It has been confirmed that a 5.0 magnitude earthquake has shaken centres across Ontario. It was originally reported as a 5.5 but was then downgraded.

 

At 1:42 pm the quake hit north of Ottawa but then rolled across the province making rumbling stops in areas including: Stratford, Kitchener Waterloo Cambridge, Guelph, Niagara, Windsor, Toronto, and as far away as Chicago. And in the other direction, parts of the province of Quebec and Montreal.

 

Locally, the quake lasted for a maximum of 30 seconds in harder hit areas.Waterloo felt the full punch, while parts of Kitchener and Cambridge felt only a slight tremor.  In Waterloo, some major businesses ordered their staff outside on the street for fear of after shocks and possibly falling debris.

 

On Capital Hill the quake rattled downtown buildings. Some government employees have been sent home as the power was knocked out in parts of the downtown core. There have been reports of paintings falling off walls, broken windows, toppled chimneys and televisions falling off stands.

 

According to meteorologists at The Weather Network  aftershocks are possible, however it’s doubtful that they will be significant.