Subway flood June 14, 1964.--PHOTO COURTESY Esplanade Archives
Chances are, you’ve driven past it a thousand times but never noticed it. In plain view, but gone in the blink of an eye, is a large bronze plaque on the southwest side of the First Street subway. The plaque which dates to 1954 is only legible from the adjacent sidewalk. Why was this unassuming city infrastructure commemorated?
For years, there was a level railway crossing at downtown Second Street with a manned watch tower, gates and bells which directed both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. By the end of World War II, Medicine Hat’s population was escalating, and the level crossing had become inadequate.
Negotiations began to construct a separate traffic subway and pedestrian underpass linking the River Flats and the downtown core. The joint subway/underpass project was approved and the share of the cost of the project determined.
For the vehicle subway, the Dominion Board of Transport was to pay 40%; the CPR and the City each to pay 30% of the estimated $280,000 cost.
For the pedestrian underpass, the City was to cover the entire cost estimated at under $100,000. But that cost would be offset as maintenance costs for the crossing would no longer have to be paid to the CPR, which in 1953 according to Mayor Veiner, was $8,000/year.
In a municipal plebiscite, citizens voted overwhelmingly in support of the pedestrian underpass.
Work began on the vehicle subway in May 1954 with the building of a pump house connected to an emergency drainage system.
In case of flooding, two pumps with automatic floats would be set into operation. However, flooding did occasionally occur. On June 14, 1964, a serious flood resulted when one of the pumps failed. Three cars were swamped when the water level in the centre hit 5-foot-8.
Construction stalled in July 1954 when an historic gas well on the CPR right-of-way was uncovered by one of the draglines. The dragline damaged the casing, causing gas to escape.
A drilling rig was required to stop the leakage, cement and cap the gas well. The CPR had to absorb the rumoured $20,000 cost.
The long forgotten well, dating to 1891, was the second gas well drilled within the city limits. It was well known to local old-timer Tom Hargrave who recalled walking past the gas well on his way to school in the early 1890s.
According to Hargrave, some “youngsters” used to throw a lit match at the landmark gas well and set off a flare.
After the gas well incident, construction continued without delay. Both the vehicle subway and the pedestrian underpass opened in December 1954 at which time the bronze plaque was proudly revealed.
Memorialized on the plaque are the names of those involved in the project’s development.
The city’s first subway reflected multi-level government co-operation, created employment for local workers and notably, significantly improved city transportation.
Sally Sehn is a past member of the Heritage Resources Committee, City of Medicine Hat.
