OTTAWA : A strong 6.2-magnitude earthquake rocked the Pacific coast of Canada on Wednesday, shaking the Queen Charlotte Island region of British Colombia province, the US Geological Survey said.

However, "there is no tsunami warning and no damage are expected for this event," a spokeswoman for the Geological Survey of Canada told AFP.

The quake struck at 6:40 am (1440 GMT), said officials, 275 kilometres north-northwest of Port Hardy, British Colombia and 624 kilometres north-northwest of Vancouver, according to the US agency.

The Geological Survey of Canada measured the quake at 6.1 magnitude, and situated its epicentre at about 180 kilometres south-southwest of Queen Charlotte City, British Columbia.

"Because it was too far off shore, it was not actually felt," said Vancouver-based broadcaster Global TV.

The Queen Charlotte archipelago is known to indigenous people as Haida Gwaii, and is home to the largest collection of original totem poles in North America. - AFP/de