HISTORICAL NEWS SEARCH - Government of British Columbia

anks were being undermined, Quesnel Mayor A.V. Fraser declared a local state of emergency covering the entire
Baker Creek area. He ordered residents to stay out of flooded areas. He said, “…we may lose at least one block of
homes, the street, sewers and the gas mains.”
Near the Beaubien property on Lewis Drive, the creek cut to within a few feet of the road. To prevent further
erosion, tons of rock was dumped. A couple of hundred yards downstream, the current swirled to the other side, raging
into the bank again and threatening Hill Street at the Harper Avenue corner.
On May 1, the Baker Creek threatened to sweep away 25 homes. To reduce the danger to the Slaughterhouse
Hill area, more than 100 workers cut a 1,000-ft. (300 m) canal at a bend in the creek. It provided a second channel for
the swift moving water. On April 29, a shearboom was rigged to divert the creek from the slide area and that evening a
heavy bulldozer was used to channel a portion of the flow through a hastily plowed canal across the L. L. Hill property
on the west side of the creek. To halt the steady erosion, rock was dumped at the foot of the slide. On April 30,
slippage halted when the level of Baker Creek dropped appreciably.
In assessing the damage caused by Baker Creek, concern was expressed about the state of the Tibbles Dam
on Baker Creek 30 mi. (48 km) west of Quesnel. It was pointed out that the structure was deteriorating rapidly and
might give way and create a further serious flood.
The heavy spring runoff resulted in flooding of some homes on the west side of Bouchie Lake. According to
Don Dickie, whose basement flooded, the trouble began when the local staff of the highways department straightened
the creekbed above the road but failed to install culverts to handle the increased flow of water. Around April 25-26,
water began to undermine the two small culverts under the road near the Frank Dolman home on the west side of the
lake. Early on April 27, the road and the culverts washed out. Trees washed into the creekbed and eroded the driveway
into the Dolman property. Floodwaters threatened the Dolman home and ripped out a telephone pole adjacent to the
house. Local Department of Highways superintendent George Harper said a larger culvert would be installed and the
creekbed altered to reduce the flood hazard during the spring freshet season. He added that several other washouts kept
his department busy two small bridges that had been swept away.
On May 6 at about 8 a.m., at the site of a recent mudslide two cars of a mile-long PGE northbound freight
left the tracks near the Weldwood of Canada Co. plant. There were no injuries and traffic was expected to resume later
that day.
The Quesnel River was also rising quickly, and the Fraser River was only 1 ft. (30 cm) away from flood
level. George Harper, district highways superintendent, reported washouts on several major roads and said that some
minor routes had been closed.
Crews were keeping a close watch on a dam and a highway fill at Australian, a station on the PGE about 20
mi. (32 km) south of Quesnel. *1) On May 1, Fraser said, “It’s the highest it’s ever been at this time of the year and if
it does flood, the western section of the town will be hit. But we are hoping it will be cool and there will be a normal
runoff from the mountains. He pointed out that if the area would get a sudden warm spell, snow on the high mountains
might swell the Fraser River, which was about 1 ft. away from flood level.
On May 1-2, flood threats of Baker Creek and the Fraser River eased. The rampaging Baker Creek dropped 2
ft. (60 cm). At the same time, the Fraser River, which had crept within 1 ft. (30 cm) of the flood level, dropped 20 in.
(50 cm).
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*1) This section of highway, including a PGE trestle, washed away in 1955 (April 6-6, 1955?), leaving Quesnel
isolated for several days. (The Province, April 30, 1965).
July 13, 1965
Event type: Rockslide.
Precipitation: Not applicable.
Source: J. Mekechuck, pers. comm. 1989. CN Railway, Edmonton, Alta.
CNR reported a rockslide measuring a length of 160 ft. (48 m) and a depth of 20 ft. (6 m) at Mile 78.9. The
rail line was closed for 10 hours.
October 15-22, 1965
Event type: Flooding.
Precipitation: Tasu Sound (406.5 mm/8 days), October 15-22, 1965; Terrace (59.7 mm/1 day), October 16, 1965; Bella
Coola (183.1 mm/6 days), October 16-21, 1965; Ocean Falls (426.6 mm/6 days) October 16-21, 1965; Falls River
(168.4 mm/3 days), October 18-20, 1965; Kitimat (219.6 mm/3 days), October 19-21, 1965; Kemano (182.1 mm/3
days), October 19-21, 1965; Sandspit A (70.6 mm/3 days), October 19-21, 1965; Prince Rupert M. Circ (187.2 mm/4
days), October 19-22, 1965; Terrace (49.3 mm/1 day) October 20, 1965; Aiyansh (85.4 mm/3 days), October 20-22,
1965.
Source: Terrace Omineca Herald, October 27, 1965; Prince Rupert Daily News, October 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22, 1965;
Northern Sentinel, October 21 and 28, 1965; The Province, October 26, 1965; The Citizen, October 27 and 28, 1965; J.
Mekechuck, pers. comm. 1989. CN Railway, Edmonton, Alta.; B.C. Ministry of Public Works 1967 (pp. C 105);
Environment Canada 1991; Church 1983 (pp. 169-180).
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