HISTORICAL NEWS SEARCH - Government of British Columbia

second pier and the span on the Hazelton side went out. *1) The ferry house at Hazelton was endangered and had to be
lashed down with a cable.
The flood damage until May 31 was estimated as follows: bridges, $319.65; roads $184.10; ferries, $91.85.
Some additional cost was later incurred because not all damage was repaired. The cost to repair the flood damage at
Mile 69 on the Telegraph Creek-Dease Lake road was $200, for the Glacier Creek bridge No. 85 near Stewart was
$100, and for Ruby Road near Atlin was $200.
Around May 28, the Fraser River near Prince George had been rising rapidly for the previous few days.
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*1) The remains of the bridge were dismantled in early 1943.
November 10-13, 1942
Event type: Rain-on-snow and landslides.
Precipitation: Falls River (301.2 mm/4 days), November 10-13, 1942; Prince Rupert (147.1 mm/3 days), November 11-
13, 1942; Prince Rupert (66.5 mm/1 day), November 11, 1942; Namu (48.3 mm/1 day), November 12, 1942.
Source: Evening Empire, November 11, 13 and 14, 1942; The Daily News, November 11, 12, 13 and 14, 1942;
N.T.P.H. Construction Usk to Cedarvale Weekly Rep. No. 53. B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Highways,
Terrace.
On November 9, 6 in. (15.2 cm) of snow followed by heavy rain on November 10-12 were reported in the
Cedarvale - Usk area. Several slides occurred and considerable damage was done to the cuts on the Northern Trans-
Provincial Highway construction project.
Winter 1942-1943
Event type: Icejam flooding?
Precipitation: Not applicable.
Source: Cohen 1992 (p. 72).
During the winter, ice took out part of the temporary bridge over the Peace River at Taylor Flats just south of
Fort St. John (Cohen 1992).
Ca. 1942-1943
Event type: Landslide?
Precipitation: Not applicable.
Source: Dave Cruden, pers. comm. via Marten Geertsema, April 2, 2007.
Details: In 1942 or 1943, a train full of soldiers derailed near Blue River due to a landslide. A lot of the wounded ended up
in the hospital in Edmonton, Alta. Because it happened during the war, the military probably kept it quiet.
January 6-12, 1943
Event type: Snow avalanche.
Precipitation: Aiyansh (61.2 mm/2 days), January 6-7, 1943; Ocean Falls (192.7 mm/2 days), January 6-7, 1943; Falls
River (211.4 mm/3 days), January 6-8, 1943; Prince Rupert (125.7 mm/3 days), January 6-8, 1943; Prince Rupert (59.7
mm/1 day), January 12, 1943.
Source: Stethem and Schaerer 1980 (pp. 1-3).
On January 6, an avalanche came down the gully at MacLean Point, 85 km west of Terrace, blocking about
30 m of railway track. The slide did not reach the Tomlinson Construction Company camp. This construction camp
was built on an avalanche track housing the workmen building the highway from Terrace to Prince Rupert.
February 10-13, 1943
Event type: Fatal snow avalanche.
Precipitation: Terrace (30.5 cm snow), February 10, 1943; Prince Rupert (109.8 mm/3 days), February 11-13, 1943;
Aiyansh (48.5 mm/1 day), February 12, 1943; Falls River (69.9 mm/1 day), February 12, 1943; Terrace (73.9 mm/1
day), February 12, 1943.
Source: The Daily News, February 12, 15 and 17, 1943; The Vancouver Daily Province, February 12, 13 and 26, 1943;
Vancouver News-Herald, February 13 and 16, 1943; The Daily Colonist, February 13 and 14, 1943; The Interior News,
February 17 and 24, 1943; The Vancouver Sun, February 26, 1943; Stethem and Schaerer 1980 (p. 1-3); B.C. Ministry
of Transportation and Highways 1980.
On February 12, a series of five avalanches hit the Tomlinson Construction Company camp at slide path
MacLean Point, 84.5 km between Prince Rupert-Terrace. During the second week of February, a storm had raged in
the area. Most of the precipitation fell as rain at the lower elevations. But on the night of February 10, snow was
deposited on the camp.
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