Minor earthquake in Western Quebec seismic zone felt in Toronto

An earthquake centred less than 100 kilometres from the nation’s capital, in the Western Quebec seismic zone, was felt in both Ottawa and Toronto Friday.

At 9:43 a.m., a quake measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale was reported about 17 kilometres northeast of Shawville, Que., according to the Natural Resources Canada website. A 4.1 aftershock was reported 10 minutes later.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported the epicentre was 67 kilometres northwest of Ottawa and 74 kilometres east of Petawawa, Ont.

The Western Quebec Seismic Zone stretches from Montreal in the southeast to Temiscamingue in the northwest, according to the Institute of Catastrophic Loss Reduction.

Last month, Property and Casualty Insurance Compensation Corp. stated in a report that a large earthquake in Montreal “could result in total economic losses equivalent to 9 percent of Canada’s 2011 gross domestic product (GDP).”

In the report, dubbed “Why Insurers Fail: Natural Disasters and Catastrophes,” PACICC said the risk of a “very strong” earthquake in Montreal is “moderate.”

Quoting from modelling firm Risk Management Solutions, the PACICC report said a magnitude 7.5 quake centred near Montreal “could potentially result in insurance damage claims that exceed $100 billion. “

Friday’s quake occurred the week after Emergency Preparedness Week, when ICLR, in partnership with Desjardins General Insurance Inc., demonstrated a home in Quebec City that had been retrofitted to better withstand damage from both an earthquake and a snowstorm.

That home included measures to secure the hot water tanks and cabinet doors, as well as an emergency generator with a propane tank enclosed in secure framing.

Although Quebec City is not in the Western Quebec Seismic Zone, it is in the Charlevoix Seismic Zone, which ICLR says is about 100 km downstream from Quebec City and is the most seismically active region of eastern Canada.

USGS notes that in the Western Quebec zone, a 6.1-magnitude earthquake occurred in 1935 and a 6.2 quake occurred in 1732.

“Earthquakes cause damage in the zone about once a decade,” USGS states of the western Quebec zone on its website. “Smaller earthquakes are felt three or four times a year.”

USGS also noted a 5.5 earthquake east of the rockies can usually be felt as far as 500 kilometres from the epicentre.

Reporters for Canadian Underwriter magazine felt Friday’s quake in their Toronto office, located more than 400 kilometres southwest of the epicentre. At the same time, several Twitter users noted they had felt it in Ottawa.