The Hope Slide in British Columbia
Largest Landslide Ever Recorded in Canada
A minor earthquake in 1965 in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia caused an entire mountainside to collapse and the obliteration of an entire lake.
This landslide occurred on Johnson Peak 12 miles southeast of the town of Hope British Columbia, hence the name Hope Slide.
Hope is located 96 miles east of Vancouver where the eastern end of the Fraser Valley meets the Coast Mountain range.
Events Preceding the Hope Slide
The first earthquake occurred at 3:56am on January 9th 1965. Some scientists believe this was not an earthquake; they say it was a landslide at the top of Johnson Peak.
There was also a small avalanche that blocked the highway in this area. Being winter, the rock was buried in snow so it was assumed to be a snow slide. Nobody knew what was really happening up in the mountain.
Three hours later, at 6:58am, another earthquake occurred. Two minutes later, the entire southeast slope of Johnson Peak gave way and tumbled into the valley below.
Some scientists also say there was not an earthquake and this final landslide was a result of the instability of the rocks unearthed during the first landslide.
Damage Caused by the Hope Slide
- Approximately 60 million cubic yards of rock, snow, mud and trees tumbled 6000 feet into the valley below.
- Outram Lake, located at the bottom of Johnson Peak was totally obliterated. When the landslide hit the lake, it forced the debris up the slope of the mountain on the opposite side of the valley, then back down to the valley and up Johnson Peak again (a sloshing effect).
- Two miles of highway was covered.
- The depth of debris in the valley floor was 200 feet.
Four people who were stopped by the snow slide were waiting for the highway crew to clear it out. They were buried by the landslide. Rescue crews only found two of the four people. The other two victims and their cars remain buried in the rock.
The Hope Slide Today
- The rocks were too deep to move so the highway was rerouted south and now skirts along the edge of the debris in the valley.
- The bare rock in Johnson Peak is visible from the highway and even more apparent when flying over the site on a plane. There is lay-by on Highway #3 (Hope – Princeton Highway) where travelers can stop, look at the site of the Hope Slide and read the commemorative plaque.
- In the nearby town of Hope, the Visitor Information Centre sells souvenir newspapers commemorating the Hope Slide.
Landslides are common in the mountain areas of British Columbia because hundreds of years of erosion and seismic activity occur along fault lines. Water and loose rock fills the fissures and eventually cause an unstable base.
Because Johnson Peak was located in a remote area, there were few deaths. Had the slide occurred during tourist season or later in the day, there could have been more fatalities.
Sources:
- Government of British Columbia
- Geological Survey of Canada
- Wikipedia
