Earthquake Hits SW BC

Friday Feb 21st earthquake - Cronk Towers the red dot

The house shook and rattled after the initial thunderous roar, while birds scattered in all directions from the feeders and trees. It took me a few seconds to clock that it wasn't a plane crash or other manmade disaster, but an earthquake.

A first, and quite frightening experience. Jack was equally unimpressed and didn't know where to put himself.

The centre was 25k North of us (close!) on the northern edge of the Tetrahedron Provincial Park and registered 5.1 (later revised down to 4.8). Tetrahedron is a popular hiking area and on a clear day can be seen from the Sea to Sky Highway that takes you up to Whistler. It was also felt in Whistler, Metro and North Vancouver and Vancouver Island.

BC's Emergency Notice

When we first moved in to Bonniebrook Fred packed a 'grab bag', which is recommended for parts of the
country that could be affected by forest fires, earthquakes and other life threatening events. It contains clothes, essentials, important papers, passports etc., and was something I thought completely unnecessary. As a disciple of the school of 'it won't happen to us' I hadn't deemed it important ........ until Friday.

Fred was at the Public Market in Gibsons playing Mahjongg. Everyone hit the floor when they thought a truck (or worse) had collided with the building, before evacuating the place.

Needless to say it was a heart-racing experience for her as everyone dashed out with their earthquake emergency alerts all going off (loud, see below), adding to the chaos.

At home the house shook and the downwater chains from the gutters started swaying around and I was waiting for things to start breaking. Mercifully, that did not happen. Schools along the Coast were evacuated, before being allowed back into lessons. We were shaken and stirred, but thankfully not hurt.

Properties in BC have to be built to withstand certain levels of seismicity (first time I think I have ever used that word), and the building code was made tougher last year to ensure property is now able to withstand lower levels of seismicity (2nd time - I like the word).

BC Ferries who serve the Coast do not enjoy buildings and dock infrastructure built to current construction code. More 'state of the ark' than 'state of the art'. As a result the large high-level loading platform that services the ferry-loading ramps, and the ramps themselves, had to be inspected to ensure there was no structural damage. Ferries were badly delayed. We have yet to feel any aftershocks, but have been told to expect them and they may go on for up to a week. Locals, some of whom have lived here for 30 years or more, say it is the worst quake they have had, but not a 'big one' yet.

Canada has an Emergency Alert system where cell towers and broadcast systems put out an audible alert to phones. It seems not all went to plan on Friday as some people received Emergency Alerts on their phones (including Fred), but others not, like me. News reports suggest this was a widespread problem.

The emergency advice was that a tsunami was not forecast, though friends on the beach road grabbed a bag and started walking up towards our house just in case! The absence of a tsunami probably makes the water the safest place to be, which is where I was last Thursday and Friday.

Captain Birdseye - I was frozen!

I spent two days helping a mate deliver his new, pre-used yacht to his base at Secret Cove, about 42km up the Coast from Gibsons. It's a C&C30 for those interested - nice boat! We picked it up on Thursday from Thunderbird Marina near Vancouver and brought it over to Gibsons, before heading up to Secret Cove on the Friday. The route followed the heavily-trailed trip in the last blog, cancelled because of weather.

Although very cold with ice in the marinas and snow on the dock (sub-zero at night and around 4c during the day), we had light winds and blue skies. We motored both days as the wind was absent or in the wrong direction. It took two and a half hours to get over to Gibsons on the Thursday. We arrived pretty cold as we'd spent the morning going over the boat with the previous owner, in a frozen dock with snow everywhere. The following day was five and a half hours, northwards along the Sunshine Coast.

As Jeffrey Skiles the first officer on US Airways Cactus 1549 suggested in the movie 'Sully', (about the airbus that landed in the Hudson), "I would have done it in July!"

It was the first time I've had an opportunity to sail the Coast North of Gibsons and it provided a completely different view of where we live. Trees outnumbered houses and went on into the far distance. The scenery was beautiful. Seals, Bald Eagles and other wildlife graced our journey.

Arriving at Secret Cove the thaw had not set in and we had to plough through 1 -2 cm of ice to get to our berth. At one point it bought us to a complete halt. Unlike the boat I race on it had a galley, so we were able to make hot drinks on the journey.

Departing Gibsons

On Wednesday Feb 19th I drove over to Langley, the otherside of Vancouver to pick up a mortiser for the workshop. A piece of kit that makes square holes for tenons to go in to. It's about 3 hours door to door including the ferry pre-board wait and journey. Having agreed that I'd pick it up in the morning, they could not find it when I arrived, so I drove back empty handed! Not a happy bunny. They are now delivering it at their expense, when we get back from Whistler the week after next.

I did get to spend half an hour with Nick, Lizzie and Sebby on route, which was great. Sebby is now skiing on his own (three at the end of April!). This week they are in Big White, so no doubt Sebby will be sufficiently proficient to represent Canada in downhill by the end of the week! Video below!

Some more pics and of the last few weeks .....