ON CHRISTMAS DAY 1996, a young ski patroller at Big Sky, Montana, lost her life following an explosives accident while conducting avalanche control. The tragedy had repercussions across the North American avalanche world when explosives companies refused to supply industry in the aftermath. In Canada, the situation was looking dire when CIL Explosives stepped in […]
Video: Everett Clausen on the History of CIL and the CAA Read More »
Mike Boissonneault enjoyed a 37-year career in the Canadian avalanche industry, including 15 years as the head of the BC Ministry of Transportation’s avalanche program. Originally from Ottawa, Mike’s introduction to the avalanche industry was at the Granduc Mine north of Stewart, B.C., in 1979. When the mine closed in 1985, he moved nearby to
CAA History Project Interview: Mike Boissonneault Read More »
Shortly past mid-day on January 15, 1909, a Canadian Pacific Railway passenger train snaked south along the precipitous western bank of the Fraser River north of Yale, British Columbia.
This article from 2005 looks at the installation of the first Avalanche Guard unit in Canada, in the Laurie slide path just outside Glacier National Park.
From the Archives: Avalanche Control in the 21st Century Read More »
An oral account of an avalanche heard while vacationing in Newfoundland leads to information about an 1891 slide that took three lives in a tiny coastal community.
From the Archives: The Avalanche Detective Read More »
Geoff Freer started working in the avalanche industry in the early-70s. He was part of the Avalanche Task Force formed following the North Route Cafe avalanche in 1974, was the first manager of the BC Minister of Highways avalanche program, and a founding member of the CAA.
CAA History Project Interview: Geoff Freer Read More »
Bruce Jamieson, Brian Gould, Wren McElroy, and Brad White discuss the evolution of avalanche worker safety in Canada.
Video: Panel on Avalanche Worker Safety Read More »
We’re happy to say that the first 12 issues of Avalanche News are now online. Avalanche News was the precursor to The Avalanche Journal and actually predates the formation of the Canadian Avalanche Association in 1981. It was compiled by Peter Schaerer and distributed by the BC Ministry of Highways. “Anybody interested in snow avalanches
Avalanche News Volumes 1-12 Online Read More »
Winning the Avalanche Game was produced by the Utah Avalanche Centre in 1996.
Video: Winning the Avalanche Game Read More »
