The Great Kananaskis Flood ― A Disaster That Forever Changed the Face of Kananaskis Country

The great Kananaskis flood of 2013 came with no warning. The rains started late in the afternoon of June 19 and didn’t let up until June 23. Rivers and creeks, swollen to unprecedented size and fury cut off the towns of Canmore and Exshaw and flooded the village of Bragg Creek. Calgary’s premier recreation playground. Kananaskis Country, was devastated: Roads, bridges, infrastructures and trails were washed away, leaving tourists and business owners stranded. After a massive evacuation the whole of Kananaskis Country was shut down.

This is the story in words and photographs of the flood showing the event itself, the aftermath and assessment of damage and the rebuilding phase that is still ongoing three years later. Of particular interest are pictures taken before and after the landscape changed.

All proceeds from the book will be going towards trail rebuilding.

Gillean Daffern has explored Kananaskis Country for decades and understands its landscape and history intimately throughout every season of the year. She has also been writing and publishing bestselling trail guides to Kananaskis Country for over 30 years and is the author of the renowned five-volume series Gillean Daffern’s Kananaskis Country Trail Guide, which is now in its 4th edition and has sold well over 100,000 copies since it was first published in 1979. She also travels to mountain areas outside of Kananaskis Country, and in particular enjoys visiting countries off the beaten tourist path. Gillean is the founder of Rocky Mountain Books and, along with her husband, Tony Daffern, was awarded the Banff Mountain Festival’s Summit of Excellence Award in 2006. She lives in Calgary, Alberta

Derek Ryder started hiking, backpacking, canoe tripping, rock climbing and skiing in Ontario in the 1970’s. After moving to Calgary in 1981, he fed his passion with hiking, white water canoeing and downhill skiing in the Rockies. Derek retired in 2011 after 32 years in the oil and gas industry, and now resides in Kananaskis Country. Since retiring, he has expanded his volunteering with the Bow Valley Stewards, with WildSmart as a Wildlife Ambassador, with Alberta Parks Ecology’s research projects, and at Sunshine Village as a Snow Host. He has held several directorship positions in community organizations, has been a member of the Friends of Kananaskis since 2010 and Chair since October 2013.