- Date
- Friday, January 27, 2017
- Tagged under
Alberta Announces Three-Year Funding Agreement
January, 26, 2017, Banff, AB: It was a beautiful blue-sky day in the Rocky Mountains as Cameron Westhead, MLA for Banff-Cochrane, announced a renewed three-year provincial funding agreement for Avalanche Canada. Alberta will provide the national public avalanche safety organization with $250,000 annually until 2020.
“More and more Albertans are heading into the backcountry each year,” said Shannon Phillips, Minister of Environment and Parks and Minister Responsible for the Climate Change Office, in a news release. “Avalanche Canada has a proven track record of preventing tragedies while promoting the safe and respectful use of our beautiful mountain environment.”
Over the past decade, half of all avalanche fatalities in Canada were residents of Alberta. And of all snowmobilers killed in avalanches, about two-thirds were from Alberta. The Government of Alberta has funded and supported Avalanche Canada since 2005.
Avalanches are a natural part of the winter mountain environment but they are also the deadliest natural hazard in Canada, said Gilles Valade, Executive Director of Avalanche Canada. By providing backcountry users with science-based and effective resources, we are working together to prevent tragedy.
Each year in Canada, about 8,000 people take an avalanche safety training taught by instructors licensed by Avalanche Canada.
“As providers of Avalanche Skills Training developed through Avalanche Canada, we are thankful for continued financial support for this important organization,” said Len Youden, General Manager of Yamnuska Mountain Adventures, in a news release. “This money will support regional forecasting tools and education and help keep people safe.”
Banff Mayor Karen Sorenson, Cameron Westhead, MLA for Banff-Cochrane, and Gilles Valade, Executive Director of Avalanche Canada at a chilly but scenic news conference in Banff, January 26.