A 4.4 magnitude earthquake shook the Bas-Saint-Laurent, Gaspésie, and Côte-Nord regions on Thursday morning. The quake’s epicenter was 25 kilometers northeast of Mont-Joli, Que., in the St. Lawrence River, according to Earthquakes Canada. The tremor was felt in areas as far as Rivière-du-Loup, Rimouski, Baie-des-Chaleurs, Baie-Comeau, and Sept-Îles.
While the City of Matane reported no damages, the CLSC Matane was evacuated as a precaution, with everyone returning to the building shortly afterward, as confirmed by Santé Québec Bas-Saint-Laurent.
Christopher Boucher, a seismic analyst at Natural Resources Canada, mentioned that the Lower St-Lawrence area is not usually prone to moderate earthquakes. He explained that the region’s geological history, with ancient faults from tectonic plate movements millions of years ago, can lead to occasional seismic activity. Boucher highlighted that daily lower magnitude earthquakes are recorded in the region.
Typically lasting five to ten seconds, the impact of such earthquakes depends on proximity and soil type. Boucher emphasized that while not common, these seismic events are part of the region’s geological characteristics. The last earthquake of a similar magnitude in the area was recorded in 1999, south of Sept-Îles.
Boucher urged individuals who felt the earthquake to complete a form on the Earthquakes Canada website for further data collection.
