Mass Wasting in Canada

 Ross Frank

10/7/2025

Landslides are a serious natural disaster that often happens in different parts of Canada, especially in places with mountains or steep hills. They occur when rock, soil, or mud slides down a slope, usually because of heavy rain, melting snow, earthquakes, or even construction that weakens the ground. British Columbia experiences the most landslides because it gets a lot of rain and has rugged terrain. These events can damage roads, homes, and power lines, and sometimes they even take lives. The cost of repairing the damage can be very high, and landslides continue to be a big problem for many Canadian communities.


In Canada, landslides cost an estimated $200-$400 million a year. The flow rates of landslides can get upwards of 100 km/hr (62 MPH). This isn't shocking because, according to the Government of Canada, thousands of landslides occur every year across the country. The deadliest landslide in Canadian history happened in 1903. A small mining town known as Frank, Alberta, was caught underneath 82 tons of limestone rock that slid down Turtle Mountain. 73 people, unfortunately, lost their lives in this tragic accident. Between the years of 1771 and 2019, there have been a total of 786 landslides that have resulted in deaths in Canada. Of those 786, 356 have been in British Columbia. 




https://natural-resources.canada.ca/stories/simply-science/canadian-fatal-landslides-mapped 

Comments

  1. cclark4090October 7, 2025 at 10:19 PM

    Hello Ross, thank you for posting this! I enjoyed reading your post and learning more about mass wasting in your country.

    ReplyDelete

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