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Pictures show how the ice storm of 1935 paralyzed the Fraser Valley

Transportation, power, communication and more were affected for days

It’s been three weeks since the Fraser Valley was last coated in a thick layer of ice that cut power to thousands of homes and transformed the region for a few days.

But it was hardly the first time the region was hit by an ice storm. Freezing rain nearly paralyzed the valley last winter, as it almost exactly 83 years ago in 1935.

“On this day, Chilliwack’s citizens had awoken to a twisted, crystal-encased nightmare,” according to a recent Facebook post from Chilliwack History Perspectives. “The great Ice Storm of 1935 had for the time being effectively isolated the community from the outside world - physically, electronically, and emotionally.”

Almost everyting was disabled for days: roads, railways, phone lines, power and more.

Check out these photos (courtesy of The Reach and BC Hydro) to get a sense of what the ice storm looked like 83 years ago.