HISTORICAL NEWS SEARCH - Government of British Columbia

force. The storm with winds of 50-60 mph (80-96 km/h) lasted 36 hours, finally letting up on the morning of January
11. (The Interior News, January 12, 1950).
Heavy snow blocked the CNR rail line between Terrace-Prince Rupert. The last westbound train had arrived
on January 6 and no trains had left Prince Rupert since January 8. The eastbound passenger train, which left Prince
Rupert late on January 9, was trapped between two drifts at Kwinitsa. As soon as it could be extracted, it would be
taken back to Prince Rupert. A westbound freight train with much needed meat and grocery supplies, of which Prince
Rupert was running short, was held at Salvus.
High winds caused the dry snow to drift and hampered clearing operations east and west of Kwinitsa station,
47 mi. (75.2 km) east of Prince Rupert. A large drift 52 mi. (83.2 km) east of Prince Rupert measured up to 10 ft. (3 m)
deep and a length of 600 ft. (180 m). Another one, 42 mi. (67.2 km) east of Prince Rupert, was 3-5 ft. (0.9-1.5 m) deep
and 1,500 ft. (450 m) long.
On January 12, the rail line reopened. However, strong winds again drifted snow on the line before noon on
that same day.
Overnight January 19-20, heavy snow drifting conditions developed again between Skeena-Exstew stations
33 mi. (52.8 km) and 70 mi. (112 km) east of Prince Rupert, respectively. The storm with snow and high winds started
at 3 a.m. It delayed the regular passenger train when a heavy-duty wing plow, convoying it, got stuck in a snowdrift 8
mi. (12.8 km) east of Kwinitsa.
Early on January 20, a rotary plow managed to release the plow’s caboose and water car but the plow
remained stuck. Twenty-four men in an extra gang were trying to dig out the plow. The westbound passenger train was
still held at Salvus and the scheduled eastbound train was held at Prince Rupert. A westbound freight train, bringing in
supplies of coal which as a result of the heavy demand in the protracted cold snap were running short in Prince Rupert,
was also held up.
A six-week continuous coldsnap between late December 1950-early February 1951 was described as the
“longest coldspell in the history of the Bulkley Valley.” In Smithers, temperatures had been below 0 o F (-17.8 o C) and
since December 27 well below 0 o F. (The Interior News, January 19, 1950).
June 14-18, 1950
Event type: Spring runoff flooding.
Precipitation: Not applicable.
Source: The Omineca Herald, June 16 and 23, 1950; The Victoria Daily Times, June 14 and 15, 1950; The Daily
Colonist, June 15, 1950; Vancouver Daily Province, June 15, 1950; The Interior News, June 15 and 22, 1950, March 8,
1951; File 34-21-4 Letter, June 30, 1950, W. E. Bottomley (Dist. Eng. Smithers) to Div. Eng. Prince Rupert. B.C.
Ministry of Transportation and Highways, Terrace; Environment Canada 1991.
Around the middle of June following several days of hot weather, the Skeena River flooded at Usk. On June
14, the Skeena River at Usk recorded a maximum daily discharge of 6,540 m 3 /s (Environment Canada 1991). The
river backed up at the narrow canyon at Kitselas as far as the Usk flats. Approximately 100 residents at Usk were
forced to leave their homes. The McRae store, close to the riverbank, flooded and suffered a considerable amount of
damage. *1) The road in front of the Usk Hotel also flooded. Tents loaned by the Forestry Department were set up on
the hill behind the town. Because of the amount of deadfalls coming down the river, the ferry service at Usk was
temporarily discontinued. At Hazelton, men worked through the night erecting a dyke guarding the lower part of town.
At Telkwa, some streets along the Bulkley River were also flooded. On June 18, the Bulkley River near Smithers
recorded a maximum discharge of 702 m 3 /s (Environment Canada 1991).
On June 14, when Terrace recorded a temperature of 92 o F (33.3 o C), the Skeena River at the bridge at
Terrace peaked at 203.40 ft. (Terrace Division of Columbia Cellulose). A Vancouver radio station erroneously reported
that “Suburban” Terrace flooded, adding that, “several families had been evacuated from their homes.” (The Omineca
Herald) West of Terrace, some water was running underneath the roadbed of the rails for a distance of about 100 yd.
(90 m). A CNR work train continued dumping rock at danger spots along the line.
Highway 16 west of Terrace was flooded at the usual low places and a small bridge at east Kwinitsa was
reported to be floating. The longest stretch under water was about 0.75 mi. (1.2 km) long. Many other low spots were
flooded with 1-3 ft. (30-90 cm) of water. Between Mile 33-34 west of Terrace on the Northern Trans-Provincial
Highway, the road surfacing washed away. The Polymar Creek bridge No. 350 floated off its pilings. West of Salvus,
the road was covered with 18 in. (45 cm) of water. Two bridges were floating, held in position by cables. At the
Terrace bridge, some logjams had to be removed. Near Kwinitsa, riprap was washed away. The Usk and Copper
River ferries were damaged. Old Hazelton required some river protection work. Assistant District Engineer Bill
Bottomley reported sections of the highway between Cedarvale-Tyee flooded. For all official purposes, the highway
was declared closed. The total cost of the flood damage was $19,500.
With the arrival of cooler weather the rivers started to recede. On June 21, the highway west of Terrace was
passable, but motorists were urged to use caution at the bridges near Kwinitsa. On June 23 the road reopened.
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*1) The McRae store owned by “Scotty” McRae and operated by his son Billy was totally destroyed by a fire in March
1951 (The Interior News).
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