Background
At Avalanche Canada, we are committed to continually developing products that effectively serve our backcountry communities and keep us on the cutting edge of global public avalanche safety. To do this, we need your help.
We are working with the Avalanche Research Program at Simon Fraser University (SFU) to create a community of backcountry users to share their experiences and insights with us. The information provided by the research panel will directly help us to improve how our products and services keep people safer in the mountains.
Who Should Join?
You should! We’re looking for a group that accurately represents the people who choose to travel in avalanche terrain in winter. We need users who can represent all the kinds of people who use the backcountry, that means hearing from people from all experience levels and who take part in all types of backcountry winter sports. Whether you check the forecast every day or you’ve never opened an avalanche forecast, we’re equally interested in what you have to say.
We know that every user group has different goals and considerations when they travel in the mountains. By providing information about what you do out there and how you prepare, you can help us to make sure our products work for you. Anything you choose to share with us will only be used to help us understand what Avalanche Canada could be doing better.
Why Join?
- Help to improve and shape the future of public avalanche safety
- Learn more about avalanche safety and the new products we are creating
- Be eligible for prizes
What To Expect if You Sign Up
People involved in this project will receive regular emails from Avalanche Canada and SFU with invitations to participate in short studies, such as surveys or interviews. You don’t have to participate in every study and you can opt out at any time.
If you’re interested in taking part, click the “Sign Up” button below to complete the registration survey. It will take around 30 minutes to complete. You will be able to access this registration information in your account settings, in case you run out of time or want to update your answers.
We’re grateful to everyone who gets involved. Your insights will help us make changes that can make backcountry safer for everyone.
Sign Up
Research Team
It is important to us to create a research environment where research participants feel safe and comfortable sharing their opinions and perspectives with us, without judgment. To help foster this, we felt it was important to share some background information on the research team members and ensure we are being completely transparent about who we are, where we have come from, and what our motivations are.
This project is a collaboration between Avalanche Canada and the Avalanche Research Program of Simon Fraser University. It is being led by Stan Nowak, Simon Horton, and Pascal Haegeli, with support from the rest of the team at Avalanche Canada.
If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please contact Stan and Simon at research@avalanche.ca.
Stan Nowak (he/him)
Visualization Design & User Research Specialist
Growing up in Europe and Pennsylvania, skiing has always been a big part of my life. I moved to BC to pursue an undergraduate degree in Cognitive Psychology, and at the same time was introduced to backcountry skiing and exploring the mountains. My academic background introduced me to data visualization, which became the backbone of my career as a practitioner, educator, and researcher in visualization and interface design. Through my PhD at Simon Fraser University, I fused my love for winter recreation and interactive visual analysis tools.
Now, as a designer and researcher at Avalanche Canada, I get to help create tools that help advance avalanche safety. I’m grateful for the mentors, collaborators, and students who have shaped my journey, and I’m excited to contribute to the community that inspired it all. I aspire to be a good steward of this role, designing tools that reflect and address the needs of our community.
Simon Horton (he/him)
Research officer & Avalanche forecaster
I grew up in Ontario playing hockey, canoeing, and obsessed with drawing maps. After moving out west, my passions shifted to mountain sports and I came upon a fortunate opportunity to learn about snow and avalanches from Dr. Bruce Jamieson at the University of Calgary. I currently work as the research officer and a senior forecaster at Avalanche Canada, and continue my research as an associate with SFU. I am thankful for the many great mentors and opportunities I’ve had up to this point, and hope to apply research to benefit everyone who works, lives, and plays in the mountains.
My role in this project is to facilitate user research by guiding those with ideas through the process of designing, launching, and disseminating studies.
Pascal Haegeli (he/him)
Associate Professor & Supervisor
I found my love for the mountains, snow and skiing in my childhood in Switzerland where I was born and raised, and started backcountry skiing during university. I had a few knowledgeable friends who introduced me to the craft of reading the avalanche bulletin, setting a track, and using an avalanche transceiver.
In 1998, I moved to British Columbia to pursue a PhD at the University of British Columbia focusing on avalanches, which allowed me to combine my interest in science with my passion for the winter backcountry. I simply wanted to learn more about how avalanches work and how to manage the associated risks. Over the past 23 years, I have been fortunate to work with many amazing people who shared their avalanche experiences, knowledge, and wisdom, and I’ve been able to contribute to the Canadian avalanche community with my academic skills. Since 2015, I have had the pleasure of working with a wonderful team of students to explore interesting avalanche safety related research topics at Simon Fraser University. And even though I am not spending that much time in the backcountry anymore, my motivation to learn more about avalanches and help others to enjoy the backcountry safely remains the same.