It was 70 years ago the Fraser Valley experienced one of the worst floods in current recollection.
Several folks were killed, countless were evacuated, thousands lost their homes, and Metro Vancouver was cut off from the rest of the country because high waters breached the dikes and flooded thousands of acres of land including rail and roads.
Nicknamed the 鈥済reat鈥� flood of 1948, it changed a lot of development visions for the communities 鈥� like 91原创 鈥� that are located along the Fraser River.
Well, 91原创 historian and author Jane Watt is going to be talking about the floods on radio Wednesday.
She鈥檚 been invited to join retired broadcaster and fellow 91原创 historian Mark Forsythe on air in his new, monthly podcast show on CIVL radio in Abbotsford.
Watt is author of e, a book specifically focused on the devastation caused by the flood.
鈥淲e also hear from people who lived through it in the 91原创 region, drawing on the oral history,鈥� Forsythe said, pointing to recollections fo Connie Winter, Mabel Holding, and Ken Robinson.
鈥淓ach has a vivid memory of the flood, which virtually cut off the Fraser Valley from the rest of the province.鈥�
Forsythe鈥檚 show, Valley Voices, offers a glimpse into the past for communities up and down the Fraser Valley.
The show, which debuted in March, airs on the first Wednesday of each month, at 11 a.m. That month鈥檚 show is then rebroadcast each Wednesday that month, again at 11 a.m.It鈥檚 also available .
鈥沦颈苍肠别 Valley Voices began in March, I鈥檝e heard from people throughout the Fraser Valley 鈥� from Hope to Maple Ridge and Surrey 鈥� many with story suggestions that I鈥檒l attempt to follow up on,鈥� he shared with the 91原创 Advance.
In June, he鈥檚 planning to visit two Fraser Valley heritage sites that people will want to put on their summer travel itinerary, those being the Kilby Historic Site at Harrison Mills and the CN Station in Fort 91原创.
