Earthquake hits near Haida Gwaii, B.C., no damage expected

A person fishes on the end of a wharf in Sandspit, B.C., on Moresby Island in Haida Gwaii, Friday, Aug. 16, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake has struck off the British Columbia coast, with provincial emergency officials saying no damage or injuries are expected.

The quake was recorded off the southern tip of the Haida Gwaii archipelago just before 4 p.m.

Earthquakes Canada says no tsunami is expected.

Data from the federal agency shows the earthquake hit at a depth of 20 kilometres.

Earthquakes Canada says earthquakes between a magnitude of 3.5 and 5.4 are often felt, but rarely cause damage.

The quake occurred in the vicinity of the Queen Charlotte plate boundary, an area scientists say has the potential to generate the largest “megathrust” earthquakes and tsunamis.

The plate boundary that extends from southern Haida Gwaii to southeast Alaska was the site of Canada’s two largest earthquakes in recent history — a magnitude-8.1 quake in 1949 and the magnitude-7.8 quake in 2012.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 21, 2026

The Canadian Press