This week marks the 60th anniversary since the day of the explosion of a massive rock located near Campbell River in British Columbia! Debris was strewn 300 metres into the air, and it was all live broadcast on television.
Ripple Rock was essentially a mountain under the sea, hidden just a few feet below the surface. Known as "the worst navigational hazard on the West Coast of North America", many vessels were lost to this hidden menace. Over 100 people drowned due to accidents due to it, tracking all the way back to 1875.
The government decided they were going to get rid of it on April 5th, 1958, and they did so in an incredibly well-thought-out fashion that is still talked about to this day.
For our BC Was Awesome history show we travelled to Vancouver Island to speak to a number of people who witnessed the explosion, as well as some who work on keeping its story alive today.
Former Campbell River mayor, Roger McDonell, took us out onto his boat so we could get a look for ourselves. Another former mayor of the town, Skip MacDonald, told us a story about he and his friend made a few bucks off bringing people out to a viewing area to watch it.
Our show is meant to be fun and informative, bringing you closer to the stories and the people that have formed our province. This particular episode is a favourite of mine in that it shares a story that many people know but offers a different look at it than has previously been offered. Enjoy the episode below.
