Gold Trails and Ghost Towns: Frank

Episode 83: Frank, Alberta - A mountain cascaded down on this town in the night burying it forever, but there were survivors. Their remarkable stories are recalled.
The Frank Slide was a rock slide that buried part of the mining town of Frank, Alberta, Canada
at 4:10 am on April 29, 1903. Over 90 million tons of limestone rock slid down Turtle Mountain
within 100 seconds, obliterating the eastern edge of Frank, the Canadian Pacific Railway line
and the coal mine. It was one of the largest landslides in Canadian history and remains the
deadliest, as between 70 and 90 of the town's residents were killed, most of whom remain buried
in the rubble. Multiple factors led to the slide: Turtle Mountain's formation left it in a constant
state of instability. Coal mining operations may have weakened the mountain's internal structure, as
did a wet winter and cold snap on the night of the disaster.
The railway was repaired within three weeks and the mine was quickly reopened. The section of town
closest to the mountain was relocated in 1911 amid fears that another slide was possible. The town's
population nearly doubled its pre-slide population by 1906, but dwindled after the mine closed
permanently in 1917.

[@greggferstay5673]

Beautiful area to visit - West is Sparwood and Fernie and to the east Pincher Creek , Ft. MacLeod & Lethbridge !

[@shirleyhande2288]

My brother got us started on your show years ago. My husband used to get up and watch at 6am

[@RobertReid-g5q]

I a very proud Albertan and I love Frank Alberta and I find peaceful

[@kendallwilliamson8193]

This mountain is still falling. This past year there were some larger rock that broke from the top. I look every time I drive under it. Once the snow is gone in the spring look at the face of the mountain and notice the grey color or almost white of fresh fallen rock. After a rain it is washed in to the surface again. I go by every 4 days and see the changes.

[@gencreeper6476]

One of the main border crossings between BC and AB I always thought the highway location is a looming disaster even though it was built after the slide.

[@frankwood-sn5pu]

I was in Frank in 1989 and it is unreal how big some of the rocks are and yes stopping there you get an uneasy feeling it was really something to see and I use to watch this show when it was on tv

[@PfeifferFishing]

Should be a movie made from these stories . I can only picture a bridge breaking behind the miners as they’re driving as quick as they can out of the mine .

[@ant-1382]

We visited Frank in the late 1960's. I was just a kid, but vividly remember the scene of boulders as far as the eye could see.

[@frankwood-sn5pu]

I was there in 1989 and the size of them rocks was unreal

[@limojag]

My Grandfather was the blacksmith in that mine

[@durwinpocha2488]

the local people refused to walk past it and warned the town folk of the very dangerous turtle mountain.....

[@brittneynicoledustin8268]

Wow Frank Alberta I was there yesterday

[@raymorley8241]

Nice presentation. I have done a bit of hiking in the area back in the 80s.

[@alleyoop1234]

About 15 years ago my cousin & his family were traveling through Frank, when his 5 year old son that had never been there before spoke up and said "Dad, there is dead people here"...

[@asidhu4550]

BILL BILL BILL!!! Mike said it would be like this today ;) (two legends)

[@lindamarsh6711]

The pictures and story were awesome. The Natives called it Turtle Mountain because it walked or moved. They never camped near the mountain. The greed of white folks cost lives!

[@volkfidde4269]

I've heard this as well, but I'm not certain how true this is. On the western part of the mountain is a place called "Indian Flats" where there were First Nations shelters, and I used to find arrowheads and even a tomahawk/axe stone [at least that is what my grandfather said it was] when I was a kid, so they may have avoided certain parts of the mountain, but not the entire mountain.

[@kevinbruce2776]

It's amazing the amount of information about the disaster given that it happened in 1903. The details about the baby being thrown out the window and landing on the straw and who says angels aren't real? He laughed at the $25 dollars given to the one man but in 1903 it was probably equal to $1000

[@wewillfindtruthwewillfindt7370]

Why doesn't anyone ever express or give credit that the Native Indigenous People warned them of the slow moving turtle? The money and obviously miners cared not to listen!

[@WFOtwitch2]

I climbed up both peaks 2 years ago, and first thing I said when walking between the two peaks, this thing is going to slide again.

[@valiantredneck]

Yup.

[@Jdat1212]

So interesting. I hate that we gain money from such a tragedy. The families lost.

[@Countryboy404]

the rock got week so it fell

[@heroicboy3260]

No people were mining in a cave and they put like a bomb too like make it better but it bombed the mautin sorry if I spelt it wrong but it fell

[@cruisinginmy94]

No man! You're wrong!