Flooding of the Arrow Lakes

Archival footage of homes being moved by barge, low-bed and bulldozer due to the Keenleyside hydro-electric dam that flooded the Arrow Lakes valley in the 1960's.
Special thanks to:
Jordan Downey
Joern Hornhardt
Stefan Klopp
Bernie Koth-Kappus
Kyle Kusch

[@ridgwalkerg]

Thanks for the video.

[@markliebrock6246]

Love the old footage !

[@KellyRicketts]

My Father worked on that dam. Thanks for the video

[@Chris-jo8tm]

My grandma grew up up between the dam and syringa creek park. I remember swimming in the lake and could see the old road about 10 feet deep. Last year me and my son went up there and the water level was so low we walked along that road and could still see rock pathways and foundation stones.

[@iomensch]

Wild! It's our third year in Burton. So much amazing farmland was lost to the dam. It's a shame. The area is a jewel though, and lots of families are moving here.

[@PaulDavenportsite]

Very interesting Lorne!

[@knottylinda-leathercrafter9605]

Thank you for sharing! I’m visiting Nakusp this summer and sure I will see the river a little differently now!!

[@jarrettreckseidler]

What a sad tale

[@life02ab]

We live in Fauquier, and I wonder where this house is? We love this village soo much. Aware of a lot of pain and misery for the people who were displaced and lost the homes they loved.

[@thenarrowarrows7577]

Hi, Thanks for the interest! I assume you're referring to the red roofed house in the film? It's at the north end of Maple.

[@life02ab]

@@thenarrowarrows7577 yes being hauled by the big yellow truck! Cool!!!

[@PlayingWithFireOutdoors]

Mid 90's I worked at a mill outside Valemont, recovering wood and they still had some of the large equipment on site from the work here

[@Hazem-Gt]

People were simply in the way 😢

[@Blt-rr2lm]

To cap it all off, as the families that were forced out were leaving, the government set their homes on fire, traumatizing the children. This could be done without backlash because of the relative remoteness. BC Hydro also promised a bridge where the Needles ferry is today.

[@pgerry9400]

Was there then

[@pm6613]

Complainers don't like the use of dams for electricity production. I used to visit the rustic hotspring pools at Halcyon... before recently being commodified as a resort.

[@nestahale8510]

The High Arrow Dam, aka Hugh Keenleyside Dam, originally, was not built to generate electricity. It was to control flooding and for agriculture needs in Washington.

[@Chris-jo8tm]

Maybe one day solar power will be enough and all these dams could be removed and maybe the salmon would return

[@lmiddleman]

Nope, flood control is too important as is the treaty. So long as the dams remain so will the power generation.

[@user-kz8ik8cg2c]

shameful

[@degrootklyde6895]

Audio is terrible, but an interesting story. Thank you.

[@BradFalck-mn3pc]

People were much more likely to sacrifice for the greater good back then without needing something for themselves......I believe the word is Patriotism

[@nestahale8510]

Those living in places like Deer Park and Renata were given no choice. For many, it was heartbreaking.