Earthquake Hazard in Canada

Most Canadians live in low seismic zones, but Vancouver, Victoria, Montreal, and Quebec City sit on active crustal faults or near subduction zones. Peak ground acceleration (PGA) quantifies expected shaking intensity for building code design — higher values require stronger structural detailing.

Standard home insurance in Canada does not cover earthquake damage. Separate earthquake endorsements or catastrophic pools (e.g., BC's Earthquake Commission for residential structure coverage) apply in high-hazard regions. Retrofit programs exist in BC and Quebec for unreinforced masonry and soft-story buildings.