Electoral Area C - Place Glacier Community Update #10

The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) has received a report that details potential measures to address the Place Glacier hazard near Gates Lake and Poole Creek in Electoral Area C of the SLRD.

This Conceptual Design Options Summary describes works that can be undertaken to reduce Place Glacier’s outburst flood risk and provides a scientific framework to support emergency management decision-making. It builds upon the Place Glacier Hazard Assessment Report that was released in the fall of 2025.

Both reports are linked below:

Place Glacier Conceptual Design Options Summary

Place Glacier Hazard Assessment Report

These reports have been shared with the appropriate Provincial ministries, along with a request from the SLRD Board for Provincial leadership and funding to address Place Glacier hazards.

In 2024 and 2025, an ice-marginal lake on Place Glacier experienced a rapid outburst of water causing debris floods through residential properties near Poole Creek and Gates Lake in Electoral Area C of the SLRD.

In 2024, the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (EMCR) provided emergency response funds to restore water channels to their normal alignment and drain flood waters. During the 2025 outburst, these water channels were re-damaged and are vulnerable to future glacial outburst and precipitation-driven flood events.

In both 2024 and 2025, properties were placed on Evacuation Alert due to increased potential for precipitation-driven flooding to impact residential structures as a result of these damaged water channels.

In 2025, EMCR funded the Place Glacier Hazard Assessment Report to better understand the hazard’s long-term public safety risks. This study found that ice-marginal lake outbursts from Place Glacier are likely to re-occur on an annual basis until the glacier recedes, thus posing a persistent hazard to residential structures in the valley bottom.

The magnitude of these annual outbursts may be equivalent to or greater than 1 in a 200-year return period flood. Without intervention they will continue to pose an ongoing risk to public safety, especially when outburst flooding is followed by heavy precipitation.

EMCR also funded the Conceptual Design Options Summary that includes proposals to reduce disaster risk associated with Place Glacier hazards. In this summary, experts outline five potential options to protect public safety. These options range from installing a siphon, installing pumps, drilling a conduit through bedrock, constructing a dam, or using explosives to fracture open a conduit through the glacier. Each option was evaluated for its feasibility, cost, construction considerations, operation and maintenance requirements, and environmental impact.

All options described in the Conceptual Design Options Summary include repairing and maintaining the water channels below Place Glacier, similar to the work completed in late summer 2024.
Implementation of any option would require Provincial funding approval, as well as completion of all necessary regulatory requirements and consultations.

The path forward with respect to Place Glacier will be determined in collaboration with the Province of British Columbia, which has jurisdiction over the glacier and its downstream water channels as Provincially managed land. 

While the Report presents options and recommendations, the Province will determine next steps and may also consider additional approaches beyond those outlined in the report. The SLRD’s role is to advocate for community members and the environment, and to undertake emergency works that are approved and funded by the Province.

The SLRD recognizes that the ongoing Place Glacier hazard is of significant concern to downstream communities, and we share that concern. The SLRD Board of Directors has submitted a letter to the Province requesting leadership and timely action to protect public safety. This follows a June 2025 letter to the Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness and the Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, requesting immediate action in response to the outburst flood hazard at Place Glacier.

The SLRD also issued a News Release on this matter on March 9, 2026.

As we await further direction, we remain committed to keeping the community informed about ongoing discussions and related decisions.

Once a path forward has been confirmed, the SLRD will host a hybrid (virtual and in-person) town hall to provide an update and answer questions from the community.

We would like to thank the community for its patience and ongoing support.  We also encourage all residents to prepare for emergencies and to use caution in areas that may be at risk.

• Sign up for the SLRD Alert – our emergency alert notification system
• Sign up to receive Place Glacier and Electoral Area C updates by email
• Prepare Emergency Plans for your home, office and other locations
• Build your household emergency kit and grab-and-go bag

Members of the public are advised to exercise caution in the area of Place Glacier, Place Creek, Poole Creek, and Gates Lake:

• Avoid hazard zones – stay clear of steep gullies, alluvial fans, and historical/modelled debris flow paths. 
• Stay alert during intense rainfall – debris flows often occur during or shortly after heavy storms. While the most frequent threat of landslide hazard in the area was determined to be from glacial outbursts, debris flows can occur during periods of sustained rainfall or rapid snowmelt.
• Have an evacuation plan – know the fastest route to higher ground and practice it.
• Listen to warnings – pay attention to local alerts from the SLRD, sirens, or weather bulletins.
• Do not camp in areas of identified debris flow hazard – avoid setting up tents in dry creek beds, ravines, or fan toes. Mapping provided in the Place Glacier Hazard Assessment Report will support identification of hazardous areas on your property.
• Watch for natural warning signs – sudden rumbling, snapping trees, or increased sediment-laden water flow can signal an incoming debris flow. Know your evacuation plan.
• Move to higher ground immediately if you suspect a debris flow is coming — don’t wait for confirmation.
• Keep access routes clear – don’t block driveways or roads that emergency services might need.
• Create defensible space around properties – remove loose wood, debris, and objects that could be carried by flows.
• Educate your family and neighbors – ensure everyone knows the hazards and what to do in an emergency.