1915Jun, 29
The North Saskatchewan River flood of 1915 is the worst flood in Edmonton history.
The North Saskatchewan River flood of 1915 was one of the largest floods in the history of Edmonton. On 28 June, the Edmonton Bulletin reported the river had risen "10 feet in as many hours." A frantic telegram from Rocky Mountain House alerted local authorities to the flood's arrival. The Canadian Northern Railway had parked a number of train cars on the city's Low Level Bridge to protect against the debris that had been pushed up against its piers, including a house swept away by the current. Thousands of Edmonton residents watched the flood destroy lumber mills along the city's river valley.Like all rivers, the North Saskatchewan River is subject to periodic flooding, beginning with rapid snowmelt in the mountains or prolonged periods of rain in the river basin. With the establishment of permanent communities along the river's course, and the rise of an administrative/government structure, records exist recording floods in the North Saskatchewan for the past century. The Bighorn Dam, constructed in the early 1970s near Nordegg, Alberta, and the Brazeau Reservoir, constructed in the mid-1960s, have not reduced potential for flooding on the North Saskatchewan River.
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Events on 1915
- 12Jan
Women's suffrage
The United States House of Representatives rejects a proposal to require states to give women the right to vote. - 28Jan
United States Coast Guard
An act of the U.S. Congress creates the United States Coast Guard as a branch of the United States Armed Forces. - 18Mar
Battle of Gallipoli
World War I: During the Battle of Gallipoli, three battleships are sunk during a failed British and French naval attack on the Dardanelles. - 20Mar
General relativity
Albert Einstein publishes his general theory of relativity. - 17May
Herbert Henry Asquith
The last British Liberal Party government (led by Herbert Henry Asquith) falls.