami waves on the G-20 lake?

Dave
said
0 0

"According to Natural Resources Canada, around 450 earthquakes occur in eastern Canada each year. Among them, perhaps four exceed magnitude 4, while 30 will exceed magnitude 3."And western Canada??? Oh yeah, the east is the center of the Universe.

Steve T
said
0 0

It's very obviously "end of days."

Irina
said
0 0

I live in Cote St Luc..I didn't feel anything

Joel
said
0 0

Felt the earth quake in Cote St-Luc. As per previous post, it lasted for approximately 30 seconds, not the 10 seconds reported.

Cathy
said
0 0

We felt it in Cornwall, ont aswell... House moved side to side and there was a loud rumble.

BizDev
said
0 0

FYI to those who think it is funny to report this. Tremors often precede larger quakes just as aftershocks follow them. It may seem like nothing at this moment but you never know what is next especially taken in the context of recent news. Besides no one is asking you to read this article...don't like it...skip on over to something really important like the entertainment news and Charlie Sheen. LOL

Cameron in Deux-Montagnes
said
0 0

Here in Deux-Montagnes on the North Shore I was at my computer when I felt this low rumbling and then brief shaking. I was certain it was an earth tremor as I had previously experienced ones in Vancouver and Mexico. I have since noticed that the bathroom wash basin moved forward from the stand a tinge. As an aside, they say that pets know when these things are about to occur and for the past 24 hours, my two kittens have been trying like crazy to get out of the house and not just because of Spring Fever.

GHW
said
0 0

I live in Winnipeg. I wish I could experience an earthquake. Once I was stuck in a field near town in the middle of the night and the ground started shaking, all hell was breaking loose. It was only then I realized I was sitting right next a train track. Does that count?

Kay2
said
0 0

I didn't feel anything here in Peterborough!

Westcoaster
said
0 0

Seriously. . . 3.7? If they posted every 3.7 that happened on the west coast there would be a post a day. No news here.

Ryan in AB
said
0 0

Holy earthquake on the brain and in the media. I grew up in this region 20 years ago and there have been size 3 & 4 earthquakes occurring there all along. While not incredibly common they are not really that news relevant.

lachute
said
0 0

okay i felt but i thought a big truck was going to through the house but our earth is still alive she hiccup or tummy pain lol

ADB
said
0 0

For comparison, checking on Wikipedia for relative strengths different Richter readings : 4.0 = 1000 tons of TNT, 9.0 = 32 billion tons of TNT. A magnitude difference of 32 million. Now imagine what you felt this afternoon, and multiply it by 32 million. That's what the poor people in northern Japan went through....

Nuclear Halocaust
said
0 0

Ontario has the most nuclear reactors in Canada, then Quebec has second most. Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it, witness recent events in Japan how earthquakes interact with radioactive nuclear fission generators

George Carter
said
0 0

Geez I hope it was small...I have some guys extending the basement and half the house is only resting on supports...

CSam
said
0 0

@Mark, do you think that a 4.x earthquake in Western Quebec should be ignored? That it shouldn't be reported? Should every news article on the internet, TV and radio focus on Japan? I guess I had better brush up on my Japanese because according to Mark, all matters pale in comparison to Japan's crisis. Yes, they are in bad shape, but news doesn't stop everywhere else Mark.

Frank
said
0 0

@patricThe Japan earthquake is rather closer to 15 850 times stronger than what we saw here today as it's a logarithmic scale.

Ron
said
0 0

This is your Boss' Boss speaking: YOU GET BACK TO WORK :)

SL
said
0 0

Felt it in Kingston- just minor but the desk lamp vibrated. It felt like a large truck rattled by.

OttawaJames
said
0 0

was that what it was? i thought it was a truck rumbling by.... lol

D from Calgary
said
0 0

Japan quake was over 100,000 times as strong as this quake at 3.7, stop trying to compare it.A 5.0 is 10 times as strong as a 4.0, 6.0 is 10 times as strong as a 5.0, etc, etc.

Marty
said
0 0

Why are people complaining about this being news worthy or not? News is news. I don't live in that area, so if an earthquake occurs there, I don't mind being informed of it.

NanaTrisha
said
0 0

BCBoy........I'm in Lindsay...half hour from Peterborough and it didn't reach that far. Everything is cool.

Dee
said
0 0

I live and Vaudreuil and felt it... It felt like a big truck driving into the side of my house!

joan
said
0 0

Earthquakes of this magnitude have normally made the news. Yes, it is not 9.0 - no one said it was. But it was an earthquake and it is news worthy.

mike d.t.
said
0 0

I live in Montreal,Yes I felt it for about 10 seconds

Mountain Man
said
0 0

My dog and cat are completely useless! Aren't animals supposed to warn us of stuff like this? On Rigaud mountain it felt like heavy snow removal equipment rolling down the road, nothing more.

