Earthquake Shakes Eastern Quebec Near St. Lawrence River

A 4.4 magnitude earthquake was felt in parts of eastern Quebec on Thursday morning, rattling communities across the Bas-Saint-Laurent, Gaspésie, and Côte-Nord regions along the St. Lawrence River.

As reported by Earthquakes Canada, the tremor occurred at around 10:21 a. m. Its epicenter was in the St. Lawrence River, roughly 25 kilometers northeast of Mont-Joli.

People in several towns reported feeling the shake, including Rivière-du-Loup, Rimouski, Baie-des-Chaleurs, Baie-Comeau, and Sept-Îles.

No injuries or damage to property have been reported following this earthquake.

This quake was not felt in the nation’s capital; it differs from one that took place on April 14, which was about 77 kilometers north of Ottawa.

The earlier quake had a magnitude of 3.9 and struck near Shawville, Que., at 12:36 p. m.

Carleton University Researching Building Safety During Quakes

Civil and environmental engineering researchers at Carleton University’s Canada Foundation for Innovation-funded structures lab are studying how buildings react to strong shaking and how designs can be improved to reduce injury and damage.

Professor Jeffrey Erochko mentioned that there are seismic risks in eastern Ontario.

The Ottawa Valley extending to Montreal along the St. Lawrence River is categorized as a moderate seismic zone, Erochko explained.

“The difference between the west and the east is that in the east, although the earthquakes we could get can be just as big as the west, but they happen less often,” he said. “But it’s been a while since we’ve had a big one.”

Suspended ceilings typically appear as grid systems with tiles set in place. Researchers noted they are commonly found in office buildings and schools. The data collected by the lab indicates these ceilings are among the most frequently damaged parts of buildings during an earthquake.

“When they fall, they are both a falling hazard, and they can prevent barriers to people evacuating the building,” Ph D student Cameron Flude said during an interview.

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