Magnitude 4.0 earthquake shakes B.C.'s South Coast

No damage was reported after an earthquake shook parts of Vancouver Island and British Columbia's Lower Mainland on Thursday morning.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported the magnitude 4.0 quake struck shortly after 4 a.m. in the Haro Strait between the Saanich Peninsula and San Juan Island.

The USGS estimated the quake struck at a dept of 52 kilometres and did not trigger a tsunami alert.

Earthquakes Canada says hundreds of residents in Greater Victoria and Vancouver reported feeling the shaking, while hundreds more reported it to U.S. authorities.

Many people in B.C. and Washington state took to social media shortly after the quake hit, with some saying it jolted them out of bed.

Last month, the federal and provincial governments announced that an early detection system had been activated in B.C. to provide a few seconds of notice ahead of potentially damaging earthquake tremors.

When a strong enough earthquake is detected, alerts will be transmitted automatically to British Columbians via cellphones, radio and televisions, officials said.

The warning system is expected to be expanded later this year to parts of Quebec and Ontario.