J Woods
said
0 0

I live in Brownsburg Chatam just outside lachute I felt it pretty good it was just a big bang on my house like a car ran into it then just about a 10 second rumble not as long as the one last year but just enough to get the heart beating and felt much harder hit this time compared to last year is that because it was centraled right here?

bill moyer
said
0 0

Rattled a few things on the shelf for about 10 to 15 seconds in Orleans (just east of Ottawa).

OntGirl
said
0 0

Wow, That is pretty crazy!

selinabieber
said
0 0

i felt nothing at all till i saw the comments on facebook and twitter.

Hawkesbury, ON
said
0 0

We felt the tremor here in Hawkesbury, ON approximately 20min drive from LaChute, QC. A very big "boom" type of sound and the house was shaking too. It did not last long...maybe 10 seconds. There doesn't appear to be any damage. I did see some of my neighbours come out of their homes. I thought perhaps there was an explosion in the area.

Kahnawake'ronon
said
0 0

Where did you get this map? Kahnawake is completely left out of it...and yes, some felt the little tremor here in KAHNAWAKE!!

patric
said
0 0

Here we are close to the airport and often feel the rumbling of the planes but this time it was a little to long so I noted the time and later found out my suspitions were correct.Now multiply that by 100 times to find out how lucky we are relative to Japan.

Your Boss
said
0 0

This is your boss speaking GET BACK TO WORK!

Kay
said
0 0

Good Grief ! Snow removal equipment and big trucks going by can create more "shaking" than this did! Get a grip folks!!!

WatchTheWorld
said
0 0

Its not that i think its a big deal on its own, but perhaps a connection to the events happening in japan and now around parts of the world. It is important to stay intune with our planet. An earthquake triggered a tsunami in a part of the world, then in BC there are disaster warnings, storm watches for here and now earthquakes. Dont panic, stay alert.

Arwa
said
0 0

wow, I live at cote-des-neiges but I didn't feel it .my earth we are sorry please stay calm.

Helga Laval
said
0 0

I felt absolutely nothing here in Montreal.

Pat
said
0 0

Here in Rigaud we heard a loud noise like dynamite blasting or as if a heavy dump truck drove by on the Main Road by the lake. The house did not shake but the dog lept up from her bed and proceeded to bark as if someone had arrived at the door!

Mark
said
0 0

Seriously? A 4.X earthquake makes the news?This is just hypersensitivity to the situation in Japan and fear mongering.

wes
said
0 0

I did not feel it! Honest!!!

J-wag
said
0 0

Quebec trying to seperate again ???

BCBoy
said
0 0

Anyone know if it could be felt in Peterborough? My girlfriend lives there and I haven't heard from her in a while.

Ralphis
said
0 0

Dog reacted here in Boucherville .. no movement though - I felt nothing .

James T.
said
0 0

As long as no one was hurt and no nuclear reactors were breached, I think that must have been pretty cool to experience. All we get in Saskatchewan is cold and wind. That can get pretty dull after five or six months in a row.

Joe Canadian
said
0 0

4.3??? Big bloody deal - way to sensationalize stuff. There have been hundreds of after shocks stronger that this in Japan. When my dog passes gas in the night, the bed rumbles more than this quake (and yes, I have been in an earthquake).

D. Lee
said
0 0

Feeling the earth vibrate and losing your entire home and family are two completely different things. There are earthquakes all over the world hundreds of times a day, it's only now that everyone is oversensitive.

tomy
said
0 0

i live in saint-eustache and i felt the tremor

EarthQuake
said
0 0

i felt the earth move...i did not panic..i post on ctv right away

Drew From T.O
said
0 0

Nice,Looks like the whole earth is out of balance.

GG
said
0 0

I FELT IT!!!!!!! my desk was shaking!! scary stuffff

Gord Thomson
said
0 0

I felt the house shake slightly and heard a low rumble at 2:12 this afternoon. in Hudson. It lasted only about 5-6 seconds. Didn't even wake up the dog.

D. Lee
said
0 0

Calm down people. Sheesh, if I were in Japan, I'd be insulted that people elsewhere were getting freaked out about a puny 4.7 earthquake. After 7 or 8 on the Richter scale, okay maybe, but don't overreact.

RealityCzech
said
0 0

A quake of 4.7? Oh, the humanity!I remember the good ol' days, when stories like this wouldn't have even been posted here....

Rick
said
0 0

okay, so first of all it happened at 1:37and it lasted for 30 seconds,it was intense i was sitting on my bed and then all of a sudden it was started shaking!I did not panic, I looked around for signs of cracking fondation, so I could prepare myself for disaster, but thankfully there was none.