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April 29, 2014 Vol. 29• No. 34 ••• $1.25 inc. G.S.T.
Jocelyn Pettit returning to Merville to present a house concert page 8
North Island Tanks win Royal LePage Comox Valley Snow to Surf page 11
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Wake up! Earthquake can serve as a warning Terry Farrell Record staff
Did you feel it? That was the most oftasked question of the week from Wednesday evening onward, after Vancouver Island shook from the effects of a 6.6-magnitude earthquake. According to the United States Geological Survey, the epicentre of the 8:10 p.m. quake was 94 kilometres south of Port Hardy, off the west coast of Vancouver Island, at a depth of
approximately 11 km. There were at least two aftershocks in the hours that followed. Social media sites were abuzz almost immediately, with photos and videos of swinging chandeliers and rippling drapes. But no major damage was reported. Paul Berry, district principal of health and safety for the Comox Valley School District and information officer for Comox Valley Ground Search and Rescue, said it could have been
Local emergency preparedness expert says most Islanders not ready for ‘the Big One’ much worse. “First and foremost, Wednesday night was a reminder to everyone that we live in an earthquake zone,” he said. “This was actually a fairly significant quake. “There certainly have been larger. In 1946 there was an earthquake (7.3 magnitude) in the Valley
that did some pretty significant damage. But the difference in the scale when you go from 6.6 to 7, it’s extremely significant. And then of course the type of quake, the depth of the quake, all of that makes a difference.” Even at the same measurement, a 6.6-magnitude earthquake can be a lot
more severe than the one felt Wednesday, depending on depth, lateral versus upthrust movement of the fault, distance from the epicentre, the shape or existence of a ground wave, among other factors. In short, the Island and its residents got off lucky. Vancouver Island earthquakes are nothing new. Nor are they rare. There are earthquakes virtually every day along the coast of B.C., although the majority of them are so small, they are only noticeable with
seismic equipment. But when one like last week’s rolls along, it gets people talking. Berry would like to see more than talk. “A quake of this scale tends to be a reminder to people that ‘hmmm, maybe there’s something I need to do to be better prepared than I am.’ But likely, three weeks down the line, this episode will be forgotten and people will be no further ahead,” he said.
... see EARTHQUAKE ■ 4
Snowbird school’s in session
Erin Haluschak Record Staff
video-online www.comoxvalleyrecord.com
ERIN HALUSCHAK PHOTO
PRECISION FLIGHT Nine Canadian Forces Snowbirds participate in a fly-by over CFB Comox Friday morning in their first of two practices of the day. The demonstration team is in the Valley until May 7, when they embark on a touring season of 50 shows in 32 locations across North America.
From a solo demonstration pilot to leading his team of nine, Maj. Patrick Gobeil is using the Snowbirds training in Comox to full advantage. “We’ve been here now for just over one week and the show has come a long way,” said the team lead and 2012 CF-18 demonstration pilot. “We’re flying two shows a day. As snowbird pilots and technicians, we’re very, very critical about our performances; there’s a lot of challenges ahead to fine-tune the show.”
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