HISTORICAL NEWS SEARCH - Government of British Columbia

Event type: Debris slide.
Precipitation: Not applicable.
Source: The Province, November 14, 1966; The Quesnel Cariboo Observer, November 17, 1966.
On November 11, a small mud and rockslide blocked part of the PGE track near Soda Creek, north of
Williams Lake. About 150 ft. (45 m) of the northbound track were covered. Passengers were moved by bus between
Williams Lake-Prince George.
November 23-25, 1966
Event type: Flooding.
Precipitation: Aiyansh (68.1 mm/2 days), November 23-24, 1966; Falls River (137.2 mm/3 days), November 23-25,
1966; Prince Rupert A (68.6 mm/1 day), November 24, 1966; Kemano (53.1 mm/1 day), November 25, 1966.
Source: The Daily News, November 24, 1966.
On November 24, Prince Rupert recorded 2.51 in. (63.8 mm) of rain in 24 hours ending 10:30 a.m., 1.5 in.
(38.1 mm) of which fell after 4:30 a.m. Slight flooding occurred on roads near the Cassiar cannery and near the
entrance of Prince Rupert.
January 30-February 5, 1967
Event type: Snow avalanches.
Precipitation: Kitimat Townsite (151.3 mm/5 days), January 30-February 3, 1967; Falls River (245.7 mm/6 days),
January 31-February 5, 1967; Ocean Falls (168.4 mm/2days), February 1-2, 1967; Kitimat 2 (230.3 mm/5 days),
February 1-5, 1967; Kemano (68.8 mm/2 days), February 3-4, 1967.
Source: The Province, February 3 and 6, 1967; The Daily News, February 6, 7, 8 and 9, 1967; The Interior News,
February 8, 1967; B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Highways 1980.
On February 2, Highway 16 between Prince Rupert-Terrace was closed. Four slides occurred at 9 mi. (14.4
km) and 34 mi. (54.4 km) west of Terrace and two at Kwinitsa. Because of rain and mild temperatures more slides
were expected. Later that night the road was still not cleared.
The rail traffic was delayed by two large slides near Usk, 25 mi. east of Terrace. On February 6, a
westbound freight train hit a snowslide at slide path Tunnel at 64.0 km, 54 mi. (86.4 km) east of Prince Rupert, and
derailed. The slide was 130 ft. (39 m) long and 25 ft. (7.5 m) deep. One engine and 13 wheat cars blocked the
highway and a second engine went into the Skeena River. The rail line reopened after two days and the highway after
three days.
June 5-6, 1967
Event type: Spring runoff flooding.
Source: The Province, June 6, 1967; The Citizen, June 6 and 7, 1967; Special Warrant #7 Flood control costs 1967-68.
In June, mountain snowpacks were similar to those in June 1964, which produced record high June to September
volumes of runoff water and the third highest discharge on record, as measured at Hope.
On June 5, several homes in a residential area just north of the city were abandoned. According to the RCMP, the
whole area on the North Nechako River a few miles above the Fraser containing about 85 homes was threatened. Early that
day, the gauge under the old Fraser River brige at Prince George reached 32.43 ft., rising to 32.68 ft., the highest point since
1964, on the morning of June 6. Water from the Fraser River backed up the Nechako River into the Island Cache, flooding a
number of homes early on June 6. Two trailer courts on the banks of the Fraser River were flooded out as the river rose
steadily. All the trailers were moved out of the Faser River Trailer Court. A number of families left flooded homes in the
Cache and the Island Cache school closed on June 5 and 6. By 9 a.m. on June 7, the Fraser River level had dropped to 30.85,
or 1.58 ft. (47 cm) since the morning of June 6.
Although there were no reports of serious flooding anywhere further downstream on the Fraser River, some lowlying
areas in Quesnel were covered.
Flood control costs for 1967-68 under Special Warrant #7 included:
Water Resources Service: West Quesnel: $2,343.32. (Dyke extension under District Engineer, Prince George; work
done by Town).
Department of Highways:
a) Dyke improvement: Prince George: $15,000; Hirsch Creek-Kitimat Highway: $15,000.
b) Stream clearing and river bank protection: Bella Coola River-Kleena Kleene River: $2,594.70; Buck (Creek) River-
Bulkley River: $7,862.92; Highway 25 South-Terrace: $17,994.80
c) General road repairs and washouts: Burns Lake area: $4,866.81; Fort St. John area: $46,857.68; Prince George: $
4,000.00; Quesnel area: $ 9,466.16; Hazelton area: $4,087.48
September 11-17, 1967
Event type: Glacial outburst flood.
Precipitation: Not applicable.
Source: Mathews 1973 (pp. 99-110); Mathews and Clague 1993.
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