A magnitude 3.6 earthquake was felt throughout the capital region and Gulf Islands early this morning.
There are no reports of damage.
The quake occurred at 4:13 a.m. 12 kilometres east-northeast of Ganges at a depth of 17.3 kilometres, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. The location was 48.899°N 123.350°W.
People in Colwood, the Saanich Peninsula, Sooke, Esquimalt, Duncan and North Cowichan, Salt Spring Island and Saturna Island reported mostly a “weak” rumble to Natural Resources Canada’s site.
Rob Freeman, who lives in Saanich near the Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre on Wilkinson Road, told the Times Colonist his cat woke him up “before a big thud that rattled the windows.”
Sue Campbell, on Dallas Road near Ogden Point, said the quake woke her up “with the house shuttering.”
Kelly Black said his wife felt the quake in Shawnigan Lake and Giles Deshon said his wife felt it in Oak Bay at 4:15 a.m. Andrea Carey was awoken by the rumble in the Camosun Lansdowne area.
Others described the quake as sounding like a door slamming or the house groaning or shifting, or as if something loud were approaching their dwelling.
Messages on social media said the quake was felt as a substantial bump.
“Shook my apartment a good one,” one person posted on Twitter. “My bed shook and I was out of it in two seconds,” another said. “I was expecting more but so far nothing.”
There were reports of light shaking along the southeast coast of Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and Metro Vancouver.
