The past often comes to life in unexpected ways. This short video—inspired by a historic photograph from the Squamish History Archives at the Squamish Public Library—recreates a moment near Brackendale during a flood in the 1950s.
In the scene, two men stand mid-road, surrounded by water that stretches toward the mist-covered mountains. A pickup truck waits behind them as fog drifts across the valley. The video doesn’t dramatize the event—it quietly captures the stillness and uncertainty of living between mountains and rivers, where nature often has the final say.
Brackendale, resting along the Squamish and Cheakamus Rivers, has always been shaped by water. Before dikes and flood-control systems, these valleys regularly flooded after heavy rainfall or snowmelt. Roads disappeared, fields vanished under rising water, and neighbours helped each other rebuild.
Stories from long-time residents echo through generations—children wading to school, families digging trenches to redirect water, and entire neighbourhoods working together to recover. In a small community like Brackendale, floods were more than natural disasters; they were reminders of both fragility and resilience.
The original photograph, now preserved in the Squamish History Archives, dates back to the mid-20th century. The 1950s were a turning point for the region—logging was thriving, roads were improving, and Squamish was beginning to grow. But each year, when the rivers swelled, daily life paused.
The recreated video brings this era to life through subtle motion: ripples spreading across the road, mist weaving between tall evergreens, and the faint hum of water against gravel. It’s not a dramatic retelling, but a quiet reflection on what it meant to live in a place where the landscape constantly reminded you of its power.
While Squamish has since advanced its flood protection, the relationship between water and community remains deeply intertwined. Seasonal flooding continues to shape local ecosystems, nourishing salmon runs that sustain wildlife and attract bald eagles to Brackendale each winter.
The same waters that once cut off homes and roads now sustain some of the region’s greatest natural gatherings. Nature, as the people of Squamish know well, gives and takes in equal measure.
The Brackendale flood video serves as a reminder that Squamish’s story is one of adaptation. From early settlers to today’s residents, each generation has faced its own version of the rising tide—whether through storms, economic shifts, or the pressures of growth.
The men standing calmly in that flooded road—first captured on film decades ago, and now reimagined through motion—embody a timeless truth about Squamish: when the water rises, the community stands firm. There’s quiet strength in that stance, a patience that continues to define the people who call this valley home.
