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The Chilliwack
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Minor quake rattles parts of Chilliwack Many Chilliwack residents were jolted awake late Tuesday night by a small earthquake that briefly rattled homes across much of Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. The magnitude 4.3 quake at 11:39 p.m. was centred about eight kilometres east of Sidney, between Victoria and Vancouver, according to preliminary information from Earthquakes Canada. The shaker lasted only a couple of seconds but created immediate fear among some residents that it could just be the start of a much more serious quake, or might be followed by significant aftershocks. Neither scenario materialized. Nor was any tsunami warning issued. There are also ongoing discrepancies as to the size of the quake, with the U.S. Geological Survey ranking it a magnitude 4.8, rather than the 4.3 from Earthquakes Canada. Social media was deluged with individual reports of what the quake felt like, with some saying they first thought a vehicle slammed into their home. “My sofa shook side to side,” wrote Rachel Graves on The Progress Facebook page. “I’m on Promontory.” “We felt it pretty strong in east Chilliwack,” added Anita Krul. “House shook a lot, heard creaking and rattling, stuff swaying.” “Felt and sounded like something hit our house – twice,” reported Donna Jordan from the Little Mountain area. “House creaked like someone was twisting it.” Natural Resources Canada said it had received no reports of damage and none would be expected. B.C.’s quake followed a 4.4 magnitude earthquake in Southern California that is not believed to be linked. Agencies including Emergency Management B.C. are urging residents to treat the event as a wake-up call and prepare earthquake kits for a more serious quake in the future. Everyone should have food, water and other supplies to survive 72 hours unassisted in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. Emergency kits are recommended for home, the workplace and your vehicle – see the PreparedBC site for details and more ideas on how to get ready.
The Progress looks back at 2015
Clockwise from the upper left: The old Safeway building comes down; windstorm topples trees; Chilliwack Fair and rodeo; Flightfest soars; RCMP parade training. For more on 2015, see page 3.
‘Anonymous angels’ replace gifts stolen Christmas Eve It could have been the tale of how the Grinch stole Christmas for one Chilliwack family. Instead, it was a lesson on the generosity of strangers. The story begins on Christmas Eve. A young mother of two returns to her Prest Road home at around 10:30 p.m. to discover thieves had been at work. They’d broken into her place and a number of things were missing. Among the items stolen were presents that had been tucked under the tree.
Shaken by the event, she calls Chilliwack RCMP and takes her two young children to spend the evening with friends. News of the Christmas Eve theft starts to spread after relatives post details on social media. And soon, the spirit of the season captures some who read about the event. “During the night,” says Const. Courtney Twolan of the Chilliwack RCMP, “wrapped gifts, to replace the stolen presents, were dropped off at the
detachment by anonymous supporters. “Christmas Day we were thrilled to deliver the gifts to the family on behalf of the community.” General duty officers supported by the Lower Mainland District Forensic Identification Section continue to follow all investigational leads to apprehend the persons responsible for the break and enter. “Break and enter is an intrusive crime made more shame-
less when committed over the Christmas season,” says Cpl. Mike Rail. “Chilliwack is a tightly knit community,” he adds. “For residents to quietly step forward to help a neighbour in a time of distress is typical in the area.” Anyone with any information of this event is asked to contact the Chilliwack RCMP at 604792-4611 or, should you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
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