The North Saskatchewan River flood of 1915 was one of the largest floods in the history of Edmonton. On 28 June, the Edmonton Bulletin reported the river had risen "10 feet [3.0 m] in as many hours." A frantic telegram from Rocky Mountain House alerted local authorities to the flood's arrival.[2]
 29 June 1915 cover of the Edmonton Daily Bulletin | |
| Date | 27 May 1915–30 June 1915 |
|---|---|
| Location | Edmonton |
| Property damage | At least $500,000 ($762 million in 2023 dollars[1]), ~2,000 people homeless. |
The water rose to the deck level of the Low Level Bridge and debris was gathered along the bridge. The debris included a house swept away by the current. The Canadian Northern Railway parked a train on the bridge to hold the bridge down and try to prevent it from being swept away.[3] At its highest point the river was estimated to have risen to over 13 metres (42 ft) above the low water level.[4]
Thousands of Edmonton residents watched the flood destroy lumber mills along the city's river valley.[3][5] At the time the river valley was a hub of the city's industrial activity, including lumber and boatbuilding businesses, brick yards, coal and gold mining, and breweries, many of which were severely damaged, suffering enormous losses. No lives were lost, and no serious injuries are attributed to the flooding, but 2000 Edmontonians lost their homes, with 700 houses severely damaged and 50 swept away completely. Most of the people who lost their homes were members of Edmonton’s growing working class, and could hardly afford replacing their homes and belongings. The Edmonton Bulletin estimated damage to the businesses and homes to total three-quarters of a million dollars, all without flood insurance.[4]
Like all rivers, the North Saskatchewan River is subject to periodic flooding, beginning with rapid snowmelt in the mountains or prolonged periods of rain in the river basin. With the establishment of permanent communities along the river's course, and the rise of an administrative/government structure, records exist recording floods in the North Saskatchewan for the past century. The river is known to have flooded in 1830 (due to an ice dam of the flow) but the 1899 flooding of the river was the first summer-time flood of the river in known human experience or local folklore.[6] The 1915 flood peaked at about 4 metres higher than the 1899 flood. The Bighorn Dam, constructed in the early 1970s near Nordegg, Alberta, and the Brazeau Reservoir, constructed in the mid-1960s, have not reduced potential for flooding on the North Saskatchewan River.[7]
References
edit- ^ 1688 to 1923: Geloso, Vincent, A Price Index for Canada, 1688 to 1850 (December 6, 2016). Afterwards, Canadian inflation numbers based on Statistics Canada tables 18-10-0005-01 (formerly CANSIM 326-0021) "Consumer Price Index, annual average, not seasonally adjusted". Statistics Canada. Retrieved April 17, 2021. and table 18-10-0004-13 "Consumer Price Index by product group, monthly, percentage change, not seasonally adjusted, Canada, provinces, Whitehorse, Yellowknife and Iqaluit". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
- ^ The Edmonton Bulletin, 28 June 1915.
- ^ a b The Edmonton Bulletin, 29 June 1915.
- ^ a b Scott, Sally (29 June 2015). "June 29, 1915 — Edmonton's River Valley Floods". Edmonton City as Museum Project. Edmonton Heritage Council. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ "Look Out Edmonton: The Great Flood of 1915". City of Edmonton. 14 August 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
- ^ "The Deluge". Edmonton Bulletin. August 21, 1899.
- ^ Mustapha, A., Figliuzzi, S., Rickert, H., & Coles, G. (1981). History of Floods in the North Saskatchewan River Basin. Edmonton: Alberta Environment Environmental Engineering Support Services.
External links
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