Should You be Worried About the “Big One”?

Victoria is in a seismically active zone, and Vancouver Island experienced two large historic earthquakes: A Magnitude 7.0 in 1918 and Magnitude 7.3 in 1946. The 1946 earthquake was the most damaging in western Canada and caused minor damage in Victoria which was 200 km from the epicentre.

Geologists have pointed out the potential for another large earthquake originating from the Cascadia subduction zone west of Vancouver Island sometime between now and 500 years; less than the blink of an eye in geological time, but lifetimes for us.

If you’re concerned about earthquakes, liquefaction, amplification hazards or slope instability, check out the area you’re interested in purchasing your home with this map produced by the Ministry of Energy and Mines in 2000.
LINK http://cmscontent.nrs.gov.bc.ca/geoscience/PublicationCatalogue/GeoscienceMap/BCGS_GM2000-01.pdf

Realize, however, that this map is for regional purposes only, such as land use and emergency response planning, and should not be used for site-specific evaluations. In Greater Victoria, developers hire site-specific geotechnical evaluations prior to new construction or for upgrading buildings and other facilities. There are also many resources for you to review to secure and earthquake-proof your new home.
LINK https://www.victoria.ca/EN/main/residents/public-safety/emergency-preparedness/earthquake-readiness.html