A minor earthquake gave a mild shake to the southwestern Ontario town of Wheatley on Wednesday morning as most people began their workday.

No injuries were reported from the magnitude 3 quake.

But Janet Drysdale, a seismologist from Natural Resources Canada, said some people may have felt a rumble around 9:21 a.m.

"Some people close to the epicentre would have felt some minor shaking," she said.

They also may have heard a bang or a sound suggesting a furnace exploding, which Drysdale called normal and attributed to a big release of seismic energy in the atmosphere.

Wednesday's earthquake occurred about 14 kilometres northeast of Leamington, Ont.

Earthquakes are not a frequent occurrence in southwestern Ontario, Drysdale said.

"We record some minor activity in this area regularly, not every day," she said.

She would be surprised if this quake caused any damage, she said.