A large avalanche observed by the Newfoundland field team in March 2021.

In a pilot project that begins Feb 18, Avalanche Canada will publish the first ever avalanche forecasts for Newfoundland & Labrador. 

This pilot project will see avalanche forecasts written for Saturdays and Sundays for six weeks, from Feb. 18 to Mar. 26. The forecasts will cover the Long Range Mountains in western Newfoundland, including Gros Morne National Park, giving backcountry users a valuable tool to plan their trips. Forecasts will be the same as in western Canada and will feature danger ratings, avalanche problems, and details on snowpack, avalanche observations, and weather.

The Newfoundland avalanche forecast region.

Like elsewhere, winter backcountry recreation is growing in Newfoundland. Snowmobiling has long been popular in the province, but riders are pushing into steeper ground. Backcountry skiing and snowboarding is also growing quickly in popularity. This means many more people are recreating in avalanche terrain. 

The forecasts will be informed by our local field team, based in Rocky Harbour.  This two-person team collects snowpack, weather, and avalanche observations, and will work closely with our warning service team in Revelstoke, BC, to develop the weekend forecasts. The team also shares its observations and photos on its Facebook and Instagram pages.

Our Newfoundland field team consists of Andy Nichols (right) and Peter Thurlow (left). Both are based in Rocky Harbour and each has a strong history of backcountry experience and professional-level avalanche training.

This pilot project marks a significant expansion of our programs in Newfoundland. In 2019, Avalanche Canada published specialized maps with terrain ratings for some of the more popular riding areas in the Long Range Mountains. These maps use the Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale (ATES) to indicate where avalanches are more likely to occur. They are posted at popular trailheads and are included in the online trip planner.

The combination of ATES ratings and the avalanche forecast provides the best trip-planning information available. With this pilot project, backcountry users in NL will be able to use our online trip planner to plan their weekend adventures. They will also be able to use the Avaluator trip planner, a tool supplied with the Avalanche Skills Training 1 course.

Avalanche terrain maps are now located at many popular trailheads in the Long Range Mountains of western Newfoundland.

Avalanche forecasts will be provided for Newfoundland for first time ever.

Pilot Project for Newfoundland Forecasts Launching

Avalanche Canada is pleased to announce the recipients of the Mountain Equipment Company (MEC) Avalanche Safety Grant, which is providing Avalanche Skills Training courses to four BIPOC-led organizations.

“Avalanche Canada recognizes that racialized communities face disproportionate barriers in accessing winter backcountry pursuits in Canada,” explains Gilles Valade, Executive Director of Avalanche Canada. “We are very impressed with the work being done by these four organizations and are grateful to partner with MEC to provide them with avalanche safety education.”

K8 Mountaineering Club of Alberta, an organization that supports Filipino-Canadians who enjoy hiking and climbing.

Colour the Trails Alberta, which creates safe spaces to encourage BIPOC individuals to take part in outdoor activities.

Rocky Mountain Métis Association, which aims to develop and enhance opportunities for Métis people in Kimberley, Cranbrook, Creston.

Indigenous Women Outdoors, a non-profit that helps First Nations women and non-binary folks reconnect to their traditional territories and Indigenous roots through backcountry sports in the Sea-to-Sky area.

"K8 Mountaineering Club of Alberta is grateful for the opportunity from Avalanche Canada, being one of the recipients of the MEC Avalanche Safety Grant,” says Leonard Maglalang, executive secretary of K8. “We believe mountaineering is for all walks of life and can transcend the perceived limits of our cultures and ourselves."

Members of the K8 Mountaineering Club on a recent winter camping trip near Nordegg, Alberta.

Thanks to generous funding from MEC, each group is organizing an AST 1 course with the provider of their choice for up to eight of their members.

“MEC wants to celebrate and encourage inclusivity in the outdoors through community support. We've put a larger focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the work we do with our national partners, which includes co-developing grants available to BIPOC-led organizations and supporting DEI training and development at partner organizations,” says Caitlin Brown, community manager for MEC. “The MEC Avalanche Safety Grant is an example of how, together with Avalanche Canada, we’re striving to make the outdoors more inclusive.”

The MEC Avalanche Safety Grant was established to provide greater access to outdoor opportunities for racialized Canadians. Backcountry Access is also contributing to this initiative by providing two boxes of safety gear, each with eight sets of avalanche transceivers, shovels, and probes.

Avalanche Canada is supported by MEC’s Outdoor Impact Program.

K8 Mountaineering Club, Colour the Trails, Rocky Mountain Metis, and Indigenous Women Outdoors receive grants for AST course

Four BIPOC Organizations Receive MEC Avalanche Safety Grant

All of us at Avalanche Canada are thinking of those who have been affected by the ongoing weather-related disaster in southwest British Columbia.

Many major routes commonly used for backcountry access are restricted to essential traffic only. We encourage everyone to be aware of and adhere to the travel restrictions that are in place to support recovery efforts. Now is not the right time for recreational travel in many locations. Look for up-to-date guidance from sources like DriveBC or the Province of BC travel advisories website when planning your trip.

Please consider donating to charities, such as the Red Cross, that are collecting funds to help those who need assistance.

Backcountry recreationists in southwest BC asked to respect non-essential travel restrictions.

Avalanche Canada Urges Respect for Restrictions on BC Highways

Avalanche Canada's first forecasts for 2021-22 will be published Thursday, Nov. 25.  This year is particularly exciting as we’ve added Vancouver Island to our regions, and the North Rockies and Yukon regions will be receiving daily forecasts for the first time.

Here's what you should know about our forecasting program this winter:

We are providing regular forecasts for Vancouver Island for the first time! Thanks to long-term BC funding, we now have a three-person field team on Vancouver Island, supplying our forecasters with the data required for the daily bulletin. We’d like to thank the Vancouver Island Avalanche Centre Society for doing such great work over the past 15 years. We're grateful to be building on their success.

We also have a new field team in northwest BC, based out of Smithers. The team will be collecting local snow, avalanche, and weather information to augment our regional forecasts for that area. 

We will be publishing daily forecasts for the Yukon and North Rockies regions. When we started forecasting for these regions in 2019-20, we only published bulletins three times a week. Last winter, we increased that to four times weekly, and now we’re able to deliver daily forecasts thanks to an investment in more forecasting staff.

We have a field team in Newfoundland as well, helping us monitor conditions in the western mountains of that province. With their help we'll be launching a six-week pilot project later this winter, providing a regional forecast twice a week starting in February. We're excited about that!

Continuing from last year, our forecasts will be partly bilingual, and we will be issuing abbreviated forecasts by text. We will also publish morning updates if the weather overnight is significantly different than expected. All morning updates will be reflected in the forecast headline, so always double check in the morning in case you need to revert to your Plan B (or come up with a Plan C).

If we have a field team in your region, lucky you! Keep an eye out for them and make sure to say hi if you see them in a parking lot or mountain top. Be sure to follow your local team on Instagram and/or Facebook, where they will be posting regularly about conditions in your region. 

Check out our Forecaster Blog to find out more about early-season forecasting.

New forecast regions and new field teams in place for this winter.

Avalanche Canada Forecast Program Expands For 2021-22

Avalanche Canada is proud to announce the second year of its Sled Mentorship Program, providing mentorship to snowmobilers pursuing a career in the avalanche industry. Get first-hand experience of hazard analysis, field observations, risk communication, trip planning, and more.

Avalanche Canada launched this pilot program last winter, in recognition of the lack of mentorship opportunities for sledders hoping to acquire professional-level training. Mentorship is a key component in the avalanche industry, but there are very few sled-based professional operations providing that opportunity.

This program helps Avalanche Canada develop relationships in the snowmobile community, while sharing our skills and expertise to help develop future avalanche professionals. This program will be run by our field teams in the North Rockies and the South Rockies. Successful applicants will experience how professionals plan and debrief their field days, and will participate in at least one field day each month through the winter. In exchange, participants will submit their observations to the Mountain Information Network and share their experiences on their social media channels. 

For more information and to apply, click here.

Program provides mentorship to snowmobilers working towards a career in avalanche industry.

Avalanche Canada Accepting Applications to Sled Mentorship Program

The Avalanche Canada Foundation has launched Braap it UP!, its first online fundraiser geared towards the snowmobiling community. This fundraiser includes an online auction with over $10,000 in prizes, and a prize draw where the grand prize is a brand new Polaris snowmobile!

Braap it UP! runs until Sunday, Oct. 31. There are more than 30 items up for auction, including radios, avalanche airbags, transceivers, guided snowmobile tours, hotel stays, and more.

But the star attraction is the chance to win a Polaris 850 PRO RMK AXYS valued at over $18,000! There are 1,500 prize draw tickets for sale for $50 each. You know how hard it is to get a new sled these days, so don't miss out! We're also giving away six AST 1 or two AST 2 courses for the early bird draw on Oct. 24. 

All proceeds from Braap It UP! will help support Avalanche Canada's programs and services. Here's just a few ways Avalanche Canada supports the sled community:

We provide daily forecasts for almost all popular mountain snowmobiling areas in western Canada.

We create sled-specific Avalanche Canada Training courses. This includes AST 1 and--coming soon--an updated motorized AST 2 course.

Our Online Trip Planner includes terrain ratings for popular snowmobile areas in BC, the Yukon, and Newfoundland.

We have a snowmobile outreach coordinator and produce outreach events and webinars specifically for the motorized community.

Our field teams are active with the local snowmobile community and take part in local events.

Thank you to all our supporters for donating prizes for this fundraiser. 

Avalanche Canada Foundation holding virtual fundraiser aimed at snowmobilers

Braap It UP! and Win a New Sled!

MEC is helping Avalanche Canada make AST courses more accessible to all Canadians.                 

Avalanche Canada is proud to announce the MEC Avalanche Safety Grant. This grant is aimed at non-profit organizations that serve racialized communities, and will allow more Canadians to safely learn about and access the winter backcountry.

Thanks to the generous support of MEC, this grant will fund up to four AST 1 courses in BC and Alberta this winter, for up to eight students per course. We are reaching out to organizations that meet the criteria to let them know of this opportunity. 

“Avalanche Canada recognizes that racialized communities face disproportionate barriers in accessing winter backcountry pursuits in Canada,” explains Gilles Valade, Executive Director of Avalanche Canada. “We are grateful to partner with MEC to reduce some of these barriers and enable even more Canadians to pursue outdoor adventures safely.”

Backcountry Access is also contributing to this initiative by providing two boxes of safety gear, each with eight sets of avalanche transceivers, shovels, and probes.

The MEC Avalanche Safety Grant is one part of our initiatives to ensure our programs and services are welcoming to all of Canada’s diverse population.

Click here to download a copy of the grant application form.

If you are aware of any organizations that would benefit from this program, or if you are interested in contributing, please contact us.

MEC Avalanche Safety Grant Provides AST Courses for BIPOC Organizations

Are you interested in contributing to public avalanche safety in Canada? Avalanche Canada and the Avalanche Canada Foundation are seeking nominations for candidates to serve on their respective boards of directors.

As the country’s national public safety organization, Avalanche Canada (AvCan) publishes daily avalanche forecasts throughout winter, coordinates education and outreach campaigns, and administers recreational avalanche courses through Avalanche Canada Training. There are three positions available on AvCan’s board of directors, each for a three-year term. The ideal candidate should be a highly motivated, self-directed strategic thinker who is passionate about public safety and the pursuit of outdoor winter recreational activities in mountainous terrain.

This is an unpaid, volunteer position typically requiring four to eight hours per month to prepare for and participate in monthly teleconference calls from September to June. Find more details on applying here.

The Avalanche Canada Foundation is the charitable organization that fundraises for Avalanche Canada, and administers funds and endowments held in trust for Avalanche Canada. The Foundation is seeking qualified candidates who are passionate about winter backcountry travel and recreation, and are willing to make a contribution by fundraising to support the work of Avalanche Canada.

This is an unpaid volunteer position that requires preparation for and participation in monthly video conference calls from September to April. Find more details on applying here.

Deadline for applications extended to September 10th 2021.

Members of the board of directors for Avalanche Canada and the Avalanche Canada Foundation met for a snowmobiling board retreat in Valemount, BC, prior to the pandemic. Photo by Brent Strand.

Candidates should be passionate about winter backcountry recreation and public avalanche safety

Avalanche Canada and Avalanche Canada Foundation Seek Candidates for Boards of Directors

Avalanche Canada is undertaking a review of our website this summer in order to make it work better for our thousands of users. But first we want to hear from you! 

Our website was launched in 2014, which is pretty old by internet standards. We've created a short survey to get feedback on avalanche.ca to find out what works and what needs to be improved. Filling it out will help us learn where we should target our work so we can make it as good as it can be.

Click here to provide your feedback. The survey will remain open until Sunday, June 27, at 11:59 p.m. PST. 

User survey seeks feedback on Avalanche.ca.

Avalanche Canada Seeking Feedback on Website

The Avalanche Canada Training (ACT) program had a record-breaking year, with more than 15,000 people taking part in one of our courses. This is a 28% increase over the previous high of 11,728, which was reached in 2018-19.

We are thrilled by the uptake in our courses this winter and the interest backcountry recreationists showed in avalanche safety training.

Here is the breakdown of student numbers by course:

More snowmobilers took courses this winter and the number of snowshoers taking an AST 1 leapt to 1,295.

Note: This year's numbers are compared to 2018-19 as that was the last full season of courses. The 2019-20 season was cut short due to the pandemic.

It was a challenging year for the ACT program as we had to adapt our courses to meet provincial health restrictions. However, this training was deemed essential by public health officials and we took steps to help AST Providers deliver their classroom sessions online..

We created online resources and recorded presentations were made available to all instructors to help them develop their practice. We also provided online training to help instructors learn the new tools.

We are extremely grateful to all the instructors in the ACT program for both stepping up to meet the demand for instruction and for continuing to teach courses in a challenging environment. We provided instructors with flexibility in how they taught their courses and interacted with students, and they took advantage of this to create new ways of teaching courses and engaging with students.

Enrolment in the ACT program has increased steadily for more than a decade and we hope to see this continue as more and more Canadians enjoy our winter backcountry.

More than 15,000 people enroll in Avalanche Canada Training program courses 

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