People, around Kootenay Lake and beyond, have been concerned about the massive slide that destroyed lives and homes at Johnsons Landing (North Arm of the Main Lake). The event has been reported extensively in the media (e.g. the CBC) so will not be treated here.
Yet, this slide and others before it underscore an occasional hazard for mountain dwellers, particularly after a period of heavy rain. Famous regional slides were the Frank Slide (1903) in the Crows Nest Pass and the Hope slide (1965) on the Hope-Princeton Highway. Now we have the Johnsons Landing slide (2012) at Kootenay Lake.
Once again, I dip into my Grandfather’s photo album of his visit to the West Kootenay in 1909. He was here for only a few months, but photographed three slides, two of which appear below. It seems that mountains have long offered hazard as well as beauty.
This picture was labeled: “Debris of a snow slide at Sandon, BC, May, 1909”. The appearance of the debris field is strikingly similar to that of the slide at Johnsons Landing
Pictures of the Johnsons Land slide show mud and trees piled against homes. This image shows mud against what looks like a work train. It is labeled: “Derailed by mud slide Crow’s Nest Pass, April 1909”.
Wow! Your family memory kit of historic photos is extensive.