HISTORICAL NEWS SEARCH - Government of British Columbia

Floodwaters cut the Stewart to Hyder highway. The border town of Hyder, situated on the tidal flats at the
head of Portland Canal, was saved by 7 ft. (2.1 m) of snow on the ground. Though the floodwaters swept over a
protective dyke, residents bulldozed the snow in temporary barriers that absorbed much of the water. The flooding was
blamed on the excessive record snowfalls during November and December. Snowfalls at both Stewart and Hyder were
measured at more than 18-ft. (5.4 m) with 50 ft. (15 m) being recorded at Premier. (The Daily Colonist, December 29,
1961). Floodwaters cut the road to Premier, closing operations at the Silbak Premier Mines.
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*1) From the time of the earliest surveys, around 1900, until 1961 Summit Lake was effectively dammed on the south
by Salmon Glacier (Mathews 1965).
January 23-February 2, 1962
Event type: Snow avalanches.
Precipitation: Prince Rupert (87.9 mm/2 days), January 23-24, 1962; Bella Coola (258.6 mm/5 days), January 23-24,
26-28, 1962; Falls River (333.0 mm/6 days), January 23-28, 1962; Ocean Falls (919.7 mm/11 days), January 23-
February 2, 1962; Kemano (194.9 mm/3 days), January 26-28, 1962; Kitimat Townsite (149.6 mm/3 days), January
26-28, 1962; Aiyansh (167.1 mm/3 days), January 26-28, 1962; Prince Rupert M. Circ (283.9 mm/6 days), January 26-
31, 1962; Sandspit A (32.0 mm/1 day), January 27, 1962; Langara (55.5 mm/2 days), January 29-30, 1962.
Source: The Prince Rupert Daily News, January 26, 29, 30 and 31, 1962; Terrace Omineca Herald, January 31, 1962;
The Vancouver Sun, January 29, 1962; B.C. Ministry of Public Works 1963 (p. J 104); B.C. Ministry of Transportation
and Highways 1980; J. Mekechuck, pers. comm. 1989. CN Railway, Edmonton, Alta.
At the end of January, the Terrace area experienced heavy snowfall and extreme thawing conditions. Slides
occurred at Kwinitsa and 34 mi. west of Terrace. The Telegraph lines went out and Highway 16 and the rail line were
closed. The Department of Highways worked 24-hour shifts. On January 26, 30 in. (76.2 cm) of snow fell overnight
on Highway 16 west of Terrace. On January 27, two snowslides came down 40 mi. west of Terrace, closing both the
highway and rail line to traffic for four days. When the slide was cleared away, nine large tractors continued clearing
the snow from the highway, which was open only to single-lane traffic for over 65 mi. (104 km) (B.C. Ministry of
Pubic Works 1963). January 26 was the beginning of a series of minor snowslides between Prince Rupert-Terrace. On
January 26, the Shames River bridge was closed for repairs. Drift ice had struck the piling, damaging one bent. On
January 27, a snow, mud, and rockslide, measuring a length of 1,000 ft. (300 m) and depth of 20 ft. (6 m), closed
Highway 16. The highway was reopened for one-lane traffic on January 31.
CNR reported seven snowslides and a derailment at Mile 39.9. On January 29, two snowslides occurred at
the tunnel at the slide path Tunnel, 64.0 km. (Mile 39.9). An eastbound freight train derailed when it hit a snowslide at
the west end of the tunnel. The locomotive jumped the tracks onto the highway. A work train dispatched from Terrace
was hit by a second slide, which extended over 1,000 ft. (300 m) and covered both ends of the tunnel. Two bulldozers
were buried under 15 ft. (4.5 m) of snow. A locomotive and two bunk cars of the work train were swept into the
Skeena River. An avalanche caught one member of the work crew. Two others were injured; one of whom was swept
into the Skeena River. Locomotive engineer Arthur H. Staiger of Prince Rupert clung to an ice floe for 20 minutes
before being rescued. Extensive damage was done to the snowplow, engine, and spreader. The line was closed for 40
hours. Over 30 in. (75 cm) of snow fell at Kwinitsa overnight January 26-27. The rail traffic was resumed on January
30.
February 4-7, 1962
Event type: Icejam flooding.
Precipitation: Not applicable.
Source: The Province, February 6, 1962; The British Columbian, February 6, 1963; The Vancouver Sun, February 5, 7
and 8, 1962; The Citizen, February 4 and 8, 1963.
Early February Quesnel was plagued by floods after unseasonably mild temperatures caused the Fraser River
to break up prematurely and to form huge icejams. The previous week’s warm temperatures of 45 o F (7.2 o C) caused
the ice to move and pile up in a huge jam 2 mi. (3.2 km) south of town. Late on February 3, the ice-jammed Fraser
River started rising and flooding low-lying areas in West Quesnel. It spilled its banks in low areas of western Quesnel.
About 400 West Quesnel residents were evacuated. The icejam and subsequent flooding caused $40,000 damage
On February 4 at 3 a.m., firemen with boats evacuated about 35 people from a riverbank trailer court. River
levels dropped and then rose again. Early on February 5, it was 15 ft. (4.5 m) above normal. The river level reached the
sewer outlet, blocking sewage from the business area. *1) Highways crews already dynamited the 5-mi. (8 km) icejam
when it threatened the Fraser River bridge connecting Quesnel and West Quesnel. According to Al Slater, district
superintendent of highways, the distance from the top of the ice to the top of the bridge piers was only 10 ft. (3 m)
while the normal distance is 25 ft. (7.5 m).
On February 5 at 2 a.m., when the river started rising again more than 100 people were forced to leave their
homes in low-lying areas. Late on February 6, more than 500 people were ordered to leave their homes as a new
icejam caused extensive flooding of low-lying areas. Mayor Alec Fraser declared the state of emergency. As water
backed up from an icejam 14 mi. (22.4 km) south of Quesnel, the Fraser River rose 20 ft. (6 m) in seven hours.
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