Landslides

Landslides are the movement of rock, soil, or organic debris downslope. Landslides can happen with little or no warning. Thousands of landslides occur every year in Canada. Even small landslides can be a serious risk to people and infrastructure.

There have been at least 810 recorded deaths due to landslides since 1771. Landslides are most common in mountainous areas, but they can also happen in river valleys, fjords, lakes, and on the seafloor at the edges of the continent. The largest Canadian landslide known occurred in 1894 at Saint-Alban, Quebec and caused four casualties. It involved 185 million m3 of material and created a 40 m deep scar that covered an area of 4.62 million m2 (roughly the size of 80 city blocks).

Why prepare for landslides

Landslides can happen without warning. Landslides occur in all regions but are most damaging in the mountainous regions of British Columbia and Alberta, in the St. Lawrence Lowlands of Québec and Ontario, as well as Newfoundland and Labrador. Excessive rainfall, earthquakes, and certain human activities are factors that commonly trigger landslides.

Although the terrain may be relatively flat in the St. Lawrence Lowlands of Québec and Ontario, landslides can happen because the type of soil found in most of the region, known as sensitive clays, can rapidly become liquid when placed under high stress.

What to do

Where to start

You can protect members of your household and your residence by learning more about landslides and by taking proper precautions. Make sure that your household is prepared.

• Prepare your emergency kit. Learn more about what items to put in your kit, including quick and easy steps you can take right away
• Make a household emergency plan. Consider the specific needs of all members of your household, including older adults, children, pets, and anyone with special health needs

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