Eighty-five years ago this week, one of the greatest tragedies ever in the Sea to Sky region took place at Britannia Beach.Torrential rain fell for 12 hours on Oct. 27 and Oct. 28, 1921 - a total of 5.74 inches of precipitation.
The Squamish River had overflowed its banks and inundated a portion of Squamish and down the Sound in the community of Britannia Beach at 9:30 pm a wall of water reported to be 20m high swept down through the village.
Thirty-seven people were killed and 15 were seriously injured as a result of one of the most sudden and devastating floods of its kind in B.C.
More than 50 houses of the 110 in the community were destroyed, either by flood waters or by being swept out to sea. A total of 35 families were made homeless by the disaster.
It was thought at first that the main dam back in the hills had been breached. It was later learned that it was the construction of a fill structure across Britannia Creek instead of a trestle, had acted as a dam; there was so much water that a lake had formed behind it.
The culvert in the structure had become blocked with debris, and the whole fill came out, releasing the imprisoned water as one great wall.
On the 85th anniversary of the disaster, the BC Museum of Mining and the community of Britannia Beach would like to remember those who perished.
