Following Friday's earthquake which hit central B.C., some mid-Island parents were wondering why some schools were evacuated while others weren't. (File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Jordan Davidson

after shocks

SD68 responds to sporadic alert concerns following recent earthquake

Feb 26, 2025 | 12:39 PM

NANAIMO — A recent earthquake hitting coastal B.C. on Friday has some people why their phones received an alert while others didn’t, and why certain schools were evacuated and others continued without disruption.

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake was recorded on Feb. 21 at 1:26 p.m. roughly 27 kilometres north of Sechelt on the Sunshine Coast, with shaking felt across Coastal B.C., including the Nanaimo and Parksville/Qualicum Beach regions, and as far north as Prince George.

Nanaimo-Ladysmith Public Schools (SD68) communications director Gillian Robinson said they rely on Earthquakes Canada’s alert system, which sends an alert to phones in the area when an emergency situation isn’t obvious.

“With a minor earthquake like this one, this is very very low severity as it was a minor earthquake and a very short duration. I haven’t heard from all of our schools, but it would have probably felt differently across all of our schools. Also depending on where our schools are located and what activities a school or classes would have been involved in at the time.”

According to Earthquakes Canada, others who are not in the area may have also received an alert if they received a signal from a cell tower where the earthquake occurred.

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Discourse surrounding the alert system persisted in the days following the quake in many communities, including Nanaimo, with people voicing concerns and confusion about how information was spread.

While Robinson said some schools in the district evacuated, others didn’t notice the shaking nor received an alert and continued as normal.

She said no damage or injuries caused by the quake were reported at any school, while no damage was reported to any city of Nanaimo infrastructure.

The severity and duration of an event are two important factors considered before and emergency management response is implemented by the district, she said.

“I think those who received it immediately clued in to ‘well, this is an earthquake and here’s what we do.’ And then initiate the ‘drop, cover, and hold.’ With a minor quake without any notification, a lot of people are…standing around thinking, ‘wait a minute, was that an earthquake, was it not, did a truck drive by?’

SD68 does regular earthquake drills at least twice a year, with an emergency management procedure in place and well-rehearsed, Robinson pointed out.

“We moved to the ‘drop, cover, and hold,’ which means move away from any hazards, drop to the ground and take cover under a sturdy table or a desk or furniture or another item that can offer some protection. And then we hold on, and then when the shaking stops, still wait 60 seconds, and then evacuate through the shortest and safest routes.”

From there, administration at individual school sites usually contact the district administration office to report any injuries or damage if they did occur.

Robinson said their emergency management plan is an ongoing process, with prevention, mitigation, and preparedness key aspects regardless of the situation.

“We mitigate what we can to potentially minimize any damages to the buildings or facilities, and definitely have processes in place before events happen to prevent injuries. And preparedness is the next, making sure we’re operationally ready.”

More information on the SD68’s emergency management response can be found here on their website.

A 5.0 magnitude earthquake was felt a few days later on the evening of Monday, Feb. 24 beneath the ocean floor approximately 180 kilometres west of Port Alice.

The shaker went largely unnoticed, with no tsunami alerts or advisories issued for either quake.

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