British Columbia

Slide alert issued in Johnsons Landing, B.C., community where four were killed

A tiny British Columbia community that lost four residents in a landslide almost five years ago has been put on alert for another possible slide.

Gar Creek, which also caused the 2012 landslide, is running muddy

A 2012 landslide in Johnsons Landing, B.C., killed four people, sending 320,000 cubic metres of debris through an area known as Gar Creek. (Ministry of Forests)

A tiny British Columbia community that lost four residents in a landslide almost five years ago has been put on alert for another possible slide.

An evacuation alert has been issued for residents of Johnsons Landing on Kootenay Lake in southeastern B.C. after reports that Gar Creek was running muddy and materials on a slope appear to be shifting.

A slide from Gar Creek in July 2012 released a torrent of mud and debris, killing a man, his two daughters, along with a female resident in a separate home.

It also destroyed or damaged several homes in the community.

The regional district says its emergency management team is assessing the situation and a helicopter is bringing representatives from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to the area.

The district says it has taken the precaution of issuing an evacuation alert to ensure residents' safety.

The district is alerting households in the area to the dangers and a reception centre is being organized